Reflection Starter from St. Francis de Sales

"It is a very fine thing to feel ashamed of oneself when one realizes one's own imperfections and misery, but the feeling must not drag on lest one lose heart. It is necessary to raise the heart to God with a holy confidence, founded not in our strength but in God. We indeed change, but God never does; He always remains equally good and merciful toward us, whether we are weak and imperfect or perfect and strong. I always say that our misery is the throne of God's mercy, and so we must realize that the greater our misery, the greater should be our confidence in Him." - Saint Francis de Sales