St. Francis de Sales: More on Humility

This excerpt from St. Francis de Sales concludes a letter he wrote
to St. Jane Frances de Chantal, a widow.


"...comforting yourself in being completely empty. and
completely a widow, that our Lord may fill you with His
kingdom.  Be mild and affable with every one, except with
those who would take away your glory, which is your
wretchedness, and your perfect widowhood.  "I glory in my
infirmities," says the Apostle (Paul), and "It is better
for me to die than lose my glory."  Do you see? He would
rather die than lose his infirmities, which are his glory!

...You must carefully guard your misery and your
littleness; for God regards it, as He did that of the
Blessed Virgin...

...Be then joyously humble before God, but be joyously
humble also before the world.  Be very glad that the world
takes no account of you; if it esteems you, mock at it
gaily, and laugh at its judgment, and at your misery that
is judged.  If it esteeems you not, console yourself
joyously, because in this, at least, the world follows
truth...

...As for the exterior, do not affect visible humility, but
also do not run away from it; embrace it, and ever
joyously.  I approve the lowering of ourselves sometimes to
mean offices, even toward inferiors and proud persons,
toward the sick and the poor, toward our own people at home
and abroad; but it must always be ingenuously and
joyously...

...continue your Communions and exercises, as I  have written
to you.  Keep your soul very closely this year to
meditation on the life and death of our Lord.

...Our enemy is a great clatterer;  do not trouble yourself
at all about him.  He cannot hurt you, I well know...He has
howled round the saints...In spite of it all, there they
are, seated in the place that he has lost, the wretch!

...I want you to look at the forty-first chapter of the Way
of Perfection by the blesed St. Teresa, for it will help
you to understand well the doctrine that I have told you so
often, that we must not be too minute in the exercises of
virtues, that we must walk openheartedly, frankly, naively,
after the old fashion, with liberty, in good faith, in a
broad way.  I fear the spirit of constraint and melancholy.
No, my dear child, I desire that you should have a heart
large and noble, in the way of our Lord, but humble,
gentle, and without laxness..."


It does seem that St. Francis de Sales has answered the plea
for guidance on how to deal with the visit to the elderly friend.  It
is best to take the lowest position.  The nothing shall make the
visit,but there is no requirement to respond to a request of
uncertainmotives, and of unnecessary concern or business
of the other.

Let the Holy Spirit determine who will be visiting: one or two.
If two, then the nothing shall humble itself to the lowest position,
and be joyful to not have its "glory" [of misery and abjection]
taken away. If the nothing is the only visitor, then attention be
paid to the hostess, and loving conversation.  Then, later there
will be contact made with the other who desired to "catch up",
and arrangements can be made for that stated desire.