Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales - February

[Hildegard of Bingen]

     

Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales

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

February 4th (page 35)

 
     Let us embrace the good Jesus, living in daily attachment to Him and ready to die serenely in His presence. Place Him in your heart, like Solomon on his ivory throne. Make frequent visits there as the queen of Sheba did. Listen to His sacred words that He continually utters for our inspiration. Take care that your heart is always made of pure and firm ivory. Be constant in your resolutions and pure in your affections.

(Letters 2010; O. XXI, p. 658)

 
     Today we will give a general overview of our saint, and, since he experienced both good health and sickness, let us consider how he acted under both these conditions. He had a delicate complexion but enjoyed fairly good health. He gave of himself without reservation to the service of God and of the Church. He was very austere with himself, but without affectation, faithfully following all the inspirations of grace. He was never idle and knew how to regulate his activities so as to render them not only useful to his neighbor but profitable to his own personal sanctity. When he was sick he was most patient, resigned and obedient. Four times in his life he was seriously ill and at the point of death. The first time was in Paris, where he fell victim to a state of depression caused by the violence of a terrible temptation, from which he was  miraculously liberated by the Madonna in the Church of Saint Stephen of the Greeks. The second time was during his studies at Padua, when he made that admirable act of humility of handing over his corpse to the students of surgery. The third time was during his mission in the Chablais, when he was exposed to victims of the plague; it was then that his good mother brought him to Sales, where neither care nor prayers were spared to obtain a perfect recovery. The fourth time was when he was a bishop and was brought very close to death by a serious fever; then his only pleasure was to listen to hymns in honor of the Madonna.

(A.S. I, p. 90)


Blessed indeed would we be if we received everything that happens as from God’s
Fatherly hand. How our problems and troubles would be calmed!