Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales - March

[Hildegard of Bingen]

Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales

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


March 5th (page 65)

     Do not limit your patience to putting up with only some kinds of injuries or afflictions, but accept all those which God sends you or lets happen to you. There are some who want to put up with only honorable afflictions, such as being wounded at war, persecuted for the faith or the like. These people love tribulations only because of the honor that goes with them.

(INT. Part III, Ch. 3; O. III, p. 134)

     On March 5th, 1604, Francis de Sales and Jane Frances de Chantal saw each other for the first time with their bodily eyes. They recognized each other because they had already seen each other with the eyes of the soul supernaturally illumined. Francis, having accepted the invitation to preach the Lenten sermons at Dijon, wanted to prepare himself with a spiritual retreat. During this time, God filled his heart with graces and favors. This is when he first conceived the idea of the Institute for the Visitation and saw in spirit the great saint who was to be its foundress. For her part, the saintly baroness de Chantal, now a widow, was asking God for a guide who could direct her, and the Lord showed her in a vision a bishop who would be of tremendous help to her soul. The holy foundress never forgot this date – March 5th, 1604 – and every year devoutly commemorated this event, deeply grateful for all the help she had received from her holy spiritual director.

(A.S. III, p. 97)

All rules have an exception. There is only one that has not: “Nothing contrary to God’s will.”