Today is the memorial of St. Francis de Sales, truly one of my favorite saints. Bishop of Geneva at a time during which the Calvinists were firmly in control, he ministered to his flock nonetheless, sometimes by stealth. A greatly-admired preacher and spiritual director for religious and lay, alike, but particularly the laity. A man who could clearly see the gifts in all, no matter what their state in life, no matter what their gender – he was particularly close friends with St. Jane de Chantal, and the fruit of their friendship is some remarkable letters, as well as a religious community. He’s the patron saint of writers!

When God the Creator made all things, he commanded the plants to bring forth fruit each according to its own kind; he has likewise commanded Christians, who are the living plants of his Church, to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each one in accord with his character, his station and his calling.
I say that devotion must be practised in different ways by the nobleman and by the working man, by the servant and by the prince, by the widow, by the unmarried girl and by the married woman. But even this distinction is not sufficient; for the practice of devotion must be adapted to the strength, to the occupation and to the duties of each one in particular.

So many people are struggling with their faith these days. The scandals and failures of the institution threaten to destroy their trust. What to believe? Where is Christ to be found in all of this?

The same places He always has, of course: in the complex beauty of the world he’s made, in the midst of your own life, in your encounters with him through prayer, in the Scriptures, in the sacramental and devotional life of the Church, in the breadth and width of the mystery of Tradition.

The actions of church employees, hierarchs, and minions tell us much, mostly about human nature, truth be told, but as a whole, they tell us nothing about the core of our faith, except that some people live it out and some people don’t, and some people use it as a cover for evil. They tell us that reform is always needed, at some level, all the time, and that we can never get complacent. Same story. Same awful mysterious story, but not a new one.

If you focus on the institution – that is, the hierarchy or even parish staff as your framework for thinking about faith, as your primary touchpoint with your faith, you are setting yourself up for despair. Think about this: imagine that you were a bishop. Even if you were a good one, would you want people using your life and decisions as the basis for their faith? Of course not, and the better bishop you were, in fact, the more you would turn people away from yourself and to Christ.

Which is, of course, exactly what St. Francis de Sales – a bishop – did.

If you haven’t already, consider reading The Introduction to the Devout Life.. It’s wonderful, and an invaluable companion for those serious about deepening their relationship with Christ.