A Pandemic Reflection on Being Who You Are

The pandemic has brought us tough times. It has created a real life–and–death battle for some and mental anguish for all. For many of us, it has threatened our sense of self. We are waiting for the better days ahead. Unfortunately, our battle with the virus will not be the last time we will face events that will test our physical and mental limits. All of us will face circumstances throughout our lives that challenge our well-being. What can we do to help ourselves and others overcome these stressful times in our lives?

Over the past 20 years, whenever I am faced with these traumatic situations, two people come to mind, one who we all know and one whom even I don’t really know.

I’ll start with the person I don’t really know. I was at Fairfield University during 2002 for an event called Collegium (a retreat for faculty at Catholic schools), and I was struggling to make a personal decision which would have a profound effect on my life. It was a beautiful sunny day, and while I was taking a break sitting on the grass in the middle of campus, a Catholic nun just happened across my path. She struck up a conversation with me, and I discussed my dilemma. Her words give me comfort to this day, she said: “God wants you to be happy because God loves you.” Her point was that when deciding on my path, God wanted me to choose a path that would make me happy.

I believe even in the toughest of times God loves you and wants you to be happy. To find our happiness during uncertain times, we need to be proactive. I set aside time every day to find my happiness; typically, exercise leads me to connect with my sense of self.    

The second person is St. Francis de Sales. For the past 20 years, he has been telling me to “Be who you are and be that well.” I am Catholic. I’m certainly not a theologian, but I can share with you what that means to me. St. Francis is telling me that I am not perfect and that I don’t even need to try to be perfect; just try to be the best Chris Cocozza I can be. During tough times, that means that I might need to lean on those around me. To be the best me, I need to keep my sense of self. When I struggle to maintain my identity, I speak (not text or email) with my wife, brother, a good friend, etc. and hope that through their kindness and strength they can help me recalibrate. On the flip side, when I feel that positive energy, I reach out to people I know who might be struggling and try to help them. I think if you were to take the same course of action, St. Francis would tell you that you are being your best self.  

By Chris Cocozza, C.P.A., J.D., LL.M.

Division Head/Professor of Business

DeSales University

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DeSales Weekly Editor: Fr. Bill McCandless, OSFS

Nine Heroic Efforts of St. Jane de Chantal to Combat One of Europe's Worst Plagues

With the daily alarming reports of the COVID-19 pandemic it is helpful to recall how the saints in the Church responded with clear-mindedness and charity.

One such saint, St. Jane de Chantal, prayed assiduously and took noble action in her role as the superior of her community of Visitation Sisters in Annecy, in east-central France. Her virtues shone in the face of one of Europe’s most devastating plagues, which killed nearly a million people in France alone between 1628-1631. 

St. Jane, along with St. Francis de Sales, founded the Visitation Sisters which grew throughout France and eventually to America and other parts of the world.

Nine Heroic Efforts

A brief review of the accounts of the day reveals St. Jane’s thoroughness and zeal. She:

• Sent food and medicine to seven of her convents.

• Called a council of physicians in Paris to find what could be done to combat the scourge.

• Assembled a body of theologians to examine whether the Sisters could in conscience leave their enclosure in order to avoid the contagion. 

• Sent circular letters to all her houses to encourage and console the Sisters, and to remind them to prepare for the coming of the Spouse.

• Refused to leave her community when demanded to do so by the local duke with the declaration that she would not abandon her flock.

• Recommended the exact observance of the Rules, which are guidelines for daily living within each community.

• Prepared her sisters in the event of her own death.

• Served the poor and sick near the convent by making available to them food and spiritual aid.

• Prayed and fasted with the other sisters on bread and water, performed public penances in the refectory, and fervently begged that God would remove the plague from their midst.

Plagues Nothing New

Historians have tracked various plagues in Europe since the 700s. In Christian countries, plagues have sparked great supplications to God and acts of public penance for relief of the suffering.

A historian of the Visitation Sisters, Emile Bougaud, recounts in his book, St. Chantal and the Foundation of the Visitation, Vol. 2, the acts of the saint at the time.

“Never did Mother de Chantal appear more admirable than under these circumstances. The old ardor of her nature, which for so many years she had been trying to moderate, now reasserted itself.

‘I have written three or four letters to you, my dear daughter,’ she wrote to the Superioress of one of the convents attacked by the plague, ‘and of what are you thinking not to answer me? Do you not know that I am on thorns?’ 

“It was also at this trying period that she displayed that industrious activity, that practical knowledge, that enthusiasm tempered by coolness, so valuable on such occasions. She thought of, she provided for everything. Her heart embraced in its tender solicitude all the wants of her daughters; her mind was as large as her heart.”

Bougard also noted, “Her burning words fired the enthusiasm of the Bishop, Monseigneur Jean-Francois de Sales, who, with a handful of heroic priests, went about ministering consolation to the dying for more than ten months.”

The Convent’s Peace and Serenity

In the midst of such tribulation and unrest in society, how did the sisters in St. Jane’s community at Annecy fare?

Bougaud continues, “It was indeed wonderful, the peace and serenity of her spiritual daughters in the very centre of the infection, and face to face with a death imminent and horrible, that put the bravest to flight. The community exercises were not once interrupted. In the midst of the mournful silence of the city their bell rang out as sweetly and regularly as before, and the same soft and devout chanting was heard behind their grate. 

“‘I always saw our Sisters in their usual tranquility,” wrote St. DeChantal; ‘there never appeared in the community fear, anxiety, or dread. The customary exercises of our state went on exactly without interruption or dispensation, with the usual peace and cheerfulness. . . . Although two or three times there was reason to believe the disease was in the house, yet I never observed the least consternation among our Sisters. They took their little remedies quite cheerfully, each one keeping herself ready to pass into eternity as soon as notified….”

The way their confessor was treated shows the practice of their own version of social distancing. St. Chantal recalls a practice that might well be practiced today in our 21st century liturgies: “...we were determined not to expose our good and holy confessor. If anyone had stood in need of him, he would have heard her confession from a distance. To administer the Holy Eucharist to her, he would have put the Sacred Host between two small slices of bread and laid it upon the place prepared for the purpose, whence it would have been taken as respectfully as possible by the Sister nurse. This is the way the sacraments are administered in this country to the pest-stricken.”

The historian concludes, “The plague yielded, at last, to these ardent prayers. It abandoned the city after having ravaged it for nearly a year.”

Three Takeaways

We can discern three takeaways from this experience of St. Jane and the other sisters:

1.  Help your own family, as well as other people.

2.     Keep a consistent routine among those you live with.

3.     Pray and however it turns out, resign yourself to the will of God.

By Kevin J. Banet,  website

Kevin J. Banet is a journalist and publicist. He works mainly for Catholic religious communities and non-profits. Kevin worked for years for family-based organizations, and then really got his eyes opened when he got married and became the father of two children. He and his family live in the Chicago area. His website is VocationPromotion.com.

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DeSales Weekly Editor: Fr. Bill McCandless, OSFS

Keeping Our Spirit Strong

In times of uncertainty, such as this time of isolation due to COVID-19 quarantine and shelter-in-place directives, taking time to reflect becomes essential. As we continue to look for ways to navigate this time at home, I find that these ten phrases keep my spirit strong and so, I share them with you. 

1. Even though this virus is a pain for so many, I do not have to be one. (Adapted from Maya Angelou)

2. Be patient with everyone, above all yourself. (St. Francis de Sales)

3. Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46)

4. Repetition is good: Wash your hands; Don’t touch your eyes; Love one another.

5. Do not let your hearts be troubled; you have faith in God, have faith also in me. (John 14:1)

6. Do not worry about tomorrow with its cares and concerns. Live only for today with its cares for when tomorrow arrives, it too will be called today. Live today well. (St. Francis de Sales)

7. You are unique, an irreplaceable, irrepeatable work of God: Be who you are and be that thoroughly well. (St. Francis de Sales)

8. Live four-letter words: Live, Love, Give, Tell, Open, Hear, Hope, Sing, Gasp, Fall, Lift, Amen. These give us Life.

9. Fear and hate, as well as other four-letter words, should be avoided because they do not give us life and only remind us that we are not being the very best of who we are.

10. The first gift of the Risen Lord to His disciples was peace. Peace be with you. In the midst of their, anguish, sadness, despair, confusion, and loss, He offered peace. Peace be with you and your families in these uncertain days. Peace, because it is Easter. Our peace has to end with Alleluia because that is our calling and anthem. Peace, Alleluia!

Alleluia! Live Jesus!

Fr. Matt Hillyard, OSFS

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Jesus’ Voice Soothes: A Message of Comfort

Before sheltering in place, I was shopping recently at Macy’s department store. While there, I encountered a toddler loudly crying, “Mommy! Mommy!  I want my mommy!”  Surrounding this teary-eyed frightened crying child were other mothers all urgently trying to comfort him.

However, no matter how soothing their words or reassuring their pleas, no one stopped his crying or his unlimited tears.  Everyone kept hearing, “Mommy, I want my mommy!”  Then suddenly we heard, “Peter, Peter, Mommy’s over here.”

At the sound of his name, Peter stopped his crying as he ran in the direction of the voice calling his name.  He jumped into his mother’s arms and they both tenderly hugged each other.  Mommy was definitely the only person Peter needed to see and hear.  They belonged to each other.  They felt safe together and they were at home, even in the large department store!

Watching Peter snuggle in his mother’s arms, I gained an insight into how Jesus wants his voice to touch our everyday lives.  Jesus wants his voice to be the power that soothes in unsafe times, encourages during cloudy days, and provides joy and delight in cheerful moments.

No other voice but Jesus’ alone can manage all these with such gentleness, kindness, and thoughtfulness.  Why? Because Jesus’ words arise from his painful act of dying, rising, and reconciling creation with his Father.  After undertaking all these things without counting the cost to himself, why wouldn’t his love show in every word he speaks?  Love is always pouring from Jesus’ heart anticipating the next moments he can console those he loves. 

This is why Jesus whispers our name no matter the frequency, the place, or the reason.  What delights Jesus most is to see us run as affectionately towards him as Peter did towards his mother.  When we do, Jesus may even hug us while saying, “You are home.  You’re safe.  You belong with me.”  And, like Peter in that huge department store, we too will feel just as safe!

Happy Easter!

Fr. Richard R. DeLillio, OSFS

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Gravy and Grace: A Reflection for Easter Triduum

A professor of mine once opined that economics is a matter of scarcity:
How do we distribute resources that are finite?

Regardless of whether all economists would agree with my professor’s statement, during this time marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, we can agree that scarcity has confronted us in a new, stark way.

Hospitals, care homes, and other essential services desperately try to maintain staffing levels. Industry races to manufacture life-saving equipment and protective gear. Neighbors, colleagues, friends, and families long for the everyday, face-to- face interactions we so often took for granted.

Scarcity, as a brute fact, can be jarring enough. When the fact transforms into mindset, it can breed competition, desperation, and even hopelessness.

I expected to find myself immersed in such mindset when I began working at a men’s shelter in Vancouver just before the start of Lent. After all, a person does not usually walk through the doors of a shelter unless he or she is experiencing scarcity of some kind or another: housing, work, or a safety net of social relationships.

Particularly, I feared confrontation with scarcity at mealtimes, when I was occasionally tasked with distributing food to a room full of hungry men who had spent the day hard at work, walking the streets, or waiting for shelter.

This was especially true one night when the dinner to be served was barbeque pork chops and potatoes. My friendly smile hid my anxiousness as I counted the dwindling number of pork chops and peered out at the still lengthy line of men awaiting their meal. What kind of mutiny would ensue if we ran out? After all, if I had not had a good meal all day, being told “we’re out” would likely result in more than a little frustration and anger.

To my relief, we had enough pork chops for everyone, and once the last juicy cut of meat had been distributed, I began to hastily stack the empty pans on a cart, ready to retreat to the dish room.

Before I could discreetly wheel the cart away, a guest noticed that the pans weren’t completely empty. A thick layer of leftover gravy lined the bottom of the pans. He asked if he could take a pan to scrape off the remaining gravy.

What happened next transformed my exhausted nervousness into delight.

Rather than just taking some extra gravy for himself and returning the pan, as I had expected, he began to cheerfully walk around the room, declaring, “gravy! gravy!” and doling out the delicious excess onto the plates of his fellow guests. I detected more than a few smiles as the men received the rich mix of juices and barbeque sauce.

What that one perceptive and generous guest did in the presence of his brethren was no less than the action of Christ himself, of whom we are all members. He took a sign of scarcity, a stack of empty pans, and took the drippings, the waste, and transformed it into the sign and substance of abundance. He declared that humans are not made solely to be nourished for bare survival: we are made to joyfully draw water (or sometimes gravy!) from the springs of salvation, even if those springs have the appearance of a stack of dirty dishes.  

This guest’s action of fraternal generosity was a needed reminder for me that in times as these, when we find ourselves scraping by on leftover money, energy, or love, it’s Jesus who looks at the bottom of the pan and pours rich gravy for us...who anoints our head with oil, who pours our cup to overflowing.

Perhaps it is scandalous to so lavishly write about abundance when so many of us face the bleak realities of deprivation and loss. But this is the same scandalous liberality with which Christ confronted his own impending death. Sometimes, the fear and trembling must come, as it did for Jesus as he wept in the garden. But before the hour when darkness reigns, Jesus broke bread and shared wine with his friends in the upper room reminding us that friendship and joy are the alpha and the omega. He reminds us that even when night seems to befall us from all sides, the light of God’s grace, God’s abundant love, still remains.

There’s been times during the past few months which I’ve doubted the existence of grace. In having to tell men at the door, “sorry, there are no more beds available ,” and in seeing the desolation felt by men condemned by these words to wander through empty streets and past shuttered doors, I have sometimes felt like uttering the desolate cry of Christ on the cross, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken us?” Even more temptingly, the declaration of Nietzsche’s character, Zarathustra, “God is dead.”

From the depth of these doubts God raises up the Good News proclaimed by the Church, even when it has appeared to be silenced. When we gather this Easter Triduum with those we love or have been forced to love through our involuntary confinement together, and we break bread together in our homes we break open the Word that spans all time and distance and will bring us all together.  Once again, we declare that even if God appears locked away in the tomb, God is not dead, God has not forsaken his people, God is alive and continues to dine with us, drizzling the gravy and gracing us with his presence.

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Amidst Crisis, A Mom Leans on St. Francis de Sales

To keep her children busy, Paula organizes daily activities for them. Pictured here are her four kids on a hike with their mom in Wissahickon Park in Chestnut Hill, PA

Be who you are and be that well.

This well-known maxim of St. Francis de Sales has guided me as I’ve held many roles in my life.  Some of those roles can seem inconsequential while others feel overwhelmingly important. Francis teaches us to celebrate all the roles we play, regardless of their “importance.”  I have especially cherished his teaching that being holy means living our ordinary lives in extraordinary ways.

Now, in this time of crisis, as my roles seem harder and harder to fulfill, I find St. Francis’ words challenging me in new ways.

Being mom to four teens/preteens has always been my favorite job.  As this pandemic unfolds, my favorite role feels completely upended.  Now, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, I am homeschool teacher, short order cook, conflict mediator, cruise director, sports coach, gatherer, and counselor.  With each passing day, new demands present themselves and new conflicts arise as I try to meet my kids’ needs, while also completing work requirements.

As professor to college seniors, I find myself working to support these promising young men and women who today are crushed and confused but were so hopeful just weeks ago.  They need so much more than lectures and feedback on their papers.  I give them what I can but at times, I feel so lost for them.

With the many new challenges each day brings, Francis’ words echo through my mind more clearly and more loudly.  His directive to be who you are and be that well has evolved into hourly reminders that sustain and nourish me.  As my roles evolve and the needs of my children and students grow, I repeatedly tell myself that each effort I make, regardless of how small it may seem, is significant.  If I try to do my work well, Francis tells me, I am living Jesus.

I feel Francis gently pushing and encouraging me to simply do the best I can.  When I spend extra time with students, force myself to play that millionth game of cards with the kids, or drag myself out to officiate sibling squabbles, I remind myself that doing my best in each of these roles really does matter. I tell myself that this is where I need to be, even when other responsibilities are put aside or when I’d rather be doing anything else.

Being sheltered in one place results in stressful moments when anger rises, and it feels like these walls are closing in on me.  In those moments, I try to remember Francis’ other directive – be patient with everyone, but above all be patient with yourself.  His words remind me that being gentle on myself is the only way I will get through this; it’s the best way to ensure I can fulfil these roles.  I must make self-care a priority as I care for others.

Like many of you, I am scrambling my way through this new pandemic world.  Francis reminds us to focus on the moment at hand, be gentle with ourselves, and whatever we do, to do that well.  St. Francis de Sales’ words comfort and guide me; I hope they offer solace to you as well.

Paula M. Riley

Communications Consultant

Paula M. Riley

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Our Lady of Deliverance: A Reflection on Francis de Sales - A College Student in Crisis; Inspired by the prayerful meditation of an administrator at DeSales University in response to the Coronavirus

Between the ages 16 and 21, Francis de Sales studied in the late 16th century at the College of Clermont in Paris.  There, he experienced tremendous sadness and despair, having difficulty sleeping and maintaining a healthy body weight.  He was deeply preoccupied with the fear of predestination, a popular Calvinistic theological belief that prompted young Francis to worry about eternal damnation.

During these student days, Francis visited St. Etienne-des-Gres Church (St. Stephen) and prayed before the statue of Mary, mother of God daily.  This particular image, known as Our Lady of Deliverance, grew increasingly important to him, for during one of his visits while praying the Memorare, his painful turmoil was lifted, and he experienced a liberating peace that eased his suffering and ended his anxiety.  Francis attributed this grace from God to the prayerful intercession of Mary, Our Lady of Deliverance.

You may not be able to visit this statue, pictured here, on our campus; this is a replica of the one Francis prayed before during his deep struggles while a college student.  Yet, you may join him in the same prayer, the Memorare, which he prayed for years.

Walking together through this journey, we may fear infection with COVID-19; the loss of rich experiences in student life, a favorite clinical setting, the classroom, lab, stage, court or field; anxiety for those we love or hold in solidarity; worry about economic and employment challenges for ourselves and others; or recurring doubts and fears for our futures.  Let us model the faith of our patron, St. Francis de Sales, who was full of similar and sizeable doubts and fears and still turned to God to pray.

We know that our Christian tradition hails Mary as the mother of God.  Our Jewish sisters and brothers acclaim her fidelity to the covenant of Abraham and Sarah, and our Muslim sisters and brothers respect her discipleship, with 15 mentions in their beloved Quran.  Together, during this time of great turmoil and anxiety, let us—like the college student Francis de Sales during his crisis—pray to God through the intercession of Mary, or through another favorite prayer, that we will be delivered from this coronavirus experience.

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly to you, O virgin of virgins, my mother.
To you, I come; before you, I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions,
but in your mercy, hear and answer me.  Amen.

By Rev. Kevin Nadolski, OSFS
Vice President for Mission, DeSales University

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Do Not Be Afraid: A Salesian Reflection on Anxiety amid Coronavirus

Do not let your hearts be troubled; Fear not; Do not be afraid. After love one another, do not be afraid is the next most often repeated phrase in the gospels. St. Francis de Sales says that after sin, anxiety is the next greatest evil. His point is that anxiety and fear rob us of the present moment because they cause undue worry about the future or sadness and dwelling on the past. The present moment is where we meet God and at this moment we are called to live.

It is difficult not to have fear or anxiety about the present moment with its uncertainties and the moment-to-moment changes that take place surrounding the Coronavirus. Our fears, anxieties, and uncertainties are understandable. After the crucifixion, we find the disciples in the upper room, behind locked doors, sad but also huddled and stymied by their fears. Jesus did not let them live in that condition. His first words to them were, "Peace be with you." They stayed in that upper room but more and more, Jesus gave them the courage to act even in the face of their fears. My prayer for us is that we have the same trust and courage in God's love, presence, and peace.

In this uncertain climate, consider a few things:

1. Please listen to the experts and the steps they are asking us to take. Yes, they are restrictive, but let us look to the good and health of the whole community.

2. Please pray each day for one another and all affected by the virus. The consequences are far-reaching, and we need to be attentive to how we can help one another. We begin with prayer and move to action.

3. Social distancing in our Salesian community called to Live Jesus. Six feet distances, groups of ten or fewer can lead to a sense of isolation and even loneliness. Please reach out to neighbors, especially those who are alone and reassure others of our care and concern.

4. Remain optimistic. Mark Twain wrote, "I have been through some terrible things in life, some of which actually happened."  Peace and anxiety can coexist. It is up to us to try to choose peace. When life seems to be OOC (out of control), let us try to choose to be CCC (calm, cool and collected).

May the peace of Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you and reign in your hearts. Live Jesus!

By: Rev. Matthew Hillyard, OSFS

Pastor, Our Lady of Good Council, Vienna,  Virginia

Provincial Councilor, Wilmington/Philadelphia Province

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Reflection on the Papal Encyclical “Fratelli tutti” by The Superior General of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

Pope Francis

© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk, Catholic Church England and Wales. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Source.

October 4, 2020

Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi

My dear confreres, lay colleagues, and all who experience the ministry of the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales around the world, my brothers and sisters:

On October 1, in a handwritten note to the Superiors General of religious institutes of men and women, Pope Francis wrote: “I am happy to be able to share with you the new encyclical letter “Fratelli tutti”. Its title is the exhortation of Saint Francis to follow the message of Jesus: to recognise each other as brothers and sisters and to live accordingly in the common home that the Father entrusted to us.” For the first time, the Holy Father has requested that each Superior General, in addition to the Bishops, join him in presenting the Encyclical and making it available to all the members of the Congregation, all our collaborators and associates, and all our brothers and sisters within our sphere of influence. As Italians would say, a tutti! I am honored to have been invited into the process of facilitating the reception of the Encyclical. I am equally honored, for the first time, to be able to address all of you in our Oblate world.

We Oblates, and those who work with us today, are under the influence of three men by the name of Francis—Pope Francis, Francis of Assisi, and Francis de Sales. While Pope Francis took the name of Francis of Assisi, we recognize much of our Francis in him as well. In 1616, Saint Francis de Sales published the classic, Treatise on the Love of God. It has often been remarked that he wished to compose a parallel treatise on the love of neighbor. In Fratelli Tutti, an encyclical letter “On Fraternity and Social Friendship,” Pope Francis fulfills this desire. He writes: “The following pages do not claim to offer a complete teaching on fraternal love, but rather to consider its universal scope, its openness to every man and woman. I offer this social Encyclical as a modest contribution to continued reflection, in the hope that in the face of present-day attempts to eliminate or ignore others, we may prove capable of responding with a new vision of fraternity and social friendship that will not remain at the level of words. Although I have written it from the Christian convictions that inspire and sustain me, I have sought to make this reflection an invitation to dialogue among all people of good will” (§6).

All who are familiar with Salesian spirituality will take note that the Holy Father grounds his Encyclical in what we call the virtues of Salesian hospitality and Salesian solidarity. In fact, the theme of our twentieth General Chapter (Annecy, France) in 2018 was “Fraternal Humanism: Cultivating Salesian Solidarity Among Ourselves and Within our World.” At that General Chapter we reflected on our experience of violence in society and against creation, interculturality and migration, and contemporary issues concerning youth.

Fraternal Humanism has as its goal the building of a civilization of love. Salesian Solidarity in the context of Fraternal Humanism more firmly links the thinking and actions of one Francis, our patron saint, with another Francis, our pope, across time and space.

How we cultivate Salesian Solidarity among ourselves and within our world today gets to the heart of being an Oblate. This is our essential spirituality and identity expressed in mission. Blessed Louis Brisson, our founder, insisted that we “are thus called to enter society such as it is” and to make it Christian, “by every means possible” (Chapter, 1 February 1893).

Pope Francis views hospitality as one specific way of opening ourselves, moving beyond ourselves, and encountering others. This is the foundation of social friendship, with the greatest possible danger lying in failing to love (§92). We need a universal and existential openness to expand our circle of friends, even out toward the margins of society, the result of a “conscious and careful cultivation of fraternity” (§104).

To achieve this ideal, Pope Francis calls us to solidarity, to thinking and acting in terms of community. His description of solidarity includes giving the lives of all priority over the acquisition of goods by a few, combatting the structural causes of poverty and inequality, and attending to the lack of work, land, and housing. It is more than clear that this Encyclical on fraternity and social friendship, this reflection on the love of neighbor, is by no means ethereal. It is contextualized in ever widening socio-political-financial-ecclesial-ecumenical circles and spheres of influence.

Launching from a survey of the dark clouds that currently hang over a closed world and a sustained theological reflection on the parable of the Good Samaritan, Pope Francis then envisions an open world and hearts that are open to the whole world. He calls for a better kind of politics in our societies, critiquing both populism and liberalism alike, and for a new culture, arising out of social dialogue grounded in acknowledging the other and the recovery of kindness, consensus, and truth. He encourages the world to take the path of renewed encounter in truth to deal with conflict, practice forgiveness, eschew war and the death penalty, and construct peace. He asks world religions to place themselves at the service of fraternity in our world, recognizing that religious violence only distorts our religious convictions.

I encourage all of you in your reading, reflection, and discussion of this Encyclical. It is, I believe, a hard-hitting global examination of conscience that is more than likely to provoke both inspiration and nods of approval, on the one hand, as well as pointed questions and profoundly defensive reactions, on the other. Like any good examination of conscience, it calls for the ruthless honesty of a believer before God and in relation to the neighbor—but in this instance, all neighbors, all our brothers and sisters, without exception. In his Admonitions, Saint Francis of Assisi addressed his brothers and sisters as fratelli tutti and encouraged them with counsels on how to live a Gospel-infused way of life in the world of their day and with all. Quoting the saint, Pope Francis remarks: “Of the counsels Francis offered, I would like to select the one in which he calls for a love that transcends the barriers of geography and distance, and declares blessed all those who love their brother ‘as much when he is far away from him as when he is with him’”(§1).

I conclude with A Prayer to the Creator which Pope Francis places at the end of his Encyclical:

Lord, Father of our human family, you created all human beings equal in dignity: pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit and inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter, dialogue, justice and peace. Move us to create healthier societies and a more dignified world, a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war.

May our hearts be open to all the peoples and nations of the earth. May we recognize the goodness and beauty that you have sown in each of us, and thus forge bonds of unity, common projects, and shared dreams. Amen.

My brothers and sisters, please be assured of my prayers for all of you. In this time of global pandemic—how strange it is that we are all united in this one reminder of our need to protect each other—may God keep you safe and grant you health to serve those entrusted to your care.

Live Jesus!

Most Rev. Barry R. Strong, OSFS
Superior General

Fratelli Tutti: http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html

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DeSales Weekly Editor: Fr. John (Jack) Kolodziej, OSFS

A Message from our Provincial Superior amid the Pandemic

As the weeks unfold, the covid-19 pandemic becomes larger, scarier and nearer. Most of us, in addition to the many restrictions to our daily routines of family, work and play, are deprived at this time of access to Mass and the Sacraments, especially to the “Bread of Angels,” the Holy Eucharist.  Now would be a good time to renew the practice of “spiritual communion.”  Receive Jesus into your hearts.  Reverence him there.  Speak with him, trust him, love him.  Remain with him in silence and presence, your thoughts and energies centered for a while on him alone.  These may be brief moments, but they will spread the gentle strength of their grace throughout the difficult day ahead.  The Lord is always near and always loving.  Welcome him daily into your heart and into your lives through the practice of spiritual communion. It will make all the difference.

During this time of crisis, please be assured that the Oblates are praying and offering masses daily for our families, friends and benefactors.  You have supported us over the years in our ministry and we continue to support you, most especially at this time, with our loving prayers and sacramental intentions.  

A Salesian-based Prayer during the covid-19 Crisis

Good Lord, on the Cross of Calvary you knew fear and pain.  You felt alone and deserted.  You saw the pain of your grieving Mother but could not reach down to comfort her.  You wondered where God was but trusted still.  In death, your heart was pierced, and from it flowed out new life for all the world.

We, Lord, the human family, are in a Calvary all our own at this scary time of pandemic.  We too know fear and pain and are often quite alone. We know the pain and grief of our loved ones but cannot now reach out to some of them as once we could with a kind word, a helping hand and a comforting presence.  We, too, at times wonder where God is.  But, like you, we trust still.

Through your pierced side, we see our names written on your Sacred Heart in words of lasting love, assuring us that the rhythm of the pascal mystery always ends in resurrection and new life.  To this truth we hold with all our strength. You have promised us that love is stronger than even death itself!

Too often we may have taken the Bread of Life for granted.  No more.  We miss you in our Sacraments and we promise, once this darkness has passed, to return once again to find you in them –to you who have never left us and never will! 

We find comfort in these words of St. Francis de Sales:

“Do not be afraid.  Let your weary, listless heart rest against the sacred, loving breast of this Savior who, by his providence is a father to his children, and by his gentle, tender love is a mother to them.”

Amen!

Rev. Lewis S. Fiorelli, OSFS
Provincial,
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales
Wilmington/Philadelphia Province

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DeSales Weekly Editor: Rev. John (Jack) Kolodziej, OSFS

A SALESIAN REFLECTION ON THE FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH

If I were to name the place in the Holy Land most special to Salesian spirituality, I would name, “Nazareth.”  I am sure that “Jerusalem” would have come immediately to mind for most readers.  Surely, Calvary is the place most sacred in the redeeming death of Jesus, and the tomb in Jerusalem is the holy ground from which Jesus rose in glorious triumph on Easter Sunday.  St. Francis de Sales would agree with all of that.

Still, we often tend to forget or downplay the redemptive value of the thirty years that Jesus spent in Nazareth learning about God from his parents and apprenticing the carpenter’s trade from St. Joseph.  Those “hidden” years are especially sacred to de Sales for they speak to the “ordinary” that is at the heart of Salesian spirituality.

For de Sales, those thirty hidden years are just as significant for redemption as the ministry, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.  Most people spend most of their lives in the ordinary and give and take of daily interactions with family, friends, classmates and colleagues.  Doing and embracing God’s will is the only essential thing for Francis, just as it was for Jesus: “I have come to do the will of the One who sent me.”  And the principal arena for God’s will is one’s state in life and all the ordinary and often-little things that come with living, working and interacting with others day in and day out.  Indeed, “Doing ordinary things with great love” is the secret to holiness for the Salesian family.  This is what Nazareth teaches us.

For thirty years, Jesus lived with his mother and foster father, interacting with them and with his relatives and neighbors in hundreds of ordinary ways every day.  He had ample opportunity to learn and practice the “little virtues” so celebrated by Francis: kindness, compassion, forgiveness and charity.

The parents of Jesus were his first and best teachers of the ways of God and the expectations of love’s double commandment. Mary also taught him a continual availability –her “fiat!-- to the divine will: “Let it be done to me according to your word!”  In his quiet and gentle manner, Joseph taught him to be open and responsive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as Joseph himself was in taking Mary for his wife and in fleeing to Egypt at his son’s birth.  He also taught his son the carpenter’s trade, teaching him by example how to work with his hands and, thus, to esteem and respect all those who, like him, earned their livelihood by hard work and the sweat of their brow.

We celebrate the feast of St. Joseph this week.  Jesus learned much from that large-hearted man of great faith, gentle strength and hard work.  May we learn from him as well!  Esteem your own “Nazareth,” for therein lies the secret to holiness!

By Rev. Lewis S. Fiorelli, OSFS

Provincial

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

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Transfigure Us, O Lord, to Live You!

Last Sunday was the Transfiguration Gospel of the Second Sunday in Lent. We heard God’s call to Abram and Sarai to “go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and your father’s house to a land that I will show you.”(Gen 12:1). Both readings invite us to see with faith eyes and call for trust in God and for our transfiguration to shine like the Son.

When has God’s call to see or be different meant you stepped out in trust? Have people commented: “You’re beaming,” “You look different, at peace, happy, whole?” Transfiguration Sunday and our Lenten journey are about living our baptismal commitment to “Live Jesus,” always and in all ways.

A dozen students and staff gather on campus to feed on homemade soup and the Sunday readings. One student commented this past week that it must have taken Abram’s huge trust in God to go forth and leave all that was familiar and do what God asked. He and Sarai left all, and trusted God’s promises of numerous descendants and to make Abram a blessing for all the communities of the earth, all. What is it like to trust God like that?  Did Abram and Sarai shone with God’s light like the transfigured Jesus?

Another student talked about becoming a student missionary and leaving all that was familiar to witness his faith in Jesus. Why? He hopes that his example and presence invite others into a relationship with Jesus like his. It hasn’t been easy. There have been times of doubt. But these two years of mission have been a blessing in many ways.

Another visit with students brought us to the home of a woman who wanted us to paint for her. She had others needs from our perspective, but that was what she wanted done. We try to meet people where they are on life’s journey, like Jesus did. Her dog, her companion of 14 years, died the night before. So, she asked us to bury her dog. We dug a grave, buried her canine companion, and joined her in prayer and song at the graveside. Meeting her in her needs was God’s call for us that day. Doesn’t life often invite us to find God in situations we least expect?

Each year the students I mentor, and the people we meet in service, serve us by opening our eyes to look beneath the surface of our own assumptions, presumptions, and biases. What do we see? Hopefully we see another beloved daughter or son of God.

Each Lent calls us to renew the promise we made at Baptism to see with eyes of Faith and “Live Jesus,” as St. Francis de Sales says. Mother Mary de Sales Chappuis, VHM echoes this writing, “We do that by imprinting the Gospel, word for word, concretely, in our bodies.”

When we do, we are transfigured and shine with the light of Christ.

In a time where fear often replaces fact and can make us more self-centered rather than other-centered and God-centered, listen for God’s invitation addressed to us: I will bless you. You will be a blessing to all. You put on Christ in Baptism. You are God’s beloved son, daughter. So listen, trust, and let God transfigure you and me by living Jesus and shining with Christ. May God be praised!

Paul H. Colloton, OSFS

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DeSales Weekly Editor: Rev. John (Jack) Kolodziej, OSFS

A Salesian Reflection on Coronavirus: St. Francis de Sales on Fear

As fears about the Coronavirus escalate in our country and around the world, the calming words of St. Francis de Sales keep coming to mind, “Do not be afraid.” 

Francis de Sales had a great reverence for divine Providence.  For him, God is hardly indifference or aloof from his creation, especially from us who bear his image.  Far from it.  He states, “By his providence God is a father to his children.”  A father loves, provides, protects and cares deeply for his children.  Such is God, our father.

Because of his unshakable trust in Providence, Francis often repeats the words that Jesus spoke to comfort his frightened disciples: “Do not be afraid.”  Children have all sorts of fears: “Something’s under my bed, thunder and lightning, the shadow across my window,” and so forth.  All the child needs to cast those fears aside is the reassuring presence and the comforting and soothing words of a parent, “There, there.  I am here now.  There’s nothing to be afraid of.” 

For Francis, that parent is God.  He is there to love, care, comfort and protect us even with our adult fears such as the fear of losing our job, or the fear of ill health and aging, even the fear of the timing and circumstances of our death.  Today, many of us are frightened by the new virus and its growing menace.  In all such fears, we look to God as a loving parent who speaks quietly and comforting to our heart, “Do not be afraid.  I am here.  All will be well.”

The way that a provident and caring God becomes the reality of our lives is by getting to know God –indeed, by falling in love with God.  Then, words of his loving and caring Providence will no longer simply be words on a page, but reality itself.  Such a love casts out all fear.

We are in the Season of Lent.  This new virus colors this Lent. So, spend some quality time getting to know God.  For, to know him is to love him and, in loving him, to no longer be afraid, “I am here now.  All will be well.”

Rev. Lewis S. Fiorelli, OSFS

Provincial

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DeSales Weekly Editor: Rev. John (Jack) Kolodziej, OSFS

St. Francis de Sales on Fasting During Lent

The book, “Sermons of St. Francis de Sales For Lent,” gives us twelve sermons by DeSales on key aspects of the Christian life given during Lent in 1622.  The topics include fasting, how to resist temptation, the danger of losing one's soul, living faith vs. dead or dying faith, Christian attitude toward death, proper conduct in illness, God's special providence toward those living a spiritual life, the hidden meanings of Our Lord's Passion, eternal happiness, mutual charity, and many other topics. 

If you are interested in obtaining this book, click here: https://embracedbygod.org/product/sermons-for-lent/

St Francis de Sales’ sermons during Lent 1622 begin with his discourse on fasting during Lent. 

“I thought of speaking to you of the conditions which render fasting good and meritorious. Understand that of itself fasting is not a virtue. It is a virtue only when it is accompanied by conditions which render it pleasing to God.

We find some people who think that to fast well during the holy season of Lent it is enough to abstain from eating some prohibited food. We know very well that it is not enough to fast exteriorly if we do not also fast interiorly, and if we do not accompany the fast of the body with that of the spirit.

Now among all the conditions required for fasting well, I will select 3 principal ones...

The first condition is that we must fast with our whole heart, willingly, wholeheartedly, universally and entirely.

The second condition is never to fast through vanity but always through humility.

The third condition necessary for fasting well is to look to God and to do everything to please Him, withdrawing within ourselves in imitation of a great saint, St. Gregory the Great who withdrew into a secret place where he remained for a time.”

Three hundred and ninety-eight years later we can still learn from Francis as we work to create a rich and meaningful Lenten experience for ourselves.

Source:        Sermons of St. Francis de Sales For Lent

“Sermon for Ash Wednesday” - February 9, 1622

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DeSales Weekly Editor: Rev. John (Jack) Kolodziej, OSFS

Mardi Gras: St. Francis de Sales on pre-Lent Preparation

As Catholic Christianity spread throughout Europe, different cultures celebrated the time before Lent in their own ways, adapting practices to suit their cultures. In France, the day before Ash Wednesday became particularly popular as people feasted on foods that would be given up during the forty days of Lent. Meats, eggs, and milk were finished off in one day, giving the holiday its French title of “Mardi Gras”, which literally translates as “Fat Tuesday.”

In the time of Francis de Sales, the great French saint, the intent of Mardi Gras was to indulge. However, he surely would have reminded his flock, in the words of one his famous maxims, “All good things in moderation.”  DeSales taught, as can be read in the book, “Sermons of St. Francis de Sales on Lent,” about the importance of properly preparing our hearts for this holy season.

For many, Lent focuses on external symbols and acts, such as being marked with ashes and the external mortifications of “giving up” things. St. Francis de Sales places attention on the internal transformations of the heart during Lent.  His writings and sermons often relied upon metaphors to express a deeper spiritual teaching. In this case of a marked internal transformation of the heart, he used the image of an almond tree as understood in botany during the early periods of the Renaissance.

“Men engaged in horticulture tell us that if a word is written on a sound almond seed and it is placed again its shell, carefully wrapped up and planted, whatever fruit the tree bears will have that same written word stamped on it. For myself…I cannot approve the methods of those who try to reform a person by beginning with external things, such as bearings, dress, or hair. On the contrary, it seems to me that we should begin inside. ‘Be converted to me with your whole heart,’ God said. ‘My child, give me your heart.’  Since the heart is the source of actions, as the heart is, so are they…

For this reason, I have wished above all else to engrave and inscribe on your heart this holy, sacred maxim, LIVE JESUS! I am sure that your life, which comes from the heart just as the almond tree comes from its seed, will after that produce all its actions — which are its fruits — inscribed and engraved with this sacred word of salvation.”

Although we may enjoy the celebratory spirit of Mardi Gras, let us also use these few remaining days of pre-Lent to prepare properly.  With the inspiration and guidance of St. Francis de Sales, may we ready our hearts for the interior transformation we are called to as God’s children. 

God be praised!

Fr. Steve Shott, OSFS

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Saint Valentin’s Day: A Salesian Reflection on Love

The bishop stood before the 36 young confirmandi about to receive the sacrament of confirmation. Everyone was quiet as they gazed at the bishop looking upon them. He pointed at the tabernacle and began: “Do you see that flame flickering near the tabernacle?”

Everyone turned to look at the candle burning a bright red near the tabernacle.  He continued, “It’s quivering flame reminds us that Jesus is present in this Church. Whenever we come into this church, day or night, we will see that candle burning. Its constant flame tells everyone Jesus is here,” he said.

Then with staff in hand, the Bishop continued, “During your confirmation the Holy Spirit will light a flame in your hearts.  It’s your reminder that Jesus is constantly there too!”

Pausing, the Bishop said, “And its flame shows you that Jesus sees you, knows who you are, and loves you. The quiet, flickering, and ever-burning flame is there to remind you that Jesus is near. We never have to fear loneliness or know the panic of being all alone.” The Bishop added, “The Holy Spirit’s special task is keeping the warmth of Jesus’ love safeguarding and protecting everyone who follows Jesus.”

What a powerful image of the Holy Spirit!  To keep alive in the heart of believers this amazing promise, Jesus, the son of God and Messiah, is always traveling with us through each day.

Jesus is next to us when days are bright and sunny, and behind the dark clouds when nights are somber and slow.  The burning flame shows Jesus as our true best friend forever who is always unfailingly close.

Saint Francis de Sales knew the warmth of the Holy Spirit’s flame when he wrote: When did God’s love for you begin? It began when God began to be God-which God has always been. So also, God has loved you from all eternity. Saying “I have loved you with and everlasting love,” Ps 103.

Happy Saint Valentine’s Day.

Rev. Richard DeLillio, OSFS

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DeSales Weekly Editor:: Rev. John (Jack) Kolodziej, OSFS

Spiritual Light in the Darkness of Winter

Some of us find that February and March to be long months. There is still too much cold and wind, still too much darkness, and not enough spring beauty. There are those who refer to these as nesting months: spending time inside the walls of home, school, and work and hopefully inside the walls of our hearts.

I would like us to begin some late winter and early spring spiritual cleaning as we navigate these uncertain days of wind chill, wintry mixes, and unseasonable warmth.

Here are some considerations:

1. Uncertainty and doubt are not necessarily spiritual weaknesses but often spiritual invitations to a deeper faith. Live the questions, doubts, and uncertainties.

2. In dark moments, we do not always receive neon clarity, but frequently we get just the light needed for the next step or two.

3. Barren trees are beautiful. When I run through Wildwood Park these days, I can see the raw beauty of nature and its expanse. There is little to block the wider view. Spring brings an abundance of green, flowering colors and beauty but also with limited and a more focused range of vision.

4. Nesting is a gift. Wintry mixes and snowfalls take us out of our comfort zone and routine to show us that we are not ultimately in charge. Do not panic but enjoy the unexpected gift of a day off or a two-hour delay. How many rolls of toilet paper or gallons of milk do we really need to make it through that unplanned for day?

5. Wind is my winter adversary. Cold does not stop me, but a certain wind speed will deflate my courageous spirit to go out and run. I am not proud to say that it can win too easily. What are our adversaries that deflate the wind of our spiritual sails?

6. The fluctuating temperatures of this season can remind us of the changes of our hearts. Warm, tender, loving, giving, but also, cold, calculating, unforgiving are all possible moments that beat from this life-giving organ. What life do we want to pulsate from within us?

7. In the Scriptures, seven is the whole number. This season is only part of the fabric of the changes that take place each year. Hopefully, these changes ask us to look at each day and each season to remind us of the importance of living each day and moment wholly and with all the love and devotion we can bring forth from our loving hearts.

Live Jesus!

Fr. Matt Hillyard, OSFS

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Salesian Reflection of Feast of the Presentation: Keep This Light Burning Brightly

Sunday is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Forty days after Christmas Jesus was presented to the Lord in the Temple. Simeon meets Mary, Joseph, and Jesus and says that the child Jesus is: “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” (Lk 2:32) This Feast is also called Candlemas and Church tradition has us begin Mass by blessing candles and processing with them.

When we were baptized, a light was taken from the Paschal Candle and presented to us or to our parents and godparents, if we were too young to hold a candle safely. The Deacon or Priest said:

“Receive the Light of Christ. Parents and godparents, this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. These children of yours have been enlightened by Christ. They are to walk always as children of the light. May they keep the flame of faith alive in their hearts. When the Lord comes, may they go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom.” (Rite of Baptism for Children, n.127)

The Light of Christ is entrusted to us to keep burning brightly alive in our hearts. How are you doing with that? Is the Light of Christ seen in you? Is it on full power or faintly burning? Wherever we fall in the spectrum, the Light of Christ remains in us.

Last Sunday, we heard in the prophet Isaiah: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, a light has shone” (Is. 9:1). When quoted in the Gospel we heard: “The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.” (Mt. 4:16).

Notice the bolded verbs in the quote from Isaiah are in the past tense: “walked” and “dwelt.” The bolded verbs in Matthew’s Gospel are in the present tense, “sit” and “dwelling.” While the Light of Christ will not be overshadowed, we heard at Christmas there is still darkness that needs Christ’s light: there is a darkness in ourselves, our families, our Church, our nation, and our world. Yet, the Good News of Christmas, The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time A, and The Presentation of the Lord, is that we have a light that will guide us through any situation and empower us to be the Light of Christ for our world.

In 12-step programs people can sometimes feel sorry for themselves and sit on the proverbial pity pot. The wisdom of the program is the wisdom of these feasts and readings. They tell us to “Get up off of your pity pot and look out.” In other words, raise your heads and your eyes. See that there are people suffering more than you who need the Light. St. Francis de Sales offers similar advice: “Our imperfections are going to accompany us to the grave. Do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage.”

Our imperfections and darkness are always with us. These are gifts to us because they can lead us to renew God’s merciful Christ-Light if we rise up with fresh courage. We are sinners, whether our sin is big or small. None of us is perfect. Yet, as a friend of mine recently said to his son who was contemplating suicide, “God is good and so are we.” We are made in the Divine image; thus, we are God’s love made real and visible. God dwells in us.

When we are tempted to think, “I’m a schmuck, unworthy, unlovable, and/or unforgivable,” we must remember that God dwells in us. Look up and see the darkness around you, see where you can be the Light of Christ for others.  Look to those who can be light for you and, turn to the Light of Christ in them.

As we prepare to celebrate Candlemas on Sunday, remember that we have received the Light of Christ. We are living candles when we “Live+Jesus,” we become the light of God’s merciful love alive and real today. God is good and so are we. When we’ve been in darkness that goodness shines brighter, if we turn to the Light and live it.

May God be praised.

Paul H. Colloton, OSFS

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DeSales Weekly Editor: : Rev. John (Jack) Kolodziej, OSFS