Prayer to St. Jane Frances de Chantal
(Feast Day : August 12)
O, Magnificent St. Jane Frances de Chantal, you had shown limitless
energy and courage in your lifetime as a mother, head of a household,
and a community caregiver.
You had shown loyalty and love for your husband, Christopher, despite his constant absence because of his active court duty.
Later in your years of mourning because of his death, you were able to
shake off all loneliness by devoting your time to spread God’s work,
therefore, you founded the Order of the Visitation Sisters in Geneva,
Switzerland with the direction of another saint, St. Francis de Sales,
bishop of Geneva.
Through your kind intercession, please assist me
in my present turmoil and difficulty. Like you, let me be able to
surmount all problems especially that which beset my soul, and also all
my temporal difficulties, so that upon surmounting these problems, I
could better serve the Lord with more strength and fortitude.
O, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, pray for me.
May God grant my petitions thru the merits of your long, tedious and
ardous apostolate work, care for the sick poor, and of your special
fondness and love for young mothers.
Pray for me, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, that I may always be generous and kind to others regardless of my state in life.
Pray for me to have strength and courage in doing my best in every task and job assigned to me.
May God, who is the source of your love and dedication for the well-being of all, grant my petitions.
Lord God, I give my full trust in you without reservation. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
*****
St. Jane Frances de Chantal
by C. Lalaine Aspiras, Current Affairs, The Ilocandia Express
I have said this already, and I will say it again, that we Catholics
are quite lucky to have saints by our side to assist us in our prayers.
I have found a gentle and sweet friend in the person of St. Jane
Frances de Chantal, born Jeanne Francoise Fremyot, on January 23, 1572
to a lawyer father. Her mother died when she was only two years old.
At age five, Jane was already very firm in her belief that "Jesus
Christ is present in the Blessed Sacrament," while she debated with a
visitor.
At the age of 20, she married Baron Christopher de Chantal and they lived at the Bourbilly Castle near Dijon.
But then, Baron de Chantal had to fight with the King of France, leaving Madame Jane de Chantal, to look after their estate.
Here, Jane, managed well their domestic affairs while providing soup kitchen to the poor and needy especially during famine.
By 1601, the couple had four children. When the Baron retired from
active duty because of his failing health, Jane nursed him back. But
one day during a hunting trip with his cousin, the baron was
accidentally killed.
Jane mourned for seven years. Then her
father-in-law had invited her to Monthelon. From there, she went with
her brother to Dijon to listen to the Bishop of Geneva, Francis de
Sales, one day.
Later, she would become a nun, and with the
direction and guidance of the bishop, Jane founded the Order of the
Visitation Sisters in Geneva.
Jane saw the Order flourish until she died on December 13, 1641 at the age of 69.
I have composed the above prayer in her honor.
PS. By coincidence or is it serendipity?, this saint caught my
attention. Later, I found out that her feast day was moved to August 12.
In remembrance to my Father, Cres D. Aspiras's birthday, which falls on
this said date, I am spreading the devotion to St. Jane Frances de
Chantal.) Thanks, friends!
