KEEP CALM!

THE EXAMPLE

OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Keep Calm! The Example of St. Francis De Sales.”

Today, January 24, is the feast of St. Francis de Sales [1567-1622].

FREDDY PRENATT

A priest I used to talk to for Spiritual Direction while in our major seminary, Father Freddy Prenatt, liked St. Francis de Sales.

He stressed the virtue and practice of “Keep calm!” He liked to say that St. Francis de Sales stressed “Con calme!” - doing life with calmness. “Con calme!” He would add that St. Francis de Sales stressed, “Omnia suave”. Translation: “All things sweetly!” “Do all things sweetly.”

I could end right there. That’s a good sermon idea: work on keeping calm. Work on doing all things sweetly. Nice and easy!

TWO PAGES

I aim for two pages - 14 pica - in these homilies for weekday masses - so let me flesh this out a tiny bit more?

Is keeping calm - being calm - a virtue? Is it something one can work on? Are some people more calm and some people more volatile - simply by nature. Can you watch a child and see a whole life?

Someone with passion is valuable at times. Someone who is calm is valuable at times.

Does the person who is calm - better too calm - need a little more passion in their life? Doesn’t Yeats - William Butler Yeats- in his poem, The Second Coming say something about all this - when we writes about the world falling apart - because the center cannot hold? Then he says, “The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity.”

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES

I read a bit last night about St. Francis de Sales.

It was interesting to read that this man who pushed for keeping calm - and doing all things sweetly - had a fierce temper - and had big struggles with anger. He admitted that it took him 20 years to overcome his temper.

This surprised people - but it seems that his solution was to zip his mouth - step back - hold off a responses - let things sit - give things time. If one does that, one can learn patience.

He got to know St. Vincent de Paul who said that he never met a kinder main in his life.

Is it where we are in the birth order - what are parents are like - that makes us what we’re like and become. He was the oldest of 12. He had a very definite - a very strong father. His father had big plans for him - including the woman he was to marry. His father got very angry with him when he announced he was going to go for the priesthood.

Was that the reason St. Alphonsus liked his writings - because he too was the oldest in his family - and his father was furious with his decision to stop being a lawyer to become a priest?

Both he and Alphonsus went through a serious depression. For Francis it was the fear of dying and going to hell. For Alphonsus it was that at times - he could be scrupulous - but it was also the loss of a big law case.

CONCLUSION

That’s enough. This morning I’m suggesting that we look at the issue of keeping calm - taking one’s time - building one’s life - not on fear - but on the love of God. I noticed that Alphonsus spotted that in Francis de Sales writings - and both said to build one’s life on just that - loving and being loved - God and each other.