St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Foundress of the Visitation Order, Model of Forgiveness and Divine Love
📖 Life of St. Jane Frances de Chantal
What a way to start a marriage! Jane no sooner arrived at her new home then she discovered she might lose it. Her husband, Christophe, had not only inherited the title of baron but enormous debts as well.
But Jane had not come to the marriage empty-handed. She brought with her a deep faith instilled by her father who made daily religious discussion fun, allowing the children to talk about anything -- even controversial topics. She also brought a good-hearted way that made a friend comment, "Even stupid jokes were funny when she told them."
These qualities helped the twenty-year-old French woman take charge by personally organizing and supervising every detail of the estate, a method which not only brought the finances under control but won her employees' hearts as well.
Despite the early financial worries, she and her husband shared "one heart and one soul." They were devoted to each other and to their four children.
One way Jane shared her blessings was by giving bread and soup personally to the poor who came to her door. Often people who had just received food from her would pretend to leave, go around the house and get back in line for more. When asked why she let these people get away with this, Jane said, "What if God turned me away when I came back to him again and again with the same request?"
Her happiness was shattered when Christophe was killed in a hunting accident. Before he died, her husband forgave the man who shot him, saying to the man, "Don't commit the sin of hating yourself when you have done nothing wrong." The heartbroken Jane, however, had to struggle with forgiveness for a long time.
At first she tried just greeting him on the street. When she was able to do that, she invited him to her house. Finally she was able to forgive the man so completely that she even became godmother to his child.
🌟 Legacy of St. Jane Frances de Chantal: Model of Forgiveness and Divine Love
Spiritual Friendship with St. Francis de Sales
These troubles opened her heart to her longing for God and she sought God in prayer and a deepening spiritual life. Her commitment to God impressed Saint Francis de Sales, the bishop who became her director and best friend. Their friendship started before they even met, for they saw each other in dreams, and continued in letters throughout their lives.
Foundress of the Visitation Order
With Francis' support, Jane founded the Visitation order for women who were rejected by other orders because of poor health or age. She even accepted a woman who was 83 years old. When people criticized her, she said, "What do you want me to do? I like sick people myself; I'm on their side." She believed that people should have a chance to live their calling regardless of their health.
Spiritual Director and Counselor
Still a devoted mother, she was constantly concerned about the materialistic ways of one of her daughters. Her daughter finally asked her for spiritual direction as did many others, including an ambassador and her brother, an archbishop. Her advice always reflected her very gentle and loving approach to spirituality.
Theology of Divine Love
Jane believed the secret of happiness was in "losing," that we should "throw ourselves into God as a little drop of water into the sea, and lose ourselves indeed in the Ocean of the divine goodness." She advised a man who wrote to her about all the afflictions he suffered "to lose all these things in God."
📅 Feast Day
Feast of St. Jane Frances de Chantal
*In the USA, moved from December 12 to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe
Liturgical Celebration
St. Jane Frances de Chantal is celebrated on August 12th in the United States. This feast day honors her as the foundress of the Visitation order and a model of forgiveness and divine love.
Traditions and Customs
On this day, many Catholics pray for the grace of forgiveness, for those struggling with loss and grief, and for the Visitation order. It's also a day to reflect on the power of divine love and spiritual friendship.
Prayer and Devotion
The feast day is an excellent time to pray for the grace of forgiveness, for those who have lost loved ones, and to ask for St. Jane's intercession in deepening our relationship with God.
🛡️ Patronage
Primary Patronages
- • Forgiveness: Patron of those struggling to forgive
- • Widows: Patron of those who have lost spouses
- • Visitation Order: Patron of Visitation nuns
- • Spiritual Friendship: Patron of spiritual relationships
- • Mothers: Patron of mothers and families
- • Divine Love: Patron of those seeking God's love
Special Intentions
- • Grief and Loss: Helper for those mourning loved ones
- • Financial Worries: Patron of those in debt or financial trouble
- • Charity: Helper for those serving the poor
- • Spiritual Direction: Patron of spiritual counselors
- • Marriage: Helper for married couples
- • Religious Vocations: Patron of those discerning religious life
🙏 Prayers
Prayer to St. Jane Frances de Chantal
"Saint Jane, you forgave the man who killed your husband. Help me learn to forgive a particular person in my life who has caused me harm. You know how difficult it is to forgive.
Help me to take the steps you took to welcome this person back into my life. Amen."
Prayer of Divine Love
"Today, when any thoughts or worries come to mind, send them out into the ocean of God's love that surrounds you and lose them there. If any feelings come into your heart -- grief, fear, even joy or longing, send those out into the ocean of God's love.
Finally, send your whole self, like a drop, into God. There is no past no future, here or there. There is only the infinite ocean of God."
Short Prayer
"St. Jane Frances de Chantal, pray for us!"
Related Saints
St. Francis de Sales
Spiritual director and best friend of St. Jane, co-founder of Visitation order.
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Visitation nun who received revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
St. Therese of Lisieux
Carmelite nun who also wrote about divine love and spiritual childhood.