Jan-24: Feast of St Francis de Sales

St. Francis Bonaventure de Sales was born to a noble family at Chateau de Sales in Thorens in the duchy of Upper Savoy near Geneva, Switzerland on August 21, 1567. 

Francis was a gifted young man: of brilliant intellect, persevering, purposeful, serene, affable, irresistibly charming, and above all, consumed with a strong desire to serve God. From a very early age he had a vocation to the priesthood, but kept it from his family. His father wanted him to enter a career in law and politics.

In 1583, Francis attended the Jesuit College of Clermont at the University of Paris, Francis, and wrote, "In Paris, I studied many things to please my father, and theology to please myself." As a 24-years-old, he received his doctorate in civil and canon law at the University of Padua. All the time, he never lost his passion for God. He studied theology and practiced mental prayers, but kept quiet about his devotion. To please his father, he also studied fencing and riding.

God made his will clear to Francis one day while he was riding. Francis fell from his horse three times that day. Every time he fell, the sword came out of the scabbard, and every time it came out, the sword and scabbard came to rest on the ground in the shape of the Christian cross. That was all he needed. With his father's blessing he was appointed to the chair of the Annecy cathedral chapter, and was ordained priest on 18 December 1593. The new provost devoted himself to preaching, hearing confessions, ministering to the poor, and devoting himself to the needs of the humblest with special care.

 

Shortly after his ordination to the Catholic priesthood in 1593, he began dangerous work in the Chablais region, attempting to reintroduce the Catholic religion in the midst of the Protestant Reformation movements of Lutheranism and Calvinism. The Catholic faith was suppressed with raids, pillaging and massacres; churches were destroyed, worship forbidden, priests exiled or done to death. No one would listen to him; no one would even open their door. Fr. Francis made leaflets and posters with simple explanations of Catholic doctrines, and had each one copied many times - by hand of course! Writing down his sermons, he would slip them under the doors of the hostile villagers, trusting God to work on their hearts one sheet at a time. These teachings were later published in one volume called “Controversies.” 

 

For three years things continued like this.  Three years, and not a single convert!  However, in his initial efforts Francis set out to gain the goodwill of the simple and humble folk. His first sermon boasted a congregation of one old lady, to whom he remarked that one single soul was worth a whole diocese. With these individual chats on a one-to-one basis, he was able to overcome distrust and lead to a gradual openness of heart and mind. He developed a great reputation as a writer, preacher, and debater in defence of the Catholic faith.

Francis de Sales took seriously the words of Christ, "Learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart." As he said himself, it took him 20 years to conquer his quick temper, but no one ever suspected he had such a problem, so overflowing with good nature and kindness was his usual manner of acting. His perennial meekness and sunny disposition won for him the title of Gentleman Saint. His gentle character was a great asset in winning souls. He practiced his own axiom, "A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrel full of vinegar."  Francis viewed his opponent as a soul to be saved. This is the only way one can explain the mass conversions of the young bishop. In the words of Du Perron, one of the friends of the saint: "If you want heretics to argue, send them to me; but if you want to persuade them and convert them, send them to the Bishop of Geneva". By the time Francis left the Chablais to go home, he is said to have converted 40,000 people back to Catholicism.

Francis was ordained bishop of Geneva on 8 December 1602 on the Feast of Immaculate Conception, and became the good shepherd amongst his people. He was tireless in visiting his 450 parishes; he organised the further formation of his clergy, proclaiming that learning was the eighth sacrament for a priest. 

Francis felt that all people in all walks of life are called by God to a devout life and that this type of living was possible and wonderful. His three remarkable spiritual books: Introduction to the Devout Life (or Philothea, 1608, definitive edition 1619); Treatise on the Love of God (or Theotimus 1616); and the posthumous Spiritual Discussions, offered practical suggestions for navigating through the temptations presented by the world and for making true progress on one's spiritual journey. His insights on the nature of prayer, the value of the sacraments, the role of friendship, the character of virtue, and the importance of devotion are timeless in their relevance. 

At Dijon in 1604, he met the Baroness Jane Frémyot de Chantal, aged thirty-two, and a widow with four children. Between these two saintly people there developed a strong spiritual friendship. In 1607 Francis suggested to her an important project: the founding of new kind of Order of Contemplative Sisters that would include the care of girls and widows, and be permitted to leave the convent to visit the sick and the poor. This was a novel idea in his time, since most nuns lived in cloister and did not leave to visit the sick or poor - or for any other reason.

Let us be what we are and be that well, in order to bring honour to the Master Craftsman whose handiwork we are.  ~ St. Francis de Sales 

In 1605, a young man named Martin, a deaf-mute from birth, came almost daily to a house in Roche, France, where Bishop de Sales was staying, to ask for alms. As a result of his handicap, Martin, who was about 25 years old, had never received any kind of education -- or instruction in the Catholic faith, a victim of a mistaken belief that deaf-mute were mentally handicapped persons and that trying to educate or trying to communicate religious truths would be a waste of time. By inventing a type of sign language, Bishop Francis personally began to teach Martin about the Catholic faith. Martin, as was soon clear, was highly intelligent and a very good pupil. All went so well that eventually Martin was able to receive the Holy Eucharist for the first time in 1606. Two years later, Martin was confirmed. It is because of Martin’s story that Francis de Sales is also Patron of Catechists, the Deaf and Hearing-Impaired.

St Francis de Sales died on December 27, 1622. His funeral was solemnised at Annecy on 24 January following, and his remains transferred to the Church of the First Visitation Convent in Annecy, France. On January 8, 1661,  Pope Alexander VII  beatified St. Francis de Sales, and canonized him on April 19, 1665. Many years later in 1877, Pius IX declared him a Doctor of the Church, the first French-speaking member of that august assembly. His feast day is celebrated on January 24.