Saint Francis de Sales: A Heart for Justice
St. Francis de Sales is best known for the practice of two virtues: humility and gentleness.
Humility might be described as 'living in the truth.' The truth is that we are created in
God's image and likeness. The trust is that we are good. The trust is that we do not always live
up to that good ness. The truth is that we need God's forgiveness and grace to make that goodness
real. The trust is that we nee the support and encouragement of one another.
Gentleness might be described as the practice of proportionality. It is about keeping things in
perspective. It is about knowing when to stand firm. It is about knowing when to give ground. Most
of all, whether in good time, tough times or in all the time in between, gentleness is about relating
to ourselves and others with profound respect, a graciousness rooted in the recognition that each of
us - all of us - are sons and daughters of the living God.
In short, being humble and gentle is about trying to embody the words of Jesus found in St.
Matthew's Gospel: "Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh
you. Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart."
The daily practice of these two virtues fashions a particular kind of heart in those who follow
Jesus: a heart that longs and strives for justice.
"Be just and equitable in all your actions," wrote St. Francis de Sales in Part Three, Chapter 36
of The Introduction to the Devout Life. "Always put yourself in your neighbor's place and put your
neighbor in yours, and then you will judge rightly."
He continued: "Imagine yourself the seller when you are buying; imagine yourself the buyer when you
are selling. In this way you will sell and buy according to justice."
This is not always easy to do. We are frequently tempted to relate to others in ways that are not
just, that are not reasonable. We are tempted to promote only our own concerns, to first ask
"what's in it for me?" or to always be concerned about "taking care of number one."
At times like these "we have two hearts. One heart is mild, favorable and courteous toward
ourselves; the other is hard, severe and rigorous toward our neighbor." At times like these we
have "two balances: the one to weigh out conveniences to our own greatest advantages, and the other
to weight those of our neighbor to their greatest possible disadvantage."
Humble, gentle people frequently check to see if they relate to others reasonably. Humble, gentle
people frequently check to see if their hearts truly strive for justice.
St. Francis de Sales challenges us: "Do not neglect to frequently examine whether your heart be such
with respect to your neighbor as you would desire your neighbor's to be with respect tot your
neighbor as you would desire your neighbor's to be with respect to you, were you in the other's
situation."
Such an ordinary thing. In the Salesian tradition, such a powerful, life-giving thing. In the end,
claims St. Francis de Sales, we "lose nothing by living generously, nobly courteously, and with a
royal, just and reasonable heart."
Not only do we lose nothing, but in the eyes of God, we gain everything: a place in God's heart
forever in heaven, a place in God's plan for salvation now, here on earth.
Walk humbly; relate gently; live justly; love generously. In ways great and small strive to follow
the example of the Gentleman Saint, a follower of Christ who challenges us to embody the Heart of
Jesus - to embody the Heart of Justice.
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