Love and Friendship
Almost everyone finds some virtues easy to practice and others harder, and everyone extols the virtue which they find easy and tries to exaggerate the difficulty of the others.
Letter 91 to Mère de Bréchard July 1616
… separation cannot exist between humility and charity. They are indivisible, and so joined and united together, that one is never found without the other…
Sermon on Our Lady, The Annunciation March 25, 1621
Speaking of Francis-
His humility came from his heart; it was noble honest and strong, and it made him indifferent to esteem or contempt.
Deposition of St Jeanne de Chantal in the Cause of Canonization of St Francis de Sales, July 29, 1627
O Philothea, love everyone with a great love, but have no friendship except for those that
communicate with in the things of virtue…Should your mutual and reciprocal communication relate to charity, devotion and Christian perfection, O God, how precious will this friendship be!
Introduction to Devout Life, III,19
