Perfection: January 22
The two feet with which one walks towards perfection are mortification and the love of God. The first is the left foot, the latter is the right.
St. Francis of Assisi rose to great heights of perfection with these two means. He led such an austere and rigorous life that when he was dying he had to apologize to his body for mistreating it so much. Because of his love of God, he acquired not only for himself but also for his Order the beautiful title of "seraphic".
When St. Francis de Sales wanted to prepare someone to live a truly Christian life and to abandon his worldly ways, he seldom spoke of exterior things, such as the hair, dress or some such thing. Rather, he spoke only to the heart and of the heart. He knew that once this fortress is overcome, all the rest will surrender and that when true love of God takes possession of the heart, all those things which are not of God will lose importance.
