From The Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de Sales, bishop

The Office of Readings yields a gem.
I should like to know more about Philothea...

From The Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de Sales, bishop
When God the Creator made all things, he commanded the plants to bring forth fruit each according to its own kind; he has likewise commanded Christians, who are the living plants of his Church, to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each one in accord with his character, his station and his calling.
I say that devotion must be practised in different ways by the nobleman and by the working man, by the servant and by the prince, by the widow, by the unmarried girl and by the married woman.
...the practice of devotion must be adapted to the strength, to the occupation and to the duties of each one in particular.
[Is it] proper for a bishop to want to lead a solitary life like a Carthusian; or for married people to be no more concerned than a Capuchin about increasing their income; or for a working man to spend his whole day in church like a religious; or on the other hand for a religious to be constantly exposed like a bishop to all the events and circumstances that bear on the needs of our neighbour.
Is not this sort of devotion ridiculous, unorganised and intolerable?
Yet this absurd error occurs very frequently,...
[True devotion] perfects and fulfils all things. In fact if it ever works against... anyone’s legitimate station and calling, then it is ... false devotion.
The bee collects honey from flowers in such a way as to do the least damage or destruction to them, and he leaves them whole, undamaged and fresh,...
True devotion does still better. Not only does it not injure any sort of calling or occupation, it even embellishes and enhances it....
Through devotion your family cares become more peaceful, mutual love between husband and wife becomes more sincere, the service we owe to the prince becomes more faithful, and our work, no matter what it is, becomes more pleasant and agreeable.
It is therefore an error and even a heresy to wish to exclude the exercise of devotion from military divisions, from the artisans’ shops, from the courts of princes, from family households.
....the type of devotion which is purely contemplative, monastic and religious can certainly not be exercised in these sorts of stations and occupations, but besides this threefold type of devotion, there are many others fit for perfecting those who live in a secular state.
Therefore, in whatever situations we happen to be, we can and we must aspire to the life of perfection

Really, despite being of One Spirit we have differing gifts? differing tasks? differing, dare I say.... ministries? or, (I hope this isn't heretical,) some are called to ministries and others to apostolates?
The foot isn't supposed to lust after performing the job of the ear, say?

Gambling at Ricks