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 23rd (page 84)

   There is no need to fear that knowledge of the gifts that God has given us will make us proud, so long as we remember that none of the good in us comes from ourselves. Do mules cease to be dull, disgusting beasts because they are carrying the precious belongings and perfumes of a prince? What good do we possess that we have not received? And if we received it, why do we possess that we have not received? And if we received it, why do we glory in it? On the contrary, a lively consideration of the graces we have received makes us humble, because knowledge of them causes us to be grateful.

(INT. Part III, Ch. 5; O. III. P. 346)

     March 23rd, 1599, Juvenal Ancine of the oratory, then bishop of Saluzzo, paid a visit to our saint. Since we had been present at his examination, he congratulated him heartily on the very successful outcome. The virtuous prelate thanked him for these congratulations with so much piety and modesty that the great servant of God, embracing, him, said, “I am happy, Your Excellency, to see you so truly humble.” The two prelates became very close friends, and his friendship remained sincere and unaltered all their lives. When Francis de Sales learned of the death of the blessed bishop of Saluzzo, he wrote to his spiritual daughter: “The bishop of Saluzzo, one of my closest friends and one of the greatest servants of God who have ever lived in this world, is dead. This has caused great sorrow to his people, who have enjoyed his service and zeal for only eighteen months. We were made bishops on the same day. I ask to say three rosaries for his eternal repose, most certain that if he had outlived me he would have requested the same charity from as many people as possible.”

(A.S. III, p. 578)

Worrying restlessness is the greatest evil, except sin, that can take hold of a person.