From Mother Jacqueline: On Short Prayers in a Busy Life

This comes from a book of daily sayings from St. Francis de Sales:

On Short Prayers in a Busy Life

(From a letter to Madame de Travernay, one of his counselees)

You ought to measure the time that you give to prayer by the multiplicity of your occupations; and since it has please our Lord to place in you a state of life in which you are exposed to perpetual distractions, you must be content with short prayers; but at the same time, they must become a daily duty, never to be omitted without real necessity.

I should like you in the morning, on your first aritsing, to kneel down and adore God, making the sign of the Cross and asking His blessing for the whole of the coming day; which can be done in the space of time which it would take to say one or two Paternosters. If you are able to be present a Mass, it will be sufficient to hear it with attention and reverence whilst saying your rosary.

In the evening, before supper or thereabouts, you might easily say a few fervent prayers, for about the space of a Pater; for there can be no duty which could bind you so closely that you cannot manage to steal this bit of leisure.

At night whilst preparing to go to bed, make a brief review of all your actions during the day; and before lying down, ask God to pardon the faults which you may have committed; beseeching Him to watch over you and to give you His blessing; all which you can do in the space of an Ave Maria. But especially I desire that during the day you should frequently retire into the solitude of your own heart with God, by short acts of fidelity and love.

From Mother Jacqueline: On Serving God in the World

Dear all,

This meditation written to Madame de Chantal when she was in the world is so beautiful and so encouraging! I send it to you with all my heart.  --Mother Jacqueline

(From a book of daily meditations from the words of St. Francis de Sales)

As long as it is the will of God that you should remain in the world, stay there cheerfully and contentedly. There are many who quit the world; but in doing so, fail to quit themselves, having really left it only to gratify their own satisfaction.

Let us quit the world in order to serve God, to follow Him, to love Him; and if this be our aim, so long as God wills that we should serve Him, follow Him, and love Him in the world, we should cheerfully remain there; for since it is only His holy service that we desire, wherever we can serve Him we ought to be satisfied.

Abide in peace, my daughter; remain in the world cheerfully, and do well all that your position requires of you; believing that God will be better pleased with this than with a hundred withdrawals from the world, made by self-will and self-love.

Some time ago I met a young girl carrying a pail of water on her head, in the middle of which she had put a piece of wood; I wondered why she had done so, and she told me it was to keep the water steady so that it might not overflow. I thought to myself how this is just what we ought to do with the Cross of our Lord; so that in and by this wood our affections might be kept steadfast, and not pour themselves out in troubling and disquieting thoughts.

More devotions from the sisters

"In that blessed eternity we shall all know each other. What happiness it will be for us to see those whom we have loved so dearly on earth! They will remind us of all the holy inspirations which they have brought to us from the Divine Goodness to allure us more and more to seek for that sweetness which is now our portion for eternity." (Also from Saint Francis de Sales's Sermons in Lent)

Mother Jacqueline Burke, VHM

From the devotions of the Georgetown Visitation sisters

Monday, August 6th (Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus), and Tuesday, August 7th are described so beautifully by St. Francis de Sales in my little "Daily Readings" book, offered so long ago (1911-1912) to those who want to draw near to Jesus every day! I found them in my early morning meditation and went back to them in my spiritual reading during the day. What a wonderful inspiration and guide St. Francis de Sales is!

Mother Jacqueline Burke, VHM

More devotions from the sisters

"The Apostles then beheld His face, more shining and more brilliant than the sun, and His raiment became white and glittering. He then revealed a glimpse of eternal glory to grant us a foretaste of the eternal happiness which awaits us. Thus it was that Saint Peter, speaking in the name of the others whose prince and head he was destined to be, cried out: 'How good it is for us to be here!' "I have indeed,' he seems to say, 'desired many things, but nothing could be so worthy of desire as to be in this place.'" (from Saint Francis deSales's Sermons in Lent)

Mother Jacqueline Burke, VHM

Weekly posts from the devotions of the Georgetown Visitation Sisters

Watch this space for regular posts from the Sisters, interspersed with photos from the Monastery. This first entry is from Mother Jacqueline Burke, VHM:

Every morning I begin my meditation by reading the entry for the day... the specific date of the day... from an little, old book, entitled Daily Readings from St. Francis de Sales, published in 1911 in England, and then in 1912 by Herder Pub. Company in St. Louis.

St. Francis de Sales, our Visitation founder, is truly my spiritual "compass;" he always brings me to Jesus. Most of all, he always opens my heart to the stunning reality that Jesus is constantly with each of us--loving, guiding, forgiving, companioning, inspiring us. It is this reality that wells up in us in joy and deep wonder and peace: Even on a hard day, it is the gift of gifts and won't disappear... no matter how I feel or respond, Jesus keeps on loving me.

TWO QUOTES FROM THIS BOOK

"Our Lord will certainly supply all your deficiences...provided it is He Whom you love, Whom you seek, Whom you follow." (From a letter to Madame de la Flechere)

"Humility must be practiced gently, quietly, persistently, and not only sweetly, but gladly, and joyously."

Mother Jacqueline Says...

Here's another in a series of favorite quotes and sayings from Mother Jacqueline. Like the first in our series, this one comes from Holy Father, St. Francis de Sales: "During the course of the day you will find the eyes of Jesus turned towards you and constantly fixed on you with an incomparable Love."

Mother Jacqueline Says...

We're starting a new series of sayings that Mother Jacqueline particularly likes, or things she sometimes says. Here is a quote she often shares from Holy Father St. Francis de Sales: "Keep your heart full of courage and your courage full of confidence in God... in Jesus!"