Selected Letters of Saint Jane Frances de ChantalChantal, Jeanne-Françoise de, Saint
Religion
Selected Letters of Saint Jane Frances de Chantal
Chantal, Jeanne-Françoise de, Saint
Chantal, Jeanne-Françoise de, Saint, 1572-1641 -- Correspondence
I have just come from holy communion, my dearest daughter, at which I
blessed and thanked the God of infinite goodness for the loud call with
which He has been pleased to bid you turn back to Him, and I besought
Him with all the energy of my soul to keep so firm a hold upon you that
nothing ever again may draw you away. For this I hope, dearest daughter,
through His grace and your faithful co-operation. I cannot but think
that your heart is too good ever to forget His superabundant mercies to
you. Ponder often on that counsel given by both the Princes of the
Apostles; Labour in fear and trembling by good works to make sure your
vocation.[A] Your past miserable experience ought surely to make you
tremble, and fearful of again falling, and very watchful in avoiding all
occasions of temptation, especially those which you know to be most
prejudicial, such as conversations, intimacies, affections, and
communications with the outside world, and even with spiritual persons
unless rarely and from true necessity. Then will it be your delight to
find contentment in the instructions you will receive from the good
Mother (Marie Angélique de Bigny), who has a singular love for you, and
is besides both capable and full of charity. Her tears, fasts,
austerities, and prayers so frequently offered to God on your behalf
will, I doubt not, have touched His heart, and helped to achieve your
conversion. To her will be given without fail every help requisite for
your happiness, and by means of her will His Goodness lead you in the
straight path. I have a strong belief that those who submit not
themselves to the guidance of their Superiors submit not to God. In a
word, apply yourself to do rather than to learn; this is my wish for
you. We have in abundance holy and solid instructions in the Institute.
For none better could we wish, and none are better adapted to lead us to
the great perfection that our vocation demands. May the study and the
practice of them henceforth be your delight. To this I conjure you so
that by means of them you may offer to the divine Goodness fruits worthy
of His mercy and to the Institute the perfume of a holy and sincere
conversion. Thus will be assuaged the sorrow and shame that by your past
disorders you have made it suffer, and all our hearts will be filled
with consolation. So much do I feel consoled by the generous acts you
have made[B] that my displeasure at the past is all gone, and I assure
you you are now within my heart, where I cherish you most truly and
affectionately, and believe me you will receive from all of the
Institute and from me nothing but proofs of love and affection.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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