We cannot walk without touching the ground….

January 24, 2023 by Amy Welborn

It’s his feastday. St. Francis de Sales, that is. All the writers will tell you that, have no doubt. They (we) will be quite boring about it, too.

But are we even listening to him?

Wish not to do all, but only something, and without doubt, you will do much.

-St. Francis de Sales, letter, 7/20/1607.

…sometimes we amuse ourselves in playing at being good Angels, till we forget to be good men and women.

-St. Francis de Sales, letter. Source here.

As you read those words, try to catch, not simply the ways that he confirms your expectations, but perhaps the way he challenges them.

For the truth is, most of us reading St. Francis de Sales today have been formed to believe that belief and conversion is essentially coming to believe the Credo: I believe…in myself. I believe…that I’m doing my best. I believe…that God accepts me just as I am. I believe…that I’ve been put on earth to set the world on fire and Do Big Things.

As Francis and every other spiritual teacher tells us, that American-rooted obsession with success, even if it’s couched in spiritual terms, is a lie, and can even be destructive, as, as he mentions up above – our first duty is to what and who is right in front of us, this moment. Serve God in that moment and that person, and then widen the circle.

So when you read Francis de Sales – and, of course, other spiritual teachers of the past – you might pick up on some differences with contemporary pop spirituality. Yes (as we’ll see) Francis de Sales advises against scrupulosity all the time, and both he and Jane de Chantal warn against excessive interiority and obsession with one’s spiritual state. It’s one of the reasons I love them. They’re always saying…relax. Please. Just…relax.

But this moderation is advised, not because they’re communicating that where ever you are, you’re fine and embrace your imperfections and mess. It’s a little different than that.

It’s more: You’re a person, so yes you’re an imperfect mess. But God calls you to shed that mess and move towards perfection, and he gives you the tools and the grace to do so.

And further, if you recognize this, you have an obligation to do so. A duty.

And this is why St. Francis de Sales is so wonderful. He bridges this gap, he is realistic on every score, reminding us that we are not perfect and that we should be striving for perfection, but warning us against unrealistic expectations as well:

My God ! dear daughter, do not examine whether what you do is little or much, good or ill, provided it is not sin, and that in good faith you will to do it for God. As much as you can, do perfectly what you do, but when it is done, think of it no more ; rather think of what is to be done quite simply in the way of God, and do not torment your spirit. We must hate our faults, but with a tranquil and quiet hate, not with an angry and restless hate ; and so we must have patience when we see them, and draw from them a profit of a holy- abasement of ourselves.

To be dissatisfied and fret about the world, when we must of necessity be in it, is a great temptation. The Providence of God is wiser than we. We fancy that by changing our ships, we shall get on better; yes, if we change ourselves. My God, I am sworn enemy of these useless, dangerous, and bad desires : for though what we desire is good, the desire is bad, because God does not will us this sort of good, but another, in which he wants us to exercise ourselves. God wishes to speak to us in the thorns and the bush, as he did to Moses; and we want him to speak in the small wind, gentle and fresh, as he did to Elias.

and then this, which I love:

One word which I would have you remember; sometimes we amuse ourselves in playing at being good Angels, till we forget to be good men and women. Our imperfection must cleave to us till we rest in our grave ; we cannot walk without touching the ground. We must not lie down or grovel upon it, but neither must we fancy that we can fly; we are yet but as unfledged birds. Physical death comes nearer day by day, and even so we must strive to destroy our imperfection day by day ; ‘‘ I die daily.” It will be a precious imperfection if it makes us acknowledge our weakness, and strengthens our humility, our self-depreciation, our patience, and diligence.

Through it all God looks upon “the preparation of the heart.” I do not know whether what I write will fit in with your needs, but it came into my heart to say all this because I think part of your late trouble has arisen from your making a great preparation, and then, finding the results very small, and your power insufficient to carry out your aspirations and plans, you have been seized by impatience, perturbation, restlessness, irritability; the result of which is mistrust, languor, depression, and disgust.

Now if this is true, be wiser in future. Let us be content to travel by land if the sea turns us sick.

That’s from his letters “to persons in the world,” collected here in this book found at the Internet Archive. (I’m sure they are in more contemporary bound versions but this is online…and free).

It is well worth downloading and keeping on hand. So much pertinent, valuable, wise advice and insight. Perhaps begin with his 10/14/1604 letter to Jane de Chantal. It’s long and rich and contains, among other bits, tremendous insight on true liberty in Christ.

The effects of this liberty are a great suavity of soul, a great gentleness and condescension in all that is not sin or danger of sin ; a temper sweetly pliable to the acts of every virtue and charity. For example : interrupt a soul which is attached to the exercise of meditation ; you will see it leave with annoyance, worried and surprised. A soul which has true liberty will leave its exercise with an equal countenance, and a heart gracious towards the importunate person who has inconvenienced her. For it is all one to her whether she serve God by meditating, or serve him by bearing with her neighbour : both are the will of God, but the bearing with her neighbour is necessary at that time.

The occasions of this liberty are all the things which happen against our inclination ; for whoever is not attached to his inclinations, is not impatient when they are contradicted.

This liberty has two opposite vices, instability and constraint, or dissolution and slavery.

Instability, or dissolution of spirit, is a certain excess of liberty, by which we change our exercises, our state of life, without proof or knowledge that such change is God’s will. On the smallest occasion practices, plan, rule are changed; for every little occurrence we leave our rule and laudable custom : and thus the heart is dissipated and ruined, and is like an orchard open on all sides, whose fruits are not for its owners, but for all passers by.

Constraint or slavery is a certain want of liberty by which the soul is overwhelmed with either disgust or anger, when it cannot do what it has planned, though still able to do better. For example : I design to make my meditation every day in the morning. If I have the spirit of instability, or dissolution, on the least occasion in the world I shall put it off till the evening for a dog which kept me from sleeping, for a letter I have to write, of no urgency whatever. On the other hand, if I have the spirit of constraint or servitude, I shall not leave my meditation at that hour, even if a sick person have great need of my help at the time, even if I have a dispatch which is of great importance, and which cannot well be put off, and so on.