St. Jane Frances de Chantal was wife, mother, nun and
founder of a religious community. This
16th Century saint had an amazing array of life experiences, many of
which, however, involved the cross.
Jane’s mother died
when she was but 18 months old. Her father, who was head of the French
parliament saw to her development as a woman of beauty and refinement. She was married at age 21 to Baron de Chantal.
They had six children, but three died in infancy. At their castle, she restored
the custom of daily Mass, and was deeply engaged in various charitable works.
Jane’s husband was killed in a hunting accident after seven
years of marriage, leaving her a widow at 28 with four children, and
broken-hearted.
A few years later, her father invited her to come to Dijon
to hear the Lenten sermons of the holy bishop of Geneva Switzerland, St.
Francis de Sales. Which certainly changed her life. The saint became her
spiritual director, and under his direction, she grew in sanctity and discerned
a religious vocation. So, at age 45, she joined the Visitation Nuns, the
cloistered community founded her spiritual director. Their charism was to seek
to exemplify the humility and meekness exemplified by Our Lady at the
Visitation.
Life’s challenges however continued. Her son was killed, and a plague ravaged
France. In response to the plague, she
persuaded local authorities to respond to the plague victims and she put all
the resources of her convent at the disposal of the sick.
Additionally, Religious life did not shield Jane Frances de
Chantal from great trials of the spirit, temptations, darkness, and spiritual
dryness, but her strong faith enabled her to carry these crosses. St. Vincent
de Paul, who knew her personally, said: “for all that suffering, her face never
lost its serenity, nor did she once relax in the fidelity God asked of
her.”
It may surprise us that a saint should be subject to such great
suffering, spiritual dryness, darkness. But
that’s how saints are made. Saints are those who persevere through the
darkness. At the heart of the saint is a trust and faith in God that is deeper
than any darkness—that no matter what one is feeling, no matter what tragedy or
chaos life throws at you, we rely on God’s grace, we seek to be faithful to God
in season and out of season. Just because we are having a bad day, a bad week,
a bad decade, we are not excused from the commandment to love.
Jane Frances de Chantal went to her heavenly reward in 1641
at the age of 69 after many sorrows and joys. She is invoked as a patron saint
of widows, people with problems with their in-laws…we didn’t even get into
those…and parents who are separated from their children.
A soul made beautiful and holy through God’s grace, through
the crucible of suffering, imitation of the Blessed Virgin, and the help of
other saints along the way. May we benefit from her prayers and holy example,
and like her become radiant through the many different walks of our own life
for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
- - - -
That we like St. Frances de Chantal, we may respond to
life's challenges with faith, perseverance, and love, and that we may grow in
our trust in God amidst life's turmoil.
For those facing trials of the spirit, temptations, or
spiritual dryness, those experiencing grief, depression, broken-heartedness, for widows,
for parents who have lost children, for those with problems with their in-laws,
and for those experiencing any kind of darkness in their lives, that they may
find hope in the examples of saints who persevered through similar struggles.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and
parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and
religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.
Loving and merciful God, as we celebrate the saints, hear
our prayers, that we like them may face life’s challenges with unwavering
faith, persevering hope, and generous charity. Through Christ our Lord.
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