Finding God's Will for You

St Francis de Sales really can talk about how God works and wills many things for us, in such great language that today makes just as much sense as it did back then 500 years ago. Tons of gems through out the book that should be read a few times and prayed over for full effect. Share with everyone you know, I'm so glad I read this book during my RCIA process... I will re-read again pretty soon.

This book is a wonderful guide for anyone asking, Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? Although the text is from the 17th century, there is nothing "medieval" about it. The prose is modern and every accessible, and the ideas and advice are more apropos today than ever. I would not change anything in my life without first meditating on the counsel St. Frances provides here.

Although the author doesn't out and out tell you what God's will is for you, he does a good job here in telling you what it's not as well as how to discover it yourself through contemplation and meditation on scripture. At 147 pages, this is not really a light read so make sure you read this in a quiet place and at a slow pace; otherwise, you may feel a little lost and the ideas at the beginning are linked and take time to develop and once you lose the train of thought, it gets difficult to find it again. But if you take the effort to do so and to re-read it if necessary, you will find this book to be a great encouragement and an affirmation that God does have your well-being at heart and will help you discern His will, which ultimately leads to what brings the greatest joy and satisfaction, if you but learn to listen to His promptings. St. Francis de Sales gives some very convincing and helpful suggestions here on how to do just that.

I love reading this saint's works because of his practical and insightful writings. He seems to be able to shine a light on psychological motivations, rationalizations and defenses, and to carefully examine them in the rays of truth. Sometimes it feels like he's almost ruthlessly piecing through and blowing all my cover. One of his passages seems to particuarly address the problems of modern men and women: The enemy often tries to make us attempt and start many projects so that we will be overwhelmed with too many tasks, and therefore, achieve nothing and leave everything unfinished. Simetimes he even suggests the wish to undertake some excellent work that he forsees we will never accomplish. This is to distract us from the prosecution of some less excellent work that we would have easily completed. He does not care how many...beginnings we make, provided nothing is finished...But with Christians, it is not so much the beginning as the end that counts. He gives a mini-medieval version of a time management class, with Christ at the center. Much of his work is very practical, and makes you look at yourself very carefully. A book that deserves a thoughtful and slow read.