EXPERIENCING GOD'S PRESENCE
July 1, 1991
Christians speak of "the presence of God," describing it in terms of joy, contentment, and peace even in the midst of life's violent storms. But are there any steps we can take to increase our awareness of God's nearness? One popular seventeenth-century preacher, Francis of Sales (1567-1622), said yes. Francis came from a noble family in the castle of Sales, fifty miles southwest of Geneva, Switzerland. At 24, he had his doctorate in law, was admitted to the senate of Savoy, and could have looked forward to a career in government. Francis, however, chose the church. In December 1593, he was ordained a priest. He volunteered for ministry near Geneva, where the Reformation controversy was raging. He had hopes of winning the "heretic Protestants" by Christian love. After four largely unsuccessful years, he was ready to return to Savoy. In 1598, his superiors chose him as bishop's coadjutor, and in 1602, they appointed him Bishop of Geneva. His book, The Devout Life, covers a wide range of spiritual problems, and for this reason many consider it one of the best introductions to the devotional life. In this condensed excerpt, taken from All the Saints Adore Thee by Bruce Shelley, Francis gives clear, practical instruction for greater awareness of God's presence. To assist you to place yourself in the presence of God, I propose four principal means which you will be able to use. The first consists in a lively and attentive apprehension of God's absolute presence. That is, that God is in all things and in every place. There is not a place in the world in which he is not most truly present. Just as birds, wherever they fly, always meet with the air, so we, wherever we go, or wherever we are, always find God present. Everyone knows this ...
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