Posted in CATECHESIS, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on PHYSICAL SICKNESS, ILLNESS, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, St Francis de Sales

Quote/s of the Day – 3 June – A lesson in being sick …

Quote/s of the Day – 3 June – Ember Saturday of Pentecos – Joel 2:28-32, Luke 4:38-44 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

And standing over her,
He commanded the fever and it left her.
And immediately rising,
she ministered to them.

Luke 4:39

She believed firmly that God was not the first,
nor the second, nor the third cause of her illness,
for He is not the cause of sickness in any way whatever.
Since He is not the cause of sin,
then He is not the cause of sickness either.
But just as He permits sin,
He sends infirmities to correct and purify us of it.

Thus, we must be submissive to His Justice,
as well as to His Mercy, keeping a humble silence.
This will make us tranquilly embrace
the events of His Providence, as David did,
who, in his afflictions said:
“I suffered and was silent because I knew
that it was Thou Who sent them to correct me
and purge me of my guilt.
” [Ps.38: 10-12].

Our fever patient did the same.
“Thou have sent me the fever
and I have accepted it. I have submitted myself,
both to Thy Justice and to Thy Mercy.
Just as Thou sent it to me, without my asking for it,
so Thou can take it away,
without my asking Thee to do so.
Thou knows better than I do
what is best for me.
I have no need to trouble myself about it.
It is sufficient for me
that Thou look at me and that Thou knows
that I am sick in my bed!

(Sermon for the Thursday
after the Third Sunday of Lent, 3 March 1622,
concerning the cure of St Peter’s mother-in-law).

He who seeks only the glory of God,
finds it in poverty, as in abundance.

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

Posted in NOVENAS

Novena to St Francis de Sales – Day Six – 20 January

Novena to St Francis de Sales

Day SIX
“Do not pay any attention to the kind of work you do, but rather to the honour that it brings to God, even though it may seem quite trivial.   Desire only to do the Divine Will, following Divine Providence, which is the disposition of Divine Wisdom.   In a word, if your works are pleasing to God and recognized as such, that is all that matters.   Work hard every day at increasing your purity of heart, which consists in appraising things and weighing them in the balance of God’s will.”   (St Francis de Sales Letters 280; O. XIII, p. 53)

O blessed Francis de Sales,
who on earth did excel in a life of virtue,
especially in the love of God and neighbour,
I earnestly ask you to take me under your compassionate care and protection.
Obtain for me conversion of mind and heart.
Grant that all people, especially …………….
(names of those whom you wish to include)
may experience the depth of God’s redeeming and healing love.
Teach me to fix my eyes on the things of heaven even as I walk each day
with my feet planted firmly on the earth.
Help me, through the practice of virtue and the pursuit of devotion,
to avoid anything that would otherwise cause me to stumble in my attempt to follow Christ and to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit.
Encouraged by your prayers and example,
help me to live fully my sacred dignity with the hope of experiencing my sacred destiny:
eternal life with God.
Receive also this particular need or concern that I now lift up in prayer.
(mention your particular need)
O God, for the salvation of all, you desired that St. Francis de Sales—
preacher, missionary, confessor, bishop and founder—
should befriend many along the road to salvation.
Mercifully grant that we, infused with the humility and gentleness of his charity,
guided by his wisdom and sharing in his spirit may experience eternal life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

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