Following Christ is at once arduous and easy, arduous because our culture is overwhelmingly secular and materialistic, easy because Jesus shows us the way to live – by loving God and loving our neighbor.  If we change our focus in this life from the now to the eternal, following Christ will be easy but arduous.

 

"Francis [de Sales] insists that true devotion must touch every area of our life. True devotion is not just a matter of spiritual practices but of bringing all our life under the lordship of Christ. Francis is known for his slogan: ‘Live, Jesus! Live, Jesus!’

What he means by this is an invitation to Jesus to ‘live and reign in our hearts forever and ever’ . . . In other words, for Francis, to live the devout life is to reach the point in our love for God and neighbor that we eagerly (‘carefully, frequently, and promptly’) desire to do His will in all the various ways in which it is communicated to us: in the duties of our state in life, in the objective teaching of God’s Word, in opportunities and occasions presented to us, in response to our interior inspirations."  [Fulfillment of All Desire, Ralph Martin]

May God Be Praised!