Last year, during Lent, I began reading a book by St. Francis de Sales, a Bishop of the Church in the 16th century. The book is entitled “An Introduction to a Devout and Holy Life”. It might sound out of place in our modern world of “how to and help” books, but this is not your typical “how to”, or “help” book. In this book, Francis introduces us to the theme of how to devote our lives to God, and how to live our lives in ways that reflect both God’s holiness and our desire to become holy.
Sadly, we have largely removed
from our ideals for living the word “holy”.
For many, a person who says they want to live holy means they are “holier
than thou” – sort of an uppity, too good-for-you person. Yet the idea of being holy is not beyond our
reach. Jesus used the word “perfect” to describe this holiness:
“Be perfect,
therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
I think most of us realize we are
far from perfect. Yet, the devotion of
our lives to live a holy life is one that is marked by progress, not completion. The Apostle Paul does not hesitate to use the
word “holy” to indicate what God has called our living to be, and, he repeatedly
adjoins us to this virtue of holiness inspired by the work of the Holy Spirit within:
“I appeal to
you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).
“…he chose us
in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before
him in love” (Ephesians 1:4).
“(you are) God's
chosen ones, holy and beloved, therefore, clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12).
“He saved us
and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to
his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before
the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:9).
I believe we can live our lives in
such a way that we might strive to be holy, recognizing it will never come to
completion in this life, but that it will grow in us as we give ourselves to devotion
to Christ, day by day by day. Will it
look the same for each of us? No, for the
devotion I speak of occurs in our lives according to God’s call upon us. Once
again, I will stop, and allow this great Saint Francis de Sales, to finish this
Lenten reflection.
From the Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de
Sales, bishop
Devotion must be practiced in different ways
When God the
Creator made all things, he commanded the plants to bring forth fruit each
according to its own kind; he has likewise commanded Christians, who are the
living plants of his Church, to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each one in
accord with his character, his station and his calling.
I say that
devotion must be practiced in different ways by the nobleman and by the working
man, by the servant and by the prince, by the widow, by the unmarried girl and
by the married woman. But even this distinction is not sufficient; for the
practice of devotion must be adapted to the strength, to the occupation and to
the duties of each one in particular.
The bee
collects honey from flowers in such a way as to do the least damage or
destruction to them, and he leaves them whole, undamaged and fresh, just as he
found them. True devotion does still better. Not only does it not injure any
sort of calling or occupation, it even embellishes and enhances it.
Moreover,
just as every sort of gem, cast in honey, becomes brighter and more sparkling,
each according to its color, so each person becomes more acceptable and fitting
in his own vocation when he sets his vocation in the context of devotion.
Through devotion your family cares become more peaceful, mutual love between
husband and wife becomes more sincere, the service we owe to the prince becomes
more faithful, and our work, no matter what it is, becomes more pleasant and
agreeable.
It is
therefore an error and even a heresy to wish to exclude the exercise of
devotion from military divisions, from the artisans’ shops, from the courts of
princes, from family households. Therefore, in whatever situations we happen to
be in, we can and we must aspire to the life of perfection.
As a note, I finished reading the book last year by late May, but began to read it again at the start of Lent this year - it is a truly remarkable book.
Peace
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