| Finding Peace in Simplicity |
This week we read part of a letter from St. Francis de Sales to-the Baronne de Chantal, written from Viuz-en-Sallaz on 24 July 1607.To prepare for our chat on Sunday, please read the letter, which is reproduced below, and review the questions at the end.Click for Living Jesus Chatroom  Photograph taken c. 1900 of al-Majdal, a village standing among the ruins of Magdala, Mary Magdalene’s hometown (Public Domain)It was only last Sunday, the feast of Mary Magdalen, that I received both your letters at the same time, that of the 4th and of the 12th of this month. You would not believe how happy I was to have news of you, for this morning when I was praying, I was specially moved to recommend you to our Saviour, who seemed most approachable and open to my entreaty at the house of Simon the Leper. But out of respect for our dear Mary Magdalen we did not dare to throw ourselves at his feet; instead we cast ourselves down at the feet of his holy Mother, who was also there, if I am not mistaken. And I was very grieved that we had neither as many tears nor such sweet-smelling ointment as this holy penitent; but Our Lady was content with the few little tears we shed upon the hem of her garment, for we did not dare touch her sacred feet. One thing comforted me greatly: after the dinner was over, Our Lord put his dear convert in Our Lady’s charge; and from that time onward you see her almost always together with the holy Virgin who made very much of this sinner. This filled me with great courage, and I was extremely happy in that thought. I have not the leisure to answer your letters fully, but I will just make a few comments …. Long journeys are not good for people of your sex, nor do they edify your neighbor: on the contrary, people gossip about them, putting them down to flightiness and blaming the spiritual director. We are no longer in the times of Paula and Melania [celebrated for their pilgrimages to Palestine]. So let us have no more for the present. We shall have plenty to do putting our resolutions into effect; and these seem better to me every day, for I see more and more that they are for God’s glory, and I put my hope for their realization entirely in his providence. I wonder if you know me well? I think you do know certain aspects of me. I am not at all prudent, and it is moreover a virtue which I do not like too much. I can only force myself to love it because it is necessary, indeed very necessary; and knowing this, I go on in good faith under the protection of God’s providence. No, indeed, I am not at all simple; but I am extremely fond of simplicity. To tell you the truth, helpless little white doves are much more attractive than serpents; and when we have to join the qualities of one with the other, I for my part would not like to give the dove’s simplicity to the serpent, for the serpent would remain a serpent; but I should like to give the serpent’s prudence to the dove, for it would still be beautiful.So much then for holy simplicity, the sister of innocence, the daughter of charity. However, the action you describe does not seem to be marked by any great duplicity, at least the inside of it does not seem to be of such bad fabric; for what were you trying to gain for yourself when you said that the count was in the habit of fasting? Offensive duplicity is when you have a good action prompted and, as it were, lined by a bad or vain intention. Well now, will you write and tell me about those duplicities which worry you most, for I think I can help you.Dear daughter, read Chapter 28 of the Spiritual Combat [Of Sensible Devotion and of Spiritual Dryness which we sometimes find in prayer (Chapter 59 in modern editions, cf. translation by Thomas Barns, 1909, p. 275, and note p. 296)] which is my well-loved book and which I have carried about in my pocket for all of eighteen years and which I never reread without profit. Hold fast to what I have told you.As to your old temptations, do not cling too much to the desire to be delivered from them; hide it from yourself that they are attacking you and do not be terrified by their assault. With God’s help you will soon be delivered from them, and I shall beg this of him, but you may be sure that I shall entreat him fully resigned to his good pleasure; and my resignation will be gay and gentle. You long for God to give you peace in this matter, you say; and I long for God to give you peace in all things and do not want one of our desires to be contrary to his. And I do not want you to put your will into desiring this peace which is useless and perhaps harmful. But do not harass yourself trying to practise this commandment; for I do not want you to allow these desires or any others whatever to harass you. Don’t you see, my dear daughter, that you have these desires too much at heart? As long as the spirit of faith lives in us we are very well off. You see, Our Lord will give us his peace when we resign ourselves to live humbly and quietly in a state of war.Courage, dear daughter, keep your heart firm; Our Lord will help us and we shall belong to him and love him well. You are right not to trouble about your soul and to leave it in my care; if you go on doing this all will be well. God will be with me for all that concerns your spiritual guidance, and with his grace we shall not go astray. Believe me, my own soul is not dearer to me than yours. I have one and the same desire and the same prayers for both of us, without difference or distinction. I am yours: Jesus wants it, and I am indeed yours. Francis, Bishop of Geneva. Reflections: Why do you think Our Lord chose to make Our Lady a pivotal part of our faith? Doesn’t it risk detracting from Christ as the focal point?Discuss St. Francis’s remarks that females should not be travelling excessively. He mentions there was a time and place for Paula and Melania. Do his words still hold true, or have we had a shifting tide again?What is so valuable about simplicity?What are the dangers of duplicity?Why does St. Francis (in the second to last paragraph) advise St. Jane not to “cling too much” to the desire of being free from her old temptations? What kind of good can come from temptations?How do we put aside the desire for peace and focus on allowing God to bring us peace when, as St. Francis says, “we resign ourselves to live humbly and quietly in a state of war”? Isn’t this itself a form of desiring peace? Or is there a nuance? Sign up for our Living Jesus Chat Room:Come to our Living Jesus Chat Room, 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM Eastern Time |