Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Saints: Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious (1572-1641); Blessed Isidore Bakanja (c.1886-1909); Saint Muredach (5th century); Saint Attracta (5th or 6th century); Saint Lelia (?); Saint Blaan (-590)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 58:17-29 The Procedure for Receiving Brothers

Mass: Ezk 16:1-15, 60, 63 or Ezk 16:59-63; Resp Ps (Is 12); Mt 19:3-12

My strength and my courage is the Lord.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

HEART OF MARY, FULL OF GRACE,

PRAY FOR US.

Receive me, Lord, as you have promised, and I shall live; do not disappoint me in my hope.

(Rule of Saint Benedict 58:21/Ps 118:116)

As on many days, we turn to our saints of the day for inspiration and intercession. We have plenty of them to pray for us today, some more well-known than others. Big inspirations for me are women, those who were wives and mothers, and we have a powerful one to commemorate, namely, Saint Jane Frances de Chantal. Jane, born in Dijon, France in the mid-sixteenth century, married a nobleman and was happily married for nine years as wife and the mother of six children, whom she raised in the faith. After her husband's untimely death in a hunting accident, Jane sought the spiritual guidance of Francis de Sales. As she continued to seek God, Jane served the poor and the sick. In 1610, Jane and Francis founded the Order of Visitation for women who devoted themselves to "total trust in humble and gentle service in the spirit of Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth. " And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy (Lk 1:43-44). My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord (Lk 1:46). Amen. 

In our neighbor we should only observe what is good.

(Saint Jane Frances de Chantal)

The great method of prayer is to have none. If in going to prayer one can form in oneself a pure capacity for receiving the spirit of God, that will suffice for all method.

(Saint Jane Frances de Chantal)

Hell is full of the talented, but Heaven of the energetic.

(Saint Jane Frances de Chantal)

SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL,

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES,

BLESSED ISIDORE BAKANIA,

SAINT MUREDACH,

SAINT ATTRACTA,

SAINT LELIA,

SAINT BLAAN

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Not looking for something to include in today's reflection, I walked by this and went straight for the camera. Sing praise to the Lord for His glorious achievements.

© Gertrude Feick 2022