Devout, but also a fierce defender

The Sign of the Cross by St. Francis de Sales
The Fifteen Most Powerful Words in the English Language
Sophia Institute Press, 2013

Because of his masterpiece, Introduction to the Devout Life, it might be tempting to paint St. Francis de Sales into a nice, safe corner reserved for those blessed few who have glimpsed the true path to holiness and graciously shared it with the world. As such, the accompanying perception of St. Francis might understandably be as gentle and contemplative, endlessly engaged in prayer and the pursuit of spiritual completeness.

While there's no doubt Francis could be described in those terms, it doesn't begin to tell the whole story. St. Francis de Sales is one of the most courageous defenders and champions of the faith, spurred to action in the wake of John Calvin's revolt and resulting upheavals in the late 16th century.

Francis volunteered for the job of trying to rebuild the church in the Chablais region of Europe at a time when Calvin and his followers had rendered it nearly non-existent. It was an uphill battle to say the least, but Francis approached it with faith and love. While he treated the Calvinists with respect, he used the power of the pen to ferociously defend Catholicism. He wrote tract after tract refuting all the Calvinists' erroneous claims about the church. He distributed them widely and ultimately his words led to the return of an estimated 72,000 Catholics who had left the church... nearly the entire population of the region! He was so effective we now recognize him as the patron saint of journalists.

Among the items Francis penned was this small book in defense of the sign of the cross, which had come under attack by Calvinist theologian Antoine de la Faye. Of course, the sign of the cross is still under attack today and avoided by most Protestants, be they Calvinist or otherwise. As such, St. Francis' work remains useful some 400 years after its first publication.

This little tome is full of information about the history of the sign of the cross, biblical and non-biblical references to it, its multitude of uses, and its powerful results when employed by the faithful. While each chapter is brief, one must nonetheless exercise patience with Francis' train of thought. His logic is impeccable and highly developed, even if not immediately obvious to the reader, and those who see him through to his conclusion are richly rewarded.

This is just one example of the many classic works preserved and republished by Sophia Institute Press. While the editors there have countless options and lots of tough decisions when selecting what to make available again, they need not second guess themselves here: all signs indicate this will meet with the faithful's seal of approval.