and Blessed Feast of St. Jane de Chantal!
“Our Blessed Father had a perfect devotion to Our Lady and a tender love, accompanied by a filial trust. He called her his Lady, his Queen, his Mistress. When he preached his praises, on the days of his feasts, which he never lacked, it was with a special fervor, ease and joy. “You know,” this Blessed once wrote to me, “may our glorious Mistress always give me special help when I speak of her divine motherhood. I beg her, this sacred Lady, to put her hand in the precious Side of her Son to take her dearest graces, in order to give them to us with abundance. [1]
[1] Deposition of Saint Jeanne de Chantal for the process of beatification and canonization of Saint Francis de Sales. ARTICLE XXXIII: His devotion, prayer and attention to the presence of God.
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A contemporary sister of Saint Joan asked her how to pray at Our Lady. She replied:
“My daughter, we make a very pleasant prayer to the Blessed Virgin, when we praise God for the greatness he has put in her, and the choice he has made of her to be his worthy and true Mother”
Heart of Jesus, through the intercession of Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Joan of Chantal, we give you thanks for giving us the Virgin Mary as our Mother and we ask you to imitate her virtues. Amen.