Corpus Christi Blog

Overcoming Sin: Part One

01-29-2017Weekly ReflectionFr. Chad King

The Feast of St. Francis de Sales was this past Tuesday, January 24th. The most notable of Francis de Sales' writings is Introduction to the Devout Life — a guide to holiness written for lay people in 1609. Ralph Martin's book, Fulfillment of All Desire, gives excerpts from Francis and other Saints to inspire us to grow in the Spiritual life. For the next several weeks, this bulletin letter will feature a series about "Overcoming Sin" from Fulfillment of All Desire.

Spirituality for Lay people: The "Devout Life"

Francis states his purpose very clearly: Almost all those who have hitherto written about devotion have been concerned with instructing persons wholly withdrawn from the world or have at least taught a kind of devotion that leads to such complete retirement. My purpose is to instruct those who live in town, within families, or at court, and by their state of life are obliged to live an ordinary life as to outward appearances.

What does Francis mean by devotion? In effect, when he speaks about the "devout " life he is speaking about the fervent, committed life, a life ordered towards growing in holiness. Let's consider his definitions. First, he takes pains to show what true devotion is not. He is concerned that popular understandings of the devout life contain many distortions, and even promote false spirituality. Everyone paints devotion according to his own passions and fancies. A man given to fasting thinks himself very devout if he fasts, although his heart may be filled with hatred. Much concerned with sobriety, he doesn't dare to wet his tongue with wine or even water but won't hesitate to drink deep of his neighbor's blood by detraction and calumny. Another man thinks himself devout because he daily recites a vast number of prayers, but after saying them he utters the most disagreeable, arrogant and harmful words at home and among the neighbors. Francis goes on to describe how someone else may give money to the poor but not forgive his enemies. Or another may forgive his enemies but not pay his bills unless compelled to do so by law. The point he's making is that "devotion" or holiness doesn't consist primarily in external practices of piety but in a heart transformed in love and justice.

Bernard of Clarvioux was similarly aware that the outward appearances of devotion can hide inward disorder, even in the life of religious orders. We do sometimes hear men who have committed themselves to religious life and wear the religious habit, shamelessly boasting as they recall their past misdeeds: the duels they fought, their cunning in literary debate or other kinds of vain display… Some recount past vices as though to express sorrow and repentance for them, but their minds thrill with a secret pleasure...about how, even after receiving the holy habit, they craftily outwitted their neighbor, how they cheated a brother in a business deal (1 Thess. 4: 6), how they recklessly retaliated on those who insulted or reproached them, returning evil for evil, a curse for a curse (1 Pt. 3: 9).

Francis insists that true devotion must touch every area of our life. True devotion is not just a matter of spiritual practices but of bringing all our life under the lordship of Christ. Francis is known for his slogan: "Live, Jesus! Live, Jesus!" What he means by this is an invitation to Jesus to "live and reign in our hearts forever and ever."

As we will see later on, the Scripture, and all our writers, make clear that true spirituality or devotion is characterized by both love of God and love of neighbor. The two cannot be separated without serious distortion. One of the greatest challenges facing the Church today, as Vatican Council II pointed out, is the split between faith and daily life. Or, as Pope Paul VI put it, the split between faith and culture.

After establishing what true devotion is not, Francis gives his own unique definition. When it [divine love] has reached a degree of perfection at which it not only makes us do good but also do this carefully, frequently, and promptly, it is called devotion… In short, devotion is simply that spiritual agility and vivacity by which charity works in us or by aid of which we work quickly and lovingly… He must have great ardor and readiness in performing charitable actions. …It arouses us to do quickly and lovingly as many good works as possible, both those commanded and those merely counseled or inspired… Like a man in sound health he not only walks but runs and leaps forward "on the way of God's commandments" (Ps. 119: 32).

Furthermore, he moves and runs in the paths of his heavenly counsels and inspirations. In other words, for Francis, to live the devout life is to reach the point in our love for God and neighbor that we eagerly ("carefully, frequently, and promptly") desire to do His will in all the various ways in which it is communicated to us: in the duties of our state in life, in the objective teaching of God's Word, in opportunities and occasions presented to us, in response to interior inspirations.

Francis is well aware that reaching this level of devotion is no small thing, and so proceeds to give instruction about how to make progress on the spiritual journey in order to reach this point. ...Turning from sin is a very important part of the process. As the psalm puts it: Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully. (Ps. 24: 3–4)

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