Sunday, March 13 : Saint Francis de Sales

Rejoice and be happy ! Persevere to the end and prefer to die rather than abandon the post to which God has called you. But embrace the Cross with patience and hide in God’s breast with your troubles: fix your eyes on the Lamb immolated for your sake and always be content with what God gives you and destines for you. We must act like this because we are sure that God is calling us and has chosen for us what will make us the most pleasing in his sight. Thus you will go from light to light and the pains endured for the sake of Jesus crucified will be delightful to you, whereas the pleasures and consolations of the world will become bitter. You will begin to taste, even in this life, a foretaste of eternal life, for the principal beatitude of the soul in heaven is to be confirmed for ever in the will of the Father. Thus it tastes the divine sweetness. But it will never taste it in heaven if it is not clothed with it on earth where we are pilgrims and travelers. When it is clothed with it, it tastes God by grace in its troubles; its memory will be full of the blood of the Lamb without blemish; its mind will be opened and contemplate the ineffable love that God has made known in the wisdom of his Son, and the love it finds in the Holy Spirit’s goodness casts out self-love and love for created things to love only God. So do not be afraid (…) but suffer with joy so as to conform yourself to the will of God.
Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team