What it takes to overcome temptation

Introduction to the Devout Life
Part IV – Chapters 1-15
Friday November 17, 2006
Korean Language Group

1. Some Christians think that temptations are the something from the world or Satan, and they often think the sin is not because of their weakness or fault but Satan. Such attitudes of temptation and sin are like the attitude of Adam and Eve. When God ask the reason eating the fruit of the tree in the middle of garden, Adam accused Eve, and Eve blamed her fault on snake. Many people’ s attitude of the temptation and sin is similar to Adam and Eve.

Protestants have a tendency to depend on only the power of Holy Spirit in order to overcome temptations, and so it may happen that they do not use any personal effort, because they think nobody can win against the temptation that comes from Satan. Thus, they believe that if anybody prays for overcoming a temptation, God will give him/her the victory even without his/her effort. Because of this attitude, we can make an excuse like Adam. Just as Adam said, “the woman you put with me”, he eventually blamed God, so we can make excuses that we are too weak to overcome temptation.

Francis, on the other hand, seems to think that our attitude is important when confronting temptations. According to him all people cannot avoid temptations -- even Saints lived in the middle of temptations. Therefore, what is important is our courage in facing temptations. Francis teaches us that we have to correctly understand the nature of temptations and continually use our personal effort in order to overcome them. Then our spiritual level gradually grows also thanks to this effort.

2. Francis said that it is different between feeling temptations and consenting to these. We talked about the pleasure of when trusting temptation away. We shared our experiences that could obtain more pleasure and freedom when they follow Jesus than when they stay in worldly sweetness from temptations. In other word, we are confronted by the temptation, but it could do us no harm. Rather by the temptation, we could seek more deeply spiritual life. However, we agree with the fact that this was seldom experienced in our life, but rather we very often have fallen into the temptation, because we do not have a good spiritual guide that helps us living in the world of temptation. Francis clearly explains, especially in chapter 7, us how we can thrust temptation away. Francis’s advice of temptation will be a great text for spiritual exercise to lay persons.

3. Moreover, our group newly perceived that anxiety bring our spiritual life serious harm by chapter 11. We thought that anxiety is just the state lacking the faith before, but Francis clearly said, “Anxiety is the greatest evil that can befall us except sin”. Anxiety not only leads us to deep restless and sadness but also make estrange us from God.

Francis also said, “Anxiety arises from an inordinate desire to be freed from the evil we experience or to acquire the good we hoped for.” This means that anxiety has closed relationship with secular desire. Saint James also said, “ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin…” (James 1:15). Many Saints taught that our soul might be filled by Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, or God as much as we empty our will and desire. Thus Francis said, “when you experience the beginning of anxiety, entrust yourself to God” .

Jongsoo Kim

Counsels Required for Overcoming the More Common Temptations

Friday November 17, 2006
Group discussion Part IV
Anne, Marcel, Javier, Thien-An

Practicing the devout life is not always easy for we are living in the world with many others who do not believe in God. There are thousands of reasons for them to attack us, but the main reason is that we are different from them. They want us to be liked them all the time, but we cannot. We should be determined to embrace the devout life and forming ourselves for the means of our desires and resolutions because after all, we will find rest in the eternity to come.

1. About Temptation, St. Francis reminds us that it may occur any time and any where. It is always out there waiting for us. Temptation is the first of the three steps – temptation, delight, and consent – that leads us to sin. Is temptation always bad? The saint answers that temptation “can do us no harm as long as we take no pleasure in it.” (Ch. 3, par. 4) We like the example that St. Francis gives us about St. Catherine of Siena asking the Lord where he was during her temptation. The Lord answers He was in her heart, and it was Him who enables our hearts to “resist the temptation with all its power.” St. Francis de Sales also believes that after overcome temptations we, like Sts. Francis of Assisi and Benedict, will “lost nothing of God’s grace, but grew greatly in it.” (Ch. 3, par. 2)

To solve the problem, St. Francis proposes some remedies in chapter seven. First, he addresses that we should pray as Jesus has commanded his disciples “Pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Mt. 26:41). Secondly, we should not look at the temptation itself; yet instead we look at our Lord and embrace his Holy Crucifix. Thirdly, we need to humbly open our hearts and make known our temptations to our spiritual directors and seeking for help. Lastly, if it is necessary we should be stubborn ourselves in resisting the temptation. We should absolutely ignore to temptations exclusively even have no argument with it. However, St. Francis encourages us that “in time of peace, that is, when temptations to sins to which you are inclined do not trouble you… go boldly to meet them. In this way you will find strengthen your heart against future temptations.” (Ch. 10, last par.)

2. For anxiety, St. Francis believes that it is not just merely a temptation but a source of many temptations. If we rely on the love of God to deal with our problems, we will be patient, gentle, humble and calm. However, we will be eager and anxious if we become dependent in ourselves.

St. Francis also proposes some solutions that can help us to overcome our trouble of anxiety in chapter 11. First, he tells us to install our peace and tranquility quietly and gently instead of wildly struggle with our problems. Secondly, Francis challenges us to examine ourselves more than once a day that if whether “my soul is still in my hands” or “some passion or anxiety has robbed it.” If it is wandered around, we need to “go after it and bring it back quite gently to the presence of God.” (Ch. 11, par. 5) Lastly, St. Francis advises us to disclose our anxiety by seeing our spiritual directors or some faithful and devout friends.

3. For sadness, St. Francis points out that it can be either evil or good. It is interesting that the saint believes that there are six evil streams flow from the source of our sadness: anxiety, sloth, anger, anger, jealousy, envy, and impatience. However, sadness can produce compassion and repentance. Obviously, there are more evil than good in sadness. The saint insists us to “resist vigorously all inclinations to sadness.” (Ch. 12, par. 5)

St. Francis encourages us to occupy ourselves with some fervent exterior works such as singing a spiritual canticle or psalm, kissing the Crucifix, clasping it to the breast, raising eyes and hands toward heaven.

Thien-An

Virtues in the Asian mind

Introduction to the Devout Life
Part Three – Chapters 31-41
Friday November 10, 2006
Korean Language Group

According to the Asian mind, one of the important virtues is ‘moderation’ which means the “quality of being reasonable and not being extreme”

Francis de Sales recommends this virtue to Philotea with regarding to games, cards and dances. In themselves these pastimes are neither good nor evil normally, but they are very much inclined disposed toward evil.

Therefore, in terms of Francis de Sales, Playing and dancing are permissible, provided
We take part in them for the motive of recreation without being attached to them.
In these matter one should use reason, prudence and good sense.

Francis de Sales always focuses on the spiritual aspects of our daily lives, and emphasizes contemplation in action.

For him, daily life, humility, reason, little thing and present duty are the important means to grow in the spiritual life.

Philothea is young, isn't she?

Introduction to the Devout Life
Part III – Chapters 31-41
Friday November 10, 2006
Anne, Javier, Marcel, Thien-An

Before we break into small groups for discussion, our professor Fr. Boenzi points out some very important hints that we should keep in mind. First of all, the real Philothea whom St. Francis addressed was a young adult, and so this name, Philothea, besides representing “the soul” also represents young adults. Secondly, this work was written in 1610. Lastly, the saint did not have the ambition to write a study of spirituality for the entire the world but he simply writes letters of spiritual guidance, as it were, to a particular group or persons whom he knew.

1. St. Francis shows that we need to have relaxation or recreation. However, we should distinguish the differences between relaxation and occupation. While relaxation helps us to rest and to gain energy, occupation makes us exhausted and drains our energy. He compares the necessity of relaxation as the bow without stretching. If the bow always bent, it will loose its power to stretch when it need it.
2. Charity should be a center of all our thoughts and activities. It is charity that challenges us to have compassion on those who are suffering while we are killing our long hours with our dancing. Don’t enjoy too much or attach to all the joys that are offered by the physical world for it might be the causes of the scattering our spirit of devotion and make our charity grow cold. (Ch. 33, paragraph 4)
3. In community life, charity should be involved and put in priority. The saint says, “When prudence and discretion counsel you, you may comply and give pleasure to a social gathering which you are attending. In fact, compliance being a form of charity makes good what is indifferent and permissible what is dangerous.” (Ch. 34, paragraph 1) The example of St. Elizabeth of Hungary sometime played and danced without harm to her vocation compare to the rocks around the lake Rietta grow when beaten by waves.
4. About great things and little things, St. Francis points out that “great occasions of serving God are rare, but little ones are common.” All the activities such as feeding the hungers, visiting the sick, cooking for the family are like flowers growing at the foot of the Cross. (Ch. 35)
5. We need to have a just and reasonable mind when interact with people around us. Self-love and self-center only creates confusing and conflict. To have a true reason and a good judge, we should put ourselves in the situations on our neighbors. The saint says, “We loose nothing by living generously, nobly, courteously and with a magnanimous, impartial and reasonable heart.” (Ch. 36, last paragraph) – This is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Right Judgment.
6. Lastly, we also learn that it is in vain when we desire something that is beyond our abilities. For instance, “It is an error to desire martyrdom without having enough courage to bear an insult,” says St. Francis (Ch. 37, 3rd paragraph). There are always many desires out there, and we should wisely choose a right thing and make it come true. Those kinds of desires that lead us to become greedier are rash and harmful.

Two Francises and two different kinds of poverty

Introduction to the Devout Life
Part III – Chapters 14-30
Friday November 3, 2006
Korean Language Group

In the first place, we talked about the question of ‘what is the life of enjoying a spiritual richness in whatever economic situations we have?’ Enjoying the life of spiritual richness amidst riches depends on the life of sharing their possessions with others, especially with the poor. According to Francis, possessions are not ours but God’s. He emphasizes the stewardship about possessions (material). People who realize that possessions are not theirs but are only given by God are readily to share their possessions with others and the poor. When this sharing happens in our real life, we experience the spiritual richness even in the situation of our real riches.

Francis offered the example of St King Louis as a radical practitioner who enjoyed the spiritual richness amidst riches. It seems to us that this exemplary is a most convincing one to explain this situation. Interesting to us is that Francis De Sales emphasizes the life-spirituality by saying the stewardship about material, while Francis of Assisi emphasizes the spirituality of poverty that we should voluntarily forsake our real richness, and choose the life of real poverty, and dwells among the poor. In some senses, the spirituality of Francis De Sales about the life of sharing their possessions with the poor is more applicable to the real life of ordinary people in contemporary era than that of Francis of Assisi.

To people who feel and enjoy the life of spiritual richness in real poverty the most important faith and life-attitude depends on the life of accepting God’s will more than our will. Now that our poverty comes from the will of God rather than our will or decision, we need not to shame about our poverty. Provided that our poverty is the intention and will of God, and when we accept the providence and love of God in the situation of poverty, we can experience and enjoy the spiritual richness in our real poverty.

Francis argues that true friendship is the mutual relationship among friends united with God. It means that when friendship takes place as a mutual exchange about charity, devotion, and Christian perfection, the friendship becomes true friendship. The purpose of true friendship is to praise virtue and the grace of God. The concept of charity, devotion, and Christian perfection is also emphasized in every Christian life by Francis and his book, Introduction to the Devout Life. Francis expresses ‘true’ friendship in other expressions such as ‘sacred,’ ‘holy,’ and ‘chaste’ friendship while he expresses ‘false’ friendship as vain, worldly friendship. False friendship, according to Francis, is a friendship that facilitates evil disposition and inclination, sordid sensuality and lustfulness, and vanity.

Interesting to us is that Francis explains false friendship through the image of ‘the honey of Heraclea.’ “The honey of Heraclea is sweeter to the tongue than the ordinary honey because of the aconite which gives it an excess of sweetness” (Francis, p. 199). Francis thinks highly of the concept of ‘sweetness.’ This ‘sweetness’ is expressed as a representative of simple and frank language (communication or mutual exchange among devout persons) about virtue and the grace of God. But an ‘excess of sweetness’ displayed in ‘the honey of Heraclea’ represents a passionate, charming, and flattering expression about sensual qualities. In the end, the image of an ‘excess of sweetness’ of ‘the honey of Heraclea’ expresses false friendship figuratively, implying that it brings evil disposition and inclination, and facilitates sordid sensuality, lust, and vanity among friends.

Almond seed inscribed

Introduction to the Devout Life
Part III – Chapters 14-30
Friday November 3, 2006
Group 1 (Tien, Cecilia, Steve, John, Rey)

1. There were two images used by Francis of Sales that really struck us. The first is biblical (Gen 27) - hair on the hands of Jacob "which did not stick to his skin but to his gloves" and the hair on the hands of Esau which was "sticking to his skin as it was hairy by nature". This biblical image does not really speak of poverty, yet St. Francis effectively employed this example to talk of poverty and detachment. Just like the hair of Esau which would have caused him great pain when pluck off, our "attachments" (resources or riches to which our hearts are inordinately attached) when taken away from us would cause us great pain and provoke us to complain and be impatient. Detachment and the spirit of poverty will enabl! e us not to lose our serenity and peace of mind. (Devout Life, 3:15, page187)

The second image is the "almond seed inscribed" on page 207 of the Introduction to the Devout Life. "If some word is written on an almond seed that is quite entire, and put back in its shell carefully, and properly folded and closed, and thus planted, then every fruit which the tree produces will have the same word writted and engraved on it." We are no agriculturists but we certainly do not believe that this agricultural image employed by St. Francis of Sales is indeed a fact. The editors of our Devout Life version traced this agricultural note to a 4th Century writer Palladius. (See fotenoot on page 207). Myth or fact (we say, myth), St. Francis made an effective use of this image to stress to Philothea (and to us) how exterior actions really come and flow from the he! art (interior) as the tree and all its fruits come from the seed, and that a heart filled with Christ will soon bear fruits of exterior actions filled with Christ. "Engrave and inscribe on your heart, before everything else, this holy and sacred maxim: LIVE JESUS! After that... your life which comes from your heart... will produce all its actions... inscribed and engraved with the same word of salvation."

2. We also find a paragraph in the Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis of Sales that echoes a similar phrase attributed to Jean de Chantal in another place.

On page 215 of the Devout Life, St. Francis talking about the propriety in dress says that: "a married woman may and ought to dress herself when with her husband as he wants it. However, if she does the same when she is away from him, she will be asked as to whose eyes she is seeking to please with such particular care." This is ! St. Francis here talking.

In another place, Jean de Chantal was described to be graceful, attractive and self-possessed who carried herself with nobility... "a perfect lady". But her husband, Baron Christophe de Rabutin (a military captain) was away, the Baroness Jean de Chantal would live a simple lifestyle. She would not go to court nor attend parties, and would exhibit extreme sobriety in her manner of dressing. Asked why, she would reply: "Don't bother me about that. The eyes which I must please are a hundred miles from here, and it would be useless for me to dress up." (Story and Spirit, 70)

Thus, on this "rule of thumb" concerning propriety in dress, who influences whom? Did Jean the Chantal learn it from Francis of Sales, or the other way around? Well, it looks like that it was more of the "common sense" of the people ! at that time and in that place which influenced both. Both the Bishop of Geneva and the Baroness simply articulated and gave "text" to the sense of their context.

3. Finally, we also commented about the idea of "particular friendship" and what St. Francis of Sales says about it. First of all , we say that every friendship is particular in the sense that it is personal. Secondly, Francis of Sales did not outrightly condemn particular friendship, rather made a distinction between genuine friendship which comes from God (Devout Life, 3:19) and frivolous friendship which is dangerous and even evil (Devout Life, 3:17-18). Talking about genuine friendship which comes and tends to God and whose bond is God, Francis of Sales clarifies to us that he speaks not of simple love of charity but of a kind of spiritual friendship among persons who share and communicate their devotion and spi! ritual affection and thus become one in spirit. (Devout Life, page 196). Much of what he writes about this theme, we believe, come from his own experience of genuine and spiritual friendship, particularly with Jean de Chantal. In Chapter 21 (Devout Life, 3:21), when dealing about the counsels and remedies against evil friendship, Francis of Sales offers concrete and practical suggestions like distancing, changing of place, refraining from all private conversations... He was actually clarifying what we would consider today as "boundaries". Besides the importance of keeping and respecting the boundaries (of course, Francis didn't use this term), the Bishop of Geneva calls Philothea (and us) to the basics - mental solitude, prayer, spiritual books, confession, communion, and spiritual direction.

Rey

Panning for spiritual gold

Introduction to the Devout Life
Part III – Chapters 14-30
Friday November 3, 2006
Group 2 (Thien-An, Anne, Marcel, Javier)

1. St. Francis believes that true friendship is a small virtue that which we need for our societal life. According to him, there are two kinds of friendship: true friendship and vain friendship. We must love our friends in spite of their imperfection, yet we must neither love nor receive his imperfection. Going further the saint uses the image of people who shift the gravel of the river Tagus. They separate the gold from the sand. Then they leave the sand on the river but only take gold with them. In the same way, he says, “those who commune in a good friendship, ought to separate the sand of imperfections and should not allow it to enter their spirit” (Ch. 22, 3rd paragraph)

2. No one is an island. We live in the society that contains the mixture of good and evil. On one hand, we need to courageously and firmly reject and stay away from all evil just as the bees are turn aside from the swarm of horse-flies and hornets. On the other hands, there are some good qualities that are valuable and useful that we can share from the devout and virtuous people in the social gatherings. The saint is using two images to show us. He says that “the vine planted among olive trees bears oily grapes which have the taste of olives… Drones alone are not able to make honey, but they help the bees to make it.” (Ch. 24. 2nd paragraph and 5th paragraph)

3. For the individuals, the saint reminds us that we should neither listening to evil words from our neighbors nor saying bad words to them. Rather the saint advises us to be sincere and respectful when we speak to our neighbors. He quotes that, “it is said that those how have eaten the herb called angelica (Aromatic plant used in cooking) always have a pleasant and agreeable breath. Those who have the angelic virtue of modesty and chastity in their hearts always speak pure, polite and suitable words.” (Ch. 27, 2nd paragraph)

4. St. Francis also convinces us not to be very careful when slandering our neighbor and listening to the slanderers. He reminds us that king David once comparing the slanderers as the tongue of a serpent. “The serpent’s tongue is forked and has two points … he poisons the ear of the listener as well as the reputation of the person of whom he is speaking.” (Ch. 29, 5th paragraph)

Our group also talk about how we act our charity is much more important than what we practice charity. St. Louis is a good model of this. He is not only feeding the poor, but he is seating and eating with them, having conversation with them. St. Elizabeth dresses like the poor and mingles among them to share the life of the poor.

One of the signs of an authentic friendship is we see that we grow in morality. We are called to love everyone, but we only have one or very few true friendship. The reason of that is not because we are selfish, but we all are weak and fragile. We need others’ support that we can be persevere to follow God.

Thien-An

Images in Salesian discourse: comments during a class discussion

Francis de Sales makes use of many images in his commentaries on virtues in the third part of the Introduction to the Devout Life. We found the following images particularly striking:

• Detachment of poverty and Esau and Jacob
• The married woman who dresses for her husband and not for the court.
• The almond seed that carries a word: writing the name of Jesus on the heart.
• Friendship (19) particular friendship … but every friendship is particular…

Poverty as stewardship. He offers good example of poverty. He gives good examples of how we can be poor in a rich situation; how we can be with the poor and serve the poor people. Gives the example of St Louis IX, the king.

Living a life of spiritual richness is more difficult in real poverty: enjoying the life of spiritual richness whether or not we are rich or poor materially, depends on our ability to share with others. When we share with others we feel God's love. This is not about economics, but about devotedness to God and neighbor. What is striking to us is that we can enjoy spiritual richness only when we can accept God's will and put God's absolute will above our own will.

Primacy of Charity

Introduction to the Devout Life
Part III – Chapters 1-13
Friday October 20, 2006
Group 2 (Thien-An, Anne, Marcel, Javier)

Generally speaking, our group agrees that these chapters are most valuable, rich, and deep to those who are pursuing to learn more about spirituality especially in the living in the community.

First of all, St. Francis de Sales asserts that the virtue of charity is the most important, and it is compatible with other virtues. He believes that “charity is the true sun of virtues.” Just as the queen of the bees never goes to the fields without her companions, charity is always accompanied by other virtues. The saint also reminds us that we should choose a virtue that is most suitable with our situation and put it in practice; one at a time. “When we struggle against some vice, in so far as it is possible, we ought to embrace the practice of the contrary virtue, relating all the others to it,” said St. Francis.

• About the virtue of patience, St. Francis suggests us to be patient with ourselves. How can we be patient with our neighbors if we do not have patience within ourselves? Give ourselves an opportunity.

• St. Francis spent his four chapters to teach about the virtue of humility. According to him, there are two kinds of humility: external and interior. He believes that if we want to receive God’s grace, we ought to empty ourselves of our own glory. It is humility that “drives away Satan and preserves in us the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit.” The saint distinguishes the true humility from the false humility. He believes that, “a truly humble person would like to be told that he is miserable, he is nothing, he is worthless, rather than he himself saying it.”

• The saint also reminds us that when we practice fraternal correction, we are to make sure that we only do it with gentleness and peace. In the meantime, we should keep in mind that it is wrong to expect that everyone has our same interest. Indeed, everyone has different paths and gifts on his or her journey of faith.

• St. Francis also points out that the three vows obedience, chastity, and poverty only apply to Religious. Instead everybody is called to practice these vows. It is a matter of practicing these vows but not taking these vows. There are two kinds of obedience: necessary and voluntary. The latter is called voluntary obedience because we have chosen for our own those we want to obey to such as our spiritual confessor or director. However, the saint believes that we ought to obey our parents, the household superior, pope, bishop, the master, mistress, prince and officers absolutely. “Blessed are the obedient, for God will never let them go astray.”

• With the vows of chastity, the saint recommends us to “be extremely prompt turn away from all the tendencies and all the attractions of lust.” Stay away from all the opportunities that could ruin our chaste lives is not good enough; rather we should be “resting our heart on our Lord, then we will see that our soul and heart will soon find ourselves purified of all defilement and unchastity.”

Thien-An