Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

New DeSales World Newsletter - Summer Edition

The Fourth Sunday In Advent (December 22, 2002)

Suggested Emphasis

"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

Salesian Perspective

Just a few days away from the feast of Christmas, the Gospel puts before us the beautiful account of the Angel Gabriel appearing to Mary to make the wondrous announcement of God's plan for the coming of the Son of God into the world.

In this moving account, we witness with awe the quiet surrender of Mary into the hands of God, eager to be simply the "handmaid of the Lord" for whatever he had in mind.

A gentle surrender into the hands of God is the epitome of the teachings of St. Francis de Sales. In his spiritual direction, in his conferences, in his writings and letters, he frequently refers to this submission to the Will of God as a necessary part of our journey to holiness.

In the Treatise, he asks his readers to "open the arms of our assent; let us clasp all these things in a loving embrace, let us comply with God's holy will - these words the eternal hymn upon our lips: Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6: 1 0)...not only in the keeping of the commandments, counsels, inspirations, where we are active, but also in the enduring of suffering and sorrow, where we are passive. So may your will do by us, for us, in us, with us, all that it pleases". (Treatise IX, 1)

In a letter to a directee, he counsels, "Live for God alone ... what brings hin1 near to our hearts is not the tranquility but the faithfulness of our love, not the feeling we have of his sweetness, but our free consent to his holy will; and it is more desirable that his will should be wrought in us than we should follow our own inclinations in him". (Selected Letters, p 191)

To another he writes, "Here is the most important point: find out what God wants, and when you know, try to carry it out cheerfully or at least courageously; not only that, but we must love this will of God and the obligations it entails, even if it means herding swine the rest of our lives and performing the most menial tasks in the world because whatever sauce God chooses for us, it should be all the same to us. Therein lies the bulls' eye of perfection, at which we must all aim and whoever comes nearest to it, wins the prize." (Letters of Spiritual Direction, p. 109)

Francis' message to us would be the same today, this Advent, 2002...to seek to give our consent to all that God shall ordain for us. Let us use these remaining days of Advent to intensify our efforts to make our hearts supple and submissive in accepting and accomplishing all that seems to be the Will of God for us, in each moment, each event, each person, each manifestation of his will. A submissive and obedient heart and attitude will resonate well with the little child in the crèche, for he also came to earth precisely to do in all things the will of his Father.

Sr. John Marie, OSFS, is principal of St. Bernadette Elementary School in Drexel Hill, Pennsy