For December 12th I was going to write about Our Lady of Guadalupe. I got side-tracked and forgot about it. Recently I went back to my copy of Voices of the Saints by Bert Ghezzi and looked up December 12th. I found Jane de Chantal and I couldn't have been more surprised!
Jane de Chantal (1572-1641) was canonized in 1767 and is the patron saint of doubt, enduring trials, married saints and tempation. Sound familiar? Jane was married, had seven children (only four survived) and devoted herself to her family. When her husband died in 1601 she took a "private" vow of celibacy. Years later she met St. Francis De Sales (1567-1622, canonized in 1665, patron saint of writers!) and the two started a new religious order for women who could not deal with the rigors of other religious orders.
When Mother de Chantal was criticized for accepting so many "ill" candidates, her response was, "What do you want me to do? I like sick people, myself." Don't you just love her?
A prayer from Jane:
O Lord Jesus, I surrender to you all my will. Let me be your lute. Touch any string you please. Always and forever let me make music in perfect harmony with your own. Yes, Lord, with no ifs, and or buts, let your will be done in this family, for the father, for the children, for everything that concerns us, and especially let your will be done in me.
Filed under: Catholic, Religion
Tags: Bert Ghezzi, Catholic, December 12, EWTN, Frances de Sales, Jane de Chantal, Voices of the Saints
