St. Francis de Sales. Mk 3, 20-21

CURRICULUM VITAE

He comes from Savoy (France). He studied in Paris and went through a crisis. He became a doctor of law and then a priest. Then he defended and spread the Catholic faith in the region of Chablais, where the Calvinists hated everything Catholic. For four years, he worked among enemies and, for a long time, without success, but in the end, he converted 72,000 Calvinists. In 1602, he was elected bishop of Geneva, a Calvinist stronghold. His love for God was the tool with which he convinced his opponents and persecutors. He wrote works that are considered essential religious literature.

CV FOR MEDITATION

HE SAW ALL THEOLOGY IN LOVE

He was born at the Sales Castle in Savoy on August 21, 1567, as a descendant of a rural noble family. At the age of six, he began attending school in La Roche, where he began learning Latin in addition to French. At the age of 15, he went to study philosophy and law in Paris. Greek became his other language, and rhetoric his favorite subject. He rode horses and practiced fencing. The Jesuits positively influenced his spiritual formation in Clermont. At 19, during his studies, he went through a crisis of faith influenced by Calvin’s teaching on predestination. He believed that he would not escape damnation and that he would not be able to love God in eternity. He therefore decided to love God with all his might, at least on earth. He remained faithful to his resolution. During the six weeks, the most frequent prayers that helped him out of the crisis were: “God, I offer you my whole heart, and if I am not allowed to love you in heaven, I want to love you at least while I live.” And the second prayer was to the Mother: “Remember, most kind Virgin Mary, that it has never been heard that you abandoned someone who fled to your protection and begged for your intercession…” (- the whole is at the end). Later in Chablais, he learned how God used this path for good. After studying in Paris, he continued in Padua, where he obtained the title of Doctor of Laws at the age of 24. In Chambéry, Savoy, he became a member of the Senate, but a career did not appeal to him; he longed for the priesthood. Because of the theological knowledge he had previously acquired, his preparation for the priesthood progressed so quickly that on December 18, 1593, he was ordained a priest. His journey then led him to the Calvinist region of Chablais, located south of Lake Geneva. It was a place where others had failed, and, as a result of the Protestant Reformation, he initially had only 15 Catholics. The Calvinists refused to discuss with him and threatened to expel him. Francis began writing leaflets in an appealing style and tried to act as conciliatory as possible. He attached the leaflets to houses. Some Calvinists were already determined to kill him, but when they met him, his love disarmed them. Francis gradually began to win over his opponents. A significant change occurred only after seven months, but in 1603, he already reported to Rome that 25,000 non-believers had returned.

In 1599, he was appointed auxiliary bishop by Clement VII, and three years later, he took over the bishopric of Geneva, whose seat was in Annecy due to the intolerance of the Calvinists.

He lived modestly, even as a bishop. He considered his income the property of people with low incomes. He preached everywhere, administered the sacraments, visited the sick, supported the poor, and wherever he went, he spread peace and love. He not only gave valuable advice but also admonished, comforted, and reconciled disputes as needed. He listened to priests and believers and helped them solve their problems. Over the course of three years, he visited his 450 parishes, including those in the mountains that were more difficult to reach. He preached Lenten sermons in various places in his diocese. During one of them, in Dijon, he met Jeanne Françoise de Chantal (her feast day is August 12). The result of the meeting was the joint founding of a new order of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, also called the Salesians after him. They founded it in 1610 in Annecy and received papal approval in 1618. In addition, Bishop Françoise restored some of the dissolved monasteries. He also achieved the return of church property.

He often emphasized the inner striving for perfect love for God and neighbor, which he held to be first. When asked how to learn this love, he said, “It is simple. Just as a child learns to walk slowly, so we learn to love when we try to love.” He wrote instructions for priests regarding the sacrament of penance (reconciliation) and preaching. He issued guidelines for teaching religion. His teaching was simple, clear, and he used many examples. He had a rich correspondence, writing about 6,000 letters, which later served as the basis for the book “Filotea,” also called “Instruction for a Pious Life.” (The book was first published in Czech in 1657, translated by the Jesuits.) His entire literary work consists of 26 volumes.

The personality of St. Francis de Sales is illustrated by his statements on the topic of pious life and relationships with other people: “I do not want any strange, restless, sad, and sullen piety, but a mild, gentle, pleasant and friendly one; simply a free and cheerful piety that is pleasing to God and to people.”

‘It is better to remain silent than to speak the truth without love.’
‘Let the truth be kind.’
He had such a relationship with his enemies that he said, ‘If an enemy were to gouge out one of my eyes, I would look at him with the other in a friendly way.’
We have much to learn from him. He was perfectly kind and considerate to others, but strict with himself because love for God and people always came first for him. He died of exhaustion in Lyon at the age of 55.
He was canonised in 1665 and, in 1877, was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX.

RESOLUTION, PRAYER

I will learn to love in the style of St. Francis de Sales for a whole day. Each day, he began with the sign of the cross, reminding himself of his situation, his possibilities, and his program. Touching his forehead, he said to himself: “Of myself I can do nothing;” when he touched his chest: “With God I can do all things.” And he ended by touching his shoulders: “I want to do everything only for the love of God.” When he clasped his hands again, he added, “Glory to God and contempt for me.”

To cope with his tasks, he had an assistant, as God has given to everyone. He said to him, “My holy angel! You have been my protector since my birth. Today I entrust my heart to you, hand it over to my Savior, to whom alone it should belong. You are the protector of my life. Be also my consolation in death. Strengthen my faith, strengthen my hope, ignite in me divine love! Grant me not to suffer anxiety for the past life, not to be anxious about the present, and not to be afraid of the future. Strengthen me in the mortal struggle, encourage my patience, and grant me peace. Obtain for me the grace that my last food may be the bread of angels; in my last words, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, my last exhalation may be the breath of love, and may your presence be my last consolation. Amen.”

Finally, a prayer when he was at the bottom of his strength:

“Remember, most gracious Virgin Mary, that it has never been heard that you abandoned one who fled to your protection, who invoked your power, who begged for your intercession. In this trust, I also flee to you, Virgin of virgins and Mother. I come to you; I stand before you, I, a repentant sinner. Good Mother of the Word, do not turn away from my words, but hear them and heed them.”

Saint Francis, intercede for us, that we may be good Christians.