[Rank]
S. Francisci Salesii Episcopi Confessoris et Ecclesiae Doctoris;;Duplex;;3;;vide C4a

[Name]
Francis

[Rule]
vide C4a;mtv
9 lectiones

[Oratio]
O God, Who didst will that thy Blessed Confessor and Bishop Francis should~
become all things to all men, mercifully grant unto us, that we being filled~
with the sweetness of thy heavenly love, may so take to ourselves his~
admonitions and be succoured by his prayers, that in the end we may with him~
attain unto thine everlasting joy.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio4]
Francis was born of godly and noble parents, in the town of Sales, from which~
his family take their name of de Sales, (upon the 21st day of August, in the~
year of our Lord 1567.) In his childish years his staid and godly demeanour gave~
promise of his future sanctity. He received a liberal education as he grew up,~
and afterwards studied Philosophy and Theology at Paris. In order to the~
complete furnishing of his mind, he took the degree of Doctor of Laws, both~
Civil and Ecclesiastical, at Padua, with much distinction. He had already bound~
himself with a vow of perpetual virginity at Paris, and he renewed the same in~
the Holy House of Loreto. From this path of virtue, neither the temptations of~
the devil nor the allurements of the world ever induced him
to

[Lectio5]
He refused to be made Counsellor of the Parliament of Chambery, for which his~
family had obtained for him patents from the Duke of Savoy, and determined to~
become a clergyman. He was appointed to the Provostship of the Church of Geneva,~
and, being shortly afterwards ordained Priest, discharged so admirably the~
duties of his position, that he was sent by Granier, his Bishop, to preach the~
word of God in Chablais, and other places in the outskirts of the diocese, where~
the inhabitants had embraced the heresy of Calvin. He joyfully undertook this~
mission, in which he suffered much, being often hunted by the Protestants to~
murder him, and assailed by many calumnies and plots. Amid all these dangers and~
struggles his constancy remained invincible, and under the blessing and care of~
God he is said to have recalled seventy-two thousand of these heretics to the~
Faith of Christ's Universal Church, among whom were many distinguished by rank~
and learning.

[Lectio6]
After the death of Bishop Granier, who had procured his appointment as Coadjutor,~
he was consecrated Bishop, (upon the 3rd day of December, 1602.) In that office~
he was truly a burning and a shining light, showing all around a bright example~
of godliness, zeal for the discipline of the Church, ardent love of peace,~
tenderness to the poor, and, indeed, of all graces. For the greater ornament of~
God's worship he established a new Order of Nuns, which is named from the~
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin. These nuns follow the Rule of St. Augustine, but~
Francis added thereto several additional constitutions distinguished by wisdom,~
prudence, and tenderness. He enlightened the Church by writings full of~
heavenly teaching, and pointing out a safe and simple road to Christian~
perfection. In the 55th year of his age, while on his way from France to Annecy,~
after saying mass at Lyons on the Feast of St. John the Evangelist, he was seized~
with fatal illness, and on the next day passed from earth to heaven, in the year~
of our Lord 1622. His body was carried to Annecy and honourably buried in the~
Church of the nuns of the Visitation, where it soon began to be distinguished~
for miracles. The truth of these having been proved, the Supreme Pontiff,~
Alexander VI L, enrolled his name among those of the Saints, and appointed for~
his Feast-day the 29th of January. And the Supreme Pontiff, Pius IX., on the~
advice of the Congregation of Sacred Rites, declared him a Doctor of the~
Universal Church.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
!Matt 5:13-19
At that time: Jesus said unto his disciples: Ye are the salt of the earth: But if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? And so on, and that which followeth.
_
A Homily by St. Augustine the Bishop
!Lib. 1 de Sermóne Dómini in monte, cap. 6
The Lord would have us understand how that men do lose their power of savouring others with righteousness when they are willing to place their eternal welfare in jeopardy for the sake of any témporal advantage, like as attainment of ease or luxury, or escape from suffering or toil. For that which is eternal, unlike things of this world, can neither be bestowed by men, nor by them taken away. Hence, when he asketh: If the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? he would have us understand the question to be: If ye, by whom mankind is preserved from corruption, be willing to lose the kingdom of heaven so as to escape trials or persecutions in this world, who is there to preserve you from corruption, seeing ye are they that God hath chosen to preserve all others from corruption?

[Lectio8]
Those that should be the salt of the earth, but have lost their savour, are thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. But no one that suffereth persecution is truly said to be trodden under foot of men. Rather than one is truly trodden under foot of men who through fear of persecution hath lost the savour of righteousness. For no one can be trodden upon, unless he be beneath him which treadeth upon him. And certainly no one who hath his heart in heaven, no matter how grievously he doth suffer in his body on earth, is rightly said to be beneath anyone who misuseth him.

[Lectio9]
Ye are the light of the world. And we are to understand the word World in the same sense as the word Earth when he spoke above of the salt of the earth, that is, not that earth whereupon we walk with our bodily feet, but the men which dwell upon the earth; in other words, sinners, for the sweetening and correction of whose corruption, the Lord hath sent his Apostles, as it were, as so much salt. And so by the world we are to understand, not the heaven and the earth, but the men who are in the world and love the world, for the enlightening of whom the Apostles have been sent. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid: that is, what is founded upon the heights of righteousness, whereof the mountain upon which the Lord gave this discourse was itself a figure, is magnificent in the eyes of all men.

[Lectio94]
Francis was born of devout and noble parents in the town of Sales, from which~
his family took its name. He was given a liberal education, devoted himself to~
the study of philosophy and theology at Paris and gained the degree of Doctor in~
civil and canon law at Padua. When he had been ordained priest and made provost~
of the church of Geneva, he carried out the duties of his office so well that~
Bishop de Granier sent him to preach the word of God in Chablais in order to win~
the inhabitants away from the heresy of Calvin. He undertook this mission with~
such great zeal and overcame so many dangers with the help of God that he is~
said to have brought back to the Catholic faith some seventy-two thousand~
heretics. When de Granier died, Francis was consecrated bishop. He founded a new~
order of nuns, named for the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin, and enlightened~
the Church with writings filled with heavenly teaching. At Lyon, he was seized~
by a grave illness and departed to heaven in the year 1622. He was declared a~
Doctor of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX.
&teDeum