Gentleness, temperance, honesty, and humility are virtues whose stamp ought to be borne by all the actions of our life.

Excerpt

Opportunities to practise fortitude, magnanimity, and magnificence do not often present themselves; but gentleness, temperance, honesty, and humility are virtues whose stamp ought to be borne by all the actions of our life. If there are virtues more excellent than these, there are none whose practice is more necessary. Sugar is better than salt; but salt is more frequently used and more indispensable. Therefore we must always have a good and ample store of these general virtues, that we may make use of them almost continually.

Source Introduction to the Devout Life, Chapter One (46), §2 · 📖 Read the full passage

✨ To meditate on today

According to Saint Francis de Sales, great occasions for heroism are rare, but gentleness, moderation, honesty and humility are needed at every moment: like salt, less prestigious than sugar, they give their flavour to the whole day. Today, choose one of these four virtues and put a “pinch” of it into each of your exchanges, even the most ordinary ones.

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