St. Francis de Sales describes Charity as "the king of virtues," which is attended upon and served by all the others. In his usual style, he likens it to the King of Bees, who never goes forth without being attended by his buzzing subjects (the good bishop was a big fan of Pliny and he … Continue reading Sunday Thoughts: Charity, the King of Virtues
Saint Francis de Sales
The Invisible Fire
Part of the process of building the Brooklyn Bridge (as with other, similar structures) involved sinking pressurized caissons made of reinforced timber into the East River so that workers could dig the foundations into the river bottom. The caissons go to the bottom, are pressurized to the level of the surrounding water to keep them … Continue reading The Invisible Fire
Low-Effort Blogging: Consoling Thoughts of St. Francis de Sales
Extra low-effort this time, as I haven't listened to all of these all the way through, only bits and pieces. But I trust enough in the great Saint, whom I take as one of my personal patrons, that I'm not afraid to offer his words sight unseen, though it's against my usual practice. (The narrator … Continue reading Low-Effort Blogging: Consoling Thoughts of St. Francis de Sales
Words of the Saints: Saint Francis de Sales on Anxiety
Book IV, Chapter II of Introduction to the Devout Life (emph. mine): "Anxiety of mind is not so much an abstract temptation, as the source whence various temptations arise. Sadness, when defined, is the mental grief we feel because of our involuntary ailments;—whether the evil be exterior, such as poverty, sickness or contempt; or interior, … Continue reading Words of the Saints: Saint Francis de Sales on Anxiety
Serpent's Den 