“The saints, like Saint Francis de Sales, are and always will be experts in
humanity, because they have shown themselves to be experts in divinity”. Having left all the room for
God in their life, they have become particularly harmonized, unified, pacified beings,
accomplished… In his own way, Francis de Sales was “a doctor of souls” because he
experienced in his life the advice and truths he teaches and he became a figure
luminous, radiant with inner peace and serenity, a sign of a fulfilled life and a
trust in oneself and in God alone. Cardinal de Bérulle will say about him that he “possessed a peace
imperturbable and communicated it to people who approached him. He handled business
of the earth with eyes fixed on Heaven, for the pure love of God”.
For François de Sales, personal development and spiritual development go hand in hand:
“Peace and tranquility of heart originate in perfect confidence in the goodness
of God and in great abandonment to his Providence”. François, a young student in Paris lived the
great interior trial which led him to abandon himself to God when he had the feeling
to be forsaken by God. He lived a form of passion and then he will be able to show
of compassion: “Tell me, I beg you,” he wrote, to a gentleman who had fallen into
a deep melancholy, what reason do you have to nourish this sad mood which is so
detrimental? I suspect your mind is still clouded with some fear of death
suddenness and judgments of God. Alas! that it is a strange torment… My soul, specify
François, who endured it for six weeks, is quite capable of sympathizing with those who are
afflicted.”
By evoking the quality of relations of François de Sales and his
great charity towards all people with the aim of helping them to
progress in his path of life, we can
mention the great adventure he is going to live with Martin who
was deaf-mute from birth; he met him during
Lent 1605 at La Roche s/ Foron when he was asking
alms. When our bishop noticed that this poor
boy had received no religious instruction, he was moved
and took him into his service at Annecy. He took it upon himself to instruct him, using gestures,
signs and paintings, which made everyone who saw it smile. François gave himself
great difficulty in getting in touch with Martin and teaching him the rudiments of the faith
Christian.
Martin regularly confessed to his bishop using this sign language he had given him.
learned. A contemporary witness of François, the father of La Rivière, remembers a lesson of
catechism that the holy bishop gave to Martin: “It was a pleasure to see Monsignor
counterfeit theft, murder, gluttony, pride, vanity, and all other vices.
To bring out the seriousness of it, he raised his eyes to the sky, he stretched out his arms; and to show that
these vices lead to hell, he turned towards the fireplace and made gestures as if he had
wanted to plunge all those who allowed themselves to be trapped into it… Martin, in contact with François,
real progress in connecting with others and progressing humanly and
Christianly. The devotion and affection of Saint Francis de Sales towards poor Martin
earned him being chosen as the patron saint of the deaf-mute and the hard of hearing.
1
Saint Francis de Sales, as an expert in humanity, knew perfectly the character
changeable and unstable of the heart of man: he therefore judged it preferable not to impose anything on him by
strength and carefully avoided any superfluous reprimands that would have served no purpose. He was looking for
always to be persuaded by gentleness, always said what he thought, then waited for the other
draw correct conclusions.
Here is the example of a man from Villard whose bad behavior was the cause of many
scandals. François, who urged him to change his life, spared no effort to put it back
in the right way, but nothing helped. But this man redoubled his verbal violence and all
kinds of threats. Francis preferred to remain silent and prayed for the conversion of this poor
man. On the occasion of the feast of Saint John the Baptist, the bishop ascended the pulpit and told of
very moving way the life and martyrdom of the forerunner of Christ. This man was there
among the faithful, probably curious. Francis’ words touched his heart so well
that he burst into tears and regretted his sins. After the sermon, he ran to throw himself at the feet of
the bishop to implore his forgiveness and did the same in front of all those present. So
that he has come a long way to get back to a good life…
It was said of Francis’ sermons that they did people a lot of good, but
that they were causing great harm to other preachers qwho were to succeed him: “Monsieur de
Geneva has done me a lot of good, will say a Parisian aristocrat, but it has done me only one harm of which
I will never recover: he has made me lose my taste for all the other preachers!”
(1) “The secret of serenity: Trust in God with Saint Francis de Sales”. P.J. Guiber