Sunday, December 24 : Saint Francis de Sales

How faithful in humility was the great saint we are celebrating! That can’t be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived all the days of his life: a poverty and lowliness beneath which he kept hidden and concealed his great virtues and dignity!… Truly, I have no doubt at all that the angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest child in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment so as to feed the little boy and the mother entrusted to him. There is no doubt at all that Saint Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this unless they were enlightened by a heavenly light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts with which God had favored him? And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him his most glorious Son to care for…, the universal Prince of heaven and earth… Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imagined…: he went to his own country and town of Bethlehem and none but he was turned away from all those inns… Notice how the angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes; he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poor… and he submits to it with love, and not only for a while for he was poor his whole life long.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team