Jesus and his disciples are trying to
get a break from the large crowds that are pursuing them. He is performing miracles and curing the
sick, and even the unclean spirits recognize him and bow down before him. It strikes me that while we have been hearing
about the Pharisees in the last two days criticizing Jesus for not obeying the
Sabbath, many of the common people of this region see Jesus as someone very
special who is proclaiming the true kingdom of God through his works and his
actions.
The circumstances in which we live out
our faith can be very challenging indeed.
In our modern world, we Christians can receive a lot of criticism for
the way we try to live out God’s laws.
Frances de Sales, the saint whom we celebrate today, had his challenges
as well. He was assigned to a region
just outside of Geneva, Switzerland right after the Protestant
reformation. Geneva was a center of
Calvinism, so it had become very anti-Catholic.
Yet, rather than being critical of Protestantism, Frances de Sales
concentrated on preaching the word of God with joy and enthusiasm and
vigor. He was not even allowed to enter
Geneva when he was made the bishop of that city, so he had to administer his
duties from about 50 miles away. Many
people saw the depth of his faith and holiness, and he won over many
converts. He was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope
Pius IX in 1877. He is well known for
his spiritual writings, especially Introduction to the Devout Life,
which tried to guide the laity down the road to holiness in their daily lives
of faith. Frances de Sales is the patron
saint of writers and journalists.
In the reality of our own lives, no
matter what our ups and downs, may we feel that call to holiness in our hearts,
and may we be every mindful of the way God is present in that reality.
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