St. Jane served the poor at Bourbilly
During her marriage to Christophe, one of Jane’s greatest joys was service to the poor and sick. She devoted herself to them at her husband’s estates in Bourbilly and later at Monthelon, her father-in-law’s estate. She saw it as one way to share her blessings with those less fortunate and she delighted in providing bread and soup personally to the poor persons who came to her door. Often some of them who had just received food from her would pretend to leave, go around the house and then take their place in line once again and ask for more. When challenged as to why she allowed these people to get away with such a thing, Jane replied, “What if God turned me away when I came back to him again and again with the same request?”
She was always the advocate for the servants and farmers who toiled in Christophe’s fields. He was just but tended towards severity and this would prompt Jane to request a lighter sentence for the culprit. Her husband complained, “Maybe I am a little hasty, but you are too kind.” Sometimes Christophe remained inflexible, so Jane would secretly visit and console the prisoners. Many nights she led some poor fellow out of the dark, damp dungeon to a room where she had prepared a comfortable bed for him. Then in the early hours of morning she took him back to his dungeon cell and later joined her unsuspecting husband for breakfast.
Reflection questions:
1. What are some of the ways that we share our blessings with others?
2. Is there a connection between this kind of generosity and living in the present moment?
3. How do we respond to people who make repeated requests of us?
APPLICATION
Scripture
Be mindful of Your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. (Psalm 5:6)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, `Therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24)
For God says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” (Romans 9:15)
As he went ashore, Jesus saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. (Mark 6:34)
JANE’S WORDS:
O God, I am continually begging at the gate of thy mercy… Would I want to be turned away the second or third time?
A sister does something that is not commendable. Let it be and go to God, meanwhile let us take on honest look into ourselves and maybe we shall find worse things there.
There is nothing which so much brings down God’s mercy upon us as our having recourse with humility to his goodness for all things.