Saint Francis de Sales

A Brief Background

Francis was born in 1567, the oldest of thirteen children. Francis was from France, was named after Francis of Assisi, was born to a father named Francis, and had a stepmother named Frances!

He studied law and theology in university and received a doctorate at age twenty-four. He became a priest and eventually bishop. The majority of spiritual writings up until this point had been written by priests, nuns or monks and were focused on the religious life, so Francis wrote specifically for lay people, or those “living in the world”.

Francis wrote a number of works including Introduction to a Devout Life and Treatise on the Love of God, helping guide lay people in the call to devotion and holiness. He died of a stroke at age fifty-five.¹

True Devotion

Francis was careful to make sure people understood what he meant by “devotion” by describing what it is not:

A man given to fasting thinks himself very devout if he fasts, although his heart may be filled with hatred. Another man thinks himself devout because he daily recites a vast number of prayers, but after saying them he utters the most disagreeable, arrogant and harmful words at home and among neighbours.²

(This of course would remind us of Jesus’ words to the falsely pious pharisees of his time.)³ The point Francis is making is that true devotion can only occur when the heart is transformed by God.

In short, devotion is simply that spiritual agility and vivacity by which charity works in us or by aid of which we work quickly and lovingly…he not only walks but runs and leaps forward “on the way of God’s commandments.⁴”⁵

Immediate Response

Francis knew that this type of immediate response of loving obedience can take a lifetime to cultivate, which is why he wrote his books as instructional guides for daily living. He understood that there would be moments of stumbling along the way and he encouragingly wrote,

“May the Lord, who is good grant pardon to everyone who has resolved to seek God” (2 Chron 30:18-19). . .Fortunately for us, in this war we are always victorious provided that we are willing to fight.⁶

Our hearts are transformed by God’s grace and our wills are transformed by the power of his Holy Spirit. We continue to “fight the good fight”⁷ by devoting our lives to God and by quickly and lovingly living out our faith.

Preparing Our Hearts

Each time we offer up our desires for God’s will, we see our ability to respond quickly and lovingly increase as well. How have we been slow to respond to God’s call to love in the past? Have we dragged our feet because it feels difficult to offer up our desires for God’s call of love? How is he asking us to respond to his call to holiness today?

1

Ralph Martin, The Fulfillment of All Desire, p 102-105

2

Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, trans. John Ryan, p 33

3

Matthew 23

4

Ps 119:32

5

Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, pt 1, chap 1 pp 40-41

6

Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, pt 1, chap 5, p 49

7

1 Tim 4:7