Salesian Literature

Letters on:

Loving and Serving God in Your Daily Life

1. Marriage is an exercise in mortification   ::   2. As far as possible, make your devotion attractive  ::   3. Have patience with everyone, including yourself

4. Keep yourself gentle amid household troubles  ::   5. Do what you see can be done with love  ::   6. Parents can demand more than God Himself

7. Avoid making your devotion troublesome  ::   8. Have contempt for contempt  ::   9. Lord, what would You have me to do?  ::   10. Take Jesus as your patron

11. Remain innocent among the hissing of serpents  ::   12. Never speak evil of your neighbour  ::   13. Extravagant recreations may be blameworthy

14. We must not ask of ourselves what we don't have  ::   15. If you get tired of kneeling, sit down  ::   16. You will not lack mortification

17. We must always walk faithfully  ::   18. Illness can make you agreeable to God  ::   19. You are being crowned with His crown of thorns

20. Often the world calls evil what is good  ::   21. Rest in the arms of Providence  ::   22. In confidence, lift up your heart to our Redeemer

23. We must slowly withdraw from the world  ::   24. This dear child was more God's than yours  ::   25. Think of no other place than Paradise or Purgatory

26. How tenderly I loved her!  ::   27. Calm your mind, lift up your heart  ::   28. Miserable beggars receive the greatest mercy

​

20. Often the world calls evil what is good

To a woman whose husband is ill

 

My dearest daughter,

 

Truly, if charity allowed, I could willingly love the maladies of your dear husband because I think them useful to you for the mortification of your affection and feelings.  Well then, leave it to be seen by the heavenly and eternal Providence of Our Lord whether these illnesses will be for the good of your soul or of his, both being exercised as they are by means of holy patience.

 

O my child, how often the world calls good what is evil, and still oftener evil what is good!

 

However, since that sovereign goodness who wills our troubles wills also that we ask from Him deliverance from them, I will entreat Him with all my heart to give back good and lasting health to your dear husband, and a very excellent and very lasting holiness to you, my dearest daughter, that you may walk steadily and fervently in the way of true and living devotion…

 

There seems to be illnesses everywhere, but illness that is a great good, as I hope.  Let the good pleasure of the divine majesty ever be our pleasure and comfort in the adversities that come upon us.  Amen.

 

Francis

​

​

Back to Top

​