Model for Francis de Sales

The Collect today in the celebration of the liturgy for which the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary are chosen gathers our prayers to petition God for His charity as we live in service of His people inspired by the example of St Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church. The preaching of St. Francis de Sales, at the time of the Reformation, put the orthodox message of Rome in words that attracted thoughtful consideration by people on both sides of the debate. He is credited with a maxim that “to speak well we need only love well”. The texts from Hebrews and the Gospel of Mark are illuminated by Friar Jude Winkler as skillfully crafted to have the greatest impact on their audiences. The Book of Hebrews, written to a Jewish Christian audience, uses rabbinic techniques of comparison and exaggeration to reveal the relationship to which we are invited to live with God through the perfect, selfless and once for all priesthood of Jesus. The Gospel of Mark written in Rome, likely after the martyrdom of Peter, is intended to be read aloud. The structure and message proclaim infrequently, for emphasis, that Jesus is Son of God. This revelation is recognized by spiritual beings and pagans. These witnesses, according to Friar Jude, are not using this phrase as Jewish practice which would apply it to heroes and kings but as Roman pagans would to indicate a family relationship with the Divine. Mark recounts the episodes of Jesus ministry which drew crowds as He brought healing and restoration to people with the energy, selflessness and urgency which would inspire modelling by followers like St Francis de Sales.