Dear Friends, Dear Sisters,
While preparing for our April council meeting, I noticed that there are certain groups where there are no associates to take over as group directress. Certainly some of you fear a commitment to this responsibility or do not feel up to the task. Surely there is the fact of getting older, sickness or care-taking, fatigue, work, diminishing numbers in some groups, as well as many other reasons. Seeing a group diminishing may lead us to think, “I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for nothing.” (Is 49:4) No one is free from this temptation, but we can all ask for the Lord’s help. Later, this text says, “And now the Lord says, He who formed me in the womb to be his servant … I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength.” (Is 49:5) Do not forget this: He called us to enter into this Salesian family. He gave us a companion, friends, a rule of life, a formation in the school of St. Francis de Sales – everything necessary for our life with Him and others. Thus, let us ask Him, “Lord, give me the strength to serve You in my spiritual family, give me the courage to commit myself.”
The Lord’s strength came to the disciples at Pentecost, as He had promised, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Ac 1:8) This is the power to witness Jesus dead and resurrected and the power to tell everyone about God’s love for each of us. Isn’t this our mission as baptized Christians and Salesians?
Thus it is not surprising that the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of Jesus, holds such an important place in our Society of the Daughters of St. Francis de Sales. In the Acts, the Holy Spirit is the true initiator of the apostolic mission, like He was in the same way for Jesus’ mission. Communicated to Jesus and spread by Him, Jesus received the Holy Spirit at His Baptism with the name Jesus; the Holy Spirit comes principally as a witness; He intervenes directly in the Apostles’ mission to the pagans and directs the Apostles’ work. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they disperse to proclaim the Good News to everyone.
Didn’t our founders very soon realize that it was necessary to leave “Mme Carré’s living room” to reach pagan women? Some Daughters of St. Francis de Sales left everything for far away missions, like Felicie Gros, known as Mother Mary Gertrude. Our founders’ intuition led to the creation of the Salesian Missionaries of Immaculate Mary, (SMMI), our spiritual sisters. Their presence led to many vocations among the Daughters. Caroline Carré’s work in France brought about groups of Daughters in France and also beyond France’s borders. Some of these groups still exist thanks to the work of all the Daughters who, even now, assure their existence and I would like to honor them here. Do not think that the women who founded the society did not face problems and did not sometimes become discouraged.
The probation on Mme Carré, which we studied last year, explains how she struggled to establish a balance between her duty of state with a demanding husband and her responsibility as general directress of the society. All these worries were confided in prayer to the Lord, and there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit was at work.
Thus, since the apostolate is our mission, the founders put our society under the aegis of the Holy Spirit. Prayers to the Holy Spirit are a tradition of our spiritual family and the invocation, “Spirit of Jesus, come into our hearts” concludes our daily prayer. I hope this invocation does not make us doubt His presence in us, who are, as St. Paul reminds us, temples of the Spirit. But rather that by saying it, we realize that He lives in us and works in us. Do not resist His inspirations and, like the Apostles at Pentecost, do not be afraid to reach out to those who are searching to respond to God’s love. We have a beautiful spirituality to offer that gives us the joy of an intimate union with God. When we give a gift, we make an effort to wrap it beautifully to make it look attractive; to make the receiver want to open it to see what’s inside. Sometimes the one receiving the gift takes time unwrapping it, like a child who wants to play with the bow. In any case, what is important is the pleasure offered.
I think we have an inestimable treasure to offer our contemporaries that is worthy of a beautiful presentation. Our Society of the Daughters of St. Francis de Sales, your group, your community are this presentation! It is the responsibility of each member to create a place of friendship, formation and sharing. Part of this presentation is the paperwork … that is what chafes us on our way, and, let us not forget, this is what will draw attention during the first days. The paperwork presents a more delicate situation than the presentation, but it is only there for a moment, for a season. Someday we will change it, but we must choose that moment well, because it is one of the first things we notice. The internet sites which are brought up-to-date daily, the meetings of the groups of Friends of St. Francis de Sales, which are more relaxed, the Salesian weekends, the Days of Recollection around a chosen theme – all these constitute the beautiful wrapping paper of our treasure. Neglect nothing, create everything. However, this gift can only be given if there is someone to prepare it and offer it in a gesture of friendship and love. And this someone is each one of us, that is why you are priceless in God’s eyes. The Lord needs you in the heart of our society; answer Him with confidence. I thank you in advance.
We must lift up our hearts to God and pursue His holy enterprise, entrusting and supported by Our Lord, because He can give us all we need to do our work, asking from us nothing but our consent and loyalty. (St. Francis de Sales, EA XXI, p. 188)
Happy Pentecost.
Spirit of Jesus, come into our souls!
Danielle Regnier, General Directress
St. Francis de Sales Association
