How to Profit from One's Faults - PART 1 - Joseph Tissot

How to Profit from One's Faults - Joseph Tissot

1. Our failings do not surprise us
    a. imperfections and defects are always with us
       
"You live, according to what you tell me, with a thousand imperfections. It is true, my sister; but do you not try incessantly to make them die? What is certain is that as long as we live weighed down and oppressed by such a corruptible body as we have, there will always be something in us that falters.... Isn't it generally true that no saint could become so holy had he not always been subject to imperfections?"
---St. Francis de Sales, Sermon on the First Sunday of Lent
 
   b. Self-love remains with us

"Self-love can be changed in ourselves, but it never dies... Just as the motionless fox appears to be asleep and then suddenly leaps upon its prey, we too must be vigilant and be prepared to defend ourselves against the attacks of self-love with care and patience. And if it does happen sometimes to wound us, the injury will heal if we retract what it made us say, or undo what it made us do."
---St. Francis de Sales, Letter 333, Blaise collection

Only in heaven will the cure be permanent. "Therefore, we must be patient on earth. "We ought, therefore, to resign ourselves to living, in the words of a celebrated ascetic, as "incurable spirits" in this world."
---Joseph Tissot

   c. Knowledge of self is vital

We need practical knowledge of our weaknesses.
"One has, then, to be patient, and not try to banish in one short day the many evil habits we have acquired in our life as a result of the lack of care we have taken of our spiritual health."
---St. Francis de Sales, Letter 795

"Although through our weakness we shall experience many falls, we ought not to be troubled in any way."
---St. Francis de Sales, Letter to a Lady

   d. Frontline soldiers also get wounded

"Is it such a great marvel to discover that we slip up sometimes?"
---St. Francis de Sales, Talk 3, On firmness

"You may ask me what you ought to do in order to strengthen your bond with God in such a way that nothing can loosen it or sever you from Him? Two things are needed for this: to die, and to be saved. After that there will be no more separation, and your spirit will be indissolubly bound and united to God."
---St. Francis de Sales, Talk 9, On modesty

"When a soldier in battle is wounded and gives ground a little, no one is so unreasonable or so ill-versed in military matters as to believe that such behaviour is criminal. Only those are invulnerable who are far behind the lines and do not fight. Those who launch themselves forward bravely in assault against the enemy are the ones taking a hammering."
---St. John Chrysostom, Ad Theod. laps., Lib 1, n. 1

   e. Mortal sins should not surprise us

"Here below, there is no call for surprise [at even mortal sin], just as when there is none when we see wine escape from a cask that has been broached."
---Joseph Tissot

   f. Understanding

"If we knew well what we were, instead of being surprised at seeing ourselves fallen, we would be surprised how we could even stand."
---St. Francis de Sales, Letter 53

"When your heart sinks, raise it gently, humbling yourself quietly in God's presence with the knowledge of your misery, without surprise at your fall, for it is no cause for marvelling that sickness may make us ill, that weakness tends to diminish our strength, and that misery will cause us to be wretched. But hate with all your heart the offence you have committed against God, and, filled with courage and confidence in his mercy, get back on board to resume the voyage to Virtue which you had abandoned."
---St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life

Our failings do not surprise us


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