Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales - March

[Hildegard of Bingen]

Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales

Teachings and Examples from the Life of the Saint by Salesiana Publishers


March 12th (page 72)

     Live Humbly, gently and lovingly with your divine Spouse. Do not be worried, but put behind you the memory of your small failings by confessing them. As we fail so often without realizing it, so we also rise again without realizing it. It is said that the just person falls seven times, not that he sees or feels the fall. Even if he falls seven times seven without realizing it, he also rises. Do not be too worried about this, but with frankness and humility say to your confessor what you remember, leaving everything else to the gentle mercy of God. He puts His hand under those who fall without malice, provided they do no harm and do not remain wounded. He raises and heals them so quickly that they do not even realize that they have fallen, because the divine hand has caught them. They fall to realize what has happened because God’s help came so quickly that they did not even have item to notice it.

(Letters 1382; O. XVIII, p. 136)

     On March 12th, 1617, Francis de Sales found himself at Grenoble, busy converting Protestants, comforting Catholics and responding to those who consulted him. He wrote the following lines to Mother Chantal: “This is only a note, my dearest mother, that you receive from me today. God gives me a thousand tasks, not allowing me to engage solely in the one sacred work that He Himself has entrusted to me. I have never seen a people more docile than these or more inclined to piety. The women are especially devout, because here, as elsewhere, men tend to leave to the women the care of the house and prayer. Twelve of the leading, women of the city have become my spiritual daughters and are busy in the foundation here of a house of the Visitation. The bishop and the parliament have no objections. I am in no hurry, even though I greatly desire to open this house, confident that God will be glorified in it. His Providence has provided all that is necessary for this project, yet I feel no urgency to get it going. Let us wait and pray. Humbling ourselves quietly before the Divine Majesty, we can hope for the best.”

(A.S. III, p. 283)

If a person shows a firm and persevering determination to serve God

In his state in life, he gives the best proof that he has a true vocation.