Homily of Lou Fiorelli, OSFS on 1.24.12 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Reston, VA

Today we celebrate the feast day of one of the "doctors" of the Church, a designation that fewer than 35 men and women saints have been honored with over the course of two thousand years. By honoring one of its saints with the title of "doctor," the Church celebrates his or her exceptional ability to convey to the People of God –in a clear and convincing manner--one or more of the essential truths of our Catholic faith. St. Francis de Sales is known as the Doctor of the Love of God because he taught people of all walks of life how in practice to fulfill the first commandment of love -- to love God above all things, in all things and at all times. He never tired of speaking and writing about the love of God and did so in an especially inspired manner in his great spiritual masterpiece, the Treatise on the Love of God. Only an early and untimely death at 55 prevented him from complementing his Treatise on the first commandment of love with a second one on the love of neighbor and a third one on the appropriate love of one’s own self as created to God’s holy image. Still, in a real sense he did write those two other two treatises, if not in actual words, then certainly by the gentle, loving and humble manner with which he interacted with all people in all circumstances of life. The collect of tonight’s Mass expresses it well: Francis de Sales --like Jesus and St. Paul before him—became "all things to all" people so as to win their hearts over to the tender and inviting love of God!

The designation of Francis de Sales as "Doctor of the Love of God," is certainly an appropriate one in light of what we have just said. But if I had had a say in how he was to be known in the Church, I would have argued that he ought to be called the "Doctor of the Laity’s Vocation to Holiness!" That’s a mouth-full, I know, but it truly speaks to the special charism and bracing vision of this saintly Bishop of Geneva. Because of what the Second Vatican Council has written of the "universal call to holiness," we now take it for granted that all people are called to holiness regardless of their state or stage in life. The parent as well as the priest, the young person as well as the senior citizen, the soldier, the government worker, the CEO and the housekeeper as well as the monk, the nun, the bishop and Pope –Jesus calls all of us to "be holy as God your Father is holy."

Unfortunately, by the late Middle Ages, that simple but central truth of our faith had somehow gotten lost or at least eclipsed in the daily practice and life of the Church. But God was about to change all that! They say that the Holy Spirit raises up saints and inspires in them a charism that is especially needed for the spiritual well-being of God’s people for the times in which they live. I believe that the Holy Spirit raised up Francis de Sales for a very special purpose. With the holy zeal of an apostle, he was to show all God’s people the way to holiness, perfection and the devout life. The clearest expression of his inspired vision of the universal call to holiness is found in the earliest pages of his celebrated and still widely-read, Introduction to the Devout Life. He writes there these now-famous words: "God commanded [all] Christians to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each one in accord with his or her character, station in life and vocation. It is, thus, an error, or rather a heresy, to wish to banish the devout life from the regiment of soldiers, the mechanic’s shop, the court of princes, or the home of married people. But even this distinction is not sufficient, for the practice of devotion must be adapted to the strength, to the occupation and to the duties of each one in particular." Francis is known for his inspired common sense and therefore he readily acknowledges that a wife and mother of young children will necessarily practice devotion differently from a nun in a monastery, and that the devotional practices of older and more frail people will certainly differ from those who are in the prime of life. The means and practices of the devout life will necessarily have to be adapted and adjusted according to one’s vocation in life and one’s stage in life. Still, he strongly affirms that with the help of spiritual guidance, good balance and a healthy dose of common sense holiness is readily attainable by anybody who truly desires it and is willing to work hard to attain it. For this reason, he concludes with these words: "In whatever situations we happen to be, we can and must aspire to the life of perfection." (Introduction, Part 1, chapter 3)

He then proceeds in the Introduction to show those who want to be holy how to go about it. He does this by teaching them how to pray (and especially how to meditate), how to receive the sacraments (especially the Eucharist which he calls, "the sun of all spiritual exercises") and how to practice what he calls "the little virtues," that is, those Christ-like actions and attitudes that are especially suited to the often-hectic life of a busy person living in the midst of the world. He does all of this in a warm, heart-to-heart and conversational manner, gently leading his readers step by step from their desire for the devout life to a firm and robust resolution to take all the steps necessary in reaching it.

Francis did indeed succeed in leading large-hearted souls to the heights of holiness. To verify this, one need only look at the beautiful life of St. Jane de Chantal, the widowed mother of four young children who became his great spiritual friend and with him the co-founder of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary and who is today acknowledged as his principal collaborator in the development of one of the Church’s greatest gifts: Salesian spirituality!

Many men and women have followed the inspiration of Francis and Jane in embracing a spirituality that is especially suited to the vocation of the laity. One of those is the French priest, Henri Chaumont, who in the mid- nineteenth century founded the St. Francis de Sales Association with the saintly laywoman Madame Caroline Carré de Malberg. In the St. Francis de Sales Association, each layperson is companioned during their formation by another layperson through the wonderful experience of a shared spiritual friendship. At the end of their formation, they make their consecration. As you will see shortly, the consecration is simply a public declaration to live out one’s baptismal promises while following the spirit of Francis de Sales and by contributing, each in his or her own way, to the life, vitality and ministry of today’s Church. At their consecration, they receive a medal, on one side of which is an image of St. Francis de Sales and on the reverse side is a depiction of the birth of the Church at Pentecost with the Holy Spirit hovering over Mary and the Twelve.

Immediately following this homily, Susan B., a wife and mother from the Wilmington area, and Bill S., a husband and father from our parish, will make their consecration in the Association –Susan as a Daughter of St. Francis de Sales and Bill as a Son of St. Francis de Sales. After the final prayer and before the final blessing, Bill D., a husband and father from neighboring West Virginia, will be installed as a Companion in the same Association. As a "Companion" he will literally companion or accompany others in their spiritual formation in the Association. As appropriate for a lay-centered Association, the simple ceremonies of consecration and installation will be presided over by lay members of the Association: Kathy H. and Michael M. for both men.

In tonight’s consecrations and installation, we experience another chapter in the beautiful Salesian legacy of fostering holiness among the laity! And with it, new life, spiritual energy and a joy-filled ministry are gifted anew to today’s Church! For this we thank God!

For those of you interested in knowing more about the St. Francis de Sales Association, a flyer will be available at the reception in De Sales Hall after Mass. There are a number of Daughters and Sons present with us tonight. They will be happy to share their good news with you! Just ask them!