Salesian Literature

LETTERS OF SFS

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Madame Villesavin

 

Isabelle Blondeau de Villesavin first met Francis de Sales in Dijon in 1604 when he was preaching the Lenten sermons in that city.  Through the years they became very close friends and corresponded very frequently.  Of their voluminous correspondence, however, only four letters have been preserved.  Madame de Villesavin left Paris in May 1619, when she accompanied her husband, a member of the court of King Louis XIII, to Angoulême.  Although Francis remained in Paris at this time, he knew that he himself would be leaving the city shortly and had no idea if they would ever see each other again.  (Actually, they did meet a few months later, in September when the bishop was going through Tours).

 

Very wealthy, living in the most fashionable social milieu of the times, Madame de Villesavin nevertheless lived an intensely spiritual life given to prayer, practices of austerity and the promotion of charitable works in Paris.  In every way she was the “Philothea” described in the Introduction to the Devout Life.  She died at a very advanced age in 1687.

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Living a life of prayer

 

Living a life of prayer

Paris, July-August, 1619[1]

 

Don’t ever believe, my dearest daughter, that great distances can separate those whom God has united by the bonds of His love.  The children of this world are all separated one from another because their hearts are in different places; but the children of God whose hearts are where their treasure is (cf. Lk. 12:34) and who all have the same treasure – which is the same God – are consequently always bound and united together.  In light of this, it shouldn’t matter to us that necessity keeps you out of town and that very soon I will have to leave town to return to my duties.  We shall often meet before our blessed crucifix if we observe carefully the promises we have made to each other; it is only there that our conversations are worthwhile.

 

Even so, my dear daughter, I shall start by telling you that you must do everything you can to strengthen your mind against those useless thoughts which habitually upset and torment you.  In order to do this, you must, first of all, so regulate your prayer exercises that their length does not weary you nor irritate those with whom you live; a half or quarter hour, even less, is enough for the morning preparation, three quarters of an hour or an hour for Mass; and n the course of the day, frequent liftings of the heart to God which can be done in a second; the examination of conscience in the evening before going to bed; and of course, the ordinary grace before and after meals, which can be times to reunite your heart with God.  In a word, I would like you to be “Philothea” through and through, and nothing more; that is, I would like you to be what I have described in the Introduction, which was written for you and others like you.

 

In your conversation, dearest daughter, be peaceful, no matter what is being said or done; if it is something good, praise God for it; if it isn’t, you can serve God by turning your heart away from it without acting either shocked or upset.  Since you can’t do anything about it and don’t have the authority to stop the evil talk of those who are indulging in it, these persons would say worse things if you seemed to be trying to stop them.  In this way, you will remain completely innocent in the midst of hissing serpents, and, like a sweet strawberry, you will receive no venom from contact with venomous tongues.

 

I don’t understand how you can allow this immoderate sadness into your heart, since you are God’s daughter, and were placed a long time ago in the heart of His mercy and consecrated to His love.  You should lighten your burden by dismissing these sad, gloomy thoughts which the enemy suggests for the sole purpose of wearing you down and annoying you.  Take great care to practise the humble gentleness that you owe to your dear husband and everyone else, for it is the virtue of virtues which Our Lord has so often recommended to us (Mt. 11:29).  If you happen to fail in it, don’t be disturbed, but with the greatest confidence, pick yourself up and continue to walk peacefully and calmly as before.

 

I am sending you a little method for uniting yourself to Our Lord in the morning and throughout the day.

 

For now, my dearest daughter, this is what I thought good to say for your comfort.  The only thing left to add is to ask you, please, not to stand on ceremony with me, for I have neither the time nor the wish to do so with you.  Write to me whenever you like, quite freely, for I shall always be happy to receive news of your soul which I greatly cherish. […]

 

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[1] Oeuvres, XVIII, 415-417: Letter MDXXXIX.

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