Seeing Don Bosco in the teaching of Francis de Sales

Introduction to the Devout Life
Part IV
English-Speaking Group

Caesar Dizon, Joseph Minja, Showrilu Chinnabathuni

Chapter 2 FACING DIFFICULTIES
• We shall always meet difficulties (bitter) in this life. We just need to accept them because they make us strong. Courage is needed to endure these difficulties.
• This counsel is useful in real life. Parents, for example, face difficulties in raising their children (bitter). But when they have grown up, parents feel happy (sweet).
• Don Bosco endured a lot of difficulties during his time (industrial revolution). His body was worn-out like a candle that has been spent.
• St. Francis de Sales must have experienced difficulties when he started to preach among the Calvinists.
• Young people need to e told that the difficulties they face now may be so many blessings in disguise. These help them learn how to face more challenging difficulties of a grown-up.
• To us religious too, difficulties are part and parcel of our life. With this understanding we should be the first ones to encourage the lay people to endure them.

Chapter 3 DEALING WITH TEMPTATIONS
• Temptations will always come. But we are not to welcome them (that is, we need to reject them). Welcoming them is the first step towards sin.
• A boy went to confession and said: “I entertained impure thoughts.” But the priest responded with: “But did they entertain you?” Perhaps another way of asking: “Did you welcome the temptation?” is to ask: “Did you entertain it?”
• In dealing with temptation, we should recall the story of the camel. It was cold outside but it was warm inside the Bedouin tent. So it stuck its nose inside. The Bedouins inside did not protest. Before long the camel was already inside.
• Pray when tempted. Don Bosco advised his boys to say an aspiration when tempted.
• This may bring peace of soul to many penitents: Assure them that no matter how long they are tempted, there is no sin provided they do not welcome the temptation.
• Some Saints (St. Augustine, for example?) may have practical teachings concerning sin and temptation because they not only experienced temptation but sin, as well.

Chapter 8 SMALL TEMPTATIONS
• We should not only be careful about big temptations, but small ones as well. These are dangerous because without being aware of it, they lead us on to bigger temptations.

Chapter 11-15 SORROWS AND SADNESS
• Anxiety and sadness and sorrow enables the devil to do great harm to souls. Perhaps, this is why Don Bosco (following St. Francis de Sales) put so much store in joy and optimism.
• These chapters are important in the area of discernment. Perhaps St. Francis de Sales learned something from St. Ignatius in this regard.
• WE have to recognize the origin of our negative emotional state. Is it organic? Lack of sleep, fatigue, improper nutrition. Also today medical intervention can deal effectively with depression.
• Joy and optimism is what is proposed to us as a way to sanctity [Dominic Savio]