We continue our series about the saintly Sisters of the Nantes, France Visitation Monastery.
Yvonne Justeau was born in 1883. In 1886,her father, Mr. Justeau had to go his properties in the colonies, leaving Yvonne age 3 and her younger brother Lucien to maternal care. Yvonne realized that the best way to soften the grief of her mother was always to be obedient and wise.
At school , she preferred to study at recess, but above all religious instruction pleased her. “I learned that above what we hold most dear in this world, there is Jesus … Jesus, whom, in a few years, I was to receive in my heart … that we should not be content to pray in the morning and evening, but I had to do everything for him, especially what cost me. ”
In September 1903, Yvonne went on pilgrimage to Lourdes. There, she clearly heard the divine call. She aspired more to the contemplative life. When her spiritual director spoke of the Visitation, Yvonne felt her heart invaded by a peace, a joy she had never experienced.
She went through the door of the Visitation of Nantes, January 6, 1906. The Superior was her own aunt, but she had seen her only twice in herlife. On June 22, feast of the Sacred Heart, Yvonne received the habit of the Visitation with the name of Marguerite-Marie Chantal.
In the summer of 1906, because of her intense pain, she was moved to the infirmary or rather as she called it “the Villa of the Divine Good Pleasure” The doctors diagnosed a beginning of sciatica.
At Christmas 1906, she said to the Child Jesus: “Since I rest in the cradle that you have given me that is how I spend all my days: the morning on awaking, my first word is a word of love, my first impulse a kiss of love on your image; then I prepare to receive the bread of love, and while you rest in my heart, we speak of love. Afterwards, if I work, every point is an act of love, it’s for your love, when evening comes I fall asleep in your Heart, the cradle of love. ” She welcomed with the same smile all treatments. They laid her in a small bed.She was always a living sacrifice in the hands of the Divine Priest to save souls.. She was always smiling.
Unable to be formed in the Novitiate because of illness, Sister Marguerite-Marie Chantal still made monastic profession. The Bishop came to her room to give her the black veil and the cross, and he said: “Our Lord has given you his Cross so far; today he will give you his Heart. When you know that the hand that presents the Cross is given by a fatherly and divine Heart, we can only receive with joy and abandon lovingly that hand.” “She said: “The bride of the bridegroom, follows him wherever he goes either to Tabor or Calvary, I will follow you, Jesus, and all my joy will be great, because everywhere you will be with me, and I can do Thy will. ”
Sister Marguerite-Marie Chantal pronounced her solemn Vows December 9 surrounded by all her Sisters. Covering with kisses the Crucifix, she told the Superior: “When you reach the point where I am, you will understand how the Crucifix is little loved! Oh! if we knew the price of souls, we would never hesitate a minute to sacrifice everything for Him winning all … … That was the whole purpose of my life. ” In the most cruel tortures, she murmured again: Everything for souls!
She fell asleep in the Lord on the evening of 12 December.