AFTER ST FRANCIS DE SALES…
was St. Vincent de Paul. And St Francis and St. Vincent were good friends, as we have shown in an earlier post.***
As the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul approaches on September 27th, we would like to share some excerpts of the correspondence between St. Jane and St. Vincent, where available, and encourage scholars to delve into this little studied aspect of these two saints’ relationship.
St. Vincent de Paul was very connected to the Visitation Monastery in Paris, where St. Jane, Visitation’s Foundress, resided for periods of time.
This first letter is from 1627, from St. Jane to St. Vincent, while she was on her way to Orleans:
SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL TO SAINT VINCENT
November 1627
So there you are, my very dear Father, occupied with your work in the province of Lyons and, consequently, here we are, deprived of seeing you for a long time. But in what God does, there is no fault to be found; rather, He is to be blessed for everything, as I am doing, my very dear Father, for the freedom you give me to continue my trust in you and to bother you. I shall do so quite simply.
Well, I have made four days of retreat, and no more, because of several business matters that came up unexpectedly. I saw the need I have to work at humility and tolerance of my neighbor, virtues that I had taken last year and that Our Lord has given me the grace to practice a little. But He is the One Who did everything and Who will do so again, if He chooses, since He gives me so many opportunities.
As for my state, it seems to me that 1am simply awaiting what God will be pleased to do with me. I have no desires nor plans. Nothing is keeping me from allowing God to act. I do not yet see it, but it seems to me that this is what is in the depths of my soul. I have neither opinion nor feeling with regard to the future, but, at present, I am doing what I think it is necessary to do, without thinking any further.
Often, everything is stirred up in the inferior part, causing me to suffer a great deal. And there I am, knowing that with patience I shall possess my soul. Moreover, I have many difficulties on account of my office, because my spirit greatly detests action, and when I force myself to act in a case of necessity, my body and spirit are left disconsolate. My imagination, on the other hand, gives me a lot of trouble during all my exercises, and with rather great annoyance. Our Lord is also permitting me to havea number of difficulties exteriorly, so that nothing in this life is pleasing to me except the Will of God alone which wishes me to be here. May God be merciful to me, which I beg you to earnestly ask of Him. I shall not fail to pray to Him, as I am doing with all my heart, that He will strengthen you for the responsibility He has given you.
Source: http://via.library.depaul.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1025&context=vincentian_ebooks
***http://visitationspirit.org/2014/09/st-vincent-de-paul-and-the-visitation-order/