ST. JANE FRANCES de CHANTAL, RELIGIOUS (USA)
Feast: August 12
St. Jane was a married woman and a mother of children from Dijon, France. Her
husband was killed in a hunting accident. In 1604, upon being deeply moved by
the preaching of Francis de Sales, Jane asked him to become her spiritual
director. She founded the Visitation nuns in 1610. Jane worked tirelessly
helping the sick, and she convinced local political rulers to make special
provisions for the sick and the bereaved. During the last years of her life, she
experienced periods of spiritual aridity. She established eighty-five
monasteries before her death in 1641.
Jane Frances Fremiot de
Chantal was the foundress of the Order of the Visitation of Mary. She was born
in 1572 and came from a noble family, her father gave her in marriage to the
Baron von Chantal in 1592. As mother she most zealously instructed the children
in the ways of virtue and piety and in the observance of every divine precept.
With great generosity she supported the poor and took special joy in seeing how
divine Providence often blesses and increases the smallest larder. Therefore she
made a vow never to refuse anyone who asked for alms in the Name of Christ.
The death of her husband, who
was accidentally shot while on the chase (1601), she bore with Christ-like
composure and with all her heart forgave the person who had killed him; then she
acted as sponsor for one of his children in order to show her forgiveness
openly. There was a holy friendship between her and her spiritual guide, Francis
de Sales; with his approval she left her father and children and founded the
Visitation nuns.
Thus, too, it should be with
us—firm yet forgiving, and each at the proper place and in the proper measure.
Our zeal must not make us hard, fanatic; neither may love degenerate into
sentimentalism. In fundamentals, in faith, and in the commandments we must be
firm, immovable, with no trace of tolerance; but in our contacts with men,
patient, forgiving, tender, conciliatory. The Christian ought be firm and
resolute as a father, mild and self-sacrificing as a mother. This tension
between complementary virtues we find exemplified in a heroic degree in St. Jane
Frances de Chantal.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
"Love! love! love! my
daughters; I know nothing else." Thus did Jane de Chantal, the glorious
cooperatrix of St. Francis in establishing the Visitation of holy Mary, often
cry out in her latter years. "Mother", said one of the sisters, "I shall write
to our houses that your charity is growing old, and that, like your godfather
St. John, you can speak of nothing but love." To which the saint replied: "My
daughter, do not make such a comparison, for we must not profane the saints by
comparing them to poor sinners; but you will do me a pleasure if you tell those
sisters that if I went by my own feelings, if I followed my inclination, and if
I were not afraid of wearying the sisters, I should never speak of anything but
charity; and I assure you, I scarcely ever open my mouth to speak of holy
things, without having a mind to say: Thou shalt love the Lord with thy whole
heart, and thy neighbour as thyself."
Patron:
Forgotten people; in-law problems; loss of parents; parents separated from
children; widows.
Things to Do:
Learn more about the
Visitation nuns founded by St. Jane Frances;
consider having a spiritual director. St. Francis de Sales, in speaking
about the spirit of the institute he had founded with St. Jane, declares that it
is "a spirit of profound humility towards God and of great sweetness towards our
neighbor, inasmuch as there is less rigour towards the body, so much the more
sweetness must there be in the heart." And because "this Congregation has been
so established that no great severity may prevent the weak and infirm from
entering it and giving themselves up to the perfection of divine love," he adds
playfully: "If there be any sister so generous and courageous as to wish to
attain perfection in a quarter of an hour by doing more than the Community does,
I would advise her to humble herself and be content to become perfect in three
days, following the same course as the rest. For a great simplicity must always
be kept in all things: to walk simply, that is the true way for the daughters of
the Visitation, a way exceedingly pleasing to God and very safe." Read the
Treatise on the Love of God written by St. Francis de Sales for St. Jane and
her sisters; donate food to the food pantry at your church, if you have more
time volunteer to help.
· Read some of the
words of St. Jane Francis.
· St. Jane Frances was
willing to change her plans when God asked her to, read
Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade online or
purchase a copy, try to become aware of God's Will in the small
contradictions you experience each day.
· Say the prayer of
abandonment written by the saint.
· St. Jane Frances helped the
poor and the sick, have your children construct a collage of the corporal and
spiritual works of mercy (they can draw the pictures if none are available from
magazines).
Pray the...........Liturgy of the Hours
Read More.......Biography
