Every Day with St. Francis de Sales for September
Sept 7, 2020 1:12:47 GMT
Post by Hildegard on Sept 7, 2020 1:12:47 GMT
Teachings and Examples from the Life of the Saint by Salesiana Publishers
Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales
Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales
THE TITLE: Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales (changed from the Italian Buon Giorno . . . Teachings and Examples from the Life of Saint Francis de Sales). This replaced the previous title and subtitle: Saint Francis de Sales in Teachings and Example . . . A sacred Diary Extracted from His Life and Works by the Vistandines of Rome. This title was taken from the first edition (Ferrari, Rome, 1953).
CONTENT AND STRUCTURE: Every page contains a thought from the works of Saint Francis de Sales and a brief account of some event of his life which took place on that date. The first taken from the Oeuvres d'Annecy with an indication of volume and page and then the work form which the passage has been taken (e.g. Sermons, Treatises, Letters). As far as the two major woks are concerned, the book or part and chapter have been added, for further clarification. This will allow the reader to refer to the passages for personal consultation or greater understanding. The anecdotes have been taken from the work Anne Sainte, with an indication of both volume and page. Because of the brevity of the selections chosen, we have added a maxim taken from a book by an anonymous author, Massime di S. Francesco di Sales (Salesian Press, Milan, 1929).
TEXT AND FORMAT: The Italian revision of the book made necessary the rereading of the selections chosen and a comparison with the original French. Every effort has been made to keep the gentle tone of Saint Francis de Sales.
ABBREVIATIONS AND REFERENCES:
A.S. Année Sainte des Religieuse de la Visitation Sainte Marie, (12 vol. ed.)
D.S. Diario Sacré extracted from his life and works, compiled by the Visitandines of Rome. (Ed. Ferrari, Rome 1953)
INT. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life
Hamon P. Hamon, Vie de St. Francois de Sales, (2 vol., Paris 1854)
O. Oeuvres de St. Francois de Sales, publiees par lessouis des Religieuses de la Visitation du Premier Monastere d'Annecy (26 vol. , Annecy 1892-1932)
SOL. Francis de Sales, Meditazioni per la Solitudine
T.L.G. Francis de Sales, Treatise on the Love of God
Please note: If you buy the book, the bible quotes are not from the Douay Reims, in putting these meditations online for The Catacombs, I have changed the Bible Quotes to reflect the Douay Reims Bible.
Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales
Teachings and Examples from the Life of the Saint by Salesiana Publishers
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September 1st (page 252)
At the beginning of each month, ask for divine inspiration and put yourself in the presence of God. Imagine yourself to be a poor servant sent by God into this world as into His own house. Indeed, it is He who put us here, and so we should approach Him with humility. He had no need of you, but He put you here to exercise His liberality and His goodness toward you, and you to give you His paradise, . To enable you to obtain what He has planned for you, He has given you an intellect to know Him, a memory to keep Him in mind, a will and a heart to love Him and your neighbor, an imagination to have a picture of Him and His gifts, and all your feelings to serve Him and glorify Him.
(O. XXVI, pp. 170-171)
On September 1st, 1593, Francis de Sales, a deacon of only three months, was even then all on fire for souls. His zeal drove him to work for the growth of piety in the people. Authorized by Holy See and by Bishop De Granier, bishop of Geneva, he set up in Annecy the Confraternity of the Hoy Cross and the Immaculate Madonna, Help of Christians. He himself composed the rules and constitutions that are still kept among his manuscripts. Very many people of every state and social condition gave their names to this confraternity. As founder he was its first prior, and it was holy consolation for him to see his own parents become the first to put on the habit of penitents.
(A.S. IX, p. 2)
We must fear God through love, not love Him through fear.
Poor widows and village folk are full of goodness and devotion, while we bishops, who are called to the Church’s heights, are cold
and unfeeling. Is there no sunshine to melt the chilliness of my heart?
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September 2nd (page 253)
It often happens that the fire of holy love is still burning in the soul, but it is covered under the ashes of a multitude of venial sins that dull its splendor. These sins, although they do not rob the fire of charity of its force and potential for action, numb it, so to speak, and deprive it of its activity, and so charity remains sterile. In brief, these kinds of sins hold us back in our life of holy love.
(T.L.G. Book 4, Ch. 2; O. IV, pp. 218-219)
On September 2nd, 1616, a Knight of Malta, incensed because Francis De Sales had not assigned a parish to a priest recommended by him, burst into the saint’s room and did not spare any insults, threats or reproofs, but vomited them all out against him. The saintly prelate listened in silence with his biretta in his hand. The knight kept his head covered, and having finished his tirade, abruptly left the room as he had entered, without even giving the bishop time to offer a reason for what he had failed to do. Those who were in the room with the bishop, highly indignant with this insult, said that justice must be done, but the saint imposed silence on them and said, “By no means! I should even be grateful to him. He spared me the embarrassment of telling him why I could not comply with is extravagant request.” When his brother asked him why he did not get angry on that occasion, the saint, who did not know how to lie, admitted at that time and often afterwards that on such occasions anger boiled up in his brain like water in a pot over the fire. He vowed that even if he should die resisting his feelings, he was resolved never to say one angry word. The work of internal perfection, he said, consists precisely in this: in controlling our passions and mastering them at their first appearance, as the young David strangled the lions and bears that tried to attack his flock.
(A.S. IX, p. 21)