Fidelity, simplicity, sincerity and truth

INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVOUT LIFE

Part III, Chapters 16 – 31

28 November 2011

John Baptist, Amaladoss, Lijo

English-speaking Group: John Baptist Barnabas, Lijo Vadakkan, Amaladoss Sanjone

In this second group of chapters of Part Three, St. Francis De Sales speaks about accepting happily the poverty and all it's inconveniences and being rich in spirit.  Two things to be remembered about being poor. First of all, it is not your choice that has made you poor but it is god's will that you are poor.  Second privilege is that your poverty is much more than the secular poverty which one suffers out of necessity. But yours taken out religious obedience has a greater significance. Jesus Christ is an apt example. He was born, lived, and died in poverty. Poverty was His nurse throughout his entire life.

The saint offers a beautiful definition of marriage.  It is not just a mere sensual intercourse and if it were so it wouldn't deserve the name marriage, but in as much as it involves life, industry, the personality, in other words the whole life of the persons, marriage rightly understood is a beautiful example of right friendship. Moreover, a right and pure form of Holy friendship is Marriage.  

Marriage, rightly understood, is the call to holy friendship

All relationships without intention of marriage can be called frivolous friendships. Francis de Sales speaks of these kind of friendships as walnut tree in a vineyard, it such away all nutrition from the soil, it blocks the sun and attract people to the field to pluck its fruits and in the bargain the whole field gets trampled. These kind of friendships(fond loves) not only banish heavenly love but also the fear of God from the soul, weaken the mind, and lower a man’s reputation. In a word, they are a pastime at court but the plague itself within one’s heart.  

Perfection consists not in having no friendships, but in having only those which are good, holy, and sacred.  In a mutual friendship if the bond of friendship is mutual edification, perfection in Christian charity etc. it is pleasing to god because it is from god and proceeds to god.  Also here the saint speaks of the need to have good, holy friendships.  Just as our lord had some particular friends or other apostles and even many saints had good friends, individual friendships so too it is important for life.  

Holy friendship has eyes that are clear and modest, caresses that are pure and sincere. Chaste friendship is at all times and all ways honest, courteous, and amiable. The saint speaks how one can distinguish false friendships from the right ones.  Just the poisonous honey is much more sweet compared to the ordinary honey, so too false friendship is also much sweeter in its appearance.  One should be able to distinguish between both.  

Heart and ear speak to one another. Our heart inhales through the ears and exhales through the mouth. Therefore pay attention to all that you hear.  It can have tremendous influence on your life.  Suppose one has been in an evil friendship, he says if possible to change the place and it can be of some help to a certain extend (but it is clear that this has been a method of the past.  But there are moments when mere changing of places does not always prove useful.  

Friendship requires us to share the good, not evil. Genuine, living friendship cannot continue in the midst of sin. It lives only on true virtue. The saint says that all good friendships should be aimed at bettering the person.  We should not leave un corrected any vice in the other person.  Only such is a true and noble friendship.  No imitation of vices in the other person but should try to imitate the good qualities in the other person. Thus there should be a mutual edification that has to take place in a good friendship.  

The saint gives beautiful lessons on fasting. The devil fears a soul that can fast.  Very clear that Don Bosco has been mightily influenced.  It is not so much in doing lot of penances, but eat what is set before you without making too much choices.  Both overfed and underfed can be a block for your spirituality.  Both these situations can hinder you from raising your heart to God.  In everything moderation as the watchword to be kept in mind. If our work is necessary for us to contribute to God’s glory, we must prefer that we endure the pains of work rather than of fasting. Moderate use of the discipline has wonderful power to awaken the spirit of devotion.

Francis de Sales adds some lessons on fasting

The saint also speaks about our life in the society and how, one should go about in dealing with people in the society.  He says that it is important to deal with good people and just as vine trees grown among olive trees bear better fruit so too, the men grown among good men bring about good fruits.  And he speaks about dressing well and neatly with simplicity and moderation.  Cleanliness as a manifestation of your internal disposition. 

Francis de Sales gives a beautiful description about the use of tongue.  Just as we are so quick to point out where we have pain by touching that part so too the tongue touches that point which we are disturbed about.  The doctors often verify the sickness of a person from looking at his tongue and so too the health of our inner self is learned looking at the use of our tongues.  The mouth speaks from the abundance of our heart. Hence, always speak of God as of God, that is, reverently and devoutly, not with outward show or affectation but in a spirit of meekness, charity, and humility. Also he speaks about the false judgements and the use of the tongue and how, one has to be careful.  If a man does not offend in word, he is a perfect man. Those who have modesty and chastity, the angelic virtue, within their hearts, always speak chaste and modest words. “Out of fullness of the heart the mouth speaks”.

The saint speaks about rash judgement. Rash judgements are offensive to God. To avoid future judgement it is equally necessary both refrain from judging others and to judge ourselves. The sin of rash judgement is truly spiritual jaundice and causes all things to appear evil to the eyes of those infected with it. Whoever wants to be cured must apply remedies not to his eyes or intellect but to his affections, which are feet in relation to his soul. If your reflections are kind, your judgements will also be kind. If your affections are charitable, your judgements will be the same.

The man who could free the world of slander would free it of a large share of its sins and iniquity. Whoever robs his neighbour of his good name in addition to committing sin has the obligation of making reparation, although this must be done in different ways according to the different types of slander. No man can enter heaven in possession of another man’s property, and of all external goods a good name is the best. Slander is a form of murder. 

Fidelity, simplicity, and sincerity of speech are certainly a great ornament of a Christian life. Our language should be restrained, frank, sincere, candid, unaffected and honest. The saint recommends that while it is not always advisable to say all that is true, it is never permissible to speak against the truth. Therefore, we must become accustomed never to tell a deliberate lie whether to excuse ourselves or for some other purposes, remembering always that God is the “God of truth”. With regard to speech, we must not look to the quantity but rather to the quality of our words.

Report by John Baptist Barnabas

Photos by Joe