St. Francis de Sales had very good insights about the practice of virtues. Let’s take a look at his teachings on simplicity, sincerity, and joy.
One day, while discussing the virtue of prudence, St. Francis de Sales said, “I know not what this poor virtue of prudence has done to me that I find it so difficult to love it: if I do so at all, it is only because I have no choice in the matter, seeing that it is the very salt of life, and a light to show us the way out of its difficulties. On the other hand, the beauty of simplicity charms me. I would rather possess the harmlessness of one dove than the wisdom of a hundred serpents.
“I know that a combination of wisdom and simplicity is useful, and that the Gospel recommends it to us; but I am of opinion that in this matter it should be as it is with certain medicines, in which a minute dose of poison is mixed with many wholesome drugs. If the doses of serpent and dove were equal, I would not trust the medicine; the serpent can kill the dove, the dove cannot kill the serpent. Besides, there is a sort of prudence that is human and worldly which Scripture calls carnal wisdom, as it is only used for wrong-doing, and is so dangerous and so subtle that those who possess it are unconscious of their own danger. They deceive others, yet are the first to be themselves deceived.”
At the end of her novitiate, St. Faustina’s directress told her: “Sister, let simplicity and humility be the characteristic traits of your soul. Go through life like a little child, always trusting, always full of simplicity and humility, content with everything, happy in every circumstance. There, where others fear, you will pass calmly along, thanks to this simplicity and humility. Remember this, Sister, for your whole life: as waters flow from the mountains down into the valleys, so, too, do God’s graces flow only into humble souls.”
One time during Holy Hour St. Faustina tried to meditate on the Passion, but she suddenly saw the Child Jesus. The saint said, “Jesus, You are so little, and yet I know that You are my Creator and Lord.” And Jesus answered: “I am, and I keep company with you as a child to teach you humility and simplicity.”
Regarding the virtue of sincerity, St. Francis de Sales said, “Sincere people are good friends, but a double-minded man is uncertain in all his actions. He does not trust people and hence people do not trust him”
The saint believed that to disguise one’s true self beneath outward affectation was an act of treason toward God. He taught: “Combine perfectly that which is interior and exterior, free of any double-mindedness, so that as a man’s physical health may be judged by the expression on his face, the sincerity of your interior life may be diagnosed from the sincerity of that which is displayed in your external life.”
Bishop Jean Pierre Camus, a disciple of St. Francis de Sales, wrote: “The joy of the wicked is short-lived, for real joy can spring only from inward peace, and inward peace can spring from nothing save a good conscience, which is ‘as a continual feast’. This is that ‘joy of the Lord’ to which St. Paul frequently refers.”
Bishop Camus pointed out that St. Francis de Sales believed with St. Thomas that peace and joy are the greatest sign of love, hence he could not endure sadness and anxiety. The saint once wrote to a person who was exhibiting sadness: “Be at peace and let your soul feed upon the sweetness of heavenly love, without which our hearts are lifeless and our life joyless. Do not let that great enemy of devotion, sadness, enter. What, indeed, should ever sadden one who serves eternal Joy? Nothing except sin should ever trouble us. And even when we are sorry for sin, holy joy should immediately be called to our rescue.”
一個好的良心帶來快樂
聖方濟各、沙雷氏對實踐德行有很深刻的見解。讓我們一看他對純樸，誠懇和喜樂的教誨。
一天，當討論明智的時候，聖方濟各、沙雷氏說：『我不知道這可憐的明智之德給我做了什麼，我只感到愛慕它是十分困難：如果我真的要愛它，這只是因為在這事件上我無其他選擇，它是生命中的那份鹽，是一道光帶我們從它的困難中跑出來。另一方面，純樸魅力的美吸引著我。我寧願擁有鴿子沒有傷害他人的能力也不願百條蛇的智慧。我知道智慧和純樸的結合是有用的，聖經也予推薦；可是在這事件中我的意見就似是一些藥物一般，其中一小劑量的毒藥混以很多有益的藥物。如果蛇和鴿子的劑量相同，我不會相信這藥物；蛇可以殺害鴿子，但鴿子卻不能殺害蛇。除外，有一種明智是人類世間的智慧，聖經稱為肉體的智慧，因為它只是用於做錯事，也是十分危險的，它是那樣的不易察覺，誰擁有它是不發覺他們自己的危險。他們矇騙他人，也是第一位受矇騙的。』
在她的初學期完結時，聖女傅天娜的初學師告訴她說：『修女，你要令純樸與謙遜作靈魂的特質，一生都像赤子一樣，時刻信賴，時常充滿純樸和謙遜，事事滿足，隨遇而安。他人所畏懼的，你卻安然跨越，要感謝的就是這份純樸與謙遜。修女，你要一生緊記：正如水向低流一樣，天主的恩寵亦只流入謙遜的心靈。』
一次，當聖女傳天娜在守聖時的時候，她嘗試去默想耶穌苦難，但她突然看見孩提耶穌。這聖人說：『耶穌，你這麼幼小，但我知道，你是我的造物主我的天主。』耶穌回答說：『我是，我以孩童的形態陪伴你，是要教導你謙遜和單純。』
有關誠懇的德行，聖方濟各、沙雷氏說：『誠懇的人是好朋友，但雙重心意的人對自己的行為也不能肯定。他不會相信他人，由此，他人也不相信他。』
這聖人相信外在矯揉造作去掩飾真我的人，在天主方面是叛國。他教導說：『內在和外表要完美結合，沒有雙重心意，一如人身體的健康可以在他的面上看出來，你們內在生命的誠懇也可以在你們外在生命的誠懇中判斷。』
聖方濟各、沙雷氏的門徒，加繆主教寫道：『缺德者的快樂是短暫的，因為真正的快樂源自內在的平安，內在的平安不來自任何事物，只源自一個好的良心，它是一個「持續的盛宴」。這就是聖保祿經常談及的「我主的喜樂」。』
加繆主教指出聖方濟各、沙雷氏相信聖多馬斯所說和平和喜樂是愛的最大標記，因此他不能忍受傷心和憂慮。這聖人有一次寫信給一位瀕于憂傷的人：『願你平安，讓你靈魂感受到天堂愛的甜蜜，沒有這愛我們的心是沒有生命，我們的生命是沒有喜樂。不要讓摯愛的大敵人，憂傷進注你內。真的，什麼能夠使那些為永恆喜樂服務的人憂傷呢？沒有任何的事物可以，只有罪惡能夠煩惱我們。甚至當我們為罪惡懊悔的時候，神聖的喜樂要立即被召來營救我們。』
