Saturday, January 10, 2009
sailing with Jesus
All ships have a compass which, when touched by the magnet, always turns towards the polar star. And even when the boat is making its way in a southward direction yet the compass does not cease turning towards its north at all times.
In the same way, let the fine point of your spirit always turn towards God, its north... You are about to take to the high seas of the world; don't on this account alter dial or mast, sail or anchor or wind. Keep Jesus Christ as your dial at all times, his cross for mast on which to hoist your resolutions as a sail. Let your anchor be profound trust in him and set out early. May the propitious wind of heavenly inspirations ever fill the sails of your vessel more and more and cause you to speed forward to the harbor of a holy eternity...
Should everything turn upside down, I don't say around us but within us, that is to say, should our soul be sad, happy, in sweetness, in bitterness, peaceful, troubled, in light, in darkness, in temptation, in rest, in enjoyment, in disgust, in dryness, in gentleness, should the sun burn it or the dew refresh it, ah!, this point of our heart, our spirit, our higher will, which is our compass, should nevertheless always and at all times turn unceasingly, tend perpetually towards the love of God.
-- Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva
In the same way, let the fine point of your spirit always turn towards God, its north... You are about to take to the high seas of the world; don't on this account alter dial or mast, sail or anchor or wind. Keep Jesus Christ as your dial at all times, his cross for mast on which to hoist your resolutions as a sail. Let your anchor be profound trust in him and set out early. May the propitious wind of heavenly inspirations ever fill the sails of your vessel more and more and cause you to speed forward to the harbor of a holy eternity...
Should everything turn upside down, I don't say around us but within us, that is to say, should our soul be sad, happy, in sweetness, in bitterness, peaceful, troubled, in light, in darkness, in temptation, in rest, in enjoyment, in disgust, in dryness, in gentleness, should the sun burn it or the dew refresh it, ah!, this point of our heart, our spirit, our higher will, which is our compass, should nevertheless always and at all times turn unceasingly, tend perpetually towards the love of God.
-- Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva
