24 Jan – Memorial for St. Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church
St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) was born in a castle to a well-placed family. His parents intended him to become a lawyer, enter politics, and carry on the family line and power. He studied at La Roche, Annecy, Clermont College in Paris, and law at the University of Padua. He became a Doctor of Law, returned home, and found a position as Senate advocate.
It was at this point that he received a message telling him to “Leave all and follow Me”. He took this as a call to the priesthood, a move his family fiercely opposed. However, he pursued a devoted prayer life, and his gentle ways won over the family.
He became a priest, and a provost in the diocese of Geneva, Switzerland, a stronghold of Calvinists. He was a preacher, writer and spiritual director in the district of Chablais. His simple, clear explanations of Catholic doctrine, and his gentle way with everyone, brought many back to the Roman Church.
He was ordained Bishop of Geneva at the age of 35. He travelled and evangelized throughout the Duchy of Savoy, working with children whenever he could. He was a friend of St. Vincent de Paul. He turned down a wealthy French bishopric. He helped found the Order of the Visitation with St. Jeanne de Chantal. He was a prolific correspondent. He was declared a Doctor of the Church.
- Patron Saint Index
2 Sam 1:1-4,11-12,17,19,23-27
Mk 3:20-21
…they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ relatives think he is out of his mind. They see the crowds pressing in on him, his lack of rest, and his refusal to slow down, and they worry. From their point of view, what Jesus is doing does not make sense. What they cannot yet see is that Jesus is not acting recklessly, but faithfully, responding to the Father’s call even when it costs him misunderstanding.
This Gospel speaks to moments in our own lives when we choose a path that others do not understand. During my master’s programme in July 2024, I decided to take a tax law course that was completely outside my usual area of work. The classes were demanding, the workload heavy, and the assignments so intense they were known as ‘heart attacks’ because they required all-nighters. My peers questioned why I would put myself through such a course when I could have taken an easier route. To some, it seemed unnecessary, even a little mad.
But the choice came from a desire to grow, and a belief that God might be inviting me into something beyond my comfort zone. I wanted to be challenged, to learn something new, and to allow myself to be changed by the experience. What others saw as madness became, for me, a season of formation within God’s will. Little did I know then that my perseverance, sustained by God’s grace, would open unexpected doors. That difficult course became the beginning of opportunities to work closely with my tax professor, and to give talks both in Singapore and abroad; fruits I could never have planned for, but which God had quietly prepared from the start.
How must Jesus have felt when those closest to him thought he was out of his mind? Perhaps he felt the pain of being misunderstood. Yet, he continued to gather the crowds — to teach, to heal, and to give himself fully, trusting that the Father would bring fruit from his faithfulness. Jesus shows us that obedience does not always look sensible, and that love often demands more than others think is reasonable.
On my birthday, this Gospel invites me to look back with gratitude, and forward with trust. It reminds me that God’s call often unfolds in ways we do not immediately understand. What appears like madness to others may, in fact, be a quiet work of grace, patiently shaping us for purposes yet unseen. Growth rarely comes from comfort, and God can use even the most demanding seasons to prepare us for unexpected fruit.
As I place the year ahead in God’s hands, I pray for the courage to continue following where he leads, even when the path is misunderstood. May I learn to trust that faithful perseverance, offered in love, is never wasted, and that in God’s time, every ‘yes’ bears fruit.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Stacey Fernandez)
Prayer: Lord Jesus, shape my desires, strengthen my perseverance, and help me to recognise your grace at work, even in the hidden and difficult moments of the year ahead. Amen.
Thanksgiving: Lord, thank you for the holy ‘madness’ of following you— for the courage to choose growth over comfort and faithfulness over understanding.
OXYGEN 
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