“Our blessed Father’s advice to ‘ask for nothing and refuse nothing’ is far superior to this desire of yours or any other practice of humility. I admit that God wants you to be humble, but in the ways he chooses for you, not in those you would choose. So make good use of your own failures and shortcomings. You may be certain that these are the only means by which you will acquire the true and solid humility that he wants you to have.”
Thinking about orders, charisms and ways of contemplative worship, St Jane de Chantel’s efforts aligned with St Francis de Sales arose to prominence. Reflective examining, here are some ideas detailing the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary.
The order accepted women who were rejected by other orders because of poor health or age. Elder women were welcomed.
The Visitation Order was founded almost 400 years ago in Annecy, France, by Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane de Chantal. It is a cloistered order, committed to an apostolate of prayer and characterized by a spirit of humility and gentleness. There are no severe corporal penances such as fasts, long periods of prayer at night, sleeping on boards, and so forth. Because of the lack of external austerities, a greater emphasis is placed upon purity of intention, charity, patience, and control of one’s inclinations, self-will, and feelings. It is a life “hidden with Christ in God” and quite ordinary in the eyes of men. –From the Visitation Monastery in Alabama website.
The Monasteries of the Order of the Visitation are dedicated to a life of prayer and sacrifice in the Church for the people of God and for the glory of God….In founding the Visitation Order, St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal wished to offer to women of their day an opportunity to consecrate their lives to God by embracing a fervent life of poverty, chastity and obedience in a loving community. They developed the Visitation Way of life which emphasized interior transformation into growing more and more each day into the image of our Savior, rather than external austerities that were prevalent in religious orders during their time. Knowing so well the unconditional love of God, the Founders wished the sisters to form a community of love in which they would embrace fidelity to the two-fold commandment of love of God and love of neighbor, faithfully living the Constitutions and Spiritual Directory of their Order and lovingly practicing their CHARISM of profound humility toward God and great gentleness toward the neighbor. —-From the Visitation Monastery in Washington DC website.
– See more at: http://visitationgallerycommunity.org/#sthash.W8rGUujR.dpuf
The best known saint of the Visitation Order is St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who received the revelations of the Sacred Heart.
Saint Francis de Sales used to say that we did not know what was the true service of God; that the true way of serving Him was to follow Him and walk after Him in the highest point of the soul, without the support of consolation, or of feeling, or illumination other than that of bare and simple faith. – – St Jane de Chantal writing about her spiritual director.
THE better known a road is to us, the more we frequent it; the more people we know therein, the more willingly also we journey thereby and the more easily: but still by such roads we are more slow in arriving at our journey’s end, because, having many acquaintance, here we speak to one, there to another, here we enter into somebody’s shop, there we stay to talk with a friend. For the consideration of God no track is more beaten, known, or familiar than that of corporeal things, amid which we live; no way is more easy in itself, but also no way has more distractions. When I meditate on God in the angel, who is an invisible thing, and one in no way familiar to me, it produces in me but few fancies and distractions: but if I consider God in man, my imagination descends from the universal to the particular, and under the name of man represents to me Peter, Paul, or somebody doing with me this or that thing. Hence while in this way which is so familiar to us we stop at all the shops of our acquaintance, we arrive at our journey’s end either late or never. – – St Francis de Sales on the Canticle of Canticles
No, my very dear daughter, it is not necessary to be always and at every moment attentive to all the virtues in order to practice them; that would twist and encumber your thoughts and feelings too much. Humility and charity are the master ropes; all the others are attached to them. We need hold on to these two…
…I’d like to say more about your prayer, for I reread your letter late last night. Go on doing as you described. Be careful not to intellectualize, because this can be harmful, not only in general, but especially at prayer. Approach the beloved object of your prayer with your affections quite simply and as gently as you can. Naturally, every now and then, your intellect will make an effort to apply itself; don’t waste time trying to guard against this, for that would only be a distraction. When you notice this happening, be content simply to return to acts of the will. –St Francis de Sales
I am captivated by the letters of St Francis de Sales and St Jane de Chantal. It is more than the direction tendered. The mature fellowship–overflowing with intimacy, interest, intelligence, care, cordiality, concern, kindness, and gentleness–provides a saintly example of individuals interacting on a higher Catholic plane.
St Francis de Sales and St Jane de Chantal, along with Visitation sisters.
The whole inferior part of my being is frequently in revolt; and this causes me much distress. I can but bear with it, knowing that through patience I shall possess my soul. Moreover, I have an ever increasing weariness of my charge, for I cannot endure the labor it entails, and I am obliged to force myself to do the necessary work which is wearisome to both mind and body. No matter how I am occupied my imagination gives me a good deal of trouble, and it all makes me sick at heart. Our Lord permits me besides to have many exterior difficulties, so that nothing in life gives me pleasure save only the will of God…. –St Jane Francis de Chantal
St Jane Francis de Chantal
Let’s repeat words regarding prayer from St Jane Francis de Chantal, musing, applying to others as well: …full of faith that He is more in us than we are in ourselves… Is that saying if we quiet–soothing and healing emotional and psychological disturbances and complexities associated with identity, and remain in a state of grace, we will reveal God within prayer? I am one confident I need the sheltering of the Eucharist when making myself so vulnerable. I remember Franciscan Holy Hours, evenings especially for there were two, being blessed with extreme immersion in the sanctity of the Franciscan chapel. Absorption, losing one’s self, sensing Father David Mary seated above, a seemingly soaring, roaring eagle protecting. May we always remain under the mantle of the Queen of Heaven and the Church, abiding, obedient to priest and religious, calling upon the saints and angels, especially the defender St Michael. Let us not wander aimlessly where angels fear to tread. I advance never without the presence of the Eucharist.
Sacrifice of the Eucharist
0 sovereign goodness of the sovereign Providence of my God!
I abandon myself forever to Thy arms.
Whether gentle or severe,
lead me henceforth whither Thou wilt;
I will not regard the way through which Thou wilt have me pass,
but keep my eyes fixed upon Thee,
my God, who guidest me.
My soul finds no rest without the arms
and the bosom of this heavenly Providence,
my true Mother, my strength and my rampart.
Therefore I resolve with Thy Divine assistance,
0 my Saviour,
to follow Thy desires and Thy ordinances,
without regarding or examining why Thou dost this rather than that;
but I will blindly follow Thee
according to Thy Divine will,
without seeking my own inclinations.
Hence I am determined to leave all to Thee,
taking no part therein save by keeping myself in peace in Thy arms,
desiring nothing except as Thou incitest me to desire,
to will, to wish.
I offer Thee this desire, 0 my God,
beseeching Thee to bless it;
I undertake all it includes,
relying on Thy goodness,
liberality, and mercy,
with entire confidence in Thee,
distrust of myself,
and knowledge of my infinite misery and infirmity.
Amen!
St Jane Frances de Chantal
Patience, perseverance, prayer, a plea for mercy, and a recognition of love, the presence of Divine subsistence. Lord, You were there the whole time. Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7
“We should go to prayer with deep humility and an awareness of our nothingness. We must invoke the help of the Holy Spirit and that of our good angel, and then remain still in God’s presence, full of faith that He is more in us than we are in ourselves.” –St Jane Frances de Chantal
St Jane Frances de Chantal
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