Corpus Christi Blog

The Feast of St. Francis de Sales was this past Tuesday, January 24th. The most notable of Francis de Sales' writings is Introduction to the Devout Life — a guide to holiness written for lay people in 1609. Ralph Martin's book, Fulfillment of All Desire, gives excerpts from Francis and other Saints to inspire us to grow in the Spiritual life. For the next several weeks, this bulletin letter will feature a series about "Overcoming Sin" from Fulfillment of All Desire.

Spirituality for Lay people: The "Devout Life"

Francis states his purpose very clearly: Almost all those who have hitherto written about devotion have been concerned with instructing persons wholly withdrawn from the world or have at least taught a kind of devotion that leads to such complete retirement. My purpose is to instruct those who live in town, within families, or at court, and by their state of life are obliged to live an ordinary life as to outward appearances.

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These past few years have been tough for me. I was diagnosed with adult ADHD, my marriage andmy family were falling apart, my finances were just out of control. I was stressed at work, and life justseemed pretty gloomy. I was stuck in depression, which lead to weight gain, unhealthy relationships,and hopelessness.As you canimagine,I was constantly ina state of fear.

The fears that haunted me affected the important roles I play in life. The fear I faced as a wife was how can my husband truly love me for me with all the mess I've made in our marriage. As a mother, I feared not leaving good human beings in our world. The fear I faced as a daughter was about how I carry myself and not bringing shame to my parents and for them to be proud to call me their daughter. I am the third oldest of eight girls, so the fear of being unreliable in meeting their needs would haunt me. And last, as a friend, the fear of not being honest at appropriate times and not being honorable.

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Epiphany is the end of the Christmas season. The world has celebrated the fact that God hasbecome human, the Word made flesh, the Light that has come into the darkness. We know webelieve this, but do we know, or have even considered, why God would become human? Wemight desire that others who don’t believe in such a personal God (or in God at all) would cometo believe, but can we articulate to others the reason God would become human? The Catechismof the Catholic Church in paragraphs 456-460 provide the answer. I encourage you to pray andreflect about how relevant these four reasons are in your own life. Put each of them to memoryin your own words so that you can share this truth with those who might not know the personallove of God or who aren’t striving for holiness and sharing in the divine life in their own lives.Jesus Christ is alive and active. It is up to us to share why and to reveal how seeking God andliving daily in the divine life are relevant in our lives.

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From a homily, In Praise of the Virgin Mother by Saint Bernard

You have heard, O Virgin, that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer; it is time for him toreturn to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; thesentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us.

The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. Inthe eternal Word of God we all came to be, and behold, we die. In your brief response we areto be remade in order to be recalled to life.

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