# Matins Nocturn 2 reading for St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Widow
# (Aug 21). Sourced directly from web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/08-21.txt,
# English/Sancti/08-21.txt. Lectio4-6 combined into one reading, one
# continuous vita. No Lectio7-9 in her own file (her `[Rule]` is `vide
# C7a`) -- defers to the Common's own Nocturn 3, not transcribed here.
id: st-jane-frances-de-chantal
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    text:
      la: >-
        Joanna Francisca Frémiot de Chantal, Divione in Burgundia clarissimis
        orta natalibus, ab ineunte ætate eximiæ sanctitatis non obscuras
        edidit significationes. Eam enim vix quinquennem nobilem quemdam
        Calvinistam solida supra ætatem argumentatione perstrinxisse ferunt,
        collatumque ab eo munusculum flammis illico tradidisse, in hæc verba:
        En quomodo hæretici apud inferos comburentur, qui loquenti Christo
        fidem detrectant. Matre orbata, Deiparæ Virginis tutelæ se
        commendavit, et famulam, quæ ad mundi amórem eam alliciebat, ab se
        rejecit. Nihil puerile in moribus exprimens, a sæculi deliciis
        abhorrens, martyriumque anhelans, religioni ac pietati impense
        studebat. Baroni de Chantal nuptui a patre tradita, virtutibus
        omnibus excolendis operam dedit, liberos famulos, aliosque sibi
        subjectos in fidei doctrina, bonisque moribus imbuere satagens.
        Profusa liberalitate pauperum inopiam sublevabat, annona divinitus
        non raro multiplicata: quo factum est, ut nemini se umquam Christi
        nomine roganti stipem abnegaturam spoponderit.


        Viro in venatione interempto, perfectioris vitæ consilium iniens,
        continentiæ voto se obstrinxit. Viri necem non solum æquo animo
        tulit, sed, in publicum indultæ veniæ testimonium, occisoris filium e
        sacro fonte suscipere sui victrix elegit. Modica familia, tenui
        victu atque vestitu contenta, pretiosas vestes in pios usus
        convertit. Quidquid a domesticis curis supererat temporis, precibus,
        piis lectionibus, laborique impendebat. Numquam adduci potuit ut
        alteras nuptias, quamvis utiles et honorificas, iniret. Ne autem a
        proposito castimoniæ observandæ in posterum dimoveretur, illius voto
        innovato, sanctissimum Jesu Christi nomen candenti ferro pectori
        insculpsit. Ardentius in dies caritate fervescens, pauperes,
        derelictos, ægros, teterrimisque morbis infectos ad se adducendos
        curabat; eosque non hospitio tantum excipiebat, solabatur, fovebat,
        verum étiam sordidas eorumdem vestes depurgabat, laceras reficiebat,
        et manantibus fœtido pure ulceribus labia admovere non exhorrebat.


        A sancto Francisco Salesio, quo spiritus moderatore usa fuit,
        divinam voluntatem edocta, proprium parentem, socerum, filium
        denique ipsum, quem étiam vocationi obsistentem, sua e domo
        egrediens, pedibus calcare non dubitavit, invicta constantia
        deseruit, et sacri instituti Visitationis sanctæ Mariæ fundamenta
        jecit. Ejus instituti leges integerrime custodivit, et adeo
        paupertatis fuit amans, ut vel necessaria sibi deesse gauderet.
        Christianæ vero animi demissionis et obedientiæ, virtutum denique
        omnium perfectissimum exemplar se præbuit. Altiores in corde suo
        ascensiones disponens, arduissimo efficiendi semper id quod
        perfectius esse intelligeret, voto se obstrinxit. Denique, sacro
        Visitationis instituto ejus potissimum opera longe lateque diffuso,
        verbo, exemplo, et scriptis étiam divina sapientia refertis, ad
        pietatem et caritatem sororibus excitatis, meritis referta, et
        sacramentis rite susceptis, Molinis, anno millesimo sexcentesimo
        quadragesimo primo, die decima tertia Decembris, migravit ad
        Dominum, ejusque animam, occurrente sancto Francisco Salesio, in
        cælos deferri sanctus Vincentius a Paulo procul distans aspexit.
        Ejus corpus postea Annecium translatum fuit: eamque miraculis ante
        et post obitum claram Benedictus decimus quartus beatorum, Clemens
        vero decimus tertius Pontifex Maximus albo sanctorum adjecit.
      en: >-
        Jeanne Frances Fremiot de Chantal was born of parents of the highest
        rank, at Dijon in Burgundy. From her earliest childhood she gave no
        dark promise of a life of eminent holiness. It is said that when she
        was scarcely fifteen years of age she confuted with precocious
        acuteness a Presbyterian nobleman, and when he gave her a little
        present she put it in the fire, saying: That is how heretics will
        burn in hell for not believing Christ when He speaketh. On the death
        of her mother, she placed herself under the keeping of the Virgin
        Mother of God, and discharged a maid who strove to beguile her into
        loving the world. She had nothing youthful about her ways. She
        shrank from the pleasures of life. She had a strong wish that she
        might die a martyr. She devoted herself unweariedly to religion and
        godliness. Her father gave her in marriage to the Baron de Chantal,
        and she strove to excel in all the duties and graces of a wife. She
        made it her work to see that her children, her servants, and all
        others under her authority were taught the doctrines of the faith
        and the practice of good living. She relieved the sufferings of the
        poor by plentiful almsgiving, for which purposes God not
        unfrequently miraculously multiplied her money. And so it came to
        pass that no one ever asked her for food in Christ's name and was
        refused it.


        When her husband was accidentally killed out shooting, and in her
        widowhood she determined to embrace the more excellent way, and
        took a vow not to marry again. She bore her bereavement with
        resignation to the Will of God, and so far overcame her horror of
        the gentleman who had fired the shot, that, to show she attributed
        no blame to him, she stood god-mother to his little boy. She was
        quite content with few servants and plain cookery and dress, and
        sold her rich wardrobe for the benefit of charities. She received
        offers of second marriage which would have been both politic and
        honourable, but never was induced to accept one of them, and to
        harden herself in her intention of remaining in her widowhood, she
        renewed her vow to that effect, and branded on her chest with a hot
        iron the most holy name of Jesus Christ. Her love grew tenderer
        every day, and she had brought to her the starving, the abandoned,
        the diseased, and those who were afflicted with the most sickening
        disorders. Them she not only sheltered, comforted, and nursed, but
        washed and mended their filthy and ragged garments, and shrank not
        from putting her mouth to their sores oozing with disgusting matter.


        She used the services of St. Francis de Sales as her spiritual
        adviser, and when she learnt from him what was the will of God, she
        scrupled not to disregard the wishes of her own father, brother-in-
        law, and even of her son, whom she left with calm determination,
        went forth from her home, and founded the holy Institution of the
        Sisters of the Visitation of St. Mary. She most rigidly kept the
        rules of this Institute, and loved so well to be poor, that it made
        her glad to lack even the necessaries of life. She showed herself a
        model of Christian lowliness, obedience, and all graces. Having
        settled in her heart still to go up higher and higher towards the
        Temple of the Lord, she bound herself by a most difficult vow always
        to do that which she should understand to be best. It was chiefly
        through her labour that the holy Institute of the Visitation became
        spread far and wide, and she stirred up the sisters to godliness and
        love by her words, by her example, and by writings full of Divine
        wisdom. She duly received the Sacraments before her death, and then,
        at Moulins, departed hence, to be for ever with the Lord. St. Vincent
        of Paul, who was far distant, in a vision beheld her soul borne to
        heaven, and St. Francis de Sales coming to meet it. Her body was
        afterwards taken to Annecy. She was famous for miracles both before
        and after her death, and Pope Benedict XIV. enrolled her among the
        Blessed, and Pope Clement XIII. among the Saints.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
