The two days of the Mother Cabrini Pilgrimage inspired all of the pilgrims, filling us with graces, good resolutions, and heavenward thoughts. We ask God's blessings on the volunteers who make it possible by providing meals, water, Gatorade, support vehicles, and prayers. Everyone was edified by the chaplain of the pilgrimage, who continually encouraged us and reminded us of the spirit of gratitude to God for His care of us. He finished today with a beautiful sermon about abandoning ourselves to God: throwing ourselves into His Arms as a child does whose father asks him to jump into his arms in a pool of water. If the child has confidence, he trusts, and jumps.

I'd like to share a quote with you from St. Jane Frances de Chantal, whose feast is today. We were blessed to visit her town and her tomb last year in Annecy, France. The portrait in the photo below is of the saint, who helped St. Francis de Sales found the Order of the Visitation nuns. Sister Therese (below) stands beside the picture of her holy foundress. Though she spoke no English, she served us in the gift shop attached to the Basilica where St. Jane is buried.


St. Jane wrote to her brother, the Archbishop of Bourges:

"With the confidence of a son, rest in the care and love which divine Providence has for you in all your needs. Look upon Providence as a child does its mother who loves him tenderly. You can be sure that God loves you incomparably more. We can't imagine how great is the love which God, in His goodness, has for souls who thus abandon themselves to His mercy, and who have no other wish than to do what they think pleases Him, leaving everything that concerns them to His care in time and in eternity."

This saint is unique because she excelled in all areas of life. First, she was a holy single woman, then she married and had a very happy marriage that was blessed with four children. Then her husband died in a hunting accident, and she became a holy widow. And finally, after years of prayer and care of her children and estates (she was a Baroness), she became the holy foundress of an Order of nuns. Here is her tomb:

In the Mass of her feast, we pray:

"Almighty and merciful God, Who didst endow blessed Jane Frances, burning with love of Thee, with an admirable strength of soul through all the paths of life in the way of perfection...grant to her merits and prayers that we, who, conscious of our own infirmity, trust in Thy power, may, by the assistance of divine grace, conquer all obstacles which beset us."

This last line seemed to tie in so well with Father's sermon on how we must trust in the power of God and not in our own strength. When one looked around the church at all the people who had walked the pilgrimage and were sunburned, tired, and limping, we were very conscious of our own infirmity! But if we trust in the Power of God, we can overcome all obstacles, even mountains. :)

This photo shows her nun's habit on a wax statue of the saint. Notice the patches...

 Here are some of her other simple possessions:



She gave up everything to do what God was leading her to do...she truly flung herself into the Arms of her Heavenly Father!