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 11th (page 71)

     Often during the day, even while outwardly engaged in conversations and business with others, remember to retire to the solitude of your heart to be with God. This mental solitude cannot be in any way impeded, even if many people stand about you, since they surround, not your heart, but only your body. Your heart remains alone in the presence of God.

(INT. Part II, Ch. 12; O. III, p. 92)

     On March 11th, 1618, Francis de Sales, who was preaching the Lenten sermons on Grenoble, made the final arrangements for the foundation of the Convent of the Visitation in that city. Previously the saint had made a thorough examination of the vocations of several young ladies who were assigned at the beginning of the year to the convent at Annecy. There they received the habit, made their novitiate and helped the professed who were stationed there. When the last details were finalized, the saint wrote about them to the venerable foundress: “Finally, my dear daughter, we have completed arrangements with the good ladies to set up our convernt. All approved of this plan. T|he good president LeBlanc has an ardent desire for this, and I have a very fond hope that God will bless his intentions. As for us, let us be happy and humble before Him, and let our littleness add to His glory. I pray you, my dearest daughter, to prepare our little “bees” to fly forth at the first favorable occasion and start working in the new hive, for which Heaven has prepared
plentiful dew.”

(A.S. III, p. 259)

No matter how much you acquire, you will never be really satisfied unless

you are prepared to live with the bare necessities.