prince, of a prelate, of a nobleman, of a man of letters, and even of a vile animal; and yet these same persons set no store by the grace of God,---but renounce it for mere smoke, for a brutal gratification, for a handful of earth, for a whim, for nothing.
What sayest thou, my dear brother? Dost thou wish still to be ranked among these ungrateful ones? For, if thou dost not wish for God, says St. Augustine, if thou canst meet with something better than God: "Desire something better, if thou dost deserve something better." Go, find thyself a prince more courteous; a master, a brother, a friend more amiable, and who has shown thee a deeper love. Go, seek for thyself one who is better qualified than God to make thee happy in the present life and in the life to come.
Whoever roves God has nothing to fear, and God cannot help loving in return one who loves Him: I love those who love Me. [Prov. 8:17] And what shall he be afraid of who is the beloved of God? The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? [Ps. 26:1] So said David, and so said the sisters of Lazarus to our Blessed Lord: He whom thou lovest is sick. [John 11:3] It was enough for them to know that Jesus Christ loved their brother, to convince them that He would do everything for his recovery.
But how, on the contrary, can God love those who despise His love? Come, then, let us once for all make the resolution to give the tribute of our love to a God Who has so sincerely loved us. And let us continually beseech Him to grant us the precious gift of His holy love. St. Francis de Sales says that this grace of loving God was the grace for which we ought to ask God
