St Francis de Sales

                    
Today is the feast of St Francis De Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva, patron of journalists, writers and social media. Author of  ‘Introduction To the Devout Life ‘ and ‘The Treatise on the Love of God.’  He was my patron saint in the Baker City Cathedral, dedicated to him in Baker City, Oregon, where I served as pastor between 2005 and 2013.

Two quotes from the writings of St Francis De Sales: 
“Do not distress yourself about prayer. It is not always necessary to employ words, even inwardly. It is enough to raise your heart and let it rest in Our Lord, to look lovingly up towards the Divined Lover of your Soul, for between lovers the eyes speak more eloquently than the tongue.”
I always say that the most eloquent form of prayer is Silence. We think we have to verbalize words and read prayers from a book to be effective in our prayer life. But most probably the best prayer is the unspoken word that lies in our hearts. Even sitting in silence in a darkened chapel, Jesus can read your heart, can sense your feelings, and can respond to your needs, maybe not right away, as if by magic, but in due time. Because most often, He knows what we need, but not necessarily what we desire or what we ask for.

“Do not look forward to the trials and crosses of this life with dread and fear. Rather, look to them with full confidence that, as they arise, God to whom you belong, will deliver you from them. He has guided and guarded you thus far in life. Do you but hold fast to His dear hand and He will lead you safely through all trials. Whenever you cannot stand, He will carry you lovingly in His arms. Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same Eternal Father Who cares for you today will take good care of you tomorrow and every day of your life. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you the unfailing strength to bear it. Be at Peace then and put aside all useless thoughts, all vain dreads and all anxious imaginations.“
These are words of consolation. Words that give us courage and hope. Words that have given many other saints and holy people in the past the consolation they were looking for when they could not see any light at the end of the tunnel. That light is present all through our lives, symbolized also by the Paschal Candle which is used at our Baptisms and at our Funerals and is never extinguished in the years between, hopefully to enlighten every step we take, every move we make. This quote invites us to hope and trust in the presence of the Lord by our side.