From the Catholic Culture web site:

“How Francis developed a gentle and amiable disposition is a story in itself; he was not born a saint. By nature his temperament was choleric, fiery; little was needed to throw him into a state of violent anger. It took years before he mastered his impatience, his unruly temper. Even after he became bishop, there were slips, as for instance, when someone rang a bell before he had finished preaching. The important point, of course, is that by constant perseverance he did in time attain perfect self-mastery. Wherein lies a lesson.” Read more here.

A reminder that with perseverance and total submission to God, each of us can become a saint. I just have stop being so stubborn and willful.

St. Francis also had a great deal of patience.

Excerpt from Catholic Online (This is a longer biography on the Saint.)

“Throughout his life he waited for God’s will to be clear. He never wanted to push his wishes on God, to the point where most of us would have been afraid that God would give up!” Read more here.

I am still working on patience. Knowing what God’s will is, at least for me, very difficult to discern. Every time that I think that I am on the right path, it turns out that I took the wrong fork in the road.

Perhaps it is time to cultivate the virtue of patience and follow the example of St. Francis.

Today’s Office of Readings has an excerpt from The Introduction to the Devout Life, by St. Francis De Sales. Read it here.