Born in Italy in 1587, Virginia Centurione Bracelli was drawn to religious life at a young age, but her parents arranged for her to be married when she was only 15. At the age of 20 with two young children, she was widowed. She moved in with her in-laws, raised her children, prayed, and performed works of charity. Once her daughters were grown and married, she turned her house into a mini-hospital. When she needed more space for patients, she rented, then bought, and then built additional accommodations. She spent her whole life in service to abandoned and orphaned children, the sick, and the poor.
CHALLENGE
St. Virginia Bracelli didn’t wait for others to come to her. She knew that the people who needed the most help were the ones in the worst neighborhoods. She bravely sought out the people who needed care, no matter where they lived. Today, contact a local soup kitchen and schedule a time over the next two weeks when you can go and volunteer.
In France in 1572, Jane Frances Frémyot was born to the president of the local parliament. Her mother died when Jane was only 18 months old, and her devout father ensured Jane was well-raised and educated. When she was 21 he arranged for her to be married to the Baron de Chantal, a son of one of his friends. Jane had four children before the Baron was killed in a hunting accident, and widowed at 28, she moved in with her father-in-law to secure her children’s inheritance. Under the spiritual direction of St. Francis de Sales she founded the Congregation of the Visitation, an order for women whose health or age prevented them from joining other orders. Jane was deeply devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and grew her order to 86 houses before her death at age 69.
CHALLENGE
St. Jane de Chantal faced many adversities in her life, but she found ways to turn adversity into fruits for God. Adversity comes in many forms. What matters isn’t the adversity you face, but how you face it. What adversity is a part of your life? Bring it to your spiritual director, and figure out how you can turn your adversity into fruits for God.
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