Salesian Literature

LETTERS OF SFS

Peronne-Marie de Chatel

 

In July 1610 Sister Péronne-Marie joined Mother de Chantal and her first two companions in the nascent Visitation Congregation.  Her gifts of nature and grace made her a kind of “model” of the Visitandine envisioned by Francis de Sales: she was blessed with a happy disposition, a lively, simple, spontaneous spirit, and a heart ready and eager for the spiritual formation she would receive from the two founders.  Her unusual gifts of prayer, however, did not preclude her experiencing discouragement, scruples, and even moments of very human impatience and irritation with some of her tasks.  She often needed the assurance and loving encouragement that only Mother de Chantal and Francis de Sales could give her in her struggles.

 

Arm yourself with the patience we should have toward ourselves

 

Arm yourself with the patience we should have toward ourselves

Annecy, October 28, 1614[1]

 

Madam,

 

Certainly, my dearest daughter, you give me great pleasure by calling me father, for my heart is full of fatherly affection for yours which I see is still rather timid in the face of the ordinary, slight contradictions that come its way.  But I continue to love it, for although at times it feels as if it is about to be discouraged over the little reproofs it receives, yet this poor heart of yours never has actually lost its courage; that’s because God has held it in His strong hand and, according to His mercy, He has never abandoned His unhappy little creature.  Dearest daughter, He will never abandon you, for even if you are troubled and in anguish over these absurd temptations to sadness and bitterness, still, you never want to leave God or our Lady or our congregation which belongs to them or our Rules which are His will.

 

Truly, you are right, my poor dear Péronne-Marie, when you say there are in you two men, or rather, two women (cf. Gen. 25:22-23).  One is a certain Péronne who, like her godfather St. Peter long ago,[2] is a bit touchy, resentful and ready to flare up if anyone crosses her; this is the Péronne who is a daughter of Eve and therefore bad-tempered.  The other is a certain Péronne-Marie who fully intends to belong totally to God, and who, in order to be all His, wants to be most simply humble and humbly gentle toward everyone; this is the one who would like to imitate St. Peter who was so good after Our Lord had converted him; this is the Péronne-Marie who is a daughter of the glorious Virgin Mary and therefore of good disposition.  These two daughters of different mothers fight each other and the good-for-nothing one is so mean that the good one has a hard time defending herself; afterward the poor dear thinks she has been beaten and that the wicked one is stronger than she.  Not at all, my poor dear Péronne-Marie; the wicked one is stronger than you, but she is more brazen, perverse, unpredictable, and stubborn; and when you go off crying she is very happy because that’s just so much time wasted, and she is satisfied to make you lose time when she is unable to make you lose eternity.

 

My dear daughter, stir up your courage, arm yourself with the patience we should have toward ourselves.  Often rouse your heart so that it may be rather on guard against a surprise attack; watch out for this other self; wherever you go, you’d do well to be aware of her, for this mean girl goes with you everywhere, and if you aren’t thinking about her she will think up something against you.  But when she happens to attack you suddenly, even if she causes you to totter and stumble, don’t be upset; instead, call out to Our Lord and our Lady.  They will reach out a blessed helping hand to you, and if they allow you to go on suffering for a while, it will only be in order to have you cry out again more loudly for their help.

 

Don’t be ashamed of all this, my dear daughter, any more than St. Paul who confesses that there were two men in him – one rebellious toward God, and the other obedient (Rom. 7:15-23).  Be utterly simple and don’t be disturbed; humble yourself without discouragement and encourage yourself without presumption.  Keep in mind that Our Lord and our Lady who put you in charge of the domestic duties know perfectly well and can see that all the busyness bothers you, yet they never stop loving you so long as you are humble and trusting.  Dear daughter, don’t be ashamed of being a little grimy and dusty; it’s better to be covered with dust than with sores, and provided you humble yourself, all will be well.

 

Pray much for me, my dear and most beloved daughter, and may God be your love and protection forever. Amen.

 

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[1] Oeuvres, XIV, 2441-243: Letter MVI.

[2] Péronne is a woman’s name derived from Peter.

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