Posted on 01/24/2003 8:15:45 AM PST by Pyro7480
St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) bishop and doctor. Feast: January 24.
Biographical sketch and quote taken from:
Hoagland, Victor and George Angelini. The Book of Saints: The Lives of the Saints According to the Liturgical Calendar. 1986. The Regina Press, New York.
St. Francis de Sales was born on August 21, 1567, at the Château de Sales in the kingdom of Savoy near Geneva, Switzerland. He came from a noble family and even as a child he desired to serve God completely. Though frail and delicate, he had a quick, intelligent mind and a gentle, kind disposition. His family educated him at the best schools of his day.
In 1580, he entered the University of Paris and was drawn to the study of theology. He then attended the University of Padua, where he received his doctorate in law at the age of twenty-four.
His father wanted him to pursue a career in law and politics and enter into an advantageous marriage. But Francis wanted to be a priest. Against his father’s wishes he was ordained in 1593 by the Bishop of Geneva.
The Catholic Church at that time was losing many of its people to the new churches of the Protestant Reformation. Francis set out to restore Catholicism in the region around Lake Geneva known as Chablais. Tirelessly and patiently preaching the ancient faith, writing leaflets that clearly explained the Catholic view, he gradually re-established a strong Catholicism in that area. In 1602, he was appointed Bishop of Geneva.
From his residence at Annecy, he organized his diocese and with a winning gentleness ministered to his people. His encouragement and wise counsel inspired many people to a better way of life. In 1608, his most famous book, An Introduction to a Devout Life, was published and soon circulated throughout the world. In 1610, he founded the Order of Visitation with St. Jane Francis de Chantal, whom he guided in the spiritual life.
Francis de Sales was convinced that God sees humanity as a great and varied garden, each person beautiful in his or her uniqueness. The various callings of life – soldier, prince, widow, married woman – are like the various flowers of the field; God loves them all. Through his or her own calling, each person can find a way to a deeper friendship with his or her creator. Francis approached people with genuine respect and gently guided them to recognize the unique path they would take in life. He made the journey to God joyful and possible for everyone to make. Above all, he advised against despair and the burden of fear.
He died at Lyons on December 28, 1622.
Litany of St. Francis de Sales (for private use)
Lord have mercy on us.
Lord have Mercy on us
Christ hear us
Christ graciously hear us
God the Father of heaven
have mercy on us
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy on us
God the Holy Ghost,
have mercy on us
Holy Trinity one God,
have mercy on us
Saint Francis, admirable bishop,
Pray for us.
Saint Francis, beloved of God,
-"-
Saint Francis, imitator of Jesus Christ,
Saint Francis, filled with the gifts of the Lord,
Saint Francis, favorite of the Mother of God,
Saint Francis, most devout to the saints,
Saint Francis, burning with love for the Cross of Christ,
Saint Francis, most closely united to the Divine Will,
Saint Francis, vessel of election,
Saint Francis, light of the Church,
Saint Francis, perfect model of religious,
Saint Francis, source of wisdom,
Saint Francis, defender of the Catholic faith,
Saint Francis, good shepherd of the people,
Saint Francis, incomparable preacher,
Saint Francis, scourge of heresy,
Saint Francis, salt of the earth,
Saint Francis, model of justice,
Saint Francis, despiser of the world,
Saint Francis, lover of poverty,
Saint Francis, type of sweetness,
Saint Francis, conqueror of carnal passions,
Saint Francis, terror of devils,
Saint Francis, merciful prop to the penitents,
Saint Francis, refuge of sinners,
Saint Francis, providence of the poor,
Saint Francis, consoler of the afflicted,
Saint Francis, example of all perfection,
Saint Francis, ark of holiness,
Saint Francis, imitator of the purity of the angels,
Saint Francis, cherub of wisdom,
Saint Francis, seraph of love,
Saint Francis, our holy patriarch,
Saint Francis, our sweet light,
Saint Francis, our mighty protector,
Saint Francis, our guide in the ways of God,
Saint Francis, our refuge,
Saint Francis, emulator of the angels,
Saint Francis, imitator of the Apostles,
Saint Francis, sharer in the glory of the martyrs,
Saint Francis, glory of holy confessors,
Saint Francis, teacher and director of virgins,
Saint Francis, glorious fellow citizen of all the saints,
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
V. Pray for us Blessed St. Francis de Sales.
R. That we may be made worthy the promises of Christ.
Let us pray,
O God by whose gracious will the Blessed Francis, Your confessor and bishop, became all things unto all men for the saving of their souls; mercifully grant that, being filled with the sweetness of your love, we may, through the guidance of his counsels and aid of his merits, attain unto the joys of everlasting life.
Amen.
St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of deafness, authors, educators, journalists, and all who are called to the devout life, whether lay or religious, PRAY FOR US!
Go courageously to do whatever
you are called to do.
If you have any fears, say to your soul:
”The Lord will provide for us.”
If your weakness troubles you,
cast yourselves on God, and trust in him.
The apostles were mostly unlearned fishermen,
but God gave them learning enough
for the work they had to do.
Trust in him, depend on his providence;
fear nothing.
St. Francis de Sales
BTTT on Memorial of St. Francis de Sales -- January 24, 2005.
Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Saint of the Day Ping List.
Lord, protect us from despair, remove the spirit of fear from our lives.
May God send more priests and teachers like St. Francis De Sales to our Church in these troubled times. Amen.
Prayers offered for all participants in the March for Life in Washington DC, may they return home safely.
Amen to that. It was thrilling to see the marchers gathered in front of the White House listening to the President's message. God bless the marchers and the President.
BTTT on the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, January 24, 2006!
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January 24, 2007
St. Francis de Sales
(1567-1622)
Francis was destined by his father to be a lawyer so that the young man could eventually take his elder’s place as a senator from the province of Savoy in France. For this reason Francis was sent to Padua to study law. After receiving his doctorate, he returned home and, in due time, told his parents he wished to enter the priesthood. His father strongly opposed Francis in this, and only after much patient persuasiveness on the part of the gentle Francis did his father finally consent. Francis was ordained and elected provost of the Diocese of Geneva, then a center for Calvinists. Francis set out to convert them, especially in the district of Chablais. By preaching and distributing the little pamphlets he wrote to explain true Catholic doctrine, he had remarkable success.
At 35 he became bishop of Geneva. While administering his diocese he continued to preach, hear confessions and catechize the children. His gentle character was a great asset in winning souls. He practiced his own axiom, “A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrelful of vinegar.” Besides his two well-known books, the Introduction to the Devout Life and A Treatise on the Love of God, he wrote many pamphlets and carried on a vast correspondence. For his writings, he has been named patron of the Catholic Press. His writings, filled with his characteristic gentle spirit, are addressed to lay people. He wants to make them understand that they too are called to be saints. As he wrote in The Introduction to the Devout Life: “It is an error, or rather a heresy, to say devotion is incompatible with the life of a soldier, a tradesman, a prince, or a married woman.... It has happened that many have lost perfection in the desert who had preserved it in the world. ” In spite of his busy and comparatively short life, he had time to collaborate with another saint, Jane Frances de Chantal, in the work of establishing the Sisters of the Visitation. These women were to practice the virtues exemplified in Mary’s visit to Elizabeth: humility, piety and mutual charity. They at first engaged to a limited degree in works of mercy for the poor and the sick. Today, while some communities conduct schools, others live a strictly contemplative life. Quote:
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St Francis de Sales, 1567-1622. Doctor of Authors and the Catholic Press, Feast Jan 24th. |
Saint Francis de Sales,
Bishop & Doctor of the Church
Memorial
January 24th
Portrait of St. Francis de Sales by J. J. Owens (early 20th century)
St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) born in Thorens, Savoy, in France, was Bishop of Geneva; here he fought Calvinism vigorously. With St. Jane de Chantal, he founded the Order of the Visitation. He wrote Introduction to the Devout Life, a classic of spiritual direction. He died in Lyons and was canonized in 1665. In 1877, Pius IX proclaimed him Doctor of the Church. Pius XI declared him patron of journalists and other writers.
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
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