Francois Fenelon

Francois Fenelon
François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, more commonly known as François Fénelon, was a French Roman Catholic archbishop, theologian, poet and writer. He today is remembered mostly as the author of The Adventures of Telemachus, first published in 1699...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionClergyman
CountryFrance
pain feet vanity
The youth who, like a woman, loves to adorn his person, has renounced all claim to wisdom and to glory; glory is due to those only who dare to associate with pain, and have trampled pleasure under their feet.
vanity imperfection annoyed
If we were faultless, we should not be so much annoyed by the defects of those with whom we associate. If we were to acknowledge honestly that we have not virtue enough to bear patiently with our neighbor's weaknesses, we should show our own imperfection, and this alarms our vanity.
fashion vanity attachment
This poor world, the object of so much insane attachment, we are about to leave; it is but misery, vanity, and folly; a phantom--the very fashion of which "passeth away.
crowns exchange feet kingdoms laid love riches
If the riches of the Indies, or the crowns of all the kingdoms of Europe, were laid at my feet in exchange for my love of reading, I would spurn them all
disappointment light essentials
In the light of eternity we shall see that what we desired would have been fatal to us, and that what we would have avoided was essential to our well-being.
church passionate sin
To just read the Bible, attend church, and avoid “big” sins-is this passionate, wholehearted love for God?
doe gods-will conform
How does our will become sanctified? By conforming itself unreservedly to that of God.
prayer moving speak
Speak, move, act in peace, as if you were in prayer. In truth, this is prayer.
trouble crosses dread
The greater our dread of crosses, the more necessary they are for us.
yield use forget
Crosses are of no use to us but inasmuch as we yield ourselves up to them and forget ourselves.
real views mind
There is no real elevation of mind in a contempt of little things; it is, on the contrary, from too narrow views that we consider those things of little importance which have in fact such extensive consequences.
growing-up men vigor
God has not chosen to save us without crosses; as He has not seen fit to create men at once in the full vigor of manhood, but has suffered them to grow up by degrees amid all the perils and weaknesses of youth.
thinking easily-offended infirmity
Let us often think of our own infirmities, and we shall become indulgent toward those of others.
time regret loss
Time is given us that we may take care for eternity; and eternity will not be too long to regret the loss of our time if we have misspent it.