devotion

2 Samuel 6:12-19; Ps 24 Who is the king of glory? it is the Lord; Mark 3:31-35

Today is the feast of Francis de Sales, the doctor of devotion.

He made continued effort to get people to understand that they could be devout no matter their state of life. God's holiness was for them, where they were. Each life had a duty to grow in perfection.

It is not unlike the words of Jesus in today's gospel, "For whoever does the will of GOd is my brother and sister and mother."

This line is at the heart of the devout life.

It was Francis de sales who noted that many people did exterior acts of devotion but were far from devout in their life. People put on devotional acts like clothes but never let it penetrate and change them. It is like putting lipstick on a pig, it remains a pig.

HE encouraged people to go deeper, to truly reach for perfection in their temperament.
HE mentioned that many people put on acts of devotion like clothing, it is merely an external dressing up but the inside remains the same. IT is like trying to dress up a pig, you could put a ribbon in its tail, spray perfume on it, and put lipstick on its snout, but what you get remains a pig.

True devotion is not like lipstick on a pig but rather the pig actually becomes transformed in the process.

Here is a bit from the Good Doctor.

"But, in fact, all true and living devotion presupposes the love of God;—and indeed it is neither more nor less than a very real love of God, though not always of the same kind; for that Love one while shining on the soul we call grace, which makes us acceptable to His Divine Majesty;—when it strengthens us to do well, it is called Charity;—but when it attains its fullest perfection, in which it not only leads us to do well, but to act carefully, diligently, and promptly, then it is called Devotion. The ostrich never flies,—the hen rises with difficulty, and achieves but a brief and rare flight, but the eagle, the dove, and the swallow, are continually on the wing, and soar high;—even so sinners do not rise towards God, for all their movements are earthly and earthbound. Well-meaning people, who have not as yet attained a true devotion, attempt a manner of flight by means of their good actions, but rarely, slowly and heavily; while really devout men rise up to God frequently, and with a swift and soaring wing.

In short, devotion is simply a spiritual activity and liveliness by means of which Divine Love works in us, and causes us to work briskly and lovingly; and just as charity leads us to a general practice of all God’s Commandments, so devotion leads us to practise them readily and diligently. And therefore we cannot call him who neglects to observe all God’s Commandments either good or devout, because in order to be good, a man must be filled with love, and to be devout, he must further be very ready and apt to perform the deeds of love. And forasmuch as devotion consists in a high degree of real love, it not only makes us ready, active, and diligent in following all God’s Commands, but it also excites us to be ready and loving in performing as many good works as possible, even such as are not enjoined upon us, but are only matters of counsel or inspiration. Even as a man just recovering from illness, walks only so far as he is obliged to go, with a slow and weary step, so the converted sinner journeys along as far as God commands him but slowly and wearily, until he attains a true spirit of devotion, and then, like a sound man, he not only gets along, but he runs and leaps in the way of God’s Commands, and hastens gladly along the paths of heavenly counsels and inspirations.

The difference between love and devotion is just that which exists between fire and flame;—love
being a spiritual fire which becomes devotion when it is fanned into a flame;—and what devotion adds to the fire of love is that flame which makes it eager, energetic and diligent, not merely in obeying God’s Commandments, but in fulfilling His Divine Counsels and inspirations."