Salesian Literature

2. Our Lady of the Snow

Sermon for the Feast of Our Lady of the Snow, August 5, 1617, concerning the origin of this feast, the way to respond to the inspirations of God, imperfect offering of oneself to God, perfect offering of oneself to God by means of the religious life, the way in which snow represents the purity and obedience and fruitfulness of souls in the religious life, and the source of one's happiness in the religious life.

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While Our Lord was speaking the words of eternal life [Jn. 6:68], a woman rose up from the crowd and said: Blest is the womb that bore You and the breasts that nursed You! [Lk. 11:27]. Notice that even though it is our Divine Master who is preaching, this woman begins to praise Our Lady. And yet that is certainly understandable, inasmuch as from devotion to Our Lord is born immediately devotion to His most holy Mother, and no one can love the One without the other. Holy Church is accustomed to having us read this Gospel on feasts of Our Lady, but very particularly today when we celebrate a special one in her honor. It even seems to me that the story which the Church recounts today has a striking comparison to this Gospel.[1]

 

It is told that there was in the city of Rome a nobleman named John who, since he had no children, desired to consecrate all his wealth to the Divine Majesty, but in honor of Our Lady. His wife was in total agreement. Since they did not know what would be most pleasing to Him, they began to pray. That night they were both told in a dream to go to the Esquiline Hill and to have a church built there in honor of the Blessed Virgin Our Lady, erecting it on the spot they would find covered with snow. Certainly, a very great miracle in the month of August and in the city of Rome, where the heat is so excessive! This very happy John went to tell his revelation to the Pope and he found that the latter had received the same sign. After comparing the three revelations, they visited the place, found the spot, and then had the church built there. It is still there today and is called St. Mary Major.

 

Let us now return to our Gospel [Lk. 11:27-28]. After this good woman cried out: "Blest is the womb that bore You and the breasts that nursed You," Our Lord responded: "True" — like one would say: "Yes, indeed! But still more blest are they who hear the word of God and keep it," that is to say, who put it into practice. We know of people who hear the death of the Saviour spoken of and weep most tenderly, but who nevertheless harbor in themselves a thousand kinds of imperfections contrary to this holy Passion over which they weep.[2]

 

You who profess the spiritual life know the difference between effective love and affective love. Our Lord is not satisfied with the affective, if we do not also give Him effective love. Notice that He does not consider those blest who simply hear His word but only those who also keep it.  God makes it very clear that He does not consider that we hear His word if we do not put it into effect with the affection of submission and obedience. Thus does He often complain that His people do not hear Him when He speaks to them [Prov. 1:24; Is. 65:12, 66:4; Jer. 7:13]; that is to say, they do not put His words into effect, for they do indeed hear them with their ears. Now that is not sufficient, for He wants us to listen to them with the intention of making them profitable to ourselves. It is the same when, speaking of superiors, our Divine Master says; He who hears you, hears Me. He who rejects you, rejects Me [Lk. 10:16]. It is as if He said; "I consider that those who obey you, obey Me; and I consider that those who reject your words, not wishing to profit by them, reject My words."

 

On this subject, I remember having explained once from this pulpit what we ought to do in order to profit from hearing the word of God and sermons. I now add that, besides the intention that we ought to have of profiting by it and of giving it our attention, we ought afterwards to remain for some time withdrawn in the depths of our soul, I mean recollected, in order to ruminate on what we have heard. And in order that distractions may not come into our heart and disturb our tranquility, we must do what Solomon did to his Temple. The entire roof was of gold, and he was concerned that birds, by coming to nest and perch upon it, might sully it. Therefore he had it adorned with spikes, thanks to which it could not be damaged. Similarly, if we want to guard our heart against the suggestions and distractions of the evil one, we must, at the end of the sermon, adorn it with aspirations and ejaculatory prayers upon the subject discussed, imploring the Divine Mercy to strengthen us so that we may make effective what our affections approve.

 

Consider this good man John of whom we are speaking. He was prompt to follow the attraction of God, for being inspired to give Him all his possessions, and not knowing how he could do it for His glory and the honor of Our Lady for whom he had so special a devotion, he began to pray, and understood what he ought to do. Oh! What a good thing is prayer! But the happiness of this holy man did not consist in knowing the will of God, but in immediately following it, as he did. Oh, how happy are they who, being inspired like this blessed John and his wife to dedicate and consecrate themselves to God with all that they possess, have recourse to prayer to learn in what place they should do it for His greater glory and the honor of our most worthy Mistress, for, as we have already declared, there is no devotion for God that is devoid of a desire to please Our Lady.

 

But who is there, I ask, who would not have an affection for her, seeing that she is our most amiable Mother? And to prove the truth of this, listen to the Spouse in the Song of Songs when He says to her: Your body, 0 My beloved, is a heap of grains of wheat encircled with the lilies [Song 7:3] of its virginal modesty. What does this Divine Lover mean, if not that Our Lady has borne all Christians in her womb — although she produced only that "Grain" of which it is written that unless it falls to the earth it remains just a grain of wheat, but if it falls there and is covered it will germinate and produce many others [Jn. 12:24-25].

 

To whom, I ask, ought we attribute the production of these other grains if not to her who produced the first one, Our Lord being the natural Son of Our Lady? Although in reality she has borne only Him in her womb, she has nevertheless borne all Christians in the Person of her Divine Son, for this blessed "Grain" has produced us all by His death. Likewise, just as the planted date produces the palm from which a quantity of other dates afterwards come, why can we not say that these dates belong to the first one, from which the palm sprang up?

 

Blest is the womb that bore You and the breasts that nursed You! We have all been fed from these sacred breasts, for Our Lord nursed and took His nourishment from them, and afterwards fed us from His own. Our most dear Master has the sweetest and most delightful "breasts," as His divine spouse testifies, saying; O my Beloved, how sweet are Your breasts![3] They are more delightful than the wine of all this world's pleasures. [Song 1:2]. 0 God, what honor, love and affection we owe to Our Lady, as much because she is the Mother of our Saviour as because she is also ours!

 

There are many Christians who insist that they are resolved to dedicate and offer to God all that they have and all that they are, because they know that all belongs to Him, and they would rather die than offend Him mortally. But it is also true that they want to reserve for themselves the disposal of their goods, and although they are resolved to live in the observance of the commandments of God, they want nevertheless to retain the will to do a great many little things that are not contrary to charity but which incline that way. Those things are dangerous which, although they do not make us lose charity, do however displease the Divine Majesty. God is jealous of our love; that is why He lets His inspirations fall on some souls whom He separates from the rest. With a powerful resolution, these come to consecrate and dedicate their heart with all its affections and their body and all their possessions to His honour and glory, choosing the religious state in order to live there with more perfection and less danger of deviating from their holy resolution and being lost.[4]

 

This state is certainly the most perfect after that of those who bear the mark of episcopal consecration, inasmuch as one can no longer abandon it. Because of its short duration, martyrdom is not a state and should rather be called a short and fleeting passage, which is not a state. These souls, then, who are so generous as to come to abandon all to God without any reserve, placing themselves under the laws of religion and binding themselves so strictly that they can never dispense themselves from them act not only like all yellow flowers which always turn toward the sun, but also like that one that is called the "turnsole," or "sunflower." This latter is not content with turning its flower, leaves and stem toward the sun, but by some hidden wonder it also turns its underground root. Thus these blessed souls do not want to turn and abandon themselves to God only by halves, but completely—themselves and all that they have; the leaves of the vain hopes which the world offers, the flower of their purity and the fruits of all that they shall ever do or possess.

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They say to Our Lord, in imitation of the great St. Paul:  superiors, never more to be mistresses of themselves nor of their own will, avoiding in this way the verdict of the great St. Bernard who insists that "he who governs himself is governed by a great fool." Alas, why should we desire to; be masters of ourselves in what concerns the spirit when we are not so in what concerns the body? Are we not aware that physicians, when ill, call in other physicians to decide suitable remedies? In the same way, lawyers do not plead their own cause, inasmuch as self-interest usually biases reason.

 

I now turn to a consideration of why it was not without significance that snow was the sign of the truth of the revelation made to this good man John and his wife. Our Lord could indeed have made manna fall as He did in ancient times in the desert for the Israelites [Ex. 16:14], or else He could have covered the spot that He had chosen with the most beautiful flowers, but He did not choose to do so, inasmuch as in the qualities of snow can he recognized the conditions necessary for souls whom He has singled out to be especially His in religion.

 

First I remark the whiteness of the snow; secondly, its obedience; thirdly, its fecundity. I will pass over its many other properties; it might be said that it never falls on the sea, at least not on the high seas, and I could add that in the same manner, the sacred and special inspiration to give oneself to God without reserve never falls on souls who sail on the high seas of this miserable world and who are there raised to its highest dignities. I know well that there are some, as for example, St. Magdalene, St. Matthew and others, as also a St. Louis and a St. Elizabeth, but all these are rare. Therefore, we can certainly say that if this blessed inspiration falls there, it is only rarely.

 

We may compare the whiteness of snow to the whiteness of a pure soul because it surpasses any other whiteness, and that this is true you will see in tomorrow's Gospel [Matt. 17:1-9], where it is said that Our Lord being transfigured, His clothes became "as white as snow." That shows well enough that nothing whiter can be found. Listen to the royal psalmist David. Lamenting before God that, through sin, his soul has become blacker than black, he entreats Him to be pleased to wash him with His "hyssop" so that by this means it will be made "whiter than snow" [Ps. 51:9].

 

Now, souls divinely called to the religious state are made white as snow, for by the vow of chastity they renounce all the pleasures of the flesh, lawful as well as unlawful, and afterwards receive in exchange the pleasures and satisfactions of the spirit. The holy Prophet said to the Lord: One thing I ask of You, one thing I still seek — that You bring me into Your holy Temple, that I may enjoy there Your loveliness [Ps. 27:4]. It is as if he meant to say that no one will enjoy the dear caresses or the delicious pleasures of Our Lord but those who will renounce all the vain pleasures of the flesh and of the world, since it is not possible to possess both together. It is nevertheless true that the Saviour, having two breasts, nourishes all His children with the mercy that flows from them. There is indeed a certain liquor of mercy which rescues the sinner from his iniquity and pardons him; but His other breast, from which He nourishes the perfect and perfects them more and more, gives forth a liquor "sweeter than honey" [Ps. 19:11] and more delicious than nectar and ambrosia; it is all sweetness.  Blessed, then, are the souls who renounce absolutely all the delights and pleasures of the flesh that we have in common with the beasts, in order to enjoy those of the spirit which make us like the angels.

 

Let us pass on to the second quality of snow. I say that it is obedient. It is the divine Psalmist who declares that it is, assuring us that it does the will of God, that it obeys His word. [Ps. 148:8]. Ah! Watch it fall: It falls so gently. See how it remains on the ground until it pleases God to send a ray of sunshine which comes to melt it and make it disappear. Oh, how obedient is the snow! Such are souls who dedicate themselves to the Lord, for they are supple and submit themselves absolutely to the discretion and guidance of those who command, no longer allowing themselves to be in control by the use of their own will and judgment. And just as they have renounced all the pleasures of the flesh, so do they likewise renounce unreservedly the pleasure they were accustomed to find in the world by following the promptings of their own will in all that they did. Henceforth they will no longer be subject to it, but on the contrary, they will be subject to the Rules of their Institute. 0 sweet and loving subjection which makes us pleasing to God!

 

In the third place, snow is fruitful. Farmers and those who till the soil assure us that when there is a moderate amount of snow in the winter the crops of the following year will be all the better for it, since the snow protects the ground from the hard frosts. And although it may seem that snow, given its coldness, cannot warm the ground, it still renders it fruitful for the reason just given, for the grain underneath is well protected. A religious vocation is a fruitful vocation, inasmuch as it renders the most indifferent actions fruitful and very meritorious. Eating, drinking, sleeping are things of themselves indifferent and without any merit. I know well that we must eat and drink in order to sustain the body, so that being united to the soul, they can together pass through the course of this life according to the ordinance of God. Likewise, we must sleep so that afterwards we may be more vigorous in serving the Divine Majesty. To do all these things in this manner is to obey the great Apostle who says: Whether you eat or drink — whatever you do — you should do all for the glory of God [7 Cor. 10:31; Cot. 3:17]. And certainly, he who performs these actions otherwise does not live as a Christian but as a beast.

 

Now, those who are in religion perform all these actions far more particularly "for the glory of God," inasmuch as they do them all through obedience. They might indeed be hungry, but they would not go to eat if the bell did not call them there; they do not go to eat, then, in order to satisfy their appetite, but they go to eat in order to obey. In the same way they do not go to bed because they are sleepy nor because they must sleep to keep the body vigorous, for if the time has not come, and the bell which is the signal of obedience does not make them go, they will not go at all. Oh, the happiness of being able to obey in all that we do! How great it is!  But do you really know where the happiness of these religious souls comes from? From their obedience to these words which Our Lord spoke to them in the person of His great Prophet David: Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father's house [Ps. 45:11]. But notice, I pray you, that He is not satisfied that she listens if she does not also turn her ear. This is to show that He wills to be listened to with a particular attention and with affection. But tell us, 0 holy Prophet, what is the result of all this? The remainder of his discourse tells us; So shall the King desire your beauty [Ps. 45:12j; that is, He will make you His beloved spouse and will take His delights in you. Do you see how this obedience contains in itself all the happiness and felicity of these souls? The obedient man, says Holy Scripture [Prov. 21:28, Douay], will give an account of many glorious "victories" to Our Lord when He conies seated on His judicial throne at the Day of Judgment [Matt. 19:28]. These souls will then speak of "victories" gained not only over themselves, by submitting to obedience, but also of the many they shall have gained over their enemies. And we must not have the slightest doubt but that, having conformed themselves in this life to the obedience of their Master who preferred to die rather than disobey [Phil. 2:8], they shall be lovingly received by Him and led to enjoy His glory with Him eternally, toward which the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are leading us. Amen. Yes Lord, amen!

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[1] St. Francis de Sales is alluding to the account read in the Office for this feast, a summary of which he now gives.

[2] Cf. St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Part IV, chapter 13.

[3] The New American Bible speaks here of love, rather than breasts.

[4] St. Francis is preaching this sermon at the ceremony in which three of the early Visitation Sisters took the religious habit; he moves between the theme of Mary and that of religious life, no doubt underscoring thereby his appreciation of Mary as the perfect model for all states of Christian life.

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