"The value of your cross"

from St. Francis de Sales:



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 grace, 


perfumed 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.