Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

New DeSales World Newsletter - Summer Edition

11TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (June 15, 2008)

Suggested Emphasis

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us…through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

Salesian Perspective

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines the word reconcile as “to restore friendship or harmony.”

Thus, to be reconciled is not only about the forgiveness of sin: it is ultimately about the restoration of friendship. Christ freed us from the power of sin in order that we might once again be called friends of God. This is the Good News of Salvation, the power and promise of reconciliation.

It would have been enough if Jesus had freed us from sin by dying for us “while we were still sinners,” but Jesus did more than this: Jesus restored us to friendship with God even as we were enemies of God. Herein lies the measure of God's tremendous and eternal generosity. This is the Good News of Salvation, the power and promise of reconciliation.

We are beneficiaries of this divine generosity: In Christ, God not only frees us from sin; God also reconciles - that is, befriends – us, again.

The Good News of Salvation is also the challenge of salvation. Just as Christ freed us - befriended us - while we were at odds with God, so we must strive to be reconciled with - to befriend - those who are still at odds with us.

Befriending supersedes minimalism. Befriending is not mere tolerance of others. It goes way beyond “letting bygones be bygones.” In the opinion of St. Francis de Sales, it also requires the practice of two virtues: affability and cheerfulness toward others. “Cordial love (friendship) must be accompanied by what may be called affability and cheerfulness. Affability is a virtue that spreads a certain agreeableness over all the business and serious communications which we maintain with one another; cheerfulness is the virtue that allows us to be gracious and agreeable in our recreations and less serious communications with one another.”

This is a difficult thing to do. It is one thing to forgive those with whom we are friends; it is another thing altogether to befriend those with whom we have yet to experience forgiveness. The challenge for us is to ask for the grace to follow the example of Jesus: to forgive - to befriend - those with whom we are in enmity, disagreement or conflict.

Francis de Sales wrote: “The children of the world are all separated one from another because their hearts are in different places; by contrast, the children of God, having their hearts where there treasure lies (and all having only one treasure which is the same God) are consequently always joined and united together.”

In what treasures do our hearts lie? Can we find it in our hearts to forgive? Can we find it in our hearts to reconcile? Can we find it in our hearts to befriend others…as Jesus befriends us?

Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS, is the Executive Director of the De Sales Spirituality Center.