Venerable Louis Brisson, to be beatified Sept. 22, founded the Oblates of St Francis de Sales with a deep emphasis on charity, reflecting the spiritual values of his Patron.

Father Brisson said, “ The period in which St. Francis de Sales lived was a period of trouble: religious wars and theological quarrels among the different Christian churches, lawsuits and strife among certain religious families- in short- a lack of charity, which was swifly bringing about the ruin of civil as well as religious societies.

Man had to be brought back to his essential duties. And on that account, St. Francis de Sales wants his religious to love God and their neighbor above all things.

Father Clement, a learned Benedictine and secretary to Bishop Mermillod, called St. Francis de Sales the most skillful and the most accomplished strategist of spiritual life, the most apt in the training of gymnastics of perfection.

But, you’ll ask me, how can you form a man with a doctrine like that? Doesn’t this destroy personality? No certainly not!

To unite oneself to God is not to destroy but to affirm and develop and perfect one’s personality. Our Lord on earth did nothing other than unite Himself to His Father.

With the practice of charity you must be beginning over again all the time; it’s a continual renunciation, a brake..”

Source: Conferences of Fr. Louis Brisson of Jan 12, 1898

Reflection: Join us in our Chat room this Sun Aug 26 at 730P to discuss this topic and others as we reflect on the needs of charity in our own times.