"To a woman beset by many tasks"

Just came across this gem last night; it's St. Frances de Sales' advice to a woman feeling harrassed by the multiplicity of her tasks. After agreeing that having many little things to do is as irritating as swarms of flies, Francis says:

My God, Madame, we will soon be in eternity, and then we will see how all the affairs of this world are such little things and how little it matters whether they turn out or not. At this time, nevertheless, we apply ourselves to them as if they were great things. When we were little children, with what eagerness did we put together little bits of tile, wood, and mud, to make houses and small buildings! And if someone destroyed them we were very grieved and tearful at it; but now we know well that it all mattered very little. One day it will be the same with us in Heaven, when we will see that our concerns in this world were truly only child's play.

I do not want to take away the care that we must have regarding these little trifles, because God has entrusted them to us in this world for exercise; but I would indeed like to take away the passion and anxiety of this care. Let us do our child's play, because we are children; but also, let us not trouble ourselves to death in playing it. And if someone destroys our little houses and little designs, let us not torment ourselves greatly at this; because also, when this night comes in which it will be necessary for us to take shelter - I mean to say, death - all these little houses will be of no use to us; we will have to take our shelter in the house of our Father.

"Let us do our child's play, because we are children"! How true! The more I read him, the more I am convinced that St. Francis is a kin to C. S. Lewis; there is the same sort of clarity and charity in his writing.

The quotation above is from "Thy Will Be Done; Letters to Persons in the World."

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell