Heart Soul and Might

Every Friday is Fenelon Friday, where we drink from the very deep well of my favorite 17th century French Bishop in the Catholic Church. (Everyone should have a little Fenelon with their coffee in the morning…) Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (born 1651) was a mentor to a number of younger men on the court of Louis XIV. In fact, he was given the responsibility of raising the young man who would proceed Louis XIV to the throne of France (the King’s grandson). Many of Fenelon’s writings are actually letters he wrote to some of these young leaders as they sought to walk the life of faith in the face of opposition and adversity. Fenelon’s teachings were met with resistance within the Catholic Church because they aligned more with Reformation teachings than with Catholic dogma at times, and his hope was that once his student became the King of France, he would be instrumental in the reformation of the Catholic Church and bring a real witness of Jesus Christ to France. Those hopes were dashed in 1712 with the premature death of the King’s grandson. Fenelon died not long after that in 1715 at the age of 63, but his teachings live on and continue to influence 300 years after he died.

Preserving Peace with Others

To be really pleased even with the best persons, we must be satisfied with little and we must bear with much. The most perfect people have many imperfections. We also have imperfections, and great ones. Our faults, joined to theirs, make our bearing with each other very difficult. But bear one another’s burdens, and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ. we must make a charitable allowance in this matter. Frequent silence, habitual recollection, prayer, detachment from ourselves, renunciation of all the carefully crafted criticisms, faithfulness in abandoning all vain judgments of a jealous and fastidious self-love - all these things tend very much to preserve peace and union with God. We spare ourselves much trouble by this simplicity. Happy are those who pay no attention to self-love, and who pay no attention to the criticism of others.

Content yourself with leading a simple life according to your circumstances. For the rest, obey the Lord and bear your little daily crosses. You need them, and God gives them to you only out of pur mercy. The great thing is to make light of yourself sincerely, and to consent to be made light of by others if God permits it. Nourish yourself with him alone. St. Augustine says that his mother lived only by prayer. We also are to live by prayer and die to all the rest. We can live to God only by a continual death to self.

Francois Salignac de la Mothe Fenelon, Talking With God, pp.133-134.

Today of course is…Fenelon Friday, where we drink from the very deep well of my favorite 17th century French Bishop in the Catholic Church. Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (born 1651) was a mentor to a number of younger men on the court of Louis XIV. In fact, he was given the responsibility of raising the young man who would proceed Louis XIV to the throne of France (the King’s grandson). Many of Fenelon’s writings are actually letters he wrote to some of these young leaders as they sought to walk the life of faith in the face of opposition and adversity. Fenelon’s teachings were met with resistance within the Catholic Church because they aligned more with Reformation teachings than with Catholic dogma at times, and his hope was that once his student became the King of France, he would be instrumental in the reformation of the Catholic Church and bring a real witness of Jesus Christ to France. Those hopes were dashed in 1712 with the premature death of the King’s grandson. Fenelon died not long after that in 1715 at the age of 63, but his teachings live on and continue to influence 300 years after he lived.

God Gives Grace in Proportion to Our Trials

I feel a deep sense of sympathy for your loved one who is suffering so much. And I can certainly appreciate the concern of those God-given friends who are trying to help her bear her cross. tell her not to lose faith in God. The grace He gives will be in direct proportion to the amount of suffering she must bear. No one else can do this except the Creator who made us and knows how to renew our strength by His grace. None of us are wise enough to properly apportion grace and suffering. We cannot see the extent of our future trials, nor the vast supplies of which God is storing up in us so that we can meet them. And because we cannot see those future trials, we are tempted to become discouraged and despondent in our present situations. We see our trials rolling in toward us like great, overpowering, ocean waves. Our hearts fail us with fear at the prospect of drowning. We do not see that we stand within the point at which God, with a steady finger, has drawn the boundary line. Beyond that line the waves cannot pass.

God often allows us to be tested as one is tested by a stormy sea. God stirs up the sea, and makes its great billows seem to threaten destruction. But He is always at hand to say, “Thus far shalt thou go and no farther.”

“God is faithful. Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able to bear it” (I Cor. 10:13).

Francois de Salignac de La Mothe Fenelon, Let Go, p. 80-81.

Fenelon Friday is back, where we drink from the very deep well of my favorite 17th century French Bishop in the Catholic Church. Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (born 1651) was a mentor to a number of younger men on the court of Louis XIV. In fact, he was given the responsibility of raising the young man who would proceed Louis XIV to the throne of France (the King’s grandson). Many of Fenelon’s writings are actually letters he wrote to some of these young leaders as they sought to walk the life of faith in the face of opposition and adversity. Fenelon’s teachings were met with resistance within the Catholic Church because they aligned more with Reformation teachings than with Catholic dogma at times, and his hope was that once his student became the King of France, he would be instrumental in the reformation of the Catholic Church and bring a real witness of Jesus Christ to France. Those hopes were dashed in 1712 with the premature death of the King’s grandson. Fenelon died not long after that in 1715 at the age of 63, but his teachings live on and continue to influence 300 years after he lived.

Time Apart

If you give up all those things that provoke your curiosity and set your mind spinning, you will have more than enough time to spend with God and to attend to your business. Living your life prayerfuly will make you clear-headed and calm no matter what happens. Your self-nature is overactive, impulsive, and always striving for something just outside your reach.

But God, working within your spirit, produces a calm and faithful heart that the world cannot touch. I really want you to take an adequate amount of time to spend with God so that you might refresh your spirit. All your busyness surely drains you. Jesus took His disciples aside to be alone and interrupted their most urgent business. Sometimes He would even leave people who had come from afar to see Him in order to come to His Father. I suggest the same to you. It is not enough to give out - you must learn to receive from God, too.

Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon, The Seeking Heart, p. 113.

After a short sabbatical, Fenelon Friday is back, where we drink from the very deep well of my favorite 17th century French Bishop in the Catholic Church. Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (born 1651) was a mentor to a number of younger men on the court of Louis XIV. In fact, he was given the responsibility of raising the young man who would proceed Louis XIV to the throne of France (the King’s grandson). Many of Fenelon’s writings are actually letters he wrote to some of these young leaders as they sought to walk the life of faith in the face of opposition and adversity. Fenelon’s teachings were met with resistance within the Catholic Church because they aligned more with Reformation teachings than with Catholic dogma at times, and his hope was that once his student became the King of France, he would be instrumental in the reformation of the Catholic Church and bring a real witness of Jesus Christ to France. Those hopes were dashed in 1712 with the premature death of the King’s grandson. Fenelon died not long after that in 1715 at the age of 63, but his teachings live on and continue to influence 300 years after he lived.

Self-Love

You are too self-conscious. You also let your feelings guide you too much. As soon as prayer stops bringing you deep comfort, you become discouraged. Do you want to find peace? Be less infatuated with yourself, and more concerned with pleasing God.

Self-love will let you become sentimental about yourself and overly concerned with your problems. You will find yourself spending all your time worrying about your troubles. Soon all this worry will cloud over the sense of God’s presence in your life, and then you will really be depressed. Paul said, “I do not judge myself.” Take his advice and you will do well. Give God a free reign to work within you, and then don’t spend all your time being introspective.

God will show you what displeases Him and all you have to do is simply turn away from what is unworthy of your Beloved. Stop being so taken up with yourself!

Your old nature wants to be perfect. It will push you in every way to be an outstanding Christian. Please avoid this trap. Simply follow the Lord. You do not need to see yourself as wise, strong, and virtuous. Just be a little child.

Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon, The Seeking Heart, p. 105.

Every Friday is Fenelon Friday, where we drink from the very deep well of my favorite 17th century French Bishop in the Catholic Church. Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (born 1651) was a mentor to a number of younger men on the court of Louis XIV. In fact, he was given the responsibility of raising the young man who would proceed Louis XIV to the throne of France (the King’s grandson). Many of Fenelon’s writings are actually letters he wrote to some of these young leaders as they sought to walk the life of faith in the face of opposition and adversity. Fenelon’s teachings were met with resistance within the Catholic Church because they aligned more with Reformation teachings than with Catholic dogma at times, and his hope was that once his student became the King of France, he would be instrumental in the reformation of the Catholic Church and bring a real witness of Jesus Christ to France. Those hopes were dashed in 1712 with the premature death of the King’s grandson. Fenelon died not long after that in 1715 at the age of 63, but his teachings live on and continue to influence 300 years after he lived.

Stop Striving

You are good, but you want to be better. I think you are trying too hard to use your inner life to change those outward things about you that are socially unacceptable. Deep down you are not really changing. Let me tell you what happens when you don’t let God deal with the deepest root of your old nature. You will become very critical, heart-hearted, and pharisaical. Yiou will keep your actions in line according to some self-appointed rules, but deep within you will be unchanged. Outwardly you will appear to obey - but inwardly you will be in a state of rebellion. This is no place to be!

Pay more attention to your inward life. Take your deepest and strongest desires and put them in God’s hands. Ask Him to conquer you completely. Give Him your natural arrogance, your worldly wisdom, your attachment to your house, and your fear that no one will recognize your “greatness.” You also need to let God deal with your harsh attitude in dealing with things that don’t go as you expect them to.

Your temper is not your biggest problem because you already distrust it. In spite of your attempt to control your temper, it still gets the better of you. This humiliation does you good. So worry about your more dangerous faults. I would really rather see you obviously impatient, and lacking a certain amount of self-control. This is more humiliating for you (and better for killing your pride!). When you are too perfect at controlling yourself you can become harsh, judgmental, and too easily offended by others.

Through your weakness learn compassion toward the faults of others. Sincere prayer will soften your heart and make you gentle, kind, and pliable in God’s hands. Do you want God to be as critical of you as you are of others?

You will not become perfect by hearing or reading about perfection. The important thing is not to listen to yourself, but silently listen to God. Talk little and do much, without caring to be seen. God will teach you more than any book or person can.

Every Fenelon quote I post is something I need to hear. This is certainly no exception. One of the thoughts in this quote that I most need to reflect on is this one: “…Give Him your natural arrogance, your worldly wisdom, your attachment to your house, and your fear that no one will recognize your “greatness.” You also need to let God deal with your harsh attitude in dealing with things that don’t go as you expect them to…” All of this points to self - something I am constantly needing to battle. If all of us are honest, we all probably struggle with this to some degree or another. And if you’re saying to yourself “No, I definitely don’t struggle with this”, this is probably meant for you more than anyone else.

Jesus wants us to rest in Him… and stop striving. Stop working so hard to “do” and focus, rather on “being”. Being loved. Being God’s child. Being redeemed. Being forgiven. Being accepted. Being favored. Being cherished. Being approved. The more we try to “do” thinking we can earn God’s approval, the further from God’s ultimate plan for our lives we move.

Every Friday is Fenelon Friday, where we drink from the very deep well of my favorite 17th century French Bishop in the Catholic Church. Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (born 1651) was a mentor to a number of younger men on the court of Louis XIV. In fact, he was given the responsibility of raising the young man who would proceed Louis XIV to the throne of France (the King’s grandson). Many of Fenelon’s writings are actually letters he wrote to some of these young leaders as they sought to walk the life of faith in the face of opposition and adversity. Fenelon’s teachings were met with resistance within the Catholic Church because they aligned more with Reformation teachings than with Catholic dogma at times, and his hope was that once his student became the King of France, he would be instrumental in the reformation of the Catholic Church and bring a real witness of Jesus Christ to France. Those hopes were dashed in 1712 with the premature death of the King’s grandson. Fenelon died not long after that in 1715 at the age of 63, but his teachings live on and continue to influence 300 years after he lived.

Absolute Surrender

Inward peace comes with absolute surrender to the will of God. You need to come to a simple calmness of spirit which comes from giving up everything to God and having patience with your neighbor… The reason you feel so agitated is that you do not accept everything that happens to you with complete trust in God. Put everything in His hand, and offer yourself to Him as a sacrifice. The moment you stop wanting things to be your way, you will be free from so much worry and concern… Until you reach this point of surrender, your life will be full of trouble and aggravation… So, give your heart wholly to God and you will find peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon, The Seeking Heart, p. 175

Every Friday is Fenelon Friday, where we’ll drink from the very deep well of my favorite 17th century French Bishop in the Catholic Church. (Everyone should have a little Fenelon with their coffee in the morning…) Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (born 1651) was a mentor to a number of younger men on the court of Louis XIV. In fact, he was given the responsibility of raising the young man who would proceed Louis XIV to the throne of France (the King’s grandson). Many of Fenelon’s writings are actually letters he wrote to some of these young leaders as they sought to walk the life of faith in the face of opposition and adversity. Fenelon’s teachings were met with resistance within the Catholic Church because they aligned more with Reformation teachings than with Catholic dogma at times, and his hope was that once his student became the King of France, he would be instrumental in the reformation of the Catholic Church and bring a real witness of Jesus Christ to France. Those hopes were dashed in 1712 with the premature death of the King’s grandson. Fenelon died not long after that in 1715 at the age of 63, but his teachings live on and continue to influence 300 years after he died. He has radically transformed my life.

The True Source of Peace is the Surrender of the Will

Live in continued peace. But understand that peace does not depend upon the fervor of your devotion. The only thing you need to be concerned about is the direction of your will.

Give that up to God without reservation. The important question is not how religious you are, or how devoted, but rather is your will in harmony with God’s? Humbly confess your faults. Learn to be detached from the world and completely abandoned to God. Love Him more than yourself and His glory more than your life. The least you can do is to desire and ask for such a love. God will then pour out upon you that special love which only His children know, and He will give you His peace.

Francois de Salignac de La Mothe Fenelon, Let Go, p. 11.

Every Friday is Fenelon Friday, where we’ll drink from the very deep well of my favorite 17th century French Bishop in the Catholic Church. (Everyone should have a little Fenelon with their coffee in the morning…) Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (born 1651) was a mentor to a number of younger men on the court of Louis XIV. In fact, he was given the responsibility of raising the young man who would proceed Louis XIV to the throne of France (the King’s grandson). Many of Fenelon’s writings are actually letters he wrote to some of these young leaders as they sought to walk the life of faith in the face of opposition and adversity. Fenelon’s teachings were met with resistance within the Catholic Church because they aligned more with Reformation teachings than with Catholic dogma at times, and his hope was that once his student became the King of France, he would be instrumental in the reformation of the Catholic Church and bring a real witness of Jesus Christ to France. Those hopes were dashed in 1712 with the premature death of the King’s grandson. Fenelon died not long after that in 1715 at the age of 63, but his teachings live on and continue to influence 300 years after he died. He has radically transformed my life.

Self-Love

You are too self-conscious. You also let your feelings guide you too much. As soon as prayer stops bringing you deep comfort, you become discouraged. Do you want to find peace? Be less infatuated with yourself, and more concerned with pleasing God.

Self-love will let you become sentimental about yourself and overly concerned with your problems. You will find yourself spending all your time worrying about your troubles. Soon all this worry will cloud over the sense of God’s presence in your life, and then you will really be depressed. Paul said, “I do not judge myself.” Take his advice and you will do well. Give God a free reign to work within you, and then don’t spend all your time being introspective.

God will show you what displeases Him and all you have to do is simply turn away from what is unworthy of your Beloved. Stop being to taken up with yourself!

Your old nature wants to be perfect. It will push you in every way to be an outstanding Christian. Please avoid this trap. Simply follow the Lord. You do not need to see yourself as a wise, strong and virtuous person. Just be a little child.

Francois Salignac de la Mothe Fenelon, The Seeking Heart, pp. 105.

This is a letter that I’ve needed to read and re-read over the years. I can get so caught up in “me” and my little problems at times, that I miss what God has for me. Ways He wants to bring glory to His name, yet I’m unable to see it because I’m so self-focused. Because of my natural wiring, I can have the tendency, like Fenelon says here, to be overly concerned with my problems. I’ve had to discipline myself to turn that mechanism off and let certain problems deal with themselves for the time being. That’s so hard! I like to fix things… and for me, in order to really fix certain things, I need to think about them, ruminate on them, devise plans and strategies, wonder, ponder… It kills the life in me sometimes!

And the reality of what Fenelon is saying is that my motives probably aren’t pure even in wanting to solve the problem in the first place - because my motives are most likely driven by self-love! I’ve found that to be so true. Being a people-pleaser, I’ve had the tendency to do things that will right my reputation at almost any cost, or spend way too much energy in changing someone’s perception of me, sometimes under the guise of “doing the right thing.” But almost always, the motivation is saving face and elevating self.

Fenelon’s cure: simply follow the Lord. Just be a little child. Stop being so taken up with yourself. Easy for him to say! It’s one of the hardest and most painful paths I’ve tried to walk… but there’s beauty in the pain, and it’s in this beautiful pain where my heart has been most dramatically changed. I pray the same for you. It’s hard, but it’s so worth keeping on and not giving up.

I’m definitely not there yet. But, Lord willing, I’ll continue to make progress.

Every Friday is Fenelon Friday, where we drink from the very deep well of my favorite 17th century French Bishop in the Catholic Church. (Everyone should have a little Fenelon with their coffee in the morning…) Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (born 1651) was a mentor to a number of younger men on the court of Louis XIV. In fact, he was given the responsibility of raising the young man who would proceed Louis XIV to the throne of France (the King’s grandson). Many of Fenelon’s writings are actually letters he wrote to some of these young leaders as they sought to walk the life of faith in the face of opposition and adversity. Fenelon’s teachings were met with resistance within the Catholic Church because they aligned more with Reformation teachings than with Catholic dogma at times, and his hope was that once his student became the King of France, he would be instrumental in the reformation of the Catholic Church and bring a real witness of Jesus Christ to France. Those hopes were dashed in 1712 with the premature death of the King’s grandson. Fenelon died not long after that in 1715 at the age of 63, but his teachings live on and continue to influence 300 years after he died.

On the Dangers of Human Praise

Contrition and other humiliating circumstances are far more profitable than success. You know that your troubles made you find out what you never knew before about yourself, and I am afraid lest the authority, the success and the admiration make you self-satisfied. Such self-satisfaction will mar the best ordered life, because it is incompatible with humility.

we can only be humble so long as we give heed to all our own infirmities. The consciousness of these should be predominant; the soul should feel burdened by them, groan under them, and that groaning should be as a perpetual prayer to be set free from “its bondage to decay,” and admitted into the “glorious freedom of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21). Overwhelmed by its own faults, the soul should feel it deserves no deliverance from the great mercy of Jesus Christ. Woe to the soul which is self-satisfied, which treats God’s gifts as its own merits, and forgets what is due to him!

Set apart regular seasons for reading and prayer. Involve yourself in outward matters when it is really necessary, and attend more to softening the harshness of your judgment, to restraining your temper and humbling your mind, than to upholding your opinion even when it is right. Finally, humble yourself whenever you find that an undue interest in the affairs of others has led you to forget the one all-important matter of yourself: eternity.

“Learn from me,” Jesus says to you, “for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29). Be sure that grace, inward peace, and the blessing of the Holy Spirit will be with you if you will maintain a gentle humility amid all your external uncertainties.

Francois Salignac de La Mothe Fenelon, The Royal Way of the Cross, pp. 35-36.

Every Friday is Fenelon Friday, where we drink from the very deep well of my favorite 17th century French Bishop in the Catholic Church. Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (born 1651) was a mentor to a number of younger men on the court of Louis XIV. Many of Fenelon’s writings are actually letters he wrote to some of these young leaders as they sought to walk the life of faith in the face of opposition and adversity. He was instrumental in the attempts to bring reform to the Catholic Church in France. My life has greatly benefitted by this man of faith.

Steadiness

Do not let your faults discourage you. Be patient with yourself as well as with your neighbor. Thinking too much will exhaust you and cause you to make a lot of mistakes. Learn to pray in all your daily situations. Speak, act, and walk as if you were in prayer. This is how you should live anyway.

Do everything without becoming too excited. As soon as you start to feel yourself getting too eager, quiet yourself before God. Listen to Him as He prompts you inwardly, then do only as He directs. If you do this, your words will be fewer but more effective. You will be calm, and good will be accomlished in greater measure.

I am not talking about continually trying to reason things out. Simply ask your Lord what He wants of you. This simple and short asking is better than your long-winded inner debates.

Turn toward God and it will be much easier to turn away from your strong natural feelings. Depend on the Lord within you. Your life will eventually become a prayer. You may suffer, but it will be in peace.

Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon, The Seeking Heart, p. 91.

I have had some serious long-winded inner debates. It is so freeing to realize that turning toward God, instead of turning to my inconsistent and imbalanced mind and heart, will bring true peace. I need to learn to think less, and depend more. Living a life of prayer is not easy, but it is so much more worth the alternative.

Every Friday is Fenelon Friday, where we drink from the very deep well of my favorite 17th century French Bishop in the Catholic Church. Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (born 1651) was a mentor to a number of younger men on the court of Louis XIV. Many of Fenelon’s writings are actually letters he wrote to some of these young leaders as they sought to walk the life of faith in the face of opposition and adversity. He was instrumental in the attempts to bring reform to the Catholic Church in France. My life has greatly benefitted by this man of faith.

The Advantages of Humility

I often pray to God that He would keep you in the hollow of His hand. And this He certainly will do if you remember to keep a humble and obedient spirit. Humility is good in every situation, because it produces that teachable spirit which makes everything easy. And you, of all people, would be more guilty than many others if you made any resistance to the Lord on this point. For on the one hand, the Lord has taught you so much on the necessity of becoming like a little child; and on the other, few people have had an experience more fitting to humiliate the heart and destroy self-confidence. The good that comes from any experience of personal weakness is the realization that God wants us to be lowly and obedient. So may the Lord keep you!

Francois de Salignac de La Mothe Fenelon, Let Go, p. 1.