Catholic Heroes . . . St. Francis De Sales, Author And Apologist
By DEB PIROCH
Anger is not a sin. It is how one employs anger that can lead to sin, but Christ Himself was justifiably angered when His house of prayer was transformed into a “den of thieves.” What did Christ mean?
A church is for praying, for celebrating the Sacrifice of the Mass, for the distribution of the sacraments. It is not for trade like a public market, nor for lascivious acts by evil men who molest children, nor to spread scandal or deny the righteous teachings of Christ.
We know from our own day and times that many politicians have exploited the Church as an institution. While “heresy” is not a popular word, it hails from the Greek word meaning “ to pick and choose.” Those who pick and choose what they wish to believe put themselves above Christ and His Church. We are given the Truth through the Church and Tradition, and meddling in any way with that is no less deceptive than the great deceiver Judas, who instead of leading people to God, turned Christ over to be killed, like an innocent lamb.
We think of saints as passive, acting peacefully, dressed in robes and sporting a halo. Far from it. We are members of the Church Militant, as has been every future saint. And there is no one to say that all those venting their frustrations and anger at those flouting the Lord God were wrong.
Of course, when an unborn child is killed in the womb, Christ is greatly angered! When statues of Christ and Mary are defaced by pro-aborts and other radicals, we also have justifiable anger. But as I think we will all be aware, tempers have been flaring now in ways that are often to be countered preferably with no anger at all. Rather, it would be better to employ the means of “the gentleman saint” who worked hard to be meek and humble of heart and control any outward sign of even justifiable anger.
St. Francis de Sales said it took him over 20 years to control his temper. Yet when one reads a summary of his biography, his temper is not even necessarily mentioned. Many never even knew of this struggle, for the “gentleman saint,” so-called for his outward temperament of kindly persuasion — which was the holy face he showed the world. Perhaps the secret to his success was his meek gentleness, calm kindness, and patience, all of which played into his role as a future priest and later, as bishop of Geneva.
St. Francis wrote in his Introduction to the Devout Life:
“When we find that we have been aroused to anger we must call for God’s help like the apostles when they were tossed about by the wind and storm waters. . . . Prayers directed against present and pressing anger must always be said calmly and peaceably and not violently….When you are conscious of an act of anger, correct the fault right away by an act of meekness toward the person you were angry with. It is a sovereign remedy against lying to contradict the untruth on the spot as soon as we see we have told one. So also we must repair our anger instantly by a contrary act of meekness….There is an old saying, that fresh wounds are soonest closed.”
And a quotation from St. Francis that is especially appropriate for this moment in time: “Have no fear for what tomorrow may bring. The same loving God who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. God will either shield you from suffering or give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations. Amen.”
Francis, the first of six sons, born of noble blood, and his father had plans for that eldest son. Educated by Jesuits in France in rhetoric and the humanities, Francis next went on to Padua to continue his education in law and theology. Still in his teens, he decided to become a priest. His decision hardly met favor with his father — who already chosen a bride for him and had a job ready for him to serve as a senator. However, eventually arrangements were made for the second eldest son to take his role and for Francis to become a priest.
One of his first challenges was being assigned to Huguenot territory in France, where folks had no interest in Catholicism. This was Calvinist terrain. Despite his position as provost of the Diocese of Geneva, these Protestants were happy to slam doors in his face. That is, until he came upon the idea of writing a tract, The Catholic Controversy.
These he slipped under doorways, into crevices and mailboxes, and reportedly, 40,000 out of 60,000 eventually returned to Catholicism.
He would also be known for other works throughout his life, mainly Introduction to the Devout Life, The Treatise on the Love of God, and hundreds of letters he wrote giving direction to his spiritual children. These would have an influence on St. Vincent de Paul, among many others. It was on the basis of his writings that he would be declared a doctor of the Church by Pope Blessed Pius IX in 1877. Centuries later he would be chosen as one of the three patrons of The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.
After he passed away from a stroke on a visit to Lyons, his heart was kept as a relic. During the French Revolution, Visitation Nuns moved it to the Monastery of the Visitation in Treviso, Italy, to protect the saint’s relics from destruction. He is now to be found — apparently minus the heart — at the Basilica of the Visitation in Annecy, France, numbered among the incorruptible saints. However, the spirit of the love in his heart lives on everywhere. As he wrote in the Treatise, Francis defined different levels of affection ending with the highest, the supernatural ones spread by God Himself. Those are these three: “The Love of the mind for the beautiful in the mysteries of the faith, love for the useful in the goods which are promised us in our life, and love for the sovereign good of the most holy and eternal divinity.”
The next time we are tempted to anger or indeed any temptation overcomes our senses, we should do as St. Francis advises: Keep our eyes on the goal, that “ sovereign good.”
St. Francis de Sales was canonized in 1665. His feast day is January 24 (January 27 in the Traditional Calendar).
