Posted October 9, 2008 Book: Set Your Heart Free Author: Francis de Sales Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, IN. 2008. Pp. 106 An Excerpt from the Jacket: Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622) was the brilliant bishop of Geneva, Switzerland, whose spellbinding preaching and kindness drew people from all over Europe to his door. His popular books have introduced lay people to the spiritual life for many centuries. He became a Doctor of the Church in 1877. Each book in the 30 Days with a Great Spiritual Teacher series provides a month of daily readings from one of Christianity’s most beloved spiritual guides. For each day there is a brief and accessible morning meditation drawn from the mystic’s writings, a simple mantra for use throughout the day, and a night prayer to focus one’s thoughts as the day ends. An Excerpt from the Book: My Day Begins An old proverb bids us “make haste slowly.” Likewise King Solomon reminds us that “hurried feet stumble.” And those who worry themselves sick over every detail of their lives do little, they do poorly. The noisiest bees produce no honey. We need to nourish our spirits diligently and carefully, but this is very different from anxiety and debilitating worry. Care and solicitude don’t undermine tranquility and peace of mind, but anxiety and spiritual nitpicking, to say nothing of upset and frenzy most certainly do. Be conscientious in all you are called upon to do, but do not let hurry, upset, anxiety, and nervousness, get in the way of common sense and good judgment, and prevent you from doing well what God calls you to do. Our Lord rebuked Martha by calling her back to the one thing necessary. “Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things.” We may need to hear the same rebuke. All Through the Day Be not troubled about many things. My Day is Ending Thank you for all the gifts of this day, for making haste slowly with my soul lest I stumble. For replacing my anxiety and preoccupation with care and solicitude. For reminding me that only one thing is necessary: trust in you. With an Offering I offer you the silence of this night. Let me not water it down with a thousand distractions, with the leftover cares of this day. Let me give you instead a quiet mind, a tranquil soul, and a heart untroubled about many things. And with a prayer for . . . Table of Contents: Day One to Day Thirty One