AUGUST 21. SAINT JANE FRANCES FREMIOT WIDOW. ALTHOUGH Mary's glory is within her, beauty appears also in the garment wherewith she is clad: a mysterious robe woven of the virtues of the Saints, who owe to her both their justice and their reward. As every grace comes to us through our Mother, so all the glory of heaven converges towards that of the Queen. Now among the blessed souls there are some more immediately connected with the holy Virgin. Prevented by the peculiarly tender love of the Mother of grace, they left all things, when on earth, to run after the odour of the perfumes of the Spouse she gave to the world; in heaven they keep the greater intimacy with Mary which was theirs even in the time of exile. Hence it is, that at this time of her exaltation beside the Son of God, the Psalmist sings also of the Virgins entering joyously with her into the temple of the King. The crowning of our Lady is truly the special feast of these daughters of Tyre, who have themselves become princesses and queens in order to form her noble escort and her royal court. If the Saint proposed to our veneration to-day is not adorned with the diadem of virginity, she is nevertheless one of those who have deserved in their humility to hear the heavenly message: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear; and forget thy people and thy father's house.1 In reply, such was her eagerness in the ways of love, that numberless virgins followed in her footsteps in order to be more sure of reaching the Spouse. She also, then, has a glorious place in the vesture of gold, with its play of colours, wherewith the Queen of Saints is clad in her triumph. For what is the variety noticed by the Psalm, in the embroideries and fringes of that robe of glory, if not the diversity of tints in the gold of divine charity among the elect? In order to bring forward the happy effect produced by this diversity in the light of the Saints, Eternal Wisdom has multiplied the forms under which the life of the counsels may be presented to the world. Such is the teaching given in the holy Liturgy, by bringing together the feasts of yesterday and to-day on its sacred cycle. Between Cistercian austerity, and the more interior renouncement of the Visitation of holy Mary, there seems to be a great distance: nevertheless the Church unites the memory of St. Jane de Chantal and of the Abbot of Clairvaux in homage to the Blessed Virgin during the happy Octave which consummates her glory; it is because all rules of perfection are alike in being merely variations of the one Rule, that of love, of which Mary's life was a perfect pattern. "Let us not "divide the robe of the Bride," says St. Bernard. "Unity, as well in heaven as on earth, consists in charity. Let him who glories in the Rule, not "break the rule by acting contrary to the Gospel. "If the kingdom of God is within us, it is because it 66 ! Ps. xliv. 11. 66 "is not meat and drink; but justice, and peace, "and joy in the Holy Ghost. To criticise others on "their exterior observance, and to neglect the Rule "in what regards the soul, is to take out a gnat from "the cup and to swallow a camel. Thou breakest "thy body with endless labour, thou mortifiest with "austerities thy members which are on the earth; and "thou dost well. But while thou allowest thyself to 'judge him who does not so much penance, he "perhaps is following the advice of the Apostle : "more eager for the better gifts, keeping less of that bodily exercise which is profitable to little he gives "himself up more to that godliness which is profit"able to all things. Which then of you two keeps "the Rule better? doubtless he that becomes better thereby. Now which is the better? The humbler? "or the more fatigued? Learn of me, said Jesus, "because I am meek and humble of heart."4 66 66 66 66 2 3 St. Francis de Sales, in his turn, speaking of the diversity of religious Orders, says very well: "All "Religious Orders have one spirit common to them "all, and each has a spirit peculiar to itself. The common spirit is the design they all have of aspiring after the perfection of charity; but the peculiar spirit of each is the means of arriving at "that perfection of charity, that is to say, at the "union of our souls with God, and with our neigh"bour through the love of God." Coming next to the special spirit of the institute he had founded together with our Saint, the Bishop of Geneva declares that it is a spirit of profound humility "towards God and of great sweetness towards our neighbour, inasmuch as there is less rigour towards "the body, so much the more sweetness must there 66 1 Rom. xiv. 17. 3 St. Matth. xi. 29. 4 BERNARD. Apologia ad Gulielmi. 66 "be in the heart." And because "this Congrega"tion 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." 66 66 With sweetness and humility for motto, the pious Bishop did well to give his daughters for escutcheon the divine Heart whence these gentle virtues derive their source. We know how magnificently heaven justified the choice. Before a century had elapsed, a nun of the Visitation, the Blessed Margaret Mary, could say: "Our adorable Saviour showed me the "devotion to his divine Heart as a beautiful tree "which he had destined from all eternity to take "root in the midst of our Institute. He wills that "the daughters of the Visitation should distribute "the fruits of this sacred tree abundantly to all "those that wish to eat of it, and without fear of its "failing them."4 "Love! love! love! my daughters; I know "nothing else." Thus did Jane de Chantal, the glorious co-operatrix of St. Francis in establishing the Visitation of holy Mary, often cry out in her latter years. 66 Mother," said one of the sisters, "I 'Entretiens spirituels. 2 Constitutions of the Visitation, Introduction. 3 Entretiens spirituels. 4 Letter of the 17th June, 1689, to Mother de Saumaise. 66 "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 inclina"tion, 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."1 2 Such words are worthy of her who obtained for the Church the admirable Treatise on the Love of God, composed, says the Bishop of Genoa, for her sake, at her request and solicitation, for herself and her companions. At first, however, the impetuosity of her soul, overflowing with devotedness and energy, seemed to unfit her to be mistress in a school where heroism can only express itself by the simple sweetness of a life altogether hidden in God. It was to discipline this energy of the valiant woman without extinguishing its ardour, that St. Francis perseveringly applied himself during the eighteen years he directed her. "Do all things," he repeats in a thousand ways, "without haste, gently, as do the "Angels; follow the guidance of divine movements, "and be supple to grace; God wills us to be like "little children." And this reminds us of an exquisite page from the amiable Saint, which we cannot resist quoting: "If one had asked the sweet Jesus "when he was carried in his Mother's arms, whither 1 Memoirs of Mother de Chaugy, Part iii., chap. v. 2 Treatise on the Love of God, Preface; Memoirs of Mother de Chaugy. |