St Francis of Sales 24th January John ch 14 « As the Father loved me, so too have I loved you ; remain in my Love » As does Jesus, we too exult with Joy since the Love of his Heart is overflowing. In this Tenderness of Jesus, we are regenerated. Saint Francis of Sales puts this Word into practice, suggesting we get rid or our own self and surrender completely in all confidence to God’s Providence, so that we may love Him. Our Heavanly Father knows what love we are in need of most of all ! It will be given to us when we ask for it. The Word of God is given to us so that we may obtain teh gentleness which shines forth from the Face of Jesus. Jesus exults with Joy for the Holy Spirit will be given to the tiny little ones who are teh Tresaure of His Kingdom. On this feast of Saint Francis of Sales we ask particularly for the grace to recognise our own poverty so that we may forward in confidence towards the Kingdom. « My commandment is that you love one another as I have loved you. » Our wish is to be deeply transformed by this ‘bubbling Love’ revealed to us, it is the Life of God ! Saint Francis of Sales advises us to contemplate Jesus in his gentleness and his humility that lies in his Heart, a Heart overflowing with charity and Love. That we also contemplate his passion and by his Cross how he received all the world’s violence and nerver retaliated. He transforme dit out of Love to teach us to ask for teh grace of humility and of gentleness. Thus we can give up our life to the mystery of God’s Infinite Love revealed to us at the Cross. This is teh sign of teh greatest Love : ‘I call you my friends for everything I have received from the Father I have given to you. It is not you have chosen me, but I have chosen you. » When we possess nothing, when we decide to learn from the poor, we then become God’s beloved children, completeluy opened up to His Love. This is teh way we enter into the mystery of of Love which is revealed to us in the open Heart of Jesus on the Cross. Our vocnation is to become the beloved child of the Father, in God’s good Pleasure for Jesus who exults with Joy, for no-one will ever be able to take away this link of Love we have with Him, having become the Father’s precious and beloved child. It is together in this link of Love that we build God’s Church, each of us according to His Gifts in a humble life of a poor person. We join the reality of our daily life with this poverty, which reveals to us the gift of God’s Infinite Love. Let us ask the grace to become the beloved sons and daugters of the Father, in love for one another.
St. Francis of Sales 24th January
“At that time Jesus exclaimed ’I bless you, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children.” We love how Jesus’ heart overflows with joy as he shouts out ’I bless you Father, what you hid from the wise and learned you revealed to the tiny little ones.’ Saint Francis of Sales brings this Word into being when he propose we let go of ourselves so as to surrender to God’s Providence in all confidence. Before we know so ourselves, our Heavenly Father knows what we are in need of! It will be given to us whenever we ask Him. The Word of God is given to us so we can obtain the same gentleness that is on Jesus’ face. Jesus exults because God the Father revealed the treasures to the little ones of his Kingdom! On this feast day of Saint Francis of Sales we ask God particularly for the grace to recognise our poverty in order to advance towards the Kingdom in all confidence. “Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by the Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Saint Francis of Sales advises us to contemplate Jesus in his gentleness and humility of his heart and also in love for others. In His Passion and by His Cross Jesus received all the violence in the world and did not throw it back. He transformed it by Love so as to teach us to learn how to ask for the grace of gentleness and humility. And so we can give up our life to the mystery of God’s infinite Love which is revealed at the Cross. This is the mystery of the greatest Love. ’Carry my burden for my burden is light’. Come to me, you all who labour are overburdened and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light." When we have nothing, when we learn from the poor who don’t have anything, we become the beloved child of the Father. This is how we enter into the filiation that is revealed by the open Heart of Jesus. In exalting in this way Jesus said ’No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son.’ Our vocation as a beloved child of the Father is Jesus’ good pleasure who exalts with Joy because no one could ever take away this link of Love which makes us the beloved child of the Father. We build up this link of Love together in God’s Church, according to each person’s gifts and a humble life as a poor person. The gift of God is revealed to us in our daily life as we live this poverty.