Salesian Literature

Salesian Views on

::   Patience  ::   Peace  ::   Perfection  ::   Perseverance  ::   Poverty  ::   Prayer  ::   Propriety 

::   Providence

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Patience

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Introduction to the Devout Life, 3:3. You have need of patience so that doing the will of God you may receive what he has promised (Heb. 10:36) says the Apostle.  Yes, for as the Saviour has declared, You shall possess your self in patience (Lk. 21:19).  It is the great happiness of man, Philothea, to possess himself. 

 

We must be patient as we seek perfection

Letter to Mademoiselle de Soulfour. Know that the virtue of patience is the one that most assures us of perfection; and if we must have patience with others, so we must with ourselves.  Those who aspire to the pure love of God have not so much need of patience with others as with themselves.  We must suffer our imperfection in order to have perfection.  I say suffer, not love or pet; humility feeds on this suffering. 

 

We must have patience with ourselves

Letter to Mademoiselle de Soulfour. Know that patience is the one virtue which gives greatest assurance of our reaching perfection, and, while we must have patience with others, we must also have it with ourselves.  Those who aspire to the pure love of God need to be more patient with themselves than with others.  We have to endure our own imperfections in order to attain perfection; I say ‘endure patiently’ not ‘love’ or ‘embrace’; humility is nurtured through such endurance. 

 

Arm yourself with the patience we should have toward ourselves

Letter to de Chatel. Stir up your courage, arm yourself with the patience we should have toward ourselves.  Often rouse your heart so that it may be rather on guard against a surprise attack; watch out for this other self; wherever you go, you’d do well to be aware of her, for this mean girl goes with you everywhere, and if you aren’t thinking about her she will think up something against you. 

 

Letter to a Wife and Mother, 3: I mention steadiness and calmness, because impetuous activity is harmful to our work and our souls.  It is not genuine activity at all, but merely turmoil and excitability … Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself.  Don’t be disturbed, I mean, because of your imperfections; always have the courage to get up again after you falls. 

 

Letter to a Wife and Mother, 14: Mould yourself as far as possible along the lines of kindness and patient serenity: kindness towards your neighbour, however tiresome or disagreeable; patient serenity as regards yourself, however tempted or troubled, however worthless you may feel.  

 

Letter to a Wife and Mother, 15: We shall see our mistake in longing for patience to put up with what are only trifles, when all that is needed to cope with them is just a grain of commonsense or an atom of self-control.

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