Quotes & Themes – Man
Man
Man is an epitome of the world; he is a little world in himself, in which all that is to be found in the great world of the universe is found. (Spiritual Conferences, 3)
Man is the perfection of the universe, the spirit is the perfection of man, love that of the spirit, and charity that of love. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 10, Chapter 1)
You will never see God without goodness, nor yourself without misery. (Letters to Persons in Religion, I, 2)
God is our God and man’s heart is His home. (Letters to Persons in Religion, II, 19)
God is in you as the heart of your heart and the spirit of your spirit. (Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, Chapter 2)
Man has a natural inclination to love God above all things. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 1, Chapter 16)
Nothing so much presses man’s heart as love. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 7, Chapter 8)
God has imprinted on all created things His traces, trail or footsteps. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 3, Chapter 9)
God is God of the human heart. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 1, Chapter 15)
What was I when I was not? What was I, who now being something am yet but a simple and poor worm of the earth? (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 12, Chapter 12)
All that is good in us, is not of us. (The Spirit of St. François de Sales, XIX 3)
What can we do of ourselves but fall? (The Spirit of St. François de Sales, II 8)
If we only knew what we were, instead of being astonished at finding ourselves on the ground, we should marvel how we can remain standing up. (Letters to Persons in Religion, I, 8)
The diversity of paths makes no diversity in ourselves. (Letters to Persons in Religion, II, 14)
We cannot quit ourselves altogether while we are here below; we must always bear ourselves until God bears us to heaven. (Letters to Persons in the World, VI, 17)
The Philistine only dies with us, and always lives with us. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 9, Chapter 7)
But for holy eternity in which all our days end, we should have cause to blame our human condition. (Letters to Persons in the World, III, 1)
Natural reason is a good tree which God has planted in us; the fruits which spring from it cannot but be good. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 11, Chapter 1)
There is no nature, though never so good, which may not be perverted to evil by vicious habits. There is no disposition, though ever so perverse, that may not, by the grace of God and our own industry, be brought under control and overcome. (Introduction to the Devout Life, Part I, Chapter 24)
Sometimes we so much occupy ourselves with being good angels that we neglect to be good men and women. (Letters to Persons in the World, I, 5)
For you, there are but God and yourself in the world. (Letters to Persons in Religion, I, 2)
Our imperfection must accompany us to our coffin; we cannot move without touching earth. (Letters to Persons in the World, I, 5)
North American Salesian Network
The North American Salesian Network (NASN) is an organization of both lay and religious groups that live the Salesian teachings of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. NASN facilitates the sharing of Salesian resources, educational services, vocational efforts, and a variety of resources, bringing this optimistic, joy-filled spirituality to people throughout the world.