Quotes & Themes – Will
Will
We must desire to love and love to desire what can never be enough desired or loved. (Letters to Persons in the World, I, 3)
Love celestial desires, and desire celestial love. (Letters to Persons in the World, I, 3)
We never desire, with a true desire, anything which is not possible. (Letters to Persons in the World, VII, 24)
To desire something for any reason than for God is to desire God less. (The Spirit of St. François de Sales, I, 3)
Desiring to love, the noble spirit receives pain; but loving to desire, he receives sweetness. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 6, Chapter 13)
To desire to love God is to love to desire Him, and hence to love Him; for love is the root of all desire. (The Spirit of St. François de Sales, I, 3)
God only values man for his soul, and the soul only for its will, and the will only for its love. (Introduction to the Devout Life, Part III, Chapter 18)
The will only loves while willing to love. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 1, Chapter 4)
The will changes her condition according to the love she espouses. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 1, Chapter 4)
Christ came to bless good wills, and little by little He will make them fruitful and of good effect. (Letters to Persons in Religion, VI, 2)
There are no galley slaves in the royal vessel of divine love—every man works his oar voluntarily. (The Spirit of St. François de Sales, VII, 3)
We have freedom to do good or evil; yet to make choice of evil, is not to use, but to abuse our freedom. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 12, Chapter 10)
Grace is so gracious that she in no way offends the liberty of our will. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 2, Chapter 12)
God presses us but does not oppress our liberty. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 2, Chapter 12)
God will do your work with you if you will do His work with Him. (Letters to Persons in Religion, III, 46)
God would never have rejected you if you had not rejected His love. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 2, Chapter 10)
It is our part to plant and water carefully, but to give increase—that belongs only to God. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 9, Chapter 6)
The farmer will never be reprehended for not having a good harvest, but only if he did not carefully till and sow his ground. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 9, Chapter 7)
God did not deprive you of the operation of His love, but you did deprive His love of your co-operation. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 2, Chapter 10)
No creature can take us away by force from holy love; we only can abandon it by our own will. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 3, Chapter 4)
God does not forsake unless forsaken; He never takes away His gifts till we take away our hearts. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 2, Chapter 10)
It is the will only that God desires, but all the other powers run after it to be united to God with it. (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 7, Chapter 2)
Promptitude in doing the will of God is a wonderful means of drawing down great and powerful graces for the accomplishment of every good work. (Letters to Persons in Religion, IV, 21)
No servant of God can be without this desire: Oh how greatly I wish to serve God better! (Letters to Persons in Religion, II, 24)
North American Salesian Network
The North American Salesian Network (NASN) is an organization of both lay and religious groups that live the Salesian teachings of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. NASN facilitates the sharing of Salesian resources, educational services, vocational efforts, and a variety of resources, bringing this optimistic, joy-filled spirituality to people throughout the world.