The Feast of St. Francis de Sales is approaching..on Saturday January 24th and our Church has also begun to celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life.
As a preparation for St. Francis de Sales’ Feast, we thought it might be good to consider his perspectives on religious and consecrated life.
This short series will focus on such topics he wrote about, such as:
Abraham as the Model of Religious
Aim in entering religious life
Common life
Community spirit
Consolations in religious life
Courage to persevere in religious life
Self-denial, desire for virtue
Esteem for Vocation
Life of union with God
May these topics deepen your contemplation of and prayer for religious life and those consecrated to living for the Lord completely.
Today with start with ABRAHAM:
Consider, I beg of you, that great pattern and model of perfect religious St. Abraham; see how God treats him, “Go forth out of thy country and from thy kindred, and out of thy father’s house, and come into the land which I shall show thee.” What sayest Thou, O Lord, that I am to go out of the town? But tell me then whether I should go to the East or to the West? He makes no reply: he sets out quickly and goes where the Spirit of God leads him, to a mountain which has since been called “The Vision of God:” inasmuch as he received great and signal graces on that mountain, to show how agreeable to God is promptitude in obedience.
Source: Spiritual Conferences, Chapter 3