Day 1:“Here I am, I have come, my God, to do your will”(Hb, 10, 7) Prayer of Saint Jeanne de Chantal “Lord, sovereign goodness,I abandon myself in your arms, in joys and sorrows.Take me wherever you like.I will not look at the way forward.I will look only at You, my Providence, my Strength, my Bulwark.I will only look at You who guide me like a real mother.I will follow the path that You trace me,without ever looking at or peeling the causes of the events,without asking myself too many “whys”.With my eyes closed, I will do your Will and not mine.I will stand in rest,without desiring anything other than what You will inspire me to wish.I offer you this resolution, Lord;I ask you to bless her.I will be faithful to it, distrustful of my weakness,and relying on your kindness, your generosity, your mercy.Lord, I have total trust in You.Amen »
Day2: All to Jesus with great humility.“Put yourself at my school because I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11,19)“…Sisterswill have special attention to the practice of this virtue, doing all things in the spirit of deep, sincere and frank humility.” (St Fr. de Sales) “Long live Jesus! I beseech you that Jesus be your joy, your peace, your rest and consolation in all things. Everything to Jesus without reservation, without exception, without if, without wanting except that his most holy will. . . . Monsignor, our only father, says that he would love us better with more humility and less perfection. (St. J. of Chantal – lettre 58)
Day3: Prayer“Jesus withdrew into solitudes and prayed” (Lk 5:16).« . . . the whole interior and exterior of the Daughters of the Visitation is consecrated to God; . . . all their actions are prayers and prayers; all their hours are dedicated to God… and are fruits of charity. » (St Fr. de Sales) “If sometimes you find yourself without strength, without courage, without a sense of confidence, force yourself to say words that are contrary to your feeling and say firmly:My Savior, my all, despite my miseries and mistrust, I will trust everything in you. You are the strength of the weak, the refuge of sinners, the wealth of the poor and finally you are my Savior who have always loved sinners. »(St. J. de Chantal – letter 64)
Day4: Providence“Observe the crows: they do not sow or harvest, they have no reserves or granaries, and God feeds them. You are worth so much more than birds! » (Lc,12,24)“My dear daughter, hold your heart wide; rest him often in the arms of divine Providence. Courage, courage, Jesus is ours. May our hearts be his forever. » St Fr. de Sales“I beg his divine goodness to engrave in your hearts these 4 maxims:that we were totally dependent on God’s Providence and obedience;humility and meekness of heart; simplicity and poverty of life; of holy freedom of spirit. » (St. J. de Chantal – letter 2683)
Day5:TheSpirit ofthe Visitation“Blessed are the meek, for they will receive the earth as an inheritance.” (Mt 5:5)« The spirit of the Visitation is a spirit of deep humility towards God and a great meekness towards one’s neighbour. » (St Fr. de Sales – Works VI (229)“Ah my dear sisters! Our beloved Visitation is a small kingdom of charity; if the union and holy dilection does not make its reign there, it will soon be divided… One thing I wish you is holy union; Let us be careful never to say a single word, even a small one, which can cause any kind of disunity of the sisters with the superior or towards each other.” (St. J. de Chantal 11th Treatise Ch.2)
Day6: FreedomGod said to Moses, “To whom I have mercy, I will have mercy; for whom I have tenderness, I will have tenderness” (Rom 9:14) “The freedom I speak of is that of beloved children. And what is it? It is a disengagement of the Christian heart from all things, to follow the will of God recognized. » (St Fr. de Sales- letter 80) “Live all joyful, my dearest daughter, with great care for your health… lead your little troop with great love and holy freedom of spirit to exact observance, in that same holy freedom of spirit that is the mark of the true children of God… (St. J. de Chantal – letter 1404)
Day7: Peace“I leave you peace, I give you my peace; it is not in the way of the world that I give it to you… (Jn 14:27)“Keep the peace of heart and tranquility. Do not bother with anything and never disturb yourself for anything that may happen, neither to you, nor around you… » (St Fr. de Sales) “Know my dear daughter that Our Lord is called Prince of Peace, and that therefore, wherever He is absolute Master, He holds everything in peace. » (St. J. of Chantal)
Day8: The Sacred Heart “When they came to Jesus, seeing that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one of the soldiers with his spear pierced his side; and immediately he came out of it blood and water.”(Jn 19,33)“When will we see the souls of our neighbors in the sacred chest of the savior? Who looks at the neighbor out of there short fortune to love him neither purely, nor constantly, nor also… » (Fr de Sales – letter of Spiritual Friendship. 142)“The sisters of the Visitation, who will be so happy to observe their rules faithfully, will be able to truly bear the name of Evangelical Daughters, established especially to be the imitators of the two dearest virtues of the Sacred Heart of the Incarnate Word, meekness and humility, which are like the basis and foundation of their Order and give them that special privilege and incomparable grace to bear the quality of Daughters of the Heart of Jesus.” (St. J. dChantal, Works, III 489)
Day9: The Virgin MaryMary said to those who served, “Whatever He tells you, do it.” (Jn 2:5)“Our Lady makes an offering as God desired, for in addition to the dignity of her person, which surpasses all others after her Son, she offers all that she is and all that she has; and that is what God asks. » Works IX p.236“See my daughtersas we have everything in Maryand with what confidence we must turn to Her:if we are children, she is Mother;if we are weak, she is a mighty Virgo;if we need graces, she is the Mother of divine grace;if we are in ignorance, it is the seat of wisdom;if we are sad, it is a cause of joy to the whole earth. » (St. J. of Chantal Life and Works Ch. XI)
Every day Our FatherHail MaryGlory to the Father PrayerLord, You gave to Saint Jeanne-Françoise de Chantalto attain high holinessthrough different states of life;grant us, to his prayer,to respond faithfully to our vocationto bear witness to the light in all circumstances.God be blessed!