For example, if I had a great desire not to succumb to the vice of vanity, and yet I seriously sinned by doing so, I would not want to reproach my heart like this: “You are truly pitiful and ugly for being drawn into vanity after so many resolutions! Now you must die of shame and not lift your eyes to heaven, you blind, shameless, treacherous heart, unfaithful to God!” and so on, but I would gently and compassionately admonish it: “Look, my poor heart! We have fallen into that pit which we promised so many times to avoid. Oh, let us rise up and flee from it forever, let us invoke God’s mercy and hope that He will help us to be stronger. Let us return to the path of humility. Just have courage! From now on, let us be on guard; God will help us; we can do more!” (…)
When your heart sinks, lift it quite gently. Deeply humble yourself before God in awareness of your misery, but do not be surprised by your fall, for it is not surprising that powerlessness is powerless, weakness weak, and misery miserable.
(Francis de Sales /1567–1622/, Introduction to the Devout Life, Part 3, Chap. IX)
