Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life; rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise, God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms.
Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same understanding Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day.
He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.
It is good to mistrust ourselves, but how would that advantage us were we not to throw all our confidence on God and to wait on His mercy? If you feel no such confidence, cease not on that account from making these acts and from saying to Our Lord: “Yet, O Lord, though I have no feeling of confidence in You, nevertheless, I know that You are my God, that I am all Yours, and that I have no hope but in Your goodness, so I abandon myself entirely into Your Hands.” It is always in our power to make these acts; although we have difficulty in performing them, still there is no impossibility. Thus we testify faithfulness to Our Lord.
The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God.
This PDF gathers three reflections attributed to St. Francis de Sales: “Be at Peace,” “Confidence in God,” and “Your Cross.” Read them above, then download the same text to keep for prayer and reflection.
St. Francis de Sales does not present peace as the absence of difficulty. His counsel teaches us to receive each day with confidence in God’s providence, to resist anxious self-reliance, and to carry our responsibilities without surrendering the heart to agitation.
This kind of peace grows through patient prayer and small acts of fidelity. When circumstances cannot be changed immediately, we can still choose gentleness, refuse needless worry, and entrust the outcome to God. Christian confidence is not passivity. It is steady action without the illusion that everything depends upon us.
De Sales repeatedly joins peace with humility. We become less restless when we accept our limits, complete the duty immediately before us, and leave tomorrow in God’s hands. Even after failure, we can begin again calmly instead of allowing discouragement to become another obstacle to grace.
Read one reflection at a time. Pause over the phrase that speaks most directly to your present concern, turn it into a brief prayer, and identify one peaceful action you can take today. The PDF above can be saved or printed for repeated reflection.
Share this prayer
Please know that every prayer request shared here is kept strictly confidential. Your request will go to the Brothers, who will intercede for you. We will place your intentions before our Eucharistic King during our daily hours of adoration.
