Salesian Literature

Salesian Views on

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

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

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Suffering

Related Topics: Humility | Temptations | Patience

 

Suffering is the school of humility

Letter to Rose Bourgeois: Humility makes our hearts gentle toward the perfect and the imperfect: toward the perfect, out of respect; toward the imperfect, out of compassion.  Humility helps us to receive afflictions serenely, knowing that we deserve them, and to receive blessings with reverence, knowing that they are undeserved. 

 

Facing temptations while trusting in God

Letter to a Gentleman:  What is of greater concern to me now is that everyone says that besides your physical illness, you are suffering from deep depression.  I can imagine how much this will slow down your return to perfect health and breed the very opposite condition.  Now, sir, my heart is very sad to hear this, and since I have such deep, inexpressible affection for you, I also feel great compassion for your family. 

 

Letter to a Wife and Mother, 5: Even though there seems to be no meaning, life or pleasure in anything you do, continue to kiss your crucifix; with all your love give our Lord your mind and your heart, cold and faint as they are.

 

Letter to a Wife and Mother, 15: We shall realise how wrong we are to describe all the little things that happen to us as sufferings, pains or setbacks in comparison with the scorn, calumnies, poverty and destitution, humiliation, pain, agony, privations, insults and grief in every shape and form that he endured.

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