francis de sales treatise on the love of god

Nearly lost in despair, he turned and accepted God’s love. This spiritual crucible lasted for about two months, at the end of which he was moved to place himself completely in God’s hands. As the young Francis de Sales delved into these matters, he convinced himself that he was unavoidably predestined to hell. Because many early Protestants-especially followers of John Calvin-made predestination a key part of their theology, late sixteenth-century Catholic theologians hotly debated the proper way to include predestination in the Catholic view of grace and salvation. The Council of Trent’s “Decree on Justification” had merely mentioned “the mystery of predestination” in passing, leaving room for diverse schools of thought on its role in the Christian life. During studies in Paris in the 1580s, he encountered theological discussions of predestination that sent him into a spiritual tailspin.

Born in 1567 to an aristocratic family of the Duchy of Savoy, Francis was sent to top-notch schools in Annecy, Paris, and Padua. This “doctor of charity,” whose name has become almost synonymous with douceur (“gentleness” or “sweetness”), knew what it meant to feel abandoned by God. 28 December 1622) was not always so ready to grasp the Father’s hand. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, III.10įrançois (Francis) de Sales (d. Imitate little children who with one hand hold fast to their father while with the other they gather strawberries or blackberries from the hedges. Nevertheless, strive quietly on your part to cooperate with its designs…. In all your affairs, rely wholly on God’s providence, through which alone you must look for success.

Francis de sales treatise on the love of god