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 9th (page 40)

     Death, afflictions and other disasters which make up a large part of life and which are punishments for sin become, through the gentle mercy of God, so many steps to climb up to Heaven, so many means to grow in grace, and so many merits to gain glory. Therefore, it is right to say that we should love poverty, hunger, thirst, sadness, sickness, persecution and death, because they are just punishments for our faults, punishments so tempered by divine mercy that their very bitterness becomes something to be loved.

(T.L. G. Book 3, Ch. 1; O.V, pp. 110-111)

     In 1613, when Francis de Sales was suffering from a severe toothache, the holy mother Chantal sent him a cloth that had touched the relic of Saint Apollonia, asking him to apply it to the affected side of his face while the whole community prayed for his recovery. On the afternoon of the same day, the saint sent the relic back accompanied by the following note. “My dearest daughter, here is your remedy, which for me has been indeed a sovereign remedy since God has dealt with me as a result of your faith, hope and charity. To the glory of God and His holy spouse, I must confess that I did not think I would be able to say Mass today, so swollen was my cheek and mouth, but, having knelt at my kneeler and, out of obedience, applied your relic to my cheek, I said, “My God, if such is Thy holy will, let the prayer of our mother be heard.” The toothache ceased immediately. I remained kneeling there for some time, and Our Lord, in His goodness, suggested to me some good thoughts. But, my daughters, what can I say? . . . When I went out of the chapel, everyone told me that the swelling on my cheek had gone down, and I certainly no longer suffered any pain. Glory to God, who shows forth His wonder in His saints! He wanted me to suffer today to render honor to His holy spouse, Apollonia, and give us another tangible proof of the communion of saints.”

(A.S. II, p. 237)


For the person who believes that God is everything, the world must count as nothing.