Salesian Literature

Salesian Views on

::   Sacraments  ::   Self-love  ::   Self-purification  ::   Simplicity  ::   Spiritual Direction  

::   Spiritual Exercises  ::   Spiritual Integration  ::   Spirituality  ::   Suffering  ::   Surrender

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Spiritual Integration

 

As far as possible, make your devotion attractive

Letter to a married woman, on harmonizing family and devotion. You have a great desire for Christian perfection.  It is the most generous desire you could have: feed it and make it grow everyday.  The means of gaining perfection are various according to the variety of vocations: religious, widows, and married persons must all seek after this perfection, but not all by the same means. 

 

Have patience with everyone, including yourself

Letter to a woman beset by many tasks. Have patience with everyone, but chiefly with yourself; I mean to say, do not trouble yourself about your imperfections, and always have the courage to lift yourself out of them.  I am well content that you begin again everyday: there is no better way to perfect the spiritual life than always to begin again and never to think you have done enough. 

 

Keep yourself gentle amid household troubles

Letter to a busy housewife, on maintaining spiritual calm. I tell you, then, that you must pay special attention to this, and that you must keep yourself gentle in them, and that when you get up in the morning, or leave prayer, or return from Mass or Communion, and always when you return to domestic affairs, you must be attentive to beginning quietly. 

 

Do what you see can be done with love

Letter to a wife having difficulties with her parents-in-law. Well, now, here you are in your establishment, and you cannot alter it; you must be what you are, mother of a family, since you have a husband and children.  And you must be so with good heart, and with love of God, yea, for the love of God, without troubling or disquieting yourself any more than you can help. 

 

Avoid making your devotions troublesome

Letter to a married woman, whose relatives interfere with her devotions. Mortify yourself, then, joyously; and in proportion as you are hindered from doing the good you desire, do the good that you do not desire.  You do not desire these resignations; you would desire others.

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