“Once he (St. Francis de Sales) wrote to me: ‘When will we be all soggy in gentleness and suavity towards our neighbor? When will we see the souls of our neighbors in the sacred chest of the Savior? Alas! who looks at him out of there, he runs fortune to love him neither purely, nor constantly, nor equally. But then, who wouldn’t love it? who wouldn’t stand it? who would not suffer his imperfections? who would find it unwillingly? who would find it boring? for there he is this neighbor, he is in the womb and chest of the divine Savior; there he is as much loved and so kind that the Lover dies of love for him.” [1]
[1] Deposition of Saint Jeanne de Chantal for the process of beatification and canonization of Saint Francis de Sales. ARTICLE XXVII: His love for neighbor.
Faithful disciple of her “Blessed Father”, Saint Jane wrote to a Visitandine:
“My dear daughter, often consider these words: Jesus Christ loved us and washed us in his blood. Why did He love us, since we were dirty and vile creatures? He loved us by an excess of charity, because He wanted to wash us in His blood, because He did not wait until we had been washed to love each other. Believe me, my dear daughter, let us love without examination this dear neighbor, all poor, all badly done, all as he is, and if it were possible for us to wash away his imperfections in our blood, we should wish to give him to the last drop. ยป
Heart of Jesus, through the intercession of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal,
we ask you for the grace to love us as You love us. Amen.