John 14:26-27

Bible Verse

-- John 14:26-27 --
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to
you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as
the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The end result of the Holy Spirit's work in our lives is deep, lasting
peace. Unlike worldly peace, which is usually defined as the absence of
conflict, this peace is confident assurance in any circumstance; with
Christ's peace, we have no need to fear the present or the future. If your
life is full of stress, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with Christ's
peace.


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December 30th - St. Jane Frances de Chantal

Born at Dijon, France, 28 January, 1572; died at the Visitation Convent
Moulins, 13 December, 1641.

Her father was president of the Parliament of Burgundy, and leader of the
royalist party during the League that brought about the triumph of the cause
of Henry IV. In 1592 she married Baron de Chantal, and lived in the feudal
castle of Bourbilly. She restored order in the household, which was on the
brink of ruin, and brought back prosperity. During her husband's absence at
the court, or with the army, when reproached for her extremely sober manner
of dressing, her reply was: "The eyes which I must please are a hundred
miles from here". She found more than once that God blessed with miracles
the care she gave the suffering members of Christ. St. Francis de Sales's
eulogy of her characterizes her life at Bourbilly and everywhere else: "In
Madame de Chantal I have found the perfect woman, whom Solomon had
difficulty in finding in Jerusalem". Baron de Chantal was accidentally
killed by a harquebus while out shooting in 1601. Left a widow at
twenty-eight, with four children, the broken-hearted baroness took a vow of
chastity. In all her prayers she besought God to send her a guide and God,
in a vision, showed her the spiritual director He held in reserve for her.
In order to safeguard her children's property, she was obliged to go and
live at Monthelon in the home of her father-in-law, who was ruled over by an
arrogant and wicked servant. This was real servitude, which she bore
patiently and gently for seven years. At last her virtue triumphed over the
ill will of the old man and housekeeper.

During Lent, 1604, she visited her father at Dijon, where St. Francis de
Sales was preaching at the Sainte Chapelle. She recognized in him the
mysterious director who had been shown her, and placed herself under his
guidance. Then began an admirable correspondence between the two saints.
Unfortunately, the greater number of letters are no longer in existence, as
she destroyed them after the death of the holy bishop. When she had assured
the future security of her children, and when she had provided the education
of Celse-Bénigne, her fourteen year old son, whom she left to her father and
her brother, the Archbishop of Bourges, she started for Annecy, where God
was calling her to found the Congregation of the Visitation. She took her
two remaining daughters with her, the elder having recently married the
Baron of Thorens, a brother of St. Francis de Sales. Celse-Bénigne,
impetuous like those of her race, barred his mother's way by lying across
the threshold. Mme de Chandal stopped, overcome: " Can the tears of a child
shake her resolution? " said a holy and learned priest, the tutor of
Celse-Benigne. "Oh! no", replied the saint, "but after all I am a mother!"
And she stepped over child's body.

The Congregation of the Visitation was canonically established at Annecy on
Trinity Sunday, 6 June, 1610. Its aim was to receive, with a view to their
spiritual advancement, young girls and even widows who had not the desire or
strength to subject themselves to the austere ascetical practices in force
in all the religious orders at that time. St. Francis de Sales was
especially desirous of seeing the realization of his cherished method of
attaining perfection, which consisted in always keeping one's will united to
the Divine will, in taking so to speak one's soul, heart, and longings into
one's hands and giving them into God's keeping, and in seeking always to do
what is pleasing to Him. "I do always the things that please him" (John,
viii, 29). The two holy founders saw their undertaking prosper. At the time
of the death of St. Francis de Sales in 1622, the order already counted
thirteen houses; there were eight-six when St. Jane Frances died; and 164
when she was canonized.

The remainder of the saint's life was spent under the protection of the
cloister in the practice of the most admirable virtues. If a gentle
kindness, vivified and strengthened by a complete spirit of renunciation,
predominates in St. Francis de Sales, it is firmness and great vigour which
prevails in St. Jane Frances; she did not like to see her daughters giving
way to human weakness. Her trials were continuous and borne bravely, and yet
she was exceedingly sensitive. Celse-Bénigne was an incorrigible duelist.
She prayed so fervently that he was given the grace to die a Christian death
on the battlefield, during the campaign against the Isle of Ré (1627). He
left a daughter who became the famous Marquise de Sévigné. To family
troubles God added interior crosses which, particularly during the last nine
years of her life, kept her in agony of soul from which she was not freed
until three months before her death.

Her reputation for sanctity was widespread. Queens, princes, and princesses
flocked to the reception-room of the Visitation. Wherever she went to
establish foundations, the people gave her ovations. "These people", she
would say confused, "do not know me; they are mistaken". Her body is
venerated with that of St. Francis de Sales in the church of the Visitation
at Annecy. She was beatified in 1751, canonized in 1767, and 21 August was
appointed as her feast day.

The life of the saint was written in the seventeenth century, with
inimitable charm, by her secretary, Mother de Chaugy. Monsignor Bougaud, who
died Bishop of Laval, published in 1863 a "Histoire de Sainte Chantal" which
had a great and well-deserved success.

The words of the saint comprise instructions on the religious life, various
minor works, among which is the admirable "Deposition for the Process of
Beatification of St. Francis de Sales", and a great many letters. The
Saint's qualities are seen in her precise and vigorous style, void of
imagery but betraying a repressed emotion, and bursting forth spontaneously
from the heart, anticipating in its method the beautiful French of the
seventeenth century. The book which may be called her masterpiece, "Réponses
sur les Régles, Constitutions et Coutumes", a truly practical and complete
code of the religious life, is not in circulation.


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A Prayer To Our Lady of Guadalupe For Abortion Victims



Holy Mother of God and our Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe, thou were
chosen by the Father to be the Mother of the Son, through the overshadowing
of the Holy Ghost. Thou art the Woman beheld in the vision of St. John,
clothed with the sun, who labors to give birth to Christ while Satan, the
Red Dragon, waits to voraciously devour thy Child.

So too did Herod seek to destroy thy Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, and massacred many innocent children in his vain attempt to do so.
In like manner, abortion does the work of Herod once again, as it kills many
innocent unborn children, and exploits many mothers in its attack upon human
life. Help us realize this day, dear Mother, that when one member of the
Mystical Body of Jesus Christ is attacked in this way, it is the same as if
thy Son was being attacked Himself, while we who are all "members of
members" are attacked as well.

O Mother of the Innocents, we praise God in thee for His gifts to thee of
thy Immaculate Conception, thy freedom from actual sin, thy fullness of
grace, thy Divine Maternity, thy Perpetual Virginity, and thy Assumption,
body and soul into Heaven.

O Help of Christians, we beg thee to protect all mothers who right now
bear their children within their wombs. We plead with thee for thy help to
end the scourge of abortion. Deign to melt the cold and selfish hearts of
these women so that life may be revered! Help them see that the children
they carry are not burdens to be cast off, but sacred charges to bring forth
into this world to be raised as future citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Help them see that no sacrifice is too great as they undertake the wondrous
dignity of being a co-creator of human life in union with God, the almighty
Creator of the whole human race. Teach them that there is no shame in
motherhood, but rather great blessings and joy.

Holy Mother, we pray to thy Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart for all
mothers, and all unborn children, that sharing the gift of life here on
earth they may, by the Most Precious Blood of thy Son, one day possess
eternal life with Him in Heaven. We also pray to thy Sorrowful and
Immaculate Heart for all abortionists and all abortion supporters that,
repenting of their sins, they may be converted in sorrow to the service of
thy Son, Jesus Christ. Defend all of thy children in the battle against
Satan and all of the evil spirits in this present darkness.

Let there be revealed, once more, in the history of the world, thy
infinite power of merciful love. May it put an end to evil. May it transform
consciences. May thy Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light
of hope. May Christ the King reign over us, our families, our cities, our
states, our nations and the whole of humanity. Let there return to this
earth a deep respect for life and for motherhood, and an abiding love of thy
Son, Jesus Christ, and His Holy Church.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, hear our pleas and accept this
cry from our hearts!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Protectress of the Unborn, Pray for us!





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