Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (February 17, 2019)

Today’s readings remind us of the life-giving qualities received by those who follow God’s teachings and who trust in God’s goodness. St. Francis de Sales similarly notes: “The greater our trust in God, the more life-giving is our spirit. If we are to allow God’s love to operate in us, we must make room in our heart so that the Holy Spirit may flood our heart with holy love. When our concerns and responsibilities are full of anxiety and fear, we limit our ability to act in the way God desires us to act.”

What are we to do if we have the desire to serve God but lack sufficient strength to put that desire into practice? Offer this desire to God. God renews our desire as often as is necessary to make us persevere in our desire to do God’s Will. Placing our trust in God’s goodness makes us eventually capable of acting on our desire to belong to God.

I am not saying that you must always feel this determination to belong entirely to God. We may always have feelings of reluctance to the events in our life that God does not desire but permits. Do not be troubled by such feelings, for few people are able to get rid of them. Yet, you ought to constantly recognize that you belong to God even though you do not always feel that way. We must deliberately choose to keep ourselves focused on the goal to belong to God alone. As we focus on pursuing our goal, our reluctant feelings will gradually be transformed as we allow God’s love to flood our heart.

Let us frequently place our good will in God’s hands, and God will renew our true willingness as often as is necessary in this mortal life.  Those who place themselves peacefully in the hands of God’s Providence let themselves move forward, like a person sleeping in a ship that never stops moving forward on a tranquil sea. Blessed are they who put their trust in God, for confidence in God brings life to their human spirit!

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales).

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (February 10, 2019)

In today’s readings we experience Isaiah, Paul and Peter coming to recognize that their past sins did not prevent them from becoming true disciples of God. St. Francis de Sales notes: “No doubt, there is a sense of shame when we have been disloyal to God. These feelings of shame are very good when they are used in a constructive way. Shame is only useful if it leads us to rise to an intimate union of our heart with God.” 

We must never remain in shame, or with a sad and unquiet heart. As St. Paul teaches, we “must discard the old nature and put on the new.”  We must clothe ourselves with God, and lift up our hearts in holy confidence to God. The foundation of our trust is in God and not in ourselves. Our well being derives from letting ourselves be led and directed absolutely by God’s Spirit, who transforms us through divine love. 

While the saints saw in themselves many imperfections, this did not stop them from doing God’s work. God left in several of the dear disciples many marks of their evil inclinations for some time after their conversion, all for their greater good. For example Peter who stumbled many times after his initial calling failed miserably in denying God. 

We cannot expect to be a saint in an instant. We must little by little and step by step acquire a self-mastery that the saints took years to acquire. Be patient. Leading us by the hand, God does with us deeds that call for our cooperation Some trees bear fruit every year, others every three years. Let us be content that God will let us bear our fruit sooner or later. 

During this long pilgrimage on earth, God’s Goodness is willing to lead us and carry us. Yet, God always wants us to take our little steps alone, doing on our part all that we can in virtue and good works, helped by God’s love.  

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales)

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 3, 2019)

In today’s reading of the First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul tells us what it means to love. St. Francis de Sales based his whole life and his teachings on love:

By love we live, feel and move. All our affections follow our love. Love is the life of the heart. As our heart is, so are our actions. Those who open themselves to God’s love in their heart have God’s love in their actions. Divine love can do all things and endure all things when we allow it to reign in our hearts. A heart that has holy love lives a clean, healthy, new life. This new life is both lively and life giving. It is the bond of perfection.

God’s love is always present in us. Unfortunately, we do not see it in ourselves. Because we do not see the presence of God’s love in us, it is easy to forget. We then behave as if God is very distant from us. God’s love is present in a most particular way in your heart and in the very center of your spirit. From time to time, retire into the solitude of your own heart, even while engaged in discussions or transactions. Talk with God. Other people cannot enter this mental solitude since they are not standing around your heart, which remains alone in the presence of God.

Our life on earth is like the perpetual, diverse motions of the waves of the sea. Some days we are buoyed up in hope, and sometimes we are cast down in fear. Even though everything changes within or around us, we must be like the mariner’s needle that always points to the North Star. Our will must remain looking, striving, and aspiring toward the love of God. Nothing can disturb or move us from God’s love, since our resolution never to forsake God’s merciful love keeps us steady amid the various changes brought to us by the conditions of this life.  Thus do not lose courage, nor let your spirit sink amid contradictions. God will never abandon the care of your heart, for God’s love is eternal.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales.)

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (January 27, 2019)

In today’s reading of the Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul describes how members of the Christian community have different functions and gifts that contribute to the unity of the community. St. Francis de Sales speaks of the gifts that unite us in our differences:

As members of the body of the Church, we are so united that we share in the good of one another. Even the sick who practice many admirable virtues in their illness contribute to the well being of the community. Our Savior wishes that holy love unite us. As living members of Jesus Christ and the Church, the fruits of our labor flow down upon those who are united by sacred love. Many grapes are pressed together to make one wine. Many grains of wheat are ground and kneaded together to make one single loaf. The gift of our sharing the Eucharist together is the source of our union, for the Eucharist unites us as children of God.

We must give great value to the gifts received from God and do our best for the welfare of all. This may be difficult at times. We may have many doubts in accepting the responsibilities given to us. However, in simplicity of heart we must say, “I can do anything in God who strengthens me.” We do what we have to do: not troubled by the greatness of the task, the amount of time required or the many delays encountered. For the Holy Spirit dwelling in us makes our frail works display the greatness of God’s love that unites us.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales.)

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (January 20, 2019)

Today’s Gospel focuses on God’s presence in Jesus as He transforms water into wine, symbolic of our transformation in Christ. St. Francis de Sales similarly notes:

Jesus came to create a new humanity. He began his ministry to transform the human person by manifesting God’s goodness with a miracle at a joyful banquet. At the Wedding Feast of Cana, Jesus transformed water into wine to meet a need of the newly wedded couple. Then at another banquet before His death, He instituted the Eucharist so that we might be nourished and become like Him.

In the transformation of water into wine, and the institution of the Eucharist, God’s goodness in the Person of Jesus is made present to us. Christ’s presence in our lives turns the water of our tepid love into the wine of God’s love. Divine love invigorates and strengthens us as we journey toward wholeness in living Jesus.

In today’s Gospel, Mary, convinced that Jesus would provide the wine for the wedding couple, presents their need to her Son. We too must confidently ask God for our spiritual and temporal needs. In the Lord’s Prayer we ask daily that God’s Kingdom come and God’s Will be done. But Jesus also told us to ask God to give us our daily bread.

When we are disheartened and feel desolate we must present our needs to God, convinced that God will answer us according to our needs. We can say to God: “It is enough for me to present myself to You as I am. You will provide for my miseries and necessities as You see fit.” While God never gives us an excess of our self-centered wants, God never fails to supply what is necessary for our well being, if we are open to God’s presence in our life.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales, especially The Sermons of St. Francis de Sales, L. Fiorelli, ed.)

Baptism of the Lord (January 13, 2019)

Today we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus, which marks the beginning of his ministry. St. Francis de Sales observes that God also calls us to service that at times is a struggle for us:

Our Savior’s unfathomable ways of calling us to His service are so lovely and varied. When we have a firm and steadfast determination to want to serve God in the way and place where God calls us, we then have a true vocation.

While we are firm in our perseverance to serve God, we still commit faults. We may also hesitate in our resolve to use the means given us to serve God. We are all at the mercy of our feelings and emotions, subject to changes and ups and downs. We are not to worry if we sometimes experience feelings of distaste and discouragement in responding to our call to serve God. It is normal to experience these ups and downs. Even though we are not exceedingly virtuous, we are still fit for God’s service. Yet, we must stand firm in the midst of changing moods. Some virtues can only be practiced amid difficulty. It is not our willful feelings, but our intention to willingly persevere in serving God that determines the firmness and steadfastness of our commitment to love as God desires us to love.

A good string musician has the habit of testing the strings of his instrument from time to time to see if they need tightening or loosening in order to render the tone in perfect harmony. We too at times need to examine and consider all the affections of our heart to see if they are in tune with the wishes and commands of Our Savior. Let us strengthen our fervor, by reaffirming often our commitment to be God’s children who are called to love divinely. Live courageously and faithfully to the original stirring of your heart to serve God, and you will be happy.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales.)

Epiphany of the Lord (January 6, 2019)

In today’s Gospel, on the Feast of the Epiphany, we experience the confidence of the Gentile magi, who seek God’s goodness in the Christ Child. Confidence to trust in God’s goodness is a constant theme in St. Francis de Sales’ writings:

The Magi from the East, confidently following the Star of Bethlehem, seek to render homage to the newborn Infant lying in a manger. They find no pleasure in the beauty of the city of Jerusalem, or in the magnificence of Herod’s court. Their hearts seek the little cave at Bethlehem and its little Child. They rigorously forsake every other pleasure so that they may more strongly find pleasure in God’s presence in the Christ Child.

Let us come close to our Savior in the divine crib and listen to the many inspirations and affections that awaken us to God’s goodness. It may be very difficult at times to trust in God. We may even feel no confidence in God. Yet in these times of difficulties we still have the power to make a simple act of confidence in God. We can say, “While I feel no confidence in You, I know that you are my God, and that I am all yours.”

We must not be distressed if we make these acts without fervor. Our Lord loves them better thus, for our lips speak what our heart wills. In this way we make continual progress in holy love, our journey toward wholeness. Our confidence is in God who is unchangeable and not in ourselves who are constantly changing. No one can ever trust in God without reaping the fruits of this confidence. Like the Magi following the Star of Bethlehem, let us pursue divine love with the confidence that we are continually being made whole in Christ—Who guides all those that choose to walk in His radiant light.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales, particularly the Sermons, L. Fiorelli, Ed.)

Mary, Mother of God (January 1, 2019)

Mary is called the Mother of God because she is the “mother of the divine redeemer.” She conceived, brought forth and nourished the Son of God here on earth. While she is subordinate to her Son, she is greater than all the saints.

Mary has a unique role to play in our history of salvation. Her consent without hesitation to accept God’s Will at the Annunciation has had a salutary influence on the whole human family. She brought Life to the whole human family. Since she is the Mother of the Son of God, Mother of the Church and our Mother who brings us to her Son, it is most fitting that we honor her in a special way.

Today, is an appropriate day to honor Mary as she stands first among all the saints, and brings forth the Great Peacemaker to the human family.

Blessing

Lord, Mary’s child, make us as a human family an instrument of your peace:

• Where there is hatred, let us sow love.
• Where there is injury, pardon.
• Where there is doubt, faith.
• Where there is darkness, light.
• Where there is sadness, joy.
• Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
• To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.
• For it is giving that we receive.
• It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
• And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

Holy Family (December 30, 2018)

In today’s Gospel we experience Jesus telling Mary and Joseph that He must be in his ‘Father’s house’, yet he remains obedient to his parents. St. Francis de Sales notes:

God draws us by special attractions. If the attraction comes from God, it leads you to ‘loving obedience’. In doing God’s will, ‘loving obedience’ undertakes a command lovingly, no matter how difficult it may be. We desire that God take all our affections and actions, and shape them. This road will surely lead you to reap a harvest of blessings.

In the Scriptures, Jesus tells us often that He came not to do His own will but the will of His Father. During His mortal life, Jesus also lovingly obeyed His parents and others. Our Savior now asks of us to imitate the loving obedience that He rendered, not only to the Divine good will, but also to His earthly parents. Joseph and Mary received great joy because they helped Him, and remained constantly in His presence.

What causes us to be inconstant and changeable in our moods to love and serve God? It is the diversity of our desires. Constant mood swings come from our inordinate desires. Holy love has only one desire: to love and serve God, who desires we have a tranquil spirit, and experience in this world a slight foretaste of eternal joy.

Evenness of mind and heart is the most necessary virtue for the stability of moods that leads to holiness. One way to achieve evenness and stability of moods in our lives is to have a daily routine of mental prayer and other activities that sustain our well being: eating, sleeping, and exercise. Be faithful to God’s wishes and commands, as the bees do with their queen. Then you will live firm and unwavering in your resolution to love God’s will as Jesus did: constantly, courageously, hardily, and ardently.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales, especially Oeuvre: Entretiens)

Vigil of Christmas (December 25, 2018)

This evening is the vigil of Christmas and we ponder on the mystery of the birth of Our Lord. St. Francis de Sales offer us some thoughts on the nativity:

If someone intends to build a house or a palace, he must first consider for whom the dwelling is intended. He will obviously use different plans depending upon the social status of the person. So it was with the Divine Builder. God built the world for the Incarnation of the Son. Divine wisdom foresaw from all eternity that the Word would assume our nature in coming to earth. To accomplish this task, God chose a woman, the most holy Virgin Mary, who brought forth Our Savior.

In the Incarnation, God made us see what the human mind could hardly have imagined or understood. So great was God’s love for humanity that in becoming human, God desired to fill us with divinity. God wished to crown us with divine goodness and dignity. God wanted us to be children of God.

Our Savior came into this world to teach us what we need to do to preserve in ourselves this divine resemblance that God has so completely repaired and embellished in us. Oh, how earnestly we ought to summon up our courage to live according to what we are. Our Savior came to teach us how to live according to reason, and to show us how to subdue our disordered loves. He was wholly filled with mercy and kindness for the human family. Often when the most hardened sinners have reached the point of living as if there were no God, Our Savior allows them to find His Heart full of pity and kind mercy toward them. All who know this experience some feeling of gratitude for it. It is Jesus whom we must form and bring to birth in our own hearts. The Child is well worth whatever we endure in order to bring Him to birth.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales.)

Fourth Sunday of Advent (December 23, 2018)

In today’s Gospel, we experience Elizabeth proclaiming Mary to be blessed as the mother of Our Lord. St. Francis de Sales notes:

When Elizabeth proclaims Mary’s blessedness, Mary affirms that she is indeed blessed, for all her happiness comes from God. God looks at Mary in her lowliness and exalts her. Mary, in her humility, is in awe that God has made her the mother of Jesus.

A very exalted love of God and neighbor, as well as a profound humility, form a special union in Mary’s heart. Humility has Mary experience the immense and inexhaustible depth of God’s goodness. After experiencing the immensity of God’s love, she is aware of her littleness in the face of God’s loftiness. She immediately acts on her love for God, by saying: Let it be done to me as You say. In giving her consent to God’s will, she demonstrates the greatest charity conceivable. For at the moment she consents, the Divine Word takes on flesh. Infinitely graced, Mary desires God’s love for all.

As with Mary, our first fruit of the grace of God is humility. Humility has us experience the infinite love of God. At the same time, humility has us experience the limitations of our capacity to love God and others. While grace inclines us to the excellence of God’s divine love, humility has us see how God’s love profoundly purifies the heart before God and creatures. Like in Mary, God’s love, in us, has us love others.

What a good sign humility of heart is in the spiritual life! If we humble ourselves by giving our consent to God’s will in our life, we too can give birth in our heart to the Christ Child. To let go of our own willful desires is painful. Yet, to bring Christ to birth in our hearts is well worth trusting in God’s action in us. Our divine Savior, with our consent, will assuredly make us eternally blessed, and introduce us into eternal life.

(Sermons of St. Francis de Sales, L. Fiorelli, Ed.; Saint Francis de Sales, Oeuvres.)

Third Sunday of Advent (December 16, 2018)

In today’s Gospel we continue to experience John the Baptist urging us to conversion. He tells us to give of our abundance, have a sense of integrity in our daily activities, and know who we are and who Our Messiah is. St. Francis de Sales notes:

John the Baptist is too great a lover of truth to be carried away by ambition. He informs those who came to him that he is not the Messiah. He tells us, we must look into our actions, reforming those that are not of good intentions and perfecting those that are.

John the Baptist was a firm rock, a man possessed of unshakable stability in the midst of changing circumstances He has courage to admit who he is. Indeed, he who truly knows himself is not annoyed when he is held and treated for what he is. Surely, it is a sign of great interior conversion when God gives us light to know who we are.

To be a Christian is the most beautiful title we can give ourselves. Yet, it is not enough to be called a Christian. We must live in a way that one recognizes clearly in us a person who loves God with his or her whole heart. One who keeps the Commandments and frequents the sacraments, and who does things worthy of a true Christian.

When we know we are loved, we are compelled to love in return. So it is when we live our life in Christ. The sacred love of Christ presses down upon us in a special way to have us share our abundance with others. Compassion makes us share the sufferings, sorrows and affections of those we love. Mothers and fathers suffer because of the great afflictions of their children. The dearer one is to us the deeper one’s welfare enters into our heart. Whether their welfare is sad or joyful, we commiserate with them. Our goal is to act with only one intention: conforming ourselves to the true image of God in us. For the reason why Jesus came, was to show us our true self in God.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales.)

Second Sunday of Advent (December 9, 2018)

In today’s Gospel we experience John the Baptist urging us to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus. St. Francis de Sales has us start with our hearts:

Our heart is the source of our action. As our heart is, so are our actions. Whoever wins a person’s heart has won the whole person. Yet even the heart, where we wish to begin, must be instructed. John the Baptist wants us to fill our fearful hearts with faith and hope. Certain fears and anxieties, when excessive, unnerve the heart and often lead to discouragement. These are the ditches and valleys that must be filled with confidence and hope to prepare for Our Lord’s coming.

Make straight the paths. Roads that twist and turn fatigue and greatly mislead the traveler. We must straighten our ways with confidence that God will give us the necessary help to acquire an even disposition. Don’t lose heart. Be patient. Do all you can to develop a spirit of compassion. I have no doubt that God is holding you by the hand. If God allows you to stumble, it is only to let you know that if God were not holding your hand, you would fall. This is how we learn to take a tighter hold of God’s hand.

It is not possible for us to have a change of heart so totally right away. We need patience. If you strive to practice patience faithfully God will give it to you. We must be like the mariner who, in steering his vessel, always keeps his eye on the needle of the compass. We must have only one intention and that is pleasing God. Let us pay attention to the Word of God and digest it well. How delightful it is to reflect on our Savior. He had perfect equanimity of spirit shining brilliantly in the midst of all sorts of changing circumstances. How pleasing it is to find this even disposition in someone. Those who have Jesus Christ in their heart will soon have Him in all their ways.

(Adapted from the writings of Saint Francis de Sales.)

First Sunday of Advent (December 2, 2018)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus urges us to live a life of holiness so as to experience the glory of His coming. This calls for a conversion of our hearts. St. Francis de Sales notes:

As soon as some people see that you wish to lead a life of holiness, they might speak of your conversion as hypocrisy, bigotry, and trickery. They will say that the world has turned against you, and being rebuffed by it, you have turned to God. Your friends will tell you that you will become depressed, lose your reputation, be unbearable, and that your affairs at home will suffer. All this is mere foolishness. People spend hours in playing games and think nothing of it. Yet if you spend an hour in meditation or get up a little earlier than usual in the morning to pray, everyone thinks there is something the matter with you. So we must be firm in our resolution to live faithfully in God’s love.

When we first have a change of heart, things will seem a little strange, as they are new. When we see that the mountain of Christian perfection is very lofty, we tend to say “O God, how shall I be able to climb it?” Have courage. Such feelings will pass, and you will receive countless blessings.

We are like young bees who cannot yet fly out among the flowers, mountains, or nearby hills to gather honey. Little by little, by continuing to eat honey the older bees have prepared, the young bees develop wings and grow strong, so that later they fly all over the country in search of food. At first we cannot fly up high according to our plan, which is to be holy. But as our desires and resolutions begin to take form and our wings start to grow, we hope some day to be able to fly aloft. Let us follow the instructions of holy persons of past times, and pray to God to give us wings, not only to fly upward during the time of our present life but also to find repose in the eternity that is to come.

(Adapted from the Introduction to the Devout Life, St. Francis de Sales.)

Solemnity of Jesus Christ the King (November 25, 2018)

Today is the Feast of Christ the King.  St. Francis de Sales stated that it was divine inspiration that the word “king” was inscribed on Jesus’ cross. He adds:

Our Lord came as a shepherd and as King of Shepherds. Shepherds represent those who make a commitment to lead a holy life. In this sense we are all shepherds, and Our Lord desires to favor those like Himself.  As a good shepherd and lovable pastor of our souls that are his sheep, Jesus came to teach us what we ought to do so that we might be made whole through Him. He came to recreate what was lost, and no one has ever been betrayed by Him.

Jesus as a king was called to be Savior, and He desired that others should share in the glory of being leaders, especially his blessed Mother. Jesus made God’s goodness abound more than evilness. He overcame death, disease, toil, and abuse of our sensory desires. Jesus’ work is truly salutary when it touches our miseries and makes them worthy of love. When we possess God’s love, we are empowered to share in our Savior’s work.

God desired to save the Hebrew people through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the other prophets. We are shown more fully God’s delight and care for the world by the sending of our Savior Jesus. We plant vines because of their fruit. Yet leaves and buds precede the fruit. Similarly, while Our Savior was first in God’s eternal plan of creation, the vine  (the universe) was first planted. For this reason Jesus is called the “first-born of all creatures.” Like leaves or blossoms, the many generations that precede Jesus prepare the way for Him. How happy we are when we choose Jesus as our leader, who gives us unparalleled peace and calm if we follow Him. Our Savior shows us that God’s majesty will not be overcome by evil, but will overcome evil by good: the work of a true King.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales, especially Sermons, L. Fiorelli, Ed.)

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (November 18, 2018)

Today’s readings remind us that we have nothing to fear if we have hope and faith in God. St. Francis de Sales has much to say about hope, faith, trust in God:

Hope in God, for God will free you from your burdens or give you the strength to bear them. When we have faith in God, we are shielded from our enemies and the terrors of the night. To say “I believe in God” is to say we do not trust in our own strength but in the strength of God. It is most certain that God exercises a tender care for us when we abandon all our anxieties and fears to Divine Providence. Yet God desires that we do all that lies in our power to accomplish our tasks. Go ahead filled with courage, but go in simplicity. God wants us to use all the ordinary means to attain hope and trust.

We must not think that we have no talent to do what we are called upon to do. Thinking we are not virtuous enough must not trouble us. The apostles were fishermen who were given talents and holiness to the extent these gifts were necessary to fulfil the mission God confided to them. Go ahead without worrying and without turning back. Whenever you work for God’s glory, God will always give you what you need at the proper time, and provide what is necessary for you and those entrusted to your care.

If you feel disheartened, throw yourself immediately into God’s arms, entrusting yourself to God’s care. We must not be upset if we have little attacks of anxiety and sadness, as they give us opportunities to practice the best and dearest virtues: trust in God and gentleness. When things go wrong, is this not the best time to trust in God? We must encourage one another in holy hope. Without growing weary, we must walk in hope, ardently yet tranquilly, carefully but confidently. Let us climb Mount Tabor where, in hope, faith and trust in God, we will encounter Jesus when He comes in glory.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales, especially Sermons, L. Fiorelli, Ed.)

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (November 11, 2018)

Today’s readings inspire us to give of ourselves at a deeper level. St. Francis de Sales gives us simple ways to give of ourselves by setting priorities of what is important in life:

The love of God is gentle, peaceful and calm. Our, love to be effective, must flow from this divine love. To love as Jesus loved we must have a generous heart that reaches out to those who are poor, materially and spiritually. Love the poor. Be glad to see them in your home and to visit with them in theirs. Share your goods with them. God will repay you not only in the next world but even in this.

Our hearts must be open first to God’s kingdom. Whatever riches we possess, remember that we are only stewards of the things of this earth. God entrusts them to our care, but our hearts must remain detached from them in a way that we are not anxious about them. When we take care of our possessions the way God wants us to care for them, we don’t lose peace of mind if they are taken from us.

If we decide to respond to misfortunes with gentleness, peace and calmness, we feed the fire of sacred love that is growing in us. We do not choose these losses, but we do choose how we will give of ourselves to others when difficult events cause us pain. We ought to rejoice in such occasions, as they are opportunities for us to place our trust more fully in the love and goodness of God. Thus, in circumstances over which we have no control, let us yield to these circumstances with a good heart, and put up with them patiently, courageously and cheerfully. If we live in this way we will be very rich because we will possess divine love, which empowers us, like the saints, to give more fully of ourselves to those in need.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal.)

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary (November 4, 2018)

“Which is the first of all of the commandments?”

When we get right down to it, what is the most important dimension of our faith? Upon what foundation does the edifice of Christianity rest?

Jesus’ answer is unambiguous: love. This love has three facets.

Love of God. Francis de Sales tells us that the reason that we love God is because of who God is: our dignity, and our destiny. “We love God because God is the most supreme and most infinite goodness.”

Love of neighbor. Francis de Sales tells us: “Love of God not only commands love of neighbor, but it even produces and pours love of neighbor into our hearts. Just as we are in God’s image, so the sacred love we have for one another is the true image of our heavenly love for God.”

Love of self. This is the aspect that perhaps we are most tempted to overlook: after all, “self-love” sounds suspiciously like being self-centered. Why should we love ourselves? Simply and profoundly because “we are God’s image and likeness,” says Francis de Sales. When we are at our best all of us are the “most holy and living images of the divine.”

Why is authentic love of self so critical to our love of God and neighbor? Simply, if we fail to love ourselves, how can we possibly give praise and thanks to God for creating us? If we fail to love ourselves, how can we possible love our neighbor who is not only made in God’s image, but who is fundamentally made in the image and likeness of us since we all come from the same source – God himself.

The fullness of Christian perfection – the fullness of living Christ’s life – can be likened to a three-legged table. To the extent that any one of the three legs is weak, the whole table is seriously at risk. Such a table cannot hope to support any significant weight. So, too, if any one of the three loves of our lives – God, self and others – is deficient, all three will suffer, and we cannot hope to carry the weight of God’s command for us to build up something of God’s Kingdom here on earth.

To be sure, love is the simple answer to what is most important in our lives. In our lived experience, however, this love is never quite so simple as we might like to believe.

How is your love of God? How is your love of neighbor? How is your love of self?

Really?

All Saints (November 1, 2018)

“Let us join our hearts to these heavenly spirits and blessed souls. Just as young nightingales learn to sing in company with the old, so also by our holy associations with the saints let us learn the best way to pray and sing God’s praise.” (Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, Chapter 16)

We stand on the shoulders of giants. Over the last two thousand years countless men, women and children of many eras, places and cultures have spent their lives in the service of the Good News of Jesus Christ. From among these many, a smaller group of individuals have earned the distinction of being known as “saints.”

These are real people to whom we look for example. These are real people to whom we look for inspiration. These are real people to whom we look for encouragement and grace. These saints – these real people - have blazed a trail in the midst of trials while living and proclaiming the Gospel. The challenge to us is to follow their example in ways that fit the state and stage of life in which we find ourselves.

Francis de Sales wrote: “Look at the example given by the saints in every walk of life. There is nothing that they have not done in order to love God and to be God’s devoted followers…Why then should we not do as much according to our position and vocation in life to keep the cherished resolution and holy protestations that we have made?” (Ibid, Part V, Chapter 12)

What does it mean to be a saint? Surprisingly, it is much more down-to-earth and obtainable than we might think. Francis de Sales observed: “We must love all that God loves, and God loves our vocation; so let us love our vocation, too, and not waste our energy hankering after a different sort of life, but get on with your own job. Be Martha as well as Mary, and be both gladly, faithfully doing what you are called to do…” (Stopp, Selected Letters, Page 61)

In the view of St. Francis de Sales, sanctity – sainthood – is measured by our willingness and ability to embrace the state and stage of life in which we find ourselves. Saints are people who deeply embraced their lives as they found them, rather than wasting time wishing or waiting for an opportunity to live someone else’s life. Sainthood – sanctity – holiness – is marked by the willingness to embrace God’s will as it is manifested in the ups and downs of everyday life.

How are you being called to be a saint today? How, in the midst of trials, van we blaze trails of love today?

The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (October 28, 2018)

In today’s Gospel, we experience Jesus’ compassion as He heals the blind man who has faith in His healing power. St. Francis de Sales notes:

Your heart is held in God’s hand of mercy. God will never abandon you even if you are troubled and in anguish. You never want to leave God when you are feeling sad and bitter. Instead call out to our Lord and our Lady, who never stop loving you. God’s goodness with its gentle strength comes to our aid if we accept the needed help. In no way must we lose heart. If we cooperate with God’s loving care for us, God’s goodness will give us another, even greater help. God’s mercy leads us from good to better so that we may advance in holy love.

By frequently lifting up your heart to God during the day, you will strengthen your mind against useless and habitual thoughts that upset and torment you. You can say: "Yes Lord, I want to do this action because You want it." Choosing to endure difficulties so as to achieve what is better for us is a very powerful prayer before God, regardless of the complaints that come from our feelings. If you happen to fail, don’t be disturbed. With great confidence in God’s mercy, pick yourself up and continue to walk peacefully and calmly, as before, in faith. Even though we are weak, our weakness is not nearly as great as God’s mercy toward those who want to love and hope in God.

I have seen few people make progress without experiencing trials, so you must be patient. After the squall, God will send the calm, for you are God’s child. Our divine Savior never forgets to show that his mercy surpasses his justice. That his love and desire to forgive is infinite, and that he is rich in mercy. Consequently, Our Redeemer wishes that all be made whole through his divine love. Have faith in God’s healing power.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal.)