We always have to move forward between two pitfalls:
self-contempt and self-esteem. To the one who
would despise his own life, Francis de Sales responds:
“Don’t forget that God has given you gifts, that he has placed
qualities in you! “And to him who tends to
overvalue, he says: “Don’t forget to look at the donations
with which God has endowed your brother! No one has all the qualities:
the roses, so beautiful and with such a delicate fragrance, have
also thorns”.
Thus, Francis de Sales protects us from the trap of comparison. When we
compare, we always risk either despising ourselves or overvaluing ourselves. In doing so,
we no longer place ourselves under the gaze of God, we no longer correctly recognize what
that he gave us. Now, God is generous: everyone receives a lot from him. rather than us
ask why some have such a quality, and others such another, let us rejoice for this
that he gives to everyone! Rather than comparing ourselves, let us live our own vocation to the full,
fellowship with others and esteeming them!
Francis de Sales also protects us from the trap of uniformity. In our quest for happiness,
in our search for personal development, we risk obeying, consciously or not,
models dictated by our society which, in the name of a certain conception of equality, imposes
often a standardization of thought and lifestyles. Now, by denying the differences, we
risk exacerbating them. Addressing young people, Pope Francis writes: “All men
are born as originals, but many die as photocopies. don’t allow
not let that happen to you!” – “I remind you that you will not be holy or accomplished by copying the
others. To imitate the saints does not mean to copy their way of being and living holiness. There are
witnesses who are useful to encourage and motivate us, but not so that we
copy, for that might even lead us away from the unique and specific path that the Lord
wants for us (…). To come to be holy is to come to be more fully yourself, to be that
that God wanted to dream and create, not a photocopy” (Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit, n°
106 and 162).
Finally, Francis de Sales invites us to look towards the Kingdom of God. Full
fulfillment of our life is not on this earth, but in heaven, with the humanity gathered
in God