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 20th (page 80)

     To receive Holy Communion every week we must be free of mortal sin and have no affection for venial sin. We should also have a great desire to go to Communion. To go to Communion everyday it is necessary, in addition, that we have overcome most of our evil inclinations and that we have consulted our spiritual director.

(INT. Part II, Ch. 20; O. III, p. 118)

     Around March 20th, 1599, Francis de Sales, who was in Rome at the time, was advised to prepare himself for the examination for promotion to the episcopacy at a public consistory and in the presence of Pope Clement VIII. Fully convinced of his own total unworthiness, the saint shed many tears when he thought of the dignity he was going to be asked to assume. Therefore, he prayed with great fervor to the Madonna, that she would obtain from her Divine Son the grace that he should be struck dumb in the presence of the pope if there were any likelihood that he would turn out to be a bad bishop.

(A.S. III, p. 503)

Whatever does not have eternity for its goal is nothing but vanity.

In times of serious illness we should ask of our soul only submission and

Acceptance. This is enough to unite our will with the divine pleasure.