Start:Stop-Start your day the Salesian way

The Sun, Edvard Munch, 1910-1911

Good morning and welcome to Start Stop. This time of year is one of new beginnings for many - back to school or university, or back to work after the holidays. For some this is an exciting time, but for others it can be daunting. It is all to easy to become distracted from the present moment and spend time worrying about the future - to wince at the number of unopened emails or feel anxious about the size of our seemingly never-shrinking to-do lists - and Christmas is only around the corner! How! are we going to fit it all in? How! will we cope?

St Francis de Sales, who was Bishop of Geneva in the early 1600’s is the patron saint of writers and journalists but is known colloquially in some quarters as the patron saint of to-do lists. His spiritual writings were, unusually for the time, written in simple language for the benefit of the lay people in his diocese, to support them as they sought to live faithfully and prayerfully as Christians without the support of a monastic community.  Knowing his flock were time-poor, St Francis encouraged the use of short bible readings to help focus devotion to God during the activities of the day. In this tradition, our text this morning is just two verses from Lamentations;

Bible Reading - Lamentations 3.22-23

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

Reflection

These are the solitary words of hope set in the centre of some of the most hope-less text in the bible. The five poems of complaint or lament, which together form the Book of Lamentations, are thought to have been written after the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon's Temple by the Babylonians in 587BC. Some have suggested that the text was composed for use by mourners as part of a liturgy while standing around the ruins of the temple. Here, in these few words found at the heart of deepest desolation, we find the answer to the cry "How!" - the Hebrew word for which gives the book it's name. “How” will we cope?

You may recognise the answer as the refrain of that wonderful hymn 'Great is thy faithfulness." The words remind us that God's merciful loving kindness endures forever  - but also that, like the manna in the wilderness that sustained the Israelites in exile, it is renewed every morning - this is our 'daily' bread. We don't have to be anxious about how we will be able to cope tomorrow, because what we need for today is given to us by God today. "All I have needed Thy hand hath provided" - as the hymn reminds us. 

As anyone who has ever gotten out of the wrong side of the bed will tell you, how we start the day matters not only to us but to those around us. For Francis de Sales, each new day provides a new opportunity to grow in holiness. Through his writings, Francis helps us to see God in all things, to transform the mundane into the spiritual. According to Fr Thomas Dailey of De Sales University, for Francis, the "simple act of getting out of bed represents.....the profound reality of the resurrection and that gift of life beyond death to which we are ultimately called."

To help us to see each new day as a mini resurrection, Francis suggests bringing to mind one or two brief lines from scripture. Directing our first thoughts to God as soon as we wake, rather than feeling annoyed when we are woken up by the alarm clock, sets us on the right track - helping us to keep God in mind throughout the day; but the words we choose matter less than the intention in which they are said. In his 'Introduction to the Devout Life' - written specifically for lay people rather than those living in religious communities, Francis explains that this intention is everything; "If our mind...habituates itself to intimacy, privacy and familiarity with God, it will be completely perfumed by his perfections." When we are perfumed by God's perfections we not only receive pleasure in the smell of the perfume but spread the scent among others we come into contact with. This is more than cheap pop psychology; it is a way of learning to live a devout life - to recognise that each moment of every day is sacred, in which we are called to live fully - not to live in the past or worry about the future.

The writings of Francis de Sales offer a practical spirituality, rooted in the real world and lived by Francis himself. After ordination in 1593, during the period of the counter reformation, he was sent to the Chablais region of the Savoy to persuade those who had turned to Calvinism to return to the Catholic church. Every day for four years doors were slammed in his face and he frequently celebrated mass in empty churches, pushing copies of his sermons under closed doors. Nobody responded to his call. But, trusting in the great faithfulness of God, each day he persevered. Things are said to have changed when he began speaking to children, who attracted their parents to listen to him. Francis and his 'everyday spirituality' became hugely popular and he began offering spiritual direction, mainly to wealthy ladies of the area. One of these, Jane Francis de Chantal became a close spiritual companion with whom he corresponded and who later edited many of his writings for publication. 

Living each day to the full doesn’t negate our need to plan ahead. In the 'Spiritual Directory' written by Francis and edited by Jane, we find advice for managing our “to-do” lists in a devout way. After rising and devoting the day to God, we are encouraged to "preview or conjecture all that could happen during the course of the day. Thus, with the grace of Our Lord, we will wisely and prudently anticipate occasions which could take us by surprise." In reviewing our diary or to do list for the day ahead, we are asked not only to consider what has to be done but how we might do it - where we may find opportunities to share the love of God through our everyday encounters and to anticipate situations where we may struggle to act in a manner pleasing to Him. Perhaps we may meet with someone who we find difficult to deal with, or a situation which is likely to trigger the worst in us. The aim is not to get caught up in worrying about these situations but to recognise them ahead of time so that we are not caught off-guard when and if they occur. Next, we are encouraged to "resolve firmly" to live according to God's will - turning this spiritual to-do list into reality.

Recognising the busy lives of those living in his diocese, Francis says we should not be ashamed of conducting this morning meditation briefly as we are getting dressed before breakfast; what matters is our intention in doing it. His writings, like the wisdom at the heart of the Book of Lamentations, help us to remember that it is our daily bread, God's loving kindness, in which we find the answer to our cry of How! we can cope with the challenge of living each day in a manner pleasing to Him.

Meditation 

During a brief period of silence before our closing prayers, perhaps we might meditate on the "the direction of intentions" said by many followers of St Francis de Sales at the beginning of each day: 

My God, I give you this day. I offer You, now all the good that I shall do and promise to accept, for love of You, all the difficulties that I shall meet. Help me to conduct myself this day in a manner pleasing to You.

Prayers

In our prayers the response to : Lord, your merciful loving kindness is renewed every morning is; help us to live today in a manner pleasing to you.

Lord, your merciful loving kindness is renewed every morning; 

Help us to live today in a manner pleasing to you.

God our hope and strength,
May our intention this day and every day be always to live according to your will.
As we look forward to the activities of the day ahead, help us to recognize how we might share the perfume of your perfection through our encounters with others; in a smile, a word of encouragement, an act of charity.

Lord, your merciful loving kindness is renewed every morning; 

Help us to live today in a manner pleasing to you.

God our hope and strength,

Guide us by your grace, as we notice moments in the day ahead when we may find it difficult to live devoutly; in tense meetings; challenging or mundane tasks.

Forgive us when we fail to follow your path for us.

Lord, your merciful loving kindness is renewed every morning; 

Help us to live today in a manner pleasing to you.

God our hope and strength,

At this time of new beginnings, let us not fear what may happen tomorrow,

For your love for us never ceases and you care for us every day.

In the midst of anxiety and despair, you will shield us from suffering or give us strength to bear it.

Lord, your merciful loving kindness is renewed every morning; 

Help us to live today in a manner pleasing to you.

Blessing 

Trust in God

Let nothing disturb you,

let nothing frighten you;

All things pass:

God never changes.

Patience achieves

all it strives for.

He who has God

finds he lacks nothing, 

God alone suffices.

(Teresa of Avila)

And may the Blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be among us and remain with us this day and always. 

Thank you for joining us for Start Stop today. Our regular events and services are beginning again after the summer break, with our Tuesday lunchtime concerts resuming this lunchtime and Choral Classics returning next Monday at 1pm. I hope your day and week ahead is perfumed with the love of God. This reflection will begin again in a few minutes.


Links
The Spiritual Directory - Francis de Sales edited by Jane de Chantal
Introduction to the Devout Life - Francis de Sales