“Inspired by the life of St Francis de Sales – to ‘live in holiness and sanctity!'”

(Based on 2 Sam 7:4-17 and Mk 4:1-20 – Wednesday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2 – Feast of St Francis de Sales)

Three different incidents are a told of a person, who was known to struggle with impatience, anger and exasperation…
… yet would deal with it, with a lot of maturity and patience.

The first incident is of stray man who walked through the streets, and was trying to ‘do him in’ – trying to harm the person.
This person however, would tell him:
“I am told you wish me harm. I can promise you that even if you had put out one of my eyes, I would still look kindly upon you with the other!”

The second incident is when he would be insulted by a certain high official and he was asked, why he did not lose his temper. He would admit and say:
“At that time and many other times, I was seething with anger like water in a pot, boiling over the fire; but that by the Grace of God, even if the violent efforts to resist such passion endangered my life…
… I would not let myself go!”

The third incident would be when the person would be instigated to lose temper and to speak badly to a young man. This would be his reaction to the same:
“What did you want me to do in the matter?
… I did what I could to arm myself with an anger that was not sinful. I took my heart in my two hands, but I did not have the courage to dress him down.

To tell you the truth, I was afraid of losing in a quarter of an hour this little bit of liquid of gentleness…
… which I have attempted to gather for twenty-two years, drop by drop like dew in the vessel of my puny heart!”

All these three incidents would be occasions when a person – like any of us – in the normal circumstance would have got angry and lost patience.

However, this person, with the Grace of God remained calm and composed.

He was willing to “live in holiness and sanctity”…
… and to always seek and go God’s Will.

This person is St Francis de Sales – known as the Gentleman Saint…
… whose feast is celebrated on January 24th.

His life is a great inspiration to all of us…
… as he would allow himself to be moulded by the Grace of God
… and with honest efforts, would grow in virtue and holiness.

He was willing, as the Gospel of the day exhorts, ‘to allow the seed of God’s Word’ to ‘fall on rich soil and produce fruit – thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.’ (Cf. Mk 4:8)

The 2nd Book of Samuel 7:4-17 presents beautiful lessons which we need to follow in our lives…
… and which were so well lived by St Francis de Sales

1. Divine Guidance
   The Lord reminds His amazing guidance…
   … in the life of the nation Israel
   … and in the life of David

We are called to recollect the goodness and guidance of the Lord and to live in gratitude…
… just as St Francis de Sales would say, “God, whose very own you are, will deliver you from out of them. He has kept you hitherto, and He will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will bury you in his arms!”

2. Paternal love and correction
   God declares that, “I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me….” (Cf. 2 Sam 7:14)

God displays His commitment to guiding and disciplining His chosen ones…
… “correction to goodness being a remarkable manifestation of His steadfast love!”

As a priest and bishop, St Francis de Sales…
… would gently yet firmly lead many “straying Catholics” back to the Church … and “strictly yet caringly” would direct and raise many ‘seekers of God’ to the interior caves of Divine Love!

We are called to live, in imitation of Christ who calls us “to learn from Me, for I am gentle and meek of heart” (Cf. Mt 11:29)

As St Francis de Sales teaches us:
“Do everything calmly and peacefully. Strive to see God in all things without exception, and consent to His will joyously.
Do everything for God, uniting yourself to Him in word and deed.”

Let us be willing – inspired by the life of St Francis de Sales – to “live in holiness and sanctity”…
… and to always seek and do God’s Will in our lives!

Happy Feast of St Francis de Sales, the Gentleman Saint and the Doctor of Love!

God Bless! Vive Jesus… Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON – THE GRAVITY OF SIN: MORTAL AND VENIAL SIN

“Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.”
There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting…
… rejects the forgiveness of his sins
… and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit.

Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss. (CCC # 1864)