There are as many paths to holiness as there are saints in Heaven . . . but you can't follow them all. Yet there's one thing every saint practices that you can imitate: the simple art of loving God, which the beloved St. Francis de Sales explains for you here.

Under his wise and gentle guidance, you'll discover the secrets to growing holier through the simple things in life -- work, play, and rest. You'll learn to avoid the distractions (even religious distractions) that trouble and weary your soul . . . and you'll soon be able to focus your energy simply on loving God.

Listen to the holy words of this saint; take them to heart; make them a part of your life. Soon you'll be well on your way, following that path to Heaven that God, from all eternity, has given you as your very own.

St. Francis de Sales himself will teach you the secrets of developing:

• Patience
• Tr

De Sales, Francisco

St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), bishop, Doctor of the Church, and patron of writers, was ordained a priest in 1593. He reconverted the inhabitants of Chablais from Calvinism. He was elected bishop of Geneva in 1602. With Jane Frances Frémyot, Baroness de Chantal, St. Francis founded the Visitation of Holy Mary in Annecy in Savoy. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Lyons, France, on December 28, 1622. St. Francis de Sales was canonized in 1665.