The Wisdom of St Francis de Sales on Suffering



(Source: From Empty Hands)
Today we commemorate the life of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of our Church. His Introduction to the Devout Life is a timeless spiritual treasure that has had a profound impact on many a searching soul - including myself.

But there are many other great books he left us, worthy of our time and reflection. One of them is “Finding God’s Will for You.

Since suffering is an inescapable part of our human condition – one which we have difficulty embracing - I thought, on this feast day of St Francis, that I would share the following brief excerpt from that Finding God’s Will for You in hopes that it would lead to fruitful contemplation on this great mystery of our Faith:.


“…Job reflects that it is from God's hand that he received those good things,- thus testifying that he loved those goods not so much because they were good as because they had come from the hand of the Lord. Since this is so, he concludes that he must lovingly bear up under adversities because they come from the same-hand of the Lord, which is equally kind when it apportions affliction, and when it gives out consola­tions. Good things are willingly accepted by all men, but to accept evils belongs only to perfect love. Because evils are lov­able only in respect to the hand that gives them, perfect love has -so much the greater love for them.”

(From Finding God’s Will for You)

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