The Imperfection of Others to Be Borne in Love.
To live a life of love and peace, we must be content with the imperfections of others and continually die to our own self.
Francois Fenelon preaches about the imperfection of others and the importance of bearing with love, emphasizing the need for mutual toleration and bearing one another's burdens to fulfill the law of Christ. He encourages simplicity in life, obedience, and embracing the daily cross as a gift from God. Fenelon highlights the significance of despising self, being willing to be despised, and feeding on God alone through prayer, ultimately living for God by dying to self.
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LETTER XXI.
The imperfection of others to be borne in love.
It is a long while since I renewed the assurance of my attachment to you in our Lord. It is, nevertheless, greater than ever. I desire with all my heart that you may always find in your household the peace and consolation which you enjoyed in the beginning. To be content with even the best of people, we must be contented with little and bear a great deal. Those who are most perfect, have many imperfections, and we have great faults, so that between the two, mutual toleration becomes very difficult. We must bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ, (Gal. vi. 2,) thus setting off one against the other in love. Peace and unanimity will be much aided by frequent silence, habitual recollection, prayer, self-abandonment, renunciation of all vain criticisms, and a faithful departure from the vain reflections of a jealous and difficult self-love. To how much trouble would this simplicity put an end! Happy he who neither listens to self nor to the tales of others!
Be content with leading a simple life, according to your condition. Be obedient, and bear your daily cross; you need it, and it is bestowed by the pure mercy of God. The grand point is to despise self from the heart, and to be willing to be despised, if God permits it. Feed upon Him alone; St. Augustine says that his mother lived upon prayer; do you do so likewise, and die to everything else. We can only live to God by the continual death of self.
Sermon Outline
- The Imperfection of Others to Be Borne in Love
- The Law of Christ
- Practical Steps to Peace and Unanimity
- Frequent silence and recollection
- Prayer and self-abandonment
- Renunciation of vain criticisms
Key Quotes
“Happy he who neither listens to self nor to the tales of others!” — Francois Fenelon
“We can only live to God by the continual death of self.” — Francois Fenelon
“Feed upon Him alone; St. Augustine says that his mother lived upon prayer; do you do so likewise, and die to everything else.” — Francois Fenelon
Application Points
- Practice frequent silence and habitual recollection to achieve peace and unanimity in your household.
- Despise self from the heart and be willing to be despised if God permits it.
- Live to God by the continual death of self and by feeding upon Him alone.