September

September 1
At the beginning of each month, ask for divine inspiration and put yourself in the presence of God. Imagine yourself to be a poor servant sent by God into this world as into His own house. Indeed, it is He who put us here, and so we should approach Him with humility. He had no need of you, but He put you here to exercise His liberality and His goodness toward you, and to give you His paradise. To enable you to obtain what He has planned for you. He has given you an intellect to know Him, a memory to keep Him in mind, and will and a heart to love Him and your neighbor, an imagination to have a picture of Him and His gifts, and all your feelings to serve Him and glorify Him. (Letters O. XXVI, pp. 170-171) 

September 2
It often happens that the fire of holy love is still burning in the soul, but it is covered under the ashes of a multitude of venial sins that dull its splendor. These sins, although they do not rob the fire of charity of its force and potential for action, numb it, so to speak, and deprive it of its activity, and so charity remains sterile. In brief, these kinds of sins hold us back in our life of holy love. (T.L.G. Book 4, Ch. 2; O. IV, pp. 218-219)

September 3
Truly, death is terrible, but the life that follows it, together with the mercy that God will show us, is very, very desirable. So do not have any doubts; no mater how wretched we are, we will never be able to match the mercy of God, Who shows Himself as a Father to all who desire to love Him. We must put all our hope in Him. (Letters 512; O. XIV, p. 115) 

September 4
My God, could there be any greater blindness than ours? Full of miseries and vileness, we want to appear and to be esteemed as someone really important! It is our self-love which so blinds us! God grants us a wonderful grace when He enlightens us to know our abjection, because the knowledge of our miseries and defects is a sign of conversion of heart. Anyone who wants to know himself does not want to be esteemed. If he is considered imperfect and treated as such, he is not upset. He has been cured of his blindness. (Sermons 38; O. IX, pp. 408-409) 

September 5
How fortunate is that soul who is willing to have a great deal of tribulation before departing from this life! How can one possibly learn how to love deeply and sincerely if not among the spines, the crosses and the feeling of abandonment over a long period? Our dear Savior thus proved his limitless love in the agony of His passion. Learn well how to love Christ on the bed of sorrow; on this bed He formed your heart before creating it, foreseeing it in His divine plan. Yes the Savior has numbered all your sorrows and all your sufferings. He has paid for them with His blood, with all the patience and love that is necessary. Be satisfied, therefore, to accept generously all that God has in store for you. (Letters 1043; O. XVI, pp. 300-301) 

September 6
Just as it is an impious effrontery to attribute to our own will the holy works which the Spirit inspires us to perform, so it is brazen-faced impiety to want to attribute our lack of cooperation to a failure of grace or of heavenly aid. The Holy Spirit proclaims everywhere that we bring about our own perdition. He desires nothing more intensely than that we allow that fire to be enkindled in our heart which the Savior brought down to this world. The sacred text also tells us clearly that God does not want anyone to be lost, but wills that all should be saved. [cf. 1 Tm 2:4] Our Savior came into this world that all may become His adopted brothers and sisters. (T.L.G. Book 4, Ch. 5; O. IV, p. 228) 

September 7
Let us walk along through the deep valleys of the humble virtues and we will find ourselves on both roses and thorns; these include the charity that stands out amid both internal and external afflictions, the lilies of purity, the violets of mortification. Particularly appealing to me are the three small virtues of gentleness of heart, poverty of spirit and simplicity of life. Poverty of spirit and simplicity of life are exercised by visiting the sick, serving the poor and consoling the afflicted. (Letters 308; O. XIII, p. 92) 

September 8
My God! When will we receive the grace to have the holy virgin come and be born in our hearts? For my part I see that I am unworthy of this favor, and certainly you think the same about yourselves. But was not the Divine Son born in a stable? Courage, therefore! Let us prepare a place for Mary. She loves humble places of stark simplicity, yet spacious in charity. She is very happy to stay close to a stable and at the foot of the cross; she was not worried about having to go into exile in Egypt, far from every comfort, so long as she had her Child with her. (Letters 308; O. XIII, p. 91) 

September 9
Our Savior has left to His Church the Sacrament of Penance or Confession, so that by means of it we may be washed clean of our iniquities every time we are guilty. Never allow your heart, then, to remain a slave of sin for very long, since there is such a simple and easy remedy close at hand. (INT. Part II, Ch. 19; O. III, p. 111)

September 10
The goodness of God is so great that often He gives a taste of the sweetness of His divinity to those souls who serve Him, offering numerous graces and favors that we must never forget. On our part we should remember the bitterness, the abuse and the sorrows that the glorious saint, Nicholas of Tolentino, whom the Church commemorates today. After wholly renouncing the world and having crucified himself with Christ, at the hour of his death he asked that the wood of the holy cross be brought to him. Seeing it, he exclaimed, "O holy cross, so ardently desired ... I salute you, precious cross, upon which one may sail the sea of the world to arrive at the port of eternity." And in truth, to make sure of our eternal salvation, there in no better way than by means of the cross. (Sermons 34; O. IX, p. 353) 

September 11
When you are harassed by temptations, do not fight them, but after an act of the corresponding virtue, turn your heart to Christ crucified and lovingly kiss in spirit His sacred feet. This is the best way to gain a victory over your enemy in both small and great temptations. As the love of God contains in itself the perfection of all other virtues, so it is the very best remedy against every vice and against the evil spirit. When he sees all his temptations brushed aside by the love of God, he stops molesting us. (INT. Part IV, Ch. 9; O. III, pp. 307-308)

September 12
Let us often have recourse to the holy cross, embracing it in our hearts. Let us rest in the shade of this holy tree! It is impossible that anything can hurt us if we keep to our resolution to belong totally to God. Do not get all upset, therefore, when difficulties come your way. Laugh in your enemy's face; you are in the arms of the Almighty. Therefore, let God be your strength and your love. (Letters 638; O. IX, p. 382) 

September 13
Be on familiar terms with the angels; often contemplate them invisibly present in your life, and above all love and venerate that angel who watches over the diocese to which you belong. Pray to the angels of the people with whom you live, and especially to your own guardian angel. Call on him often and praise him every day, imploring his help and support in all that you do, spiritual or temporal. The angels present your petitions before God. [cf. Tb 12:12] (INT. Part II, Ch. 16; O. III, p. 105) 

September 14
All that you do for love is love. Fatigue and even death itself accepted for motives of love is nothing else but love! Today is the feast of the Holy Cross. How beautiful and worthy of our love! It was hard work setting up the wood and erecting it on Calvary, but how happy are those who love the cross and carry it generously. It will appear in all its glory in the heavens when Christ Our Lord will come to judge the living and the dead. Heaven is the altar for all who are crucified; therefore, let us love the crosses that we meet as we go through life. (Letters 713; O. XV, pp. 101-102) 

September 15
It is not tranquility that bring our hearts close to God, but the fidelity of our love for Him; it is not the felt experience of His sweetness, but the consent of our wills to follow His holy will. In fact, it is more desirable that this holy will be fulfilled in us than that we follow our will in God. (Letters 698; O. XV, p. 53) 

September 16
Uneasiness arises from an inordinate desire to be freed of some evil or from the suffering we are undergoing; or it results from the desire for some benefit we want too eagerly. In either case, anxiety only aggravates the situation. So when you are seized by some desire to be freed from an evil or to acquire something you think is good, in the very first place put yourself in a calm and tranquil mood; tone down your judgment and your will, and then with gentleness quietly await the outcome of your desires. (INT. Part I, Ch. 11; O. III, pp. 311-312) 

September 17
It is not possible to gain control over your soul all at once and have it immediately in your power. Be satisfied, therefore, with gaining control of it little by little, and so learn how to conquer your dominant passion. If you have to put up with others, begin by putting up with yourself. Be patient at finding that you are not perfect. Do you want to enjoy interior peace without having to suffer the day-to-day contradictions and setbacks? Every morning prepare your soul to face the day without getting upset, and throughout the day be careful to return to this resolution. (Letters 444; O. XIV, p. 2) 

September 18
When something happens and we cannot understand the reason for it, we are inclined to think that there is no reason behind the events of this world. However, it is a matter of faith that since God is the Creator and Master of everything, He guides everything carefully by His Providence; He directs and embraces all creation. Especially as regards ourselves, God often allows our lives to be turned upside down by many setbacks. He desires us to walk by faith and not by sight, so that we might seek peace in Him alone! Truly we have to admit that heavenly Providence would be of very low quality if our poor intellect could fully understand it! In the same way, events would be far less marvelous in their grandeur if they corresponded to our human reasoning. (T.L.G. Book 4, Ch. 8; O. IV, p. 243) 

September 19
You will find no vocation, no state in life, where there are no bitter experiences, no annoyances, no hard times. Everyone, except those who are fully resigned to the will of God, would like to change places with someone else. This general uneasiness of souls proceeds from the distaste they find when things do not go their way, and a certain influence of the evil spirit who presents the state of others as better than their own. But that is not true; whoever does not resign himself completely to the will of God will turn here and turn there, but he will never find peace. (Letters 233; O. XII, pp. 348-349) 

September 20
We should never tire of making good resolutions, even when we know that we will not keep them. Even if we should feel absolutely certain that it will be impossible to put them into practice, we should not immediately give up. We should hold on until we have sufficient courage to say to the Lord: It is true, Lord, I haven't the strength to do it or suffer this, but I rejoice in this fact, that Your strength will work in me. With this support I will go ahead to face the battle, and I will win. (Spiritual Treatises IX; O. VI, p. 155)

September 21
It is well to reflect from time to time on the commandments of God, not only in general but also on the particular commandments proper to each person's vocation. If we find them distasteful, what makes them so? Only our will, which wants to have its own way in everything. It often happens that we desire to do something that we are not commanded to do, but if the same thing is commanded, we do not want to do it. From this it can be seen that we want to serve God in our own way and not in His. (Letters 233; O. XII, p. 345) 

September 22
If you experience a great spiritual thrill in carrying out your practices of piety, do not change them. If you happen to omit anything that I have asked you to do, do not have scruples about it. Let this be the general rule of your obedience written in capital letters: DO EVERYTHING FOR LOVE, AND NOTHING THROUGH FORCE. LOVE OBEDIENCE MORE THAN YOU FEAR DISOBEDIENCE. I want you to have the spirit of liberty! (Letters 344; O. XII, pp. 358-359) 

September 23
So long as we are on this earth, we must realize that we cannot avoid imperfections, because we are all human. We must convince ourselves of this reality; we should not get all upset in seeing ourselves as imperfect beings. The Lord has asked us to say every day those words of the Our Father, "Forgive us our trespasses..." This is a directive that has no exceptions, because we all have need of it. (Spiritual Treatises XVI; O. VI, pp. 296-297)

September 24
It is necessary not only to combat hate and distaste of one's neighbor, but to abstain from a common but quite harmful defect, namely, to complain and to keep repeating these complaints. This is an evident sign of a stubborn heart that has not even a spark of charity in it. Strong and generous hearts sometimes are saddened when there is a very serious cause, but even then they do not fall into exaggerated anguish. Have courage. The few years that remain to us here below, please God, will be for us the best and most useful for eternity. (Letters 817; O. XV, pp. 288-289) 

September 25
The parents of Saint Catherine of Siena tried by every means they could to put obstacles in her way as regards prayer and meditation. Our Lord then inspired her to construct within her own heart a little interior "oratory" where she could mentally retire, even in the midst of exterior activity, and enjoy the solitude of her heart. Therefore, from that time on, she advised her spiritual sons and daughters to construct a small room in their own hearts and to dwell within it. (INT. Part II, Ch. 12; O. III, p. 93)

September 26
Either God or nothing, because all that is not of God is worse than nothing! Remain united with God and love Him with all your heart, always remembering that we cannot love Him too much nor can we ever love Him enough. How wonderful it is to know that we can love without falling into excess; there is no danger of that when it is God Whom we are loving. (Letters 660; O. XV, p. 17) 

September 27
Perseverance in virtue is more difficult in internal matters than in external. We feel hesitation in submitting when it concerns our intellect, this being the last part of ourselves that we give up. Still, it is necessary to submit our way of thinking to a higher authority. Small as they may be, virtuous acts that are assigned to us are especially valuable. (Spiritual Treatises X; O. XXVI, pp. 170-171) 

September 28
I believe in the Holy Spirit; all that God has done He has done through the Holy Spirit. In the same way, He still performs supernatural acts that only faith can perceive. Do you ask me how bread can become the body of Jesus Christ? I answer: The Holy Spirit casts His shadow (as He did upon the Virgin Mary) and performs works that are well beyond what our words and our intelligence can express. Besides, the Holy Spirit inspired Scripture; He is the Teacher of the whole Church! (Intercessions; O. XXIII, p. 23) 

September 29
Do not change your confessor too readily. When you have chosen one, be faithful in keeping him informed of the state of your conscience on the day selected for your confession, telling him frankly and openly the sins you have committed. From time to time, say every month or two, let him know of any inclinations you may have, even if they are not sinful. For example, do you give way to moments of sadness or ill-humor? Do you frequently take time off from your duties? Do you have a tendency to want your own way? Ask yourself similar questions. (INT. Part II, Ch. 19; O. III, p. 115) 

September 30
It sometimes happens that, after we have won many victories over our old enemies, we think we have them completely conquered; instead, they suddenly attack us from another angle, just when we least expect it. Solomon, the wisest man in the world, who had done many outstanding things in his youth, thought he would persevere in virtue for a long time. He seemed to be safe from any danger, yet was surprised by an enemy he feared least. From this fact we learn two things: in the first place, distrust of ourselves, together with holy fear and constant prayer for heavenly assistance; secondly, we should realize that our enemies may be scattered, but not killed. (Letters 910; O. XVI, p. 63) 

Used with permission. 
Text taken from the book: "Every Day with SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES"
Edited by Francis J. Klauder, S.D.B. 
Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number 85-72838
ISBN 0-89944-082-7