ONE  WORD SELF-TEST

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of  St. Francis de Sales  is, “One Word Self-Test.”

Could each of us describe ourselves with one word?

How accurate would that self-description be?

How objective - how subjective would our one word description be?

If each member of our family were given a piece of paper and asked to describe each person, would others come up with the word we put down to describe ourselves?

AT A FUNERAL

I went to a wake last night - especially because I had no clue who it was whose funeral will be today.

At a wake, depending on the circumstances, I sometimes ask folks to yell out a one word description of the person who has died.

Sometimes there is “Oh yeah!” when someone yells out a one word description of a person.  Rarely is there an “Oh no!” - just silence.

I’ve heard words like, “Funny” or “Sweet” or “Giving” or “Generous” or “Happy” or “Neighbor”  or “Present” or “Listener” or “Hard Worker”.

So what word describes us?

ANOTHER QUESTION OR TWO

Do we have any say in the matter?

Or does it just happen that we become the person we have become?

Can we change?

Could a person sit back and say, “This is the type of person I want to be and then become that type of person?”

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES

I began thinking about this last night as I began thinking about St. Francis de Sales - the Patron Saint for today - January 24.

I began thinking about a priest, Freddy Prenatt, who taught us in the seminary. He loved to quote St. Francis de Sales and I have tried to put into practice in my life what I heard.

Freddy would love to say to someone when they were upset, “Con calme!”  “With calmness.”

Would anyone of us want that to be described as “calm”  - at our funeral - because that was their experience of us?

How about the word, “Generous” - another great message of St. Francis de Sales?

How about patience - which was a very strong message from St. Francis de Sales.

CONCLUSION

Freddy often quoted this doctor of the church -  his dates 1567 - to - 1622. Evidently he read his stuff thoroughly - and as the psalm for today put it, “he put a new song into my mouth” - well, he put the words and ideas of St. Francis de Sales into our ears.

St. Alphonsus used to quote him as well.

Here are a few quotes on 3 themes from St. Francis that bring out these basic messages:

First Patience:

"What we need is a cup of understanding, a barrel of love, and an ocean of patience." [Saint Francis de Sales]

 And “Have patience with all things, But, first of all with yourself.”  [Saint Francis de Sales]

Second calmness:

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit.[Saint Francis de Sales] 

 And “Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” [Saint Francis de Sales]

Third work on self - not others:

“Don't sow your desires in someone else's garden; just cultivate your own as best you can; don't long to be other than what you are, but desire to be thoroughly what you are.” [Saint Francis de Sales]