The Salesian Family of Don Bosco celebrates - January 24th
RMG, Rome, Italy, 24 January 2020 -- With the fast-coming 400th anniversary of Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622) in two years time, 2022, we may see a growing movement of Don Bosco's Salesian Family to explore their saintly Patron. The overall feeling in many provinces is that the young Salesians don't know much about St. Francis de Sales. There are two new young missionaries ready to enter Mongolia - one has read the 'Philothea' (=Lover of God) - Introduction to the Devout Life - of Saint Francis de Sales already 10 times, but the other young missionary (both practical trainees) has never even heard of this book! What a marvel!
When we enter the first Church at Valdocco built by Don Bosco, dedicated to Saint Francis de Sales (1852) we are welcomed by many paintings of St Francis.
When we observe the Coat of Arms of our Salesian Society, we can't miss the figure of Francis de Sales as writer - journalist on the left-hand side.
When we enter any Don Bosco bookshop in recent times, we are welcome by many new publications about St. Francis de Sales and Don Bosco.
For the Feast of today just a simple test: Do you know the five parts of the Christian classic - 'Introduction to the Devout Life'?
You may download the English version or see this tiny book in your own language. We pray that some of the EAO local Churches may get the first translation of 'Philothea' as a fitting gift for the 400th death anniversary of St Francis in 2022.
The "Introduction to the Devout Life" is composed of five parts or "books", each pertaining to a stage in the Christian's spiritual journey.
- Part I: Attaining a Firm Resolution to the Devout Life (=loving God)
- Part II: Prayer and the Sacraments
- Part III: The Practice of Virtue (patience, meekness, humility, obedience, chastity, and poverty)
- Part IV: Some Ordinary Temptations and how to overcome temptations
- Part V: Renewing and Confirming the Soul in Devotion
Simple structure, right? Actually according to Saint Francis de Sales any Christian believer, disciple of Jesus can live a holy life, regardless the age, character, vocation or status in the society. Take the 'Lover of God' (Philothea) in your hands as the best way of celebrating the Feast of our Saint Patron!
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Can anyone be a Saint!
Do you like reading books? Are there a few books that you keep reading and still don’t get tired or bored of reading them? Oh Yes! One of my favourite classics is ‘Introduction to the Devout Life’. A book that I never get tired of reading because every time I read, it only brings along newness and a strengthening of convictions.
One may say that every book has a lifetime and many a times the book seems to get obsolete as time passes by. Some have even said that the author of a book loses his authority over his own writings with time. However, this one has a unique characteristic, it can appeal to you also today even though it was written many years ago. Even if the interpretation and the revisiting of the ideas might change, the original and prophetic views are as appealing and novel as they were when St. Francis de Sales originally wrote it.
Can you be a Saint? According to St. Francis de Sales the answer is ‘YES’. No matter who you are and what your job seems to be like, you are still called by a loving God to be Holy! I suppose this would have been a really debated statement to make in the past.
Love Jesus Live Jesus, are those beautiful words that echo in my mind every time I hear the name of St. Francis. This is exactly what Francis; this wonderful grandfather of the Salesians calls us to do. He invites us to live Jesus and to love him dearly. The lover of this great and merciful God can be nothing else, but a saint. Philothea – reminds us that God calls each one of us to love him. This loving of God can be done by anyone belonging to any profession, not just religious or priests. Are you shocked by this? If you are not, at least I was.
Hey! Good news for all you people out there and more especially for young people who think that the call to holiness is only for those who go up the altar. No guys! it’s for you and me, it’s an invitation for all. But just one condition, Let God be the one who guides and directs your life. It does not mean that God has to control you like a machine or force you like a master does to a slave rather it means that all your actions are guided by true love and not fear, compulsion or powerlessness. Most importantly remember that God is our closest friend, father, brother, sister etc and not someone who is in competition with his creation.
As someone told me one day: Love is indeed a decision. Finally, an invitation to each of you to pick up this beautiful book and try reading it. Make a decision. I am sure that it will speak you, in the way it spoke to me. Sometimes without our realization a book speaks to us and gives us answers that we have been searching for. Are you searching for something or someone? Hello! You might find it, in here. And if you don’t have questions or are not searching for anything you might soon begin to do so after reading this book. Let’s remember that our growth may not always be measured by the answers we have but by the questions we keep asking about our faith and our life.
A very happy feast of this wonderful saint. A true model of kindness, gentleness and holiness.
LOVE JESUS LIVE JESUS!!