This document provides an introduction and overview of a biography titled "Life of the Reverend Mother Jeanne Chezard de Matel, Foundress of the Order of the Incarnate Word and the Blessed Sacrament." The biography was written based on original manuscripts by Reverend Mother Saint Pierre of Jesus, the superioress of the monastery in Lyons, France, and translated from French to English. It describes Mother de Matel's life and spiritual lights or insights. The introduction provides background on previous publications of Mother de Matel's life and explains the motivation and spirit behind the creation of this new translation of her biography.

1. LIFE
of the Reverend Mother
î
-~.L.~-s~
,,..,
,_~ ..;~~- !~· È~~~ .
JEANNE CHEZARD de MATEL
Foundress of the Order of the Incarnate W ord
and the Blessed Sacrament
A ccording to
ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS
by
The Reverend Mother Saint Pierre of Jesus, Superioress of
the Mona;t°ery at Lyons, France
·~ an s lated from the Original French -
by
HENRY CHURCHILL ~' S. J .
CHAP~A IN OF LOYOLA UNIVERSITY , NEW ORLEANS, LA.
Author of "A nglican Ordinations," "What Times, Vhat Morais," .:Heaven Op e n to Souls, ,
"American Liberty Enlightening the World " '
CONVENT OF THE INCARNATE WORD
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
ST. MARY'S SEMINARY LIBRARY
Perryvllle, M Issouri

2. ,
Chicago, Ill.

4. Copyright, 1922
SISTERS 01<' CHARITY OF THE INCARNATE '"ORD
OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
'TooDwARD & TrnRNAN PRINTING Co .
ST. ·Louis, U. S. A.

5. 923
C53 S
3Jmprimi Jntrst:
AEMILIUS MATTERN, S. J.
Praepositus Prov. N eo-Aureliànensis
Niqil ®bstat:
E. C. DE LA MORINIERE, S. J.
CenRor Deputatus
3Jmprimatur:
~ JOANNES W. SHAw
Archùpz~scopus N eo-Aurelianensz~s
Neo-Aureliae
die 21 Octnbris, 1921.
4537

6. TO
ALL THE D.UGHTERS OF THE INCARNATE WOilD
AS : TillBU'l'E OF AFFEC'I'IO~
AND AS A :lEMOULL OF THE GOLDEN .JUBILEE
OF THE FOU~DATION 01,' 'l'HEIR CONGmjG.ATION
JN 8-N AKTONIOJ 'TEXAS
1869-1919
'l'HE CONGREGA'l'ION OF THE SIS'TERS OF CI-LRl'I'Y
OF 'J'HE INC.Ail)i'.A'l'E 'YOilD
LOVJNGLY DEDICATE
'l' I-IIS NEW TILNSLA'L'ION OF 'l'HE LIFE OF 'l'HE
VENER.BLE ~lOTHim .JIUNNE CHEZ.AUD DE -:IA'l'EL

7. TRANSLATOR 'S -PREFACE
Jeanne de ~Iatel, Founclress of the Order of the Incarnate
W'ord, was great in the eye-s of many of the great in the
great age of France under Richelieu and Louis the Great.
Her life was mnch like that of Saints Catherine of Sienna,
Jeanne d'Arc, Teresa of J esus and Margaret Mary, with
the last narned of whom she was contemporary. At the age
of six she said to Our Lord: ""If I could only know Latin,
like St. Catherine of Sienna, I 'vould love Yon as much
as she did." At the age of nineteen, while hearing lfass
with profound attention to the words read by the priest,
slie suddenly receives the gift of understanding them all.
Our Lord says to her: ''I bave given you what you asked.
Give me what yon promi~ed." She ever afterwards reads
and cites the Scriptures in Latin.
By the comrnana of her directors she wrote her own
life and lights, besides treatises of mystic theology. Her
complete works cover some three thousand pages. rrhe
Cardinal lfinister, Armand de Richelieu, read her treatises
on grace and free-will, on the life of God in itself, on the
repose of God, on the union of the soul with God, etc. He
was amazed and dellghted and wrote to his brother
Alphonse, Cai·dinal Archbishop of Lyons and Superior of
lIother de lfatel: "I mu hurt at your leaving me t.o learn
about her from others. As a proof that I am well informe<1
of what is taking place in the soul of this servant of Gocl,
I am sending you some "Titings composed by ber. I have
read them with admfration. 1 mn sure that yon will not
be Jess astonished when yon have read them. I want to
Imow your opinion of them." After reading them, the
Cardinal of L~Tons Raid: ''I cannot believ-e that a woman
has written RO aecurately on fmcl1 deep RuhjectR. She must
have stolen these thi11gs from tlw worlrn of ]1er dirrctors."

8. VI Til~XSLATO~S PREFACE
He commands her directors not to see her until further
onlers from himself. He goes in person and seizes every
one of her writings. He then commands her to write them
all over. She does so very quickly. He keeps both copies
for a number of years and is amazed at seeing them to be
snbstantially identical.
He emmot find any excuse for censuring them on grounds
of error or plagiarism. Eefore his death from dropsy,
whid1 she has long before predicted to him, he expresses
:,?;1·eat i·egret for. his conduct towards her aild is soITy tlrnt
she is absent in Paris and that thus he cannot grant her
the execution of her Bull and the canonical erection of her
monastery of Lyons. He is most carefnl to have her writ-
Îl1gs restored to her intact.
..A.mong souls directed hy this woman were members of
the Council of State and of the famous French Academy
recently instituted by Richelieu, Peter Séguier, Lord Chan-
cellor of France, a renmn1ed jurist, in health and sickness
drew stl'ength and comfort from her conversations and
writings. She had the approvals of Generals and Provin-
cials of the Dominican and J esuit Orders and of several
Popes. Numerous bishops were like her novices making
thefr manifestations of conscience to her. As many as five
of them were seen waHing in her parlor at the same time.
'l'he famons Father Cotton, while i·egarded as the orade
of the King and of all France, consulted her on hard ques-
tions of theology, as is seen from his letters to her. Father
Surin, the celebrated disciple of Father Lallemont and
anthor of epochal works on the spiritual life, longed foi·
letters from her and was even brought to her to be cured
from his obsession hy the devil. lIany holy and learne<l
servants of God of that age said that she was the most
saintly and enlightened soul they had ever known.
lIay the translator be allowed to make an ingenuons
confession'! She had her Bethlehem, her Nazareth, her
'tihah01· ai1d also her Calvm·y, while he was writing ont the
pages de~c1·ihing her lights, joys and trimnphs, he felt her
mii..;givingR ahont the genuineness of the 1·evelati01rn made 1-o
her an <l <>ve11 ahon t lwr ve1·aei t-y. B nt his donht.,~ vm1 ished

9. 'TRANSLATOR~ PREFACE VII
as his mind afterwards dwelt on the continua! humility,
meekness and wisdom and the scrupulous delicacy of honor,
fruth and charity with which she bore her cross of long
years during which she was treated as a miser and fool
by some of her daughters and superiors. Few if any books
l>ring out better the reasons of the Father of l.ights and
God of all consolations for giving the greatest crosses with
the greatest pains and humiliations to souls whom He
destines to be the most like to the Man of Sorrows in His
sanctity and glory.
It cannot be objected against this life of a venerable
servant of God that it is fiction and not fact. Notes at
the bottom of nearly all the pages refer the reader to the
Autographie Life of l1otber de Matel and to the Manuscri1Jt
)femoir of Mother de Bely, the former's secretary. These
two were eye witnesses of the chie.f events related in this
volume.
Sorne may object to the number of miracles, p1'ophecies
and revelations of l1other de Matel. Should they not make
the same objection to the lives of the great women saints
abov-e enumerated? Our age loves the marvelous about
the amours of Jupiter and his mistresses and about cow-
boys and criminals who are heroes of movies or detective
stories, and it also loves J efferson's Bible, or the Gospels
with the miracles and prophecies left out. However, did
not Horace say that the writer of the Trojan war taught
what is honorable and base, and useful and harmful, better
than any of the Stoic or Epicurean philosophers? Do we
~ot yet, some of us at least, love the chapters of good
Rodrignez in which "the doctrine in the preceding chapters
is illustrated by examples ?" Do not we in our age of
unbelieving and materialistic and even pagan environments
and tendencies, need to have our imagination and feelings
purified by Christian legends of the Saints? 'Ve belieYe
that one reader aft_er another will sooner or later awake
to the merits of this volume even as a piece of literature.
How onesid~d and darksided are rnany of the pictures
we have seen in novels, plays and pretended histories about
the great age of France and the Church in the times of

10. VIII TRANSLATOR'S PHEFACE
Hiehelieu and Louis XIY ! Here 've get a glimpse of the
soul of the o1dest daughter of the Clrnrch in that thl'illing
epoth.
Sorne of ns may ask, hmv eau lIothel' de Untel have
lwe11 snch a g1·eat personage since 'Ye never heard of her '?
Lin~s of hp1· were pnblishcd in 1GD2 by Father Boissieu, 8. J.;
in 17J:3 by an auonymous .Jesuit Father; in 186-1 by Pl'inte
Augustine Galitzin, and in 1882 by Canon Penaud. r11
hc
p1·esent life by a daughter of the venerable lfother vrns
printed jn 1ülO. Vhy is it that fmv great booksellers will
handle Cntholic books and that many classic lives of Saints
or servants of God are often conspicnous by their absence
from the she1ves of great Catholic lib1·aries '? Ye believe
that th is life of 1fotlier de lIatel is so peculiarly timely and
has so. much head and heart that eventually it ·will fo1·ce
its way into many Catholic families and institutions.
'l'he thougbt of the joy that will be given to the many
daughters of rrhe Incarnate Vord by this translation of
the life of their llother, has made the rrranslator·s work a
labor of love. He hegs leave to express his thanlu~ to them
for their many kindnesses to him and his.
•

11. PREFACE
'I'he hearty approval with w1lich His Eminence Cardinal
Coullié, His Higlrness ~lonsignor Denrnz, and the most
Reverend Provost llonsignor Esseiva have encouraged and
honored the publication of tbis work, is its most authorita-
tive recommendation and valnable eulogy. These approvals
would be more than enough to make it known and to secure
for it a sympathetic reception from the select public for
whom it seems specially designed. But this Life of lfother
de lfatel, Fonndress of the Order of the Incarnate 'Vord,
being a postlrnmous work, calls for some preliminary ex-
pJ.anations.
'l'he authoress, a religions of the Order, had wdtten it
several years before she and the Community of which she
was Superioress, saw themsel ves forced, by the law pro-
mulgated in 1904 against the Congregations, to quit the
"'monastery which sheltet·ed their life of prayer and sacrifice.
There then came the vicissitudes and sadness of exile.
"Tas that a moment for bringing ont into the light the ven-
erable figure of a great religious woman at a time when
the nation which was to read the book made its glory con-
sist in shutting couvents and when the mere name of re-
ligions was a certain ti~le for proscription? Yes, in spite
of this and even on account of this, the moment appeared
favorable. 'I'his W'"Ork is addressed to souls consecrated to
God and to persons of piety._ And since it was never more
true that ''a11 who wish to live pionsly in J esus Christ,
shall suffer persecntion" (II Tim. III :12), will not these
souls fiud comfort in an intimacy with an illustrions re-
ligions woman who was also nrnch persecuted?
Snch was the jndgment of persons of competent author-
ity. It was due to their connsels that the too mode:-it
authoress withdrew from the oblivion iB which they had
been left, her pages written in the sanctifying retreat of

12. X
her cloister, in honrs which were more recollected, if not
more fruitfnl in holiness.
Valiantly, and under the control of obedience, Reverend
Mother Saint Pierre nndertook to give the last touches to
her wor·k. Her task was advancing and was even coming
near to completion when God called to Himself His faith-
fnl sernmt. A duty, a sacred duty, was imposed on her
religions family, of publishing the work of the venerated
Mother whom they monrned. This is the work which her
Danghters today offer to the public, uniting in one and
the same veneration the holy memory of their illustrions
Foundress and that of the holy Religions who wrote this
life.
'Yhen this delicate task was entrusted to her. the Jrnmble
lfother bowed down before a desire which she regarded
as an order, committing herself entirely to God for the
success of the work. I t is not withont inter·e~1 to read
the pions Invocation which then gushed from her soul and
stayed under her e.ye as also in her heart, as long as her
laborions and patient researches lasted:
"0 my Gocl, I adore Thee, I am in Thy presence. 'fholl
art in me. I am in Thee. In Thee also is our holy Mother
~F'onndress, the object of 'J'hy nnutterable mercies, whose
life 'l"hon desirest me to relate. In Thee also are the ven-
erable lfothers who followed her. 0 my God, Thou and
rny IJothers, behold ho"v unworthy and incapable I am
of doing snch a work. Thy will is my power and only re-
sonrce. I deliver myself to Thee entirely, to be Thy instru-
ment. Take possession of me. Make me do this work as
Thou wishest it to be done. Disclose to me Thy merciful
designs on onr Mother and Thy Order. Teach me how
to tell them in a way which will glorify Thee and cause
my holy Mother to be venerated. 0 my Divine Master,
grm1t me the spirit and virtues of onr holy Order. And
yon, my venerable 1lothers, intercede for me befo1·e our
Divine Father and Spom;;e. Beg Him to grant me all
the graee whieh T uced to do this dear work and to become
a ti·ne danghter bf the Incarnate îVord.
" :lly God, blcss me by the bands of my 1fother~."

13. . PREFACE XI
These lines alone are a revelation. They a1·e a fore-
taste of the spirit from which Reverend Mother St. Pierre
drew her inspiration.
Exact fidelity, sincerity pushed to the limits of the
most delicate shadings of truth, characterize these pages
in which the authoress seems purposely to efface herself,
to permit the holy Foundress herself unveil to us the divine
mar-vels wrought in her soul. The humble biographer, with
an intention inspired by divine grace, confines herself to
following llother de lfatel in her supernatural states. A
sister soul, Mother St. Pierre is at the greatest ease in
penetrating those dazzling lights. Moreover, she possesses
the rare secret of also making the reader enter without
effort into these same dazzling lights. The facts which she
relates are presented with perfect lucidity, in simple words
hnbned with a seducing charm.
· These few remarks were indispensable to prepare for
reading the posthumous work of our regretted and ven-
erated ~lother St. Pierre. She will now present this work
to the reader. For we shall follow the notes which she
prepared for the preface of her book.
The holy Foundress, Thom the Incarnate 'Yord destined
to reprodnce Himself here below in a religions Order which
'yould be a n ew r:.rtensirm of His Incarnation) as He Himself
expressly asserted, was called to reproduce in her own life,
the states of the hmnanized "Yord.
Thus the existence of Jeanne de lIatel appears under
different aspects. Sorne readers, enamoured by the super-
natural, will see in her principally the great contemplative.
Others, justly appreciating what the gift of suff.ering is
to a soul, will praise in Jeanne the great Yictim of perse-
cution: glories of the Transfiguration or sorrows of Geth-
semani. Few will rest their minds exclusively on her role
of a great Foundress. But all will be seized with admira-
tion of her maryeJous nnderstanding of the Roly Scriptures,
an understanding which was given to her supernaturally,
together "ith the knowledge of the Latin language.
For her, sacred science seems to haye no secrets. She
penetrates the mea~ing of the Roly Scriptnres so wonder-

14. X II PIŒF'.CI<J
fnlly that. hesides nnme1·ons citations from them, she makes
them the textm·e of ber own writings. Indeed, if her
thonght is made clear only by the light of the DiYine
Yord and her w1·itings m·e only a refiection from It, it
is heeanse her soul is modeled after the soul of Christ,
m1d he1· life rep1·oduced the human life of the 8ayior. As
the life of J esns, so aJso that of )fother de )fatel had its
l)eriod of p1·epm·ation. 'l'hiP. wns the liiddcn lifc. Then
folJmy he1· lahors a8 Fonndre~s. 'rh is is the public l ifc.
:Final1y ~npreme snffe1·ings mark the end of her existence
a.nd cany he1·, like ~Tesus, to he1· Calyary.
'Ye do 110t enter here into details of facts which char-
ncterize end1 on~ of these pe1·iods. 'l'he i·eader will be
g1·ndnally introdneed to them. But what we rnnst note
espeeialJy, is th at the ~n pernatm·al sheds on this admirable
Jife a lnstre which never dims.
From this point of Yiew, Jeanne was one ôf the most
favo1·ed ~onls of her time. 'Ye owe to the wise clear sightecl-
lle~s of he1· directol's, the i·iches she has left us by con-
signing to w1·iting under ohedience the f~wors which God
hlYi~hed U]Hm he1-. ·
'rhose writings, which, eYen dnring the life of ~iother
de 3Iate1, i·eceived the most authoritative sanctions, fo1·m
the ehief source from which are d1·awn the mate1·ials of this
1·ecital. ~toreover, the authoress regretted not being able
to cite in their entil-etv these sublime pages~ inimitable
in style, sornetimes mutiJated, hnt rendered so sayory by
the childlike grncefnlness and the supernatm·al unctio11
with whieh they are thoroughly jmpregnated. Bnt, even
amicl these riches, we ~eek in vain for a nnmber of most
inte1·esting facts which the holy Mother passed over in '
sile11te, betan~e they did not gl01·ify her Divine Dispenser
aJ011e. 'l'hen<'e to hc more complete, lfother Saint Pierre
c011snlte<l the J/a11 uscri}Jt .JIcm oir of lIother de Bély, a
memoir wltielt tills the volnntary voids of the .A utographic
Life of ~lother de lfntel. A nm1ll>er of new details, all
1·p<lo11rnli11g· to ltc1·, honor, ai·e the1·e related with scrnpnlous
p1·Pcisen<·~N. Fm·therrn01·e, ns the holy Fonndress had
t:eaNecl to w1·ite fo1· tcn ycm·~ hefore her death, H was neces-

15. PilEFA.CE XIII
sary to haYe recourse to other sources to relate t he last
events of her life. It is to this precious JIan uscript that we
mye the cbief materials of this history after the silence
of the venerable ::lother up to her death.
The authoress also utilized with great profit the Cor-
respondence of )fother de )Iatel with her clirectors and
with other personages renownecl for their influence and
spirituality. _
She sometimes used âlso preiously published Lives of
Jlotlœr de Jlatel. The passages which ha-ve been borrowed
are citecl with indications of their source.
Rel'. Father de Boissieu. S. J., printed at Lyons, in 1692,
a Life of th e H oly F oundress. It is necessarily incom-
plete. as it is rarely possible for eYents which are too recent
to be presented in their full light.
Another Father of the Society of J esus edited at
Avignon. in 1743, a Life of Jloth cr de ~llate l. In it he is
greatly aided by the .Autographie Life and by )fenioirs left
by the first religions of the Incarnate Yorcl. In 1864.
Prince Augustin Galitzin published a Life of Jeanne de
)Iatel. He deriYed his materials from the best sources,
especially from the last named work and frorn the original
mmrnscripts. In 1882, there ·appeared a work on the r en-
erable Jfotlzer de Jlatel. The anthor, Canon Penaud, in
his preface declares that "'he hacl attempted to rnake the
life complete. borrowing his method and materials from
modern biography.., In the opinion of persons capable of
judging the work of Canon Penaud, the author realized
his plan.
Therefore, at first sight, the reason for the Biography
no"T presented does not appear, as )fother de )fatel has
already bad serions and competent historians.
HmYeYer there existed a void. So far none of the
daughter8 of t]le Foundre~'.S had e-ver attempted t o repro-
duce their ~Iother·s image as it lil'es in their own souls.
Yet in a mother's visagp there are lineaments which only
her children can see and express. The authoress of this
book wished to paint lier o-wn )lother. She belieYed that
God, by the voice of her Snperiors and Sisters, demanded
this of her.

16. Xff PREFACE
Both in the letters of approval and in the beginning of
this preface, the reacler has seen the opportuneness for the
appearance of this work at the present time. I t has also
been said how and to whom was confided the delicate task
of editing it.
It is offered to us as the fruit of patient and intelligent
labor and of deep love for the Order of the Incarnate -nrord
and of most filial Yeneration for its Foundress.
'Ye trui;;t tlrnt this work of the Re-verend and Venerated
:Jiother Saint Pierre, which has been honored with such
high approyals, may be received by all wüh the kindness
which it merits. And we also pray that all readers may
find in these page8 the light and comfort desired for them
by the a11thoress while writing them for the glory of the
Incarnate Yrord and of the Foundress of His Order. '
'fHE RELIGIOUS OF THE IxcARNATE -nrORD
OF THE lVIONASTERY OF LYONS.

17. MY YEXERATED ~fOTHER:
On a former occasion I told you with what iuterest I
followed the preparation of the Life of the Venerable Uother
.Jeanne de niatel, and vdth what edification I read the manu-
script, which you kindly snbmitted to my perusal.
I nOY beg to tell you hmY happy I am today to see com-
pleted the work on which the dear and much regretted
Superioress, whom our Divine :)faster snatched from you
so suddenly and painfully, labored with such love and ·which
after her you have continued with all the ardor of your
filial piety.
Te thus sec now fulfilled the ardent desire of your
)Iother St. Pierre, who can never be forgotten. From the
height of Heaven she must be smiling "Yith benevolence
on the zeal and rork of her children, who have done things
so well and promptly. ·
This thonght should give you joy and sweeten your
mourning. But yon should be happy also in the thought
that, henceforward, the great Jeanne de lfatel will be better
known and, by the fact, more loved; that the recital of
her cleeds, the publication of her virtues, words and writ-
ing-s so manife~tly illnminated from on high, will be a
f..;Ource of strength and encouragement for a great number
of souls within· and withont her spiritual family.

18. xn LETTERS OF APPROVAL
The life of yonr admirable Foundress is oue of those
in which we see in a marvelous 'vay the action of kind
Providence tow·ards His children, and the truth of the
Divine lfaster that not a hair falls from our head without
His will and permission.
How in all these events, om· good God shows Himself
to be truly the Father 'Vl10se tenderness and solicitude
extend to all the needs of His children, even to those needs
'Yhich in appem·ance are quite small. And above all, how
touching here appeal's His conduct towards souls who give
themselves to Him without reserve.
Jeanne de llatel, as we can say with truth, lived in
close intimacy with Hüu. She tasted fully of the sweets
of that amazing familiarity called by the Imitation: "That
familiarity exceedingly stnpendous."
In her career there were two periods markedly distinct,
her rrhabor and her Gardeu of Olives.
The first is all resplendent with divine lights; and trials,
althongh not absent, are temperecl by consolations which
the trials, so to say, proportionally engender.
But all at once, there eomes the obscurity of night, the
voice of the Divine Spouse is hushed, the cross presses
with all its weight on the ~houlders of the victim, the
chalice of bitterness must be drained to the dregs. It is
indeed the hour of dark?.iess. In the meanwhile, the heroic
handmaid of the Lord grows ever greater before our eyes
in these moment:-; of immense tribulations and unutterable
anguish.
Tt is thus that ~he must enter into her glory, and we.
can apply to her the ,·ords which her adored Master said
of Hirnself: ••W'"as it uot necessary for the Christ to suffe1·
these things and thns enter into His Glory?" (Luke
XXIV, 26.)
These, my <leal' ~fother, are the great lessons which we
dl'Ïnk in from yonr beantifnl l)Qok. By publishing it, you
have done a goo<l and g1·eat work which will be blessed
hy hcr to whof:;c glory you have de~tined it, and by her h_oly
<langhters, who~ after having followed lier here below, now

19. LETTERS OF APPROYAL XVII
snrround her at the feet of the Lamb, as we haYe reason
to hope.
And here can I help thinking of the valiant and pions
)Iother Saint Piene. who in this work found the greatest
j oys of her hours passed on this earth of exile?
The Incarnate Yorcl will rewarcl you as He rewards
all good doue to the le:ist of His own.
These are the sentiments with which I beo- Tou nff~ '- ' (.1
venerated :Jlother. to accept rny very sincere congratula-
tions and the assm·ance of my humble and respectful de-
voteduess in the H eai·t~ of J esus and )Jary.
LEox H. EssEn-A)
) fitrecl Pr(ffO~t uf the Exempt and Honorable
Collegi<lte Church of St. ~icholas.
Fl'ibourg. December 27. 1D09.
Feast of St. John the Enrngeljst.

20. Archbjshopric
of
Lyons
l1y REVEIŒND MOTHER:
LYONS) J anu~ry 15, 1910.
'rhe letter of the Provost of St. Sicholas is an admirable
resumé of the Life of Mother de ~1atel. There is nothing
to add to such an important document, which you can place
as a Preface., at the head of this publication. On my part,
I thank God who gave His inspiration for this · beautiful
w01·k to our venerated lfother Saint Pierre; that faithful
religious, 'd10se virtues we have appreciated, was well
worthy of composing this work. And .I congratulate you
on your having accepted a heritage of. which your filial
piety has known how to make such good use. ·
Sorne months ago, Our Sovereign Pontiff, Pius X, by
beatifying our dear Jeanne D'Arc, celebrated the super-
1iatural action of God in the life of the 1Varrior Maid
whom He had chosen to be the Deliverer of Orleans and
of 1~1·ance. .And now we see, in a more restricted sphere,
the Iifc of Mother de llatel depjcting the history of that
Rame supcrnatural action, in a soul prepared by God to
rcceive it and correspond '""ith it. In both cases, we see
t·ca]jzed the promise of Our DivülC Savior: "Blessed are
ihc elcm1 of heart, for they shall sec God." The pnrity
of hcm·t, which shall l'cceive in Henven its eternal recom-
J)(~nsc hy the heatific vision, ali·eady here below enjoys
p1·h' ilPµ:e~ which the Didllr Lm·r of .Jr~ns Chri~t assures
•

21. LETTERS OF APPROVAL XIX
to souls who have the understanding of His delicate atten-
tions and advances. What lessons for an age in which
materialism makes so many victims ! I cannot forget that
Mother de Matel is one of the glories of the Diocese of
Lyons, not only by the holiness of· her life, but also by
the founding of the Religious Ortler which, during so many
long JTears, has made known to legions of children the mys-
teries of the Incarnate Word and all the riches o.f Chris-
tian education and intelligent piety. We are indebted to
this dear In1titute for the generations of valiant women,
who, in all situations, have been the honor of the Catholic
Church and of our fair Diocese.
lfay the Lord J esus Christ, adored in the mystery of
the Incarnation, deign to accept the homage of this work
pnhlished for the glory and honor of His faithful servant,
and to shower His blessings on your entire religious family.
Such is the prayer of my respectful and paternal de-
votedness. ·
PETER) CARDINAL ÜOULLIÉ)
Archbishop of Lyons and Vienne,
Primate of the Gauls.

22. In the course of thi~ w01·k there are related miraculons
deeds attributed to ~fother de Matel. Ye affirm that we
have no intention to qualify these deeds. It does not per-
tain to us to judge them. r_ro conform to the presCl'iptions
of Home: we likewiRe dec:1are that the epithets Saint ~ncl
r enerable are used by us only in the broad sense. 'ye have
no intention of forestalling the dedsion of the Apostolic
See whith al011e is competent to pronounce a decision in
such matte1·s and to which the Author fully snbmits.

23. CONTENTS
PAGE
DEDICATIOX iy
TRA.."SL.TOR'S PREFACE ---------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- y
PREF...CE _________________ ·--------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------· ix
LETTERS OF APPROBATIO::__________________________________________________________________ -------- XY
CHAPTER
I Birth Early Years (L596-1611 )-----------------------------------·------------ 1
II The Epoch of Struggles (1611-1615 )---·------------------·--·--····-·-- 11
III The Fruits of Victory (1615-1618) ________________________________________ 23
IV The Ascent to the Highest :Iystic Summits (1618-1619) 33
V First :Ianifestations of the Designs of God (1619~1620) 44
YI Preparation of Jeanne for Her :lission (1620-1625 )-----:-· 59
YII The Beginning of the Congregation at Roanne (1625-
1627) ·--------------------------·-----------------------------·--------------·----------------- ' .,
YIII Approbation of the Congregation-Its Establishment at
Lyons (162ï-162S )------------------------------------------------------------------ 89
IX First Sojourn at Paris (1628-1632) ________________________________________ 108
X Return to Lyons (16.32-1 634) __________________________________________________ 139
XI "Jiother de :Iatel and the Opposition of :Ionsignor de
Richelieu (1634-1637) ____________________________________________________________ 169
XII The Last Period of Vaiting (163ï-1639) ______________________________ 203
XIII Fonndation of the First :Ionastery of the Order of the
Incarnate Vord (1639)---------------------------------------------------------- 220
XIV Sojourn at Lyons-Trials-Consolations (16-!0-1641) ____ 245
XV Seïzure of the Writings of lfother de :Iatel by :Ionsig-
nor Alphonse de Richelieu, Archbishop of Lyons
(1641) ------------------------------------------···-------------·-·-····· ·-··-----------·--·--· 262
XVI The Cardinal :Iinister and the Royal Court at Lyons
(1642) -----------·······----·-·---------·---·····-·--·----------------·-·---------------------· 282
XVII The }Ionastery of Grenoble-Period of Obstacles
(1643) --------------------·-···- -------------------------------- -----------·---------------- 302
XVIII Second J ourney to Avignon (1643 )----------······-··---------------·--· 323
XIX Foundation of the :Ionastery of Grenoble (1643) ____________ 336

24. CONTENTS-Continued
CHAPTER PAGE
XX Fonndation of the Monastery of Paris (1643-1644) ·--------- 350
XXI Sojourn at Paris (1644-1648 )----------------------------------------·--------- 367
XXII The Monastery of Paris during the Troubles of the
Fronde (1649-1652) ---·---------------------------------------·-------------------- 385
XXIII The Monastery of Paris during the Troubles of the
Fronde (1652-1653) ---------------------------------------------------------------- 408
XXIV Establishment of the Monastery of Lyons (1653-1655) __ 433
XXV lIother de Matel's Last Sojourn at Paris ·(1663) __________ __ 462
XXVI The .Monastery of Paris-1Series of Trials (1663-1668) ____ 487
XXVII The Monastery of Paris-Persecntion (1669-1670) ________ 518
XXVIII On Calvary (1670-)-------------------------------------------------------------------- 534
XXIX It is Consummated (1670) ______________________________________________________ 553
XXX :VIiraculous Events ----------------------------------------------·--------------------- 570
XXXI Testimonials ---------------------------------------------- ----····------------ ---··------- 582
XXXII The Monastery of Paris after the Death of Mother de
Matel (1G70-1672) ·-----------·-----------··-----·---·---·-----··-----------·--------- 602

25. DOCUMENTS
PAGE
A-Petition of the Duchess de la Rocheguyon__________________________________ 624
B-Humble Petition to ::.Ionsignor de Richelieu Cardinal Arch-
bishop of Lyons by the inhabitants of the city on behalf
of the Daughters of the Incarnate 7"ord________________________________ 629
c -_pprobation of the Constitutions by the )Iost ReYerend and
:..Iost Illustrious A.rchbishop of AYignon__________________________________ 6-13
D-Contirmation of the Constitutions by Pope Innocent X____________ 644
E-Letter of a Religions of the :..Ionastery of Paris______________________ 646
F-:-Contract for the Founding of the :.Ionastery of Lyons (1655) 6-±S
G-Brief granting permission for :.Iother de ::datel to take the
habit and make her yows Yhen she wishes without haY-
ing to make any XoYitiate preYiously____________________________________ 652
H-Some particulars concerning :..Iother de :.Iatel and :::.fadame
Roussea11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 654
I-Certificates of the clothing and the profession of the ReY-
erend :.Iother Chezard de :..Iatel Foundress of the Order
of the Incarnate Yord__________________________________________________________________ 6;:> 7

26. ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Portrait of Rev. :vrother Jeanne Chezard de Matel,
Foundress of the Order of the Incarnate Word____.___._____Frontispiece
Facsimile of the Record of Baptism of Jeanne Chezard de
Matel ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
Church of St. Stephen at Roanne____________________________________ --------------------- 16
Chapel of the Old College of the Jesuit Fathers at Roanne in
which Jeanne de Matel had many visions______________________________________ 67
Castle of Matel Restored------------------------------------------------------------··-·-------- 85
Facsimile of the Bull of Pope Urban VIII for the Monastery
_of Lyons -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 170
Facsimile of the Formula of Vows of ::vrother de ::.iateL______________ 18()
Escutcheori on the Scapular of the Sisters of the Incarnate ·word 230
Portrait of Mother Margaret of Jesus Gibalin__________________________________254
Front of a part of the former Monastery of Avignon____________________
Side view of the Monastery of the Incarnate "rord of Lyons in
the time of Mother de MateL____________________________________________________________
Portrait of Reverend Mother Jeanne Chezard de MateL______________ 56~
House at the foot of Gourguillon in which the :Wiracle took
place ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 574
Heart of Mother de Matel, her autobiography, her books and
varions objects used by her______________________________________________________________ 601 .
Sicle view of the actual ·buildings of the former Monastery of
the Incarnate Word. at Lyons______________________________________________________________ 620

27. Cl-L- PTE H 1
Birth~-Early Years
159G-1Gll
On the morning of November 6, 1596, in the city of
Hoanue, two poor childreu, a boy of eight years and a
little girl of six, knocked at the door of the siguorial
mansion of the Chezards de Matel, to beg for alms. The
charity of the mistress of this honse being universally
lrnown, they hoped their appeal would not be vain. They
are cordially welcomed· and are questioned concerning their
names ·and family. Finally, they are requested to be spon·
sors to the child of consolation whom God has just given
to Lord and Lady de Matel.
· By a -strange coïncidence the boy's name is J 9hn and
the gïrl's, ,Jeanne, the Christian names of the father and
mother of this child who is the object of so much solicitudc.
All conspired towards a rcpetition of what Zachary wrote ___
of his own little prophet: ''John is bis name.m She was
thence named Jeanne. Later. she remarks: "I have been
called a name whicb means grace) so that I owe all my
happiness to 'rhy grace, 0 my God ! 'By the grace of God
I am what I am.'2
1 beseech Thee that it J?ay not be void
in me and that it may remain in me forever."3
'Ve can imagine the amazement and delight of the poor
little children ! This singular choice of baptismal sponsors
was partially in fulfillment of the vows of her virtuous
mother.
For her, so far, the joys of motherhood had constantly
been turned into tears of mourning. Of her four children,
three had lived only long enough to receive Roly Baptism
with its right to enter Paradise. 'I'he fourth had died be-
fore seeing the light.
1Luke 1, 63.
21 Cor. XV, 1O.
s.Autograpllic Lif0, cli, II.

28. 2 LH'IC orj~ .JEANNE CHEZ.A.HD DE l'.I,ATEL
lladame de l1atel, grief-stricken at the loss of her chil-
dren, addressed herself to God and promised rfrh presents
to the parish church for the altar of St. Anne, if at least
one child whose life would be spared were given to hc1·.
She had a]so. p1·omised to clothe it in white, in honor of
St. Claude, and to have the child presented at the baptismal
font by two poor persons in order to draw dow.n on its
Jife the blessings of St. Francis of Assisi, the lover of
poverty. God heard ber prayer and she fulfilled her vow
to Rim.
'rhe paternal family was originally from Florence. Tt
descénded from the ancient House of the Chezards which
held a distinguished rank among tlie nobiÎity of T~scany.
At the tiïne. of the League, an ancestor who had corne to
the Court of France, 11ad procnred a position of gentleman
in waiting of the Royal bed-chamber and had bequeathed
this dignity to bis eldest son, John Chezard. The latter
was a man of talent, honor, and courage, and was an object
of the special benevolence of the King. Re be.came cap-
tain of a company of light-horse and at its head he signal-
ized his gallantry by rnany a glorious feat of arms. Loved
and· honored by the prince he had a bright future before
him.
The moment appeared favorable for establishing a home.
r:ro distinguish himself from the other Chezards, he pur-
chased the signorial domain of lfate.l near Roanne, in the
Lyo1rnais, and thence took the name of lfatel. Prudenre
guided him in the choice of a wife. The memory of the
Court and the selection he conld have made there did not
influence him. He prepared to cull one of the most beauti-
ful tlowers from the land which he had just pnrchased.
Miss ~Teanne Chanrier brought him no titles of nobility,
but she possessed, besides much wealth, what is worth more
than all escutcheons- eminent virtnes, the best gifts of
mind and heart.
Not only had God been pleased to favor her most
RpcC'ially, lmt by a p1·odigy, as the mernoirR of that epoch,_

29. BIRTH--EARLY YE.dRS 3
tell us, He had shown His predilection for her. In her
bYelfth year, 1fiss Chaurier was smitten with a grave
malady. In Yain physicians succeeded one another in their
watches at her pillow; the young girl expired amid the tears
and sobs of those who surrounded her.
.At this moment of supreme sorrow, the ardent faith
of a mother does not hesitate to ask a miracle: "~fonsienr
St. Clande," she cries, '"bring my daughter back to life !"1
And the child who had already been covered with a shroud
cast it off and to the astonishment ·and joy of parents and
friends who mourned her as dead, is restored to life.
Her life, thnR miracnlously prolongecl, ";as to be a tissue
of virtues ,and good works. ~Iadame de ~Iatel was a heroic
Christian. God, who lovecl her specially, gave her no small
share of trials. At each new affliction she repeated, "Glory
be to the Father and to the Son and to the Roly Ghost !
Great 1lother of God ! Roly Mother of God ! I entrust
myself to thee~"2
Her charit.r was no less great than her patience.. No
sooner did she learn of the needs of the unfortunate than
she sought to relieve and comfort them. Then she could
not give money as ahns, she despoiled herself of her best
garments to help the poor.
lIr. de lIatel clid not alw·ays approve of such excessive
generosity, but he was filled with admiration for his virtu-
ous wife; and when she proposed to offer the child to God,
if it lived, he willingly joinecl her in this solemn promise.
Our Lord not only heard the prayers of the afflicted
parents, but also granted them in a degree w·hich far sur-
passed their expectations ~ although Satan, doubtless
presaging the greatness of the divine mercies towards thi~
child of prayer, left nothing nntried to cause her to perish
even before her birth.
At first, he cansecl misnnclerstandings between the father
and mother who had hitherto been perfectly nnited. lIr.
de llatel retnn1ing from t!ie army and not fincling a jewel
which he had been keeping as a securit.r for a debt, asked
1Autographic Life, ch. XLVI.
2Ibiclern.

30. 4 LIF'E OF JE.AN NE CHEZ.AUD DE lI A'rEL
bis wifc what had become of it. She replied tbat, assum-
ing his permission and being touched by the tears of the
1
debtor, she restored the pledge to him. The impetuous cap-
tain, enraged and forgetting the respect whirh he had ever
shown his wife, strnck her a blow in the face and dis-
lodged, with his diamond ring, her eye from its socket.
Terrified at the sigbt of his deed he sent for a surgeon.
'rhe servants had gone but a few steps in the street, when
they met an unknown person who offered to put the eye
back in its place. He .operated with wonderful dexterity
and retired without accepting any remuneration. The cap-
tain sent a servant to follow him in order to Iearn where
this doctor resided so that be might send him some ricli
presents, but he was no sooner out of the house than he
disappeared.1
This extraordin ary event seems to have been a recom-
pense for the heroic patience of Madame de lfatel and a
pledge of divine solicitude for the fruit of her womb. She
did not even utter a word of complaint for the harsh treat-
ment to which she had been subjected !
This severe trial so nfeekly borne by the pious lady, was
soon to be followed by others not Jess painful and dangerous.
lfr. de lfatel had again gone to the war. His bravery
bad placed him in snch a perilous post that the arrival of
each courier cansed his unhappy wife intense worry, lest
she might learn of his death. This angnish lasted several
months. Sleep almost deserted her and often her only
nourishment was bread and water. Better news having
at last arrived, hope was entertained for the safety of her
life and that of the child.
She had scarcely hegun to recuperate when one day
messengers were specdily despatched to tell ber that her
castle was on fi re. Forgetting the cl'itical condition of
he1· health, l1adamc de lfatcl Rfauted in great haste, fell,
mul burst a hlood ve:-;scl. Reemingly there was everything
to fcar for the infant, but God was wntehiug over tha1
1Th e fa ct h; relatc>ù by Mother d e Bély in her Man uscript Memoir.
Pa rt I, Cil , I.

31. BinTH-EARLY YEAUS
fruit of benediction, and six weeks later Jeanne de Matel
'n1s havpily born to the 'yorld on :November 6, 1596.
" Te haYe alreacly seen how by a pi·ovidential coïncidence,
-
Fac- ~imile of the record of Baptism of Jeanne Chezard de n1atel taktn
from the parish register of the Church of St. Stephen at Roanne.
there presented themselves two poor children who were
to hold the babe at the Baptismal font. That very day
'"Jeanne was placed in the hands of innocent poverty to
receie the Sacrament of Regeneration in the parish church
of St. Stephen at Roanne.m
Fr~nn that moment the sponsors became inmates qf the
house where they were educated and brought up in the
fear of God until they reached the age in which they were
capable of earning a livelihood.
1.Autograpllic Lifè, ch. II.

32. 6 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE :MATEL
All Roanne, which had shared the affliction of Mr. and
lfrs. de Matel, was filled with joy by this birth. Ancient
memoirs even tell us that enernies were reconciled on the
occasion of these general rejoicings. This was a happy
augury of the blessings of which this child would be the
object.
Other rernarkable traits revealed themselves in the
singular goodness of her character. Her nurse testified
that she never heard the child cry during the year which
she had care of her. - This nurse., when obliged to go out,
feared not to leave her alone in her cradle; and on her
return would find the child awaiting her with smiles and
caresses. Ladies, attracted by her arniability, would take
the child to their homes and she would make no resistance.
She captivated all by her charming disposition, and, at
the same time, astonished tbem by her- precocity. At nine
months she walked alone and spoke distinctly. Her nurse
affirmed ·th at she said: "lfamma, take care that I speak
correctly.m
The development and vivacity of her intellectual facul-
ties were no less Jldmirable. From this awakening, things
of the supernatnral order interested her singularly. What
to do to enter Paradise, the way that leads to it, or occu-
pation in it, were thoughts that aroused her childish anxiety.
She asked questions e.specially from her godmother. The
latter who was only six years older than he1· goddaughter,
replied : "To get to Heaven, we must walk on a plank
wh ich is no broader than a liair of our head."2
Truly a
graphie illustration to show that the path to Heaven is
narrow ! Jeanne wns disconcerted and asked how she could
walk on this plank since she weighed more than a haïr
eould snstain. The yonng catechist reassured her and said:
"It i:;:; easy for the good, but the bad fall into an abyss which
is below and is enlled hell."3
'Vhen she asked whai we do
in P·araclif'e, the answer was that the Blessed are always
Reated in glo1·y. 1.'he vivacity of the ehi1d became alarmed:
iAutogrn p ll ic Li fc, ch . I I.
2/.ntographi c Li fc, c h . III.
3lh icl cm.

33. BIRTH-EAULY YEARS
,...
•
"H ow cquld she stay sitting still forever ?" The presence
of the good thief in Heayen eaused her to clread lest God,
being so good, He might let Paradise be robbed. Thanks
to such naiYe thoughtsl grace caused the soul of Jeanne
to he penetrated "·ith horror for sin which leads to hell,
and witb loYe for goodness which condncts to Heaven.
In order not to ·weary imprudently an intelligence which
was already too actire, Madame de Matel was umYilling
that her daughter should learn to read before the comple-
tion of her sixth year. Thus it was necessary for the child
to memorize the pra.rers which she desirecl to recite. Vhen
her father wished to keep her on his lap, a thing not easy
in the case of his restless and petulant daughter, she would
say, "I will stay with you on condition that you 'vill teach
me the prayer which says that Our Lady is the palace of
~1 esus Christ, and the prayer to my good angel.m
At the time these were ~Jeanne's favorite deYotions. Her
confidence in the Blessed Virgin was so great that she
had recourse to her in all her little afflictions, "promising
to serve _her well if she delivered her from them."2
She
even prayed to her to teach her dancing "becanse she did
not wish to learn this from meii.m Great was the happi-
ness of the pious child when she was permitted to learn
to read. She recorded this memory in her autobiography:
"r bounded with joy when I learned that my sixth year
was completed. You know, dear Lord, with what feror
of spirit I prayed to St. Catherine, Yirgin and :Martyr, to
obtain for me the graee to learn to read soon, for Your
glory and my salvation. I outstripped all the children of
my age and surpassed the expectations of my parents whose
love for me, which was already too great, now redoubled."4
Vhilst Jeanne saw the tenderness of her parents re-
doubled on the occasion of her rapicl progress, God caused
to shine in her mind, by means of the science which He
reYeals to the lowly, the first gleam of one of those renrn1·k-
able graces 'Yith which He wishecl to faor her. She found
1Autograph ic L ife, ch. II I.
2I b idem .
3l bidem .
4l b id e m.

34. 8 LH~E OF' .JEANNE CHEZ.AUD DE :MATEL
a dozen detached leaves from the life of St. Catherine of
Sienna and read them with avidity. Tt is there said that
the Saint practiced the connsels of the Gospel. From this
~Jeanne conelnded that the Saint nrnlerstood Latin, and
thinking tlrnt the Go~pel eould not 1Je i·ead in any other
langnage, she immediately exclaimed: "Lord, if I nnder-
stood the Latin of the Gospel, like this Saint, I would
love You as much as she did.m
She thought no more of what she thus said, but J esns
took cognizance of her words. The day will corne when
He will fulfill the condition which she has laid down and
He will say to her: "I have done what thou hast desired
of Me; now give Me what thou hast promised."2
At the age of seven ~leanne heard a sermon in which the
preacher extolled the lJrerogatives of virginity. An ardent
desire to possess this privilege :fired her young soul. At all
costs she must particip~te in those favors. By desire, she
ran in the steps of the Divine Lamb, to follow wherever
He went in the fields of Heaven. 'l'his virginal advantage
was not the less appreciated by the li ttle objector who
rP-joiced in finding means .to escape from eternally sitting
with the Blessed in Heaven. She asked·what she must do to
be a virgin. 'rhenceforward she so firmly resolved not to
marry that when a projec.t of a union for her came to her
knowledge, she retired to weep over what she considered to
be a misfortune.
This love of virginity, although borrowing. childlike al-
lurements from ~Jeanne's tender years, came nevertheless,
from Heaven and in due tüne engendered in her soul an
attraction for mortification which is its custodian. Hence-
forth she fasted on the vigils of all the great feasts. Having
reached the age of ten, she 'vished to fast during the whoh~
of l,ent. She says in her autobiographJ:: "I did this 'vith
g1·eat courage, nlthough my intention was not pnrified, for T
ha<l a Recret complacency in myself.m In spite of this
<lefect which she discovered in her carly austerities, she
1 J u tograph ic L.ife, ch. III.
:!Autographie Life, ch. IV.
:: Jhirlc m.

35. nmTH-EAULY YEAUS
finds after her attainment of emincnt perfection that this
generous beginning in the way of saçrifice is an indicàtion
of nascent sanctity. J esus s~1rrounded that tender flower of
virginity with the thorns of mortification, and shed ·upon
it the most vivifying rays of His grare to give it growth
anâ lustre.
Jeanne was nearing her e]eyenth year when, in the com-
pany of one of her little girl friends, shortly before Pente-
cost, she went to the corn·ent of the Reverend Capuchin
Fathers to Iearn from the porter who had a reputation for
sanctity hmY many days those religions fast to prepare
themselYes for receiing the Roly Ghost. The good Brother
rcplied: '''Ye ·do not fast, but we abstain, from the Ascen-
sion to Pentecost.'-' "Yell," replied the children, "'Ye will
not only abstain but also fast during these ten days.m
The Brother admired their courage and sa"T in this pre-
cocious generosity a sign of an extraordinary vocation and
exhorted them to persevere in their fervor and to take J esus
Christ as their Spouse. He promised them that if they
consecrated their whole heart to Our J_,ord, they would be
tenderly loved and favored b,v Him. The "·ords of the pious
Brother sank so deeply into their hearts, that on the spot
they took the resolution to fast ev~ry Friday and Saturday.
011 returning to her home, Jeanne w-ïshed to relate to her
companions the words of the good religions, when suddenl~·
she became rapt_, in God. She, having never experienced
anything like this, was ignorant of what a grace it was.
But the flight in wbich her soul "·as carriecl away was so
powerfuL the region to which it eleYated her so delightfuL
that she woulcl haYe wished never to return to earth. She
had no Yision bnt shc was tnught admirable things on the
lon~ God wonld have for her and the ble~sings He would
hm'e in store for her, if she eonseerateù her virginity to
Him. Later she wrote: '·This was a thing which I could
not utter. I was a chilcl of earth who could not speak the
1 This chik1. god<1aughter of :Madame de :Iatel, later becam e a Jay
sister in the convent of B eaulieu of the Orcler of Fontevrault. Autographie
Life, ch. V.

36. 10 LIF'E 01,~ .JEANNE CHEZ.AUD DE lIA'rEL
language of Heaven, having then heard it only to admire it
in myself."1
'rhis was the beginning of the many graces which J esus
was. afterwards to shower on her in such profusion. The
world will soon endeavor to draw from Him that heart on
which He has formed designs of His great mercy. I t is to
fortify her in advance that He gives her a glimpse of His
divine tenderness for yirginal souls and for hers in particu-
lar, and that He gives her a foretaste of the delights which
àwait her if she remains entirely faithful to Him. To aid
her in attaining this end He inspires her with great devo-
tion to the Blessed Virgin and to the Blessed Sacrament.
One day there fell into- her hands a collection of the
miracles of the Blessed Virgin. vVhile reading it, Jeanne
felt herself strongly hnpelled with the desire to serve that
lovable. and powerfnl M:other and she resolved henceforth
to recite ber Rosary daily. This practice drew down on
ber so many graces that she always considered the moment
she embraced it as a time when she began to have taste for
piety. 'Vith this growth in fervor, there increased also the
desire which was already so strong, of sharing in the divine
banquet in which J esus nourishes souls with the Bread of
Angels and the 'Vine which germinates virgins. But, alas !
to all her pleadings the sole answer she received was:
"'Vhen yon will have attained your twelfth year." The re-
qnired age having been at last reached the Divine Master
entered into the heart He loved and fi1led it with an
abundance of His celestia1 consolations.
During the three yeai·s which followed this happy day,
her only desire was to receive this heavenly manna and to
give her 1ife for the love of Him who gave Himself wholly
to her. She read with great affection the lives of the holy
virgins aucl mm·ty1·s and ardently envied their lot. God
1·cse1·veù her foi· a martyrdom differcnt from that which she
adrnired. 1t is not by the ha.nds of torturers but by love
and sorrow that her martyrdom is to be consummated.
lA utographic Life, ch. V.

37. • CRAPTEH Il
The Epoch of Struggles
1()11-1615
The enem:f of man kincl would like to drag all souls down
into the infernal abyss. But when singular adYances of
grace cause a presentiment of Goœs special faors, the wiles
of Satan to ruin a soul are much more insidious. It ·was
1~ot surprising that ~Teanne de )Iatel was an object of his
hatred. Interiorly, piety and deYotion were continually
nourished and exterior13T she was guarded from all dangers
by the Yigilance of a piou~ mother. But the old strategy
of the archfiend suggests a plan "Thich, on two occàsions is
· almost successful. His artifice is to haYe Jeanne removed
from her home influence and thus to distract her mind from
the thought of God. One of )ladame de "JiateFs sisters,
who lived not far from Roanne, desired to take her niece
with her for a time. The mother accecled. Jeanne was then
fifteen years of age. ln order to make the visit more pleas-
ant, this aunt surrounded her with young girls of her own
age and rank. It "Tas a select circle but in the matter of
devotion it was very inferior to the family of )ladame de
)Jatel. In order to make herself agreeable to her new
friends, Jeanne deYoted to games and frivolous enter-
tainments the time which she had hitherto resered for the
serdce of God. The feryor which filled her heart was soon
replaced by -lukewarmness, and of her .pions practices, she
retained only the daily recital of the Rosary. But, as she
confesses, een this was said without attention. And she,
who for a year had eujoyed the inestimable favor of ap-
proaching the Roly Table eery eight days, received Com-
munion only five times during a sojourn of five months.
'Ybat will become of ~Teanne's ardent piety and the great
hopes entertained concerning her ! In truth, the course she
has taken leads to the broad way and even to the abyss.
11

38. 12 LIF~ OF .JEANNE CHEZARD DE MA'l'EL
But God, Vho is watching over her, will rescue her. After
such a prolonged absence Jeanne yearns to see her mother
and she returns to Homme.
Thither she goes but does not take back with her the
piety aild recollection she had before her departure. The
companions with whom formerly she loved to associate, are
no longer pleasing to her. She finds congeniality only
among the daughters of the great. Yet God designed to
make use of her humble companions to lead her back to
Himself. In spite of her disdain, they exert a beneficial
influence over her which she cannot resist. The mere sight
of them suggests salutary reflections and pious memories.
As she says: "Finally, grace was stronger than nature;
little by little I gave up the company of those who allured
me to the vanities of the world, and I resumed my exercises
of devotion.m
Ilumiliated and saddened over the waste of precious
time spent in dissipation, Jeanne again took up her pious
exercises with all the ardor of youthful, inexperienced zeal.
Daily she assisted at several Masses; she multiplied her
vocal prayers to such an extent that she left no time for
other occupations and often she found no leisure for the
family repasts. Notwithstanding her own piety, Madame
.de Matel could not approve such a course. Admonitions
having been without effect, sbe had an understanding witb
one of ber daughter's uncles, to mortify her by reprimanding
her severely when she was not punctual for dinner. Jeanne
complained of them to God, while shedding copious tears,
and she said to Him naively: "I support all this for You.
Devout girls, poor~r than I am, are far· happier; the time
they spend in church is not spied upon.m
Our Lord did not disdain to give consideration to these
complaints which cause us to smile. To correct what was
defective in the motives of · her chagrin, He made Jeanne
understand that to pray it is not always necessary to be in
a church or oratory, that she could pray while waiting on
her mother and contributing, by her presence and amiabil-
1Autographic Life, ch. V I.
2Jbiùem.

39. 'l'HE EPOCH OF STRUGGLES 13
ity, to the happiness of the family reunions. For three years
she harmonized her pions exercises with her social and home
duties; she was attentive and devoted to her mother and
au example to .her sisters, so that she was the joy and edi-
fication of all.
This ficlelity to interior lights and to the practice of
self-denial, strongly developed in Jeanne the desire to con-
secrate herself to the service of God in the religious life.
rn vain she appealed to her parents to permit her to put
this desire into execution. ~Ir. de Matel would not by any
means give his consent. These refusals saddened Jeanne,
without shaking her resolution. She was confident that a
day wonld corne when God would reconcile the heart of her
father to the accomplishment of His divine will. Without
her suspecting it, this had already been gained. Our Lord
.made use of the opposition of Mr. de Matel, to b~·ing about
the realization of His most special designs on this chosen
soul. He called her, not merely to follow in the footsteps
of one of the great patriarchs of the monastic life, but to open
a new way for souls desirous of singularly belonging to the
wrord of God made llan and of making a special profession
of honoring and imitating Him. Before putting this divine
plan into execution Providence endeavored to forge and
temper the instrument. Suffering, humiliation, and re-
pentance will be the refining :fires.
Satan had already se~n the foiling of his projects to draw
.Jeanne out of the path of perfection; but he had not aban-
doned his purpose. YVhen an occasion for a new attack
was presented, he did not fail to take advantage -of it.
:Madame de llaters sister was to be married and nat-
nrally Jeanne was expected to take part in the festivities.
But the remembrance of the havoc which dissipation bad
caused was still very vivid and having resolved to avoid such
festivities in future, she excused herself and declined the
invitation. Thus a great victory was gained. The enemy
was not so easily disarmed. .Jeanne succeeded in absenting
herself from the wedding. She could not escape from visit-
ing, and herein a snare was laid for her. A relative of her
annt's husband sought her company; infatuated with her

40. 14 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE 11'.ATEL
<:harming manner~, intelligence, and modesty, he was lavish
of his admiration that so young a girl, living almost exclu-
sively in her oratory, and chiefly occupied with matters of
devotion, converse<l so agreeahly, thus combining social re-
finement with the highest piety.
· Unfortunately, these flattering speeches and vain compli-
ments were repeated to Jeanne and this youthful heart of
eighteen years, "susceptible," as she wrote later, " to cornpla-
cency in h~rself and to condescendence in others,m was
weakened by the poison of praise. She, who had refused
so generously to be present at the wedding, allowe.d herself
to be overcome by urgent invitatious to assist at the feast
of St. Anne, Patroness of the place where her aunt resided.
To appease her qualms of conscience she consulted her con-
fessor, Father Parot .of the Society of J esus. He was of
opinion that she ought not to refuse this satisfaction to her
relatives. But to forearm her against any risk, he urged
her to go to Roly Communion on the two consecutive feasts
of St. ~James and St. Anne.
Madame de Matel was glad to acquiesce in the desire
of her sister. Everything concurred to favor the project
and the visit was arranged. Rich dresses, which Jeanne
rarely wore, having considered tbem out of harmony with
the humility and simplicity which God desired of ber, were
carefully selected. But she promised herself to be indif-
ferent and persuaded herself that her object in wearing them
was that she might not appear · singular. Once started
down the road of concession, compromises followed in
rapid succession. She argued with herself, that once at the
festival, she must not refuse to dance; it would be un-
becoming to make herself conspicuous among other- young
ladies and be but a means of advertising her piety.
No sooner was her arrival at the reunion announced than
she was w~lcomed and invited to dance. She graciously
accepted the invitation, but her first steps were halted by
an accident. 'rhe b1ood rushed to her head and gushed frorn
her nostrils. She retfred and with great difficulty sup-
prcssed the effusion. Rccovering from her embarrassing
1Autographic Life, c h. VII.

41. THE E POCH OF STfüJGGLES 15
situation, she returned to the ball-room and accepted an-
o,ther invitation to dance, but the hemorrhage returned with
eYen more violence. Jeanne was constrained to retire.
This warning did not make her enter into herself. Less
solicitous to inquire into the will of HeRen than to satisfy
her own Yanity, she saw in the accident only an effect of
excessive heat, and she planned to begin anew on the
•morrow.
In order not to scandalize those who had seen her play-
ing and dancing, she . omittecl the Communion vhich her
confessor recommended. Free from this salutary check, sbe
lent herself with her natural charm and grace to
frfrolous games and conversations, but without losing her
habitual perfect modesty and decorum. All were capti-
Yated by her and she was the object of so many fiattering
.compliments that she said to herself, "You thought your-
self ignorant of the ways of the world and now see how
pleasing you are to all whom you meet.m H appily, while
this flattered her V"anity, it could not satiate her heart. She
confe~ses : '"I was pleasing to all,.but displeasing to myself
out of fear of not being pleasing to God."2
Eight days were passed in these exterior pleasures and
interior pains which Jeanne tried to quell by promising
herself to put an end as soon as possible to this life of dis-
sipation. Her half formed resolution was strengthened by
another accident. A storm of great violenc·e broke out and
up1>ooted many trees: in this cataclysm her harrowed con-
science ~a"? a sign of the indignation of God against her.
To appease it, she made more positive promises to God and
arranged the date of her departure. "For the feast of Our
Lady of the Angels, I shall be at Roanne and receive Com-
munion to p:ain the inclulgence.m
She kept her word. Hnt he1· return under the paternal
i·oof <lid not restore either he1· fervor or the spirit of self-
<1e11ial with Yhich her soul had been filled before her de-
parture. Our Lord. from "Yhom she had turned away so
giddily, after receiving so many marks of His·special love~
1Autographic L ife, ch. YII.
'.?Ibidem .
:::Ib idem .

42. 16 LIU'E Oli, JEAN!E CHEZARD DE MA'rEL
Clrnrch of St. ~S t ep h en at Roanne

43. THE EPOCH OF STilUGGLES 17
was now to show her the gravity of her inconstancy. She
wished to resume her pions exercises. Instead of the happi-
ness she formerly felt, she now experienced only distaste.
ff she had heeded her feelings perhaps she W'ould have given
np all of these exercises of devotion, but she was hindered
l>y human respect from doing this. Hitherto, all Roanne
had admired her piety. From her tender childhood, she
had shü"wn such a desire of becoming a religions, that, as
she thought, she should not allow her lukewarmness to
be seen.
Yhat she thonght she was concealing, was visible to all.
Yhen heretofore, there had been opportunities to appear
in company, she had always yielded to her aunt or to her
younger sister her rights as the- eldest daughter of the
house; now she rarely made any objection to accept invita-
tions to evening parties. She could easily bave found a way
to refuse her company but she did nothing of the. kind and
readil~T acceded to the slightest requests. Then, in order
to calm the reproaches of her conscience, she said to God:
••r w·ill be most mindful of Yon during the dance.m
As soon as ~Jeanne appeared at these worldly reunions,
Our Lord made Hirnself known to her, as she relates: ••Yith
a presence which was ipxhdble to the e.res of my body but
vü:;ible to the eyes of my spirit which kept saying in a char-
itable tone: 'Y1rnt a fine figure you eut in the dance!' At
these words, I blushed with shame; neYertheless the next
<lay 1 had not the courage to resist when I was begged to
1·etn1·n."2
In the meanwhile God did not abandon ber. He snr-
rounded this rash child with His unw·earying proteètion and
permitted no evil thought to approach her. He imbued
those who surTOUIHled her with such sentiments of respect
that no one dared to addl'ess her with the frivolons expres-
sions frequently nsed in snch a~semblies.
But ~Jeanne, while protected from danger, was not im-
mune from remor~e. After tasting the joys of the senTice
of God, how could her present spirit of contradiction to
1Autographic Life, cl!. YIII.
2Ibidem.

44. 18 I.H'I~ OF' JE.ANNE CHEZAltD DE ~I.A'l'EL
God be otherwise than most painful? Her restless discon-
tent soon showed itself outwardly.
She, whose s'veetness and condescendence 4ad made her
the angel of her home, now became uncongenial and dis-
agreeable. All who came in contact with her seemed to be
against her. She could not receive an admonition from her
mother, without fancying that she was no longer loved by
her. This torture seemed intolerable. There was but one
remedy-tlwt of giving up worldly pastime.s; she pursued
the contrary course. She says: a1 asked to go to see my
aunt who 'vas sick in body, in the town where I myself had
become sick in soui.m
The arrival of ~Jeanne was a source of great pleasure
to her aunt. This lady had been brought up in the
home of Madame de Matel and was a daily witness of the
goodness and piety of her niece. She had no idea that any
motive but affectionate charity could have induced Jeanne
to visit her; her heart feastecl on the consolations which she
hoped to reap from her presence. But her expectations
were doomed to disappointment. Instead of seeking to
solace her aunt, Jeanne thought only of amusements, to
which she devoted almost her entire time. The husband
and mother-in-law of the sick lady were equally surprised.
The aunt had offen related to them her niece's virtues and
her attraction for the religions life, and now they said to her:.
''Your sister thinks that her daughter may become a reli-
gions, but she is far from the spirit of that profession; shc
is never with you in yonr illness."2
None of tho'se who 'vere astonished at Jeanne's conduct,
let her suspect their disapprobation. But she coulcl not
silence the reproaches of her conscience. Her Divine 1Ias-
ter (l id Hot spare her. .As soon as shc began to enjoy herself
she heard i·e-echoing in the depths of her hem·t these sting-
ing words: ""' Vhnt a fine figure yon cnt in these gowns."g
She did not misnu<lerstand these relmkes, but she replied
to thcm only by ponting : "1Iay I not be allowed to recreatc
1 Au1ogTn.phic Life, cil . VIII.
2Jbiclem.
3l bidem.

45. 'l'HE EPOCH OF S'l'RUGGLES 19
innoceutly like other young girls? Must they cull all the
roses of enjoyrnent and I alone be pierced hy the thorns of
my ~cTn vles aud Your i·epronches ?m
l>uring these 1minfnl colloquies, what about the gaiety
of the obstinate pleasure-seeker? Did her frolicsome corn
panions surmise the secret of those interior contradictionf:?
By ·no means, nothing exterior betrayed these combah:; i11
lier soul. As she tells us, "I watched over my interior and
exterior.m 'Vhen she was alone, the struggle came back
mo1·e te1·ribly and dedsively. 'J'he battle was being wagf:d,
not for these passing pleasures, but for her vocation itself.
On the one hand, the fear that by her neglect she mjght
become criminal in the eyes of God and even of man, made
her apprehensive of resisting the attraction which she had
always felt for the religions life. On the other hand, the
.fervent love that she formerly felt for solitude and morti-
fication which she had considered the sweetest joys of life,
was now replaced by disgust and pusillanimity. She feared
that she could not endure the rigors of the cloister and she
was alarmed at the thought of being confined there fm·ever.
"I could not resolve," she says, "to face the austerity
practised, as I thought, in religion. I suffered no tempta-
tion and I had no thought of marriage. You had exempted
me from every sensual sentiment and I had no knowledge
of such things, but I dreaded to be shut in all my life, and
T desired to be able to enjoy my liberty and freedom with-
out anv feai· of constraint.·''3
.. .
While a prey to these perplexities, the ungrateful child
sometimes went so far as to regret that she had received so
many special impulses of grace. "Oh, if I had not been
born where devotion and piety were nurtured, I would not
have giyen myself up to its practice. And if I bad not seen
that little girl who lent me tbe book recording the miracles
of Your Holy Mother, I would not uow be a prey to the
. annoyances and sorrows in which I am entangled, as a
eonsequence of following thm;e devotions. Alas, my God.,
l A utog r a phie Life, c h. VIII.
2lbidem.
:nbh1em.

46. 20 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZ.ARD DE llATEL
if to deliver me from anxiety You would only make my
father and mother say decidedly that they are unwilling
for me to enter a couvent, I would be relieved of the
appreheusions I feel lest I may have been unfaithful to
You, and also of the shame I would suffer in the eyes of
those who have known my aspirations.m
However, grace had the last word. "Alas! what am
I saying? Dear Lord, pardon a child who is· tempted
aud troubled, and asks for what is contrary to her wel-
fare. My God, I do not want to leave You and I do not
waut to yield to these temptations, but give me strength
to surmount them. I abandon myself to Your mercy. Have
pity on me, although I am so unworthy of it.m
Wbile thus tempted from within, Jeanne was also tor-
mented from without. A woman in the service of her aunt,
manifested a worldly affection for her. On many occasions
she argued that she would do wrong to sacrifice her priv-
ilegcs as the oldest child of her family, to become a religious;
that she was too highly gifted to shut herself up in a cou-
vent; that from her first sojourn in that locality, all saw
her but to admire her. This flattery made an impression
on a spirit already shaken, but Jeanne's pride did not
permit her to show it, and she non-plussed the worldly-
wise woman by replying with apparent firmness, "No, I
wish to be a religions."
A cousin also spok~ to Jeanne-in the same strain. This
very frivolous young lady was most eager to bring her
fnto ·contact with her own girl friends and thereby induce
her to take part in their vain amusements. One day, with
an indiscretion equal to her ·1evity, she confidentially related
to Jeanne some of the criticisms which she had heard others
pass upon her; they rema.rked that she did not now enter
into the intentions of her own ~other, in giving so little
of ber time to ber sick aunt and they thought that Madame
de Matel had no cause to fear that Jeanne would be a
religions. She added, with many caresses: "I beg you
Hot to enter a couvent. 'Vlrnt wonld you do in a cloister?
1A n tographic Life, ch. VIII.
2Tbicl em.

47. THE EPOCH OF STRUGGLES 21
Hemain in the world with us." "I make no promise," replied
Jeanne, '·God calls me, and I will not be unfaithful to
Him.''1
This time her ·words came from the heart. There was
in the tone and manner in which she expressed herself,
something that made her cousin realize that nothing would
turn her away from her vocation.
Unconsciously, this young feather-brained cousin irre-
vocabl~y strengthened ,Jeanne in her vocation, for the
startling revelation suddenly enlightened her. To render
herself agreeable to creatures, she abandoned God and by
her very infidelity to Him, she even displeased her friends.
Her straightforward mind recognized ber own miscalcu-
lation and she said :· ''Dear Lord, it is right for creatures
to be disgusted with one who does not love as she ought
her own Creator and theirs, and who from vain com-
placency wished to abandon her Creator to adhere to them.m
Jeanne immediately resolved to return tQ her mother
and resume her former life of prayer and mortification,
and to break away from all that would withdraw her from
God. She was determined to profit by the painful experi-.
ence of her own weakness. Relying on God's goodness,
she said to Him: "It is in Your mercy that I place my hope !
I make You no pr01nise to fight with generosity. -nrithout
You I can do nothing. You shall do all.m
This humble avowal gave complete success to the de-
signs of Providence. The indispensable foundation for the
spiritual edifice was now solidly and deeply established.
The intimate know1edge of the little or nothing she could
do of herself, would aid her, through her wholê life, to
ascribe to God the numberless benefits which she would
receive from Him.
lfany arguments were brougbt forth to compel Jeanne
to alter her resolution; the inadvisability of undertaking
a journey in the midst of the rigors of winter, etc., but
she remained firm and nothing could make her defer her
departure. After her return - to the paternal roof, she
1Autographic Life, ch. IX.
2Ibidem.
3Jbidem.

48. 22 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
suffe1·ed for some time from the wounds inflicted on her
:--;oul. She thought she read blame on every face, and that
all shared the discontent which she felt with herself.
'Hie Divine Physician was to be the healer of these
wounds. "On the first Sunday of Lent," relates Jeanne,
''it pleased You, 0 my Divine Flame, to enlighten me and
to convert me entirely to Yourself. Yon then gave me a
share in the victories which You did gloriously gain in
the desert, and, on that day. You said to me: 'Place
thy trust in lfe, I have vanquished thine enemies.' m
The word of God is ever true and efficacious, it accom-
plishes what it cornrnands. The struggle 'vas over and vic-
tory was on the side of ~Tesus. )"e slrnll now see Him
lavishing upon her the riches of His love and grace, to enrich
His dear conquest, and dispose her for the realization of
His designs upon her.
lAutographic Life, ch. IX.

49. CHAPTER Il I
The Fruits of Victory
1615- 1618
Jeanne was not fullv aware of the numberless blessings~ ~
promised by the ..,.ord "..hich had delivered her from danger
and put her enemies to flight. The :first effect produced
hy her reawakening. was the arousing of indignation against
herself. She fe1t so deeply her ingratitude to God, shown
by her unfaithfulness to her pious practices, that she wished
Ilis justice would pursue her with the utmost rigor. But
the more she longed for severity, the more J esus showed
His tenderness. '·rhat ! dear Lord/' she exclaimed, "You
caress her who only a month ago said to You: 'Vhy
do You call me to be devout?' and who seemed angry be-
cause Your goodness had thought of her from eternity !
. . . It is not right for an ingrate to receive so many
sweetnesses and to be treated "..ith lm..e: lea"e me in fear.
and chastise my infidelities by the prfration of all con-
solations, except such as are necessary for my salYation.'-·1
The issue of this struggle was not doubtful. The humble
and repentant lo-ve which stripped itself, coulcl not pre-
Yail against the generous and all powerful love which
,-dshed to gfre in abundance. These outpourings of an
humble and contrite heart. far from hindering the lansh-
ings of the God of mercies, only increased them. Xone
could then foresee the length to which these divine liberal-
ities would go.
On the fi rst ~Jonday of Lent. in the year 1615, .Jeanne
was assisting at ~lass. profoundly recollected and atten-
tfre to each prayer of the priest. To he:r' intense aston-
if'hment she understands. after the reading of the Epistle.
the liturgical language. . . At the same moment. God
vividly recalls to her mind that twelYe years before, she
bacl assured Him that if He taught her to understancl
J,Auto~raphic Life.1 çh, X.
23

50. 24 LU'E OF JEANNE CHEZ.AUD DE 1IATEL
the Latin of the Gospel, she woulcl love Him as much as
did St. Catherine of Sienna. She was now commanded
to. fulfill her promise. Our Lord bad bestowed on ber the
gift of understandiug the Latin language and the mystical
~ense of the Roly Seriptures.
':rhese were singular favors. The education of women,
cven in the great age of Louis XIV, ordinarily included
011ly vel'y limited instruction. Fortunately, at that time
there was, at least, no educational law which blocked the
eareer marked out by Providence for girls of high 01· of
mo(lest birth. If some snrpassed their cornpanions in 1iter-·
m·y achievements, they owed these advantages to exceptional
situations: their natural aptitudes had attracted the at-
tention of a friend or interested the zeal of a relative.
Not a few were under obligations to a priest for their
eminence in literatnre or in the sciences. Madame de
Sevigne lrnd her Abbé de Coulanges, and witt:v dames of
that epoeh rejoiced in ·the atmosphere of Port-.Royal. But
.Jeanne de lfatel had no such aids. And yet none the less
1-!he became a great writer, and, above all, a consummate
theologian.
'I'his "~ealth of science which came to ~Teanne as quick
as lightning and which was as lasting as the source from
which it flowed, was., as is readily seen, more than a celestial
condescendence. It was a means to the end proposed by
the Incarnate 'Yord. Jt was the characteristic mal'k of
His special grace, the radiant sketch of His mvn super-
natm·al physiognomy. 'I'he Lord had predestined her to
hecome, in a special nrnnner, the sponse of the Snbstantial
'Yord of the Father, and He gave her intelligence with
1·eganl to God's revea1ed wonl and even to the language
in which the Chnl'ch p1·rse1·ves it. 'J'he "'Y01·<1 which pro-
('P<"lfl~ from H ÎN eterna1 Pi·inciple by the way of mHle1stan<1-
i11g, wishcd the disti11gni~hi11g chm·aeteriRtit of thi~ f·qionFe
of Ili~ to be a p;l'<l<'C Of ]ight Oll the divine lll.n~tCl'ÏCS arn1
of Î11tclligell('e with rrg·m'<1 to ihe rcvralcd 'Yord. IIe
(h1 d~urd this to hC1· rcpeatcdly.
One <lay Ile said to hel': ""My child, it is ~ry wish to
~peak to thce by füe Tioly Sc1·iptm·eR, nn<l by them thon

51. THE FTIUITS OF YICTORY 25
wilt know My desires. I wish them to be the means of
teaching thee what I desire from thee for My glory and
that of My saints, for thy salnltion and that of thy neigh-
bor. I spoke to the people in para~les and rarely withont
p:uables did 1 speak. And, as for thee, 3ly well-beloYed,
I wish to instrnct thee in ..Iy designs b~r the SeriIJtures,
and by them to reyeal to thee )ly intention, and to explain
to thee mysteries which are most adorable and most hidden
from the minds of men.m
The numerous and admirable writings of lfother de
:Jiatel, from first to last, shüv the realization of this prom-
ise. As one of her bio0 Ta1)hers yerT" J·ustlv savs: "Thev aret:i ~ t.I tl tl
a tissue of texts from the old and the new Testament. She
does not receive a communication from her Divine Spouse,
paint a picture of a situation, or express a sentiment, with-
out qnoting passages of our Roly Books to support or
c'omplete her thought.m
Such knovdedge and precise use of the Scriptures are
eYidently abo-e all the natural powers of the memory or
understanding of a human mind. The "Titings themselves
of the venerable ~lother are eloquent witnesses of their
inspiration. She _has presented the difficult sides of mys-
teries pertaining to faith and morality, with rigorous
orthodoxy,3
which, in . turn, borrow from the Scriptures
their magnificence of style and graceful sh~pli city.
"~e dwell on this fact because it gives the reason for
tbe 'vonders which are its sequel, and because it shows,
from the beginning, from what authority Jeanne received
her mission.
The sacred texts, cited wHh such appositeness and pro-
fusion in the writings of Mother de lIatel, are given almost
exclusiYely 1n Latin. She was so yersed in the language
of the Church that when she expresses herself in French,
Yords of Latin origin most frequently corne to her pen.
1Autograph ic Life, ch. X.
2The Yenerable lIother Jeanne de ::Iatel, by the Abbé Penaud, vol.
I, ch . III.
3This estimate (sa.ving the reYerence due to the Church's clecision
"hich has not yet interYene<l) is that of numerous theologians of differ-
Pnt Orders from tlle days of :lother cle lIa tel to onr own.

52. 2G LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZ.AUD DE MATEL
Frequently she finds it necessary to gallicize Latin words
in order to express her ideas in her mother tongue.
''Ordinarily," as she tells ns, "French terms have not
the gracefulness of the Latin of the Roly Scripture. rl'his
i:--; why it is hard for me to express my thoughts in Fl'Cnch
terirn; of which I never made any study, as, indee<l, I never
stndied any science except that of loving You, my Divine
Love, Vho have wished to be my Teacher.m
It was, above all, at the knowledge of this love that
~Tesus aimed, in illumining the rnind of the happy cou-
vert, and, when she realized that she understood the texts
of the Latin Missal, torrents of tears burst from her eyes.
8uch were the :first fruits of the new favor which was
superadded to those which had preceded. God gave ber
the joy of the gift of tears ! "My eyes had be{~ome foun-
tains," she relates; "this gift of tears stayed with me for
several years and was a cause of great joy. rrhe unction
of the Spirit was so abnndant in my soul, that I found
myself wholly consecrated to Your love."2
This was indeed a precious favor. But the goodness of
.Jesus was not yet satisfied. "At the same time," she con-
tinues, "You gave me the gift of prayer. I passed hours
and hours in mental prayer without one distraction. From
rhat day, You made me hate the things You hated, and love
the things You loved. rrhe world and its vanities were<-- •
placed under my feet. Solitude and silence were paradise
to me. Frorn that day I saw myself and my former incli-
nations transformed into Your desires."3
A transformation so sudden and so complete was evi-
<lently the work of a powerful grace. To forewarn Jeanne
against the risks which ber lrnmility might have to rnn on
ncconnt of His generosities, God willed to grant them to
1ie1· in snch a manner that it was absolutely clear they were
entfrely the effect of His munificence. Jeanne understood
füis once for all, and constantly gave back to God the glory
for the great things done by His infinite charity. From
1A 11 tog-rnph ic Life, c h . XXI.
2lbidem.
3lhid e m, ch. X.

53. 'l'HE FRUITS OF VICTORY 27
that tirne she intoned the song of gratitude and love which
to lier last breath she exhaled frorn her soul; she :filled the
pages she left to us, with the harmony of this same pious
hymn. The title of those pages is like a prelude to this
canticle of humility: Inventory of the graces which the
Divine Goodness lws given to me out of His pure liberality.
By the light of these "Titings jotted down as we shall
see, at the command of her superiors, we shall now follow
eTeanne, as she rises, step by step, to the highest summits of
contemplation and virtne.
From her entry into these paths of prayer, we feel that
he1: progress will not be of the ordinary kind. Her march
forwarcl is guided by Rim 'Vl10 has placed her in these
higher ways and He will be her only Teacher.
''Divine and charitable Love," she exclaims, "Yon Your-
self wished to conduct me to the mount of myrrh aud the
bill of incense. You taught me mental prayer and led me
into the solitude of the soul. Having made me ·a mystic
bee, You made me gather from Your sacred mysteries and
the Roly Scriptures, -the honey of a thousand thoughts.m
The mysteries of His Passion were the first lessons taught
by the Incomparable Doctor to His Disciple, and so during
the :first year He made her conceive an extreme horror
for sin.
The following year, He united her to His sufferings by
such penetrating compassion that she could not sufficiently
admire the effects of this grace: She says: "I felt myself
trans:figured and transformecl into Your sorrows. In the
garden, I sweated; at the pillar I felt the blows of the whi1)
that eut You; at the carrying of the Cross I seemed ·to carr:y
it with Yon, and on Calvary, I was cruci:fied with You."2
On Good Friday, at the moment when the preacher of
the Passion pictured Our Lord with head büvecl down
giving up the ghost, she felt herself so strongly attracted to
follow Him that she wns about to ùreathe her last. But
God gave her to understand that it was His will for her
~till to dwell in this world~ to procm·e His glory and the
1Autogrnphic Life, ch. XVIII.
2A u tographic Life, ch. XII.

54. 28 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZAilD DE lIATEL
~alvation of many souls. 'l"'he next day, Iloly Saturdny,
she so slrnred the sorrows of the Blessed Mother that Rev.
Father Irenaeus of the Order of Capuchins, who was preach-
ing on the Compassion of lfary, conld not help notici11g her
in the audience and was struck by the deathlike pallor of
her face. She appeared to him such a strHdng image of
the :Mother of Sorrows that, as he gazed at her, he could
not help exclaiming: Ecce ~ffater! "Behold the Mother !"
J esus aftenYards made her penetrate more deeply the
mystery of His Cross. He inundated her soul with lights
on that masterpiece of His Divine 'Visdom which knew how
to draw from death the source of life; from humiliation,
triumph; from poverty, wealth; from obedience, a kingdom
without end. Moreove1·, the glory of the Cross which she
adored as the triumphal chariot of her amiable King, ap-
peared to her so august, that, like St. Paul, she could not
glory in anything but the Cross of Jesns Christ.
Her actions coincided 'vith her feelings and sentiments.
She was avid for sufferings and humiliations. At the
thought of the blood he1· God had shed to save her soul and
win her heart, she burned to pour out her own for love of
Him. Having no hope to offer it up to Him by martyrdom,
she made it ftow nnder redoubled blows of her severe disci-
plines. ~rhe furnitnre and floor of her oratory received the
imprints of these holy ansterities. Nothing else could sat-
isfy her. Shc fasted frcqnently and wore a sort of hafr
skirt. woven from cords and iron books w·hich to1·e he1·
shoulders. Her fecble and delicate constitution conld not
have long snstaincd snch penances. Her directors, whom
she had not heretoforc thonght to consnlt abont these prac-
tices, took information, and restrained ber ansterities.
'rhese mocle1·ations we1·e a real snffering for h~1._ 1'101·e-
over, she became i11ge11ions in replaci11g fo1·hiddeu 11rncc1·a-
tious by m01·tiftcntions not less admirahlr.
Madame <le Mate] had ~d lwr hcart 011 giying her dangh-
te1·s an edncation that " ·oul<l be th01·011gh and practicnl.
Rhe, therefore, had them iTaiBt>d in the m·t of housekeeping,
and assigned thcm to the varions ho11sehold dnties. She
ernp1oycd sc1·vmli:s foi· the w01·k in the fields, in 01·dcr that

55. 'l'HE FRUITS OF VICTORY 29
her daughters might learn to care for and govern a home.
But whether from a predilection for her eldest daughter, or
rather from having understood that the Lord had given to
this child of grace the part of lf~ry, this admirable motber
generally dispensed her from the occupations of lfartha.
Jeanne, however, was clever in finding a way to work as
much as her sisters, and to reserve for herself the more
fatiguing and menial kinds of housework. She thus con-
trived to have hot water brought to the place where the
bread was baked in order that she rnight wash the dishes in
secret.
'Vhile Jeanne gave herself up to humble services of this
kind, her soul Yas overflowing vith joys and lights. If
she went to the well to draw water, she was ravished by
the memory of the charity of J esus while waiting for the
sinful woman at the well of tJacob. She felt inebriated with
~he living water which He promised to that Samaritan
woman, and, in a transport, besought Him to give ·it to her
forever.
Her tender llaster had a greater desire to inundate her
soul with His graces than she had to receive them. Sorne- .
times the memorv of her faults caused her to withdraw
herself from thes~ consolations. Our "Lord seemed to suffer
from these resistances and He reproached her for them. He
said: "lly daughter, I love mercy more than sacrifice. Thy
thoughts are as far from lfine as earth from Heaven. lfy
thoughts for thee are thoughts of peace and joy. Thine are
thought~ of war and affliction for sins which I have plunged
into the sea of My precious blood and which lfy infinite
charity has not only covered and sunk, but destr_o~'ed, so
that they no longer e.xist. Receive l1y graces with Innnility
and gratitude; suffer lle to love thee and to delight in
pouriug forth on thee the overftow of the torrents of lIy
g-oodness." She c011tin11es: " Seeing that my tearR had been
dried by the ardor of Yom· love whieh had made me Rlwd
them, I consented to Yom· plemmre: A byssus abyssum iu-
. {~ .
vor:at ni voce caractarum tuaruni : omnw excclsa tua et1
fluctus tui snpcr mr transicrnnt.1
"Abyss calleth 011 abyss
lPs. 41, 8.

56. 30 LIFE OF' .J EANNID CHIDZARD DID l1ATEL
at the voie~ of thy fioodgates. Ail thy heights and thy
billows have passed over me." Since it pleases You that the
abyss of my sins must attract the abyss of Your mercies,
and that my sins must be swallowed up in the ocean of
Your loving goodness, I adore Your excesses and Jose my-
self in them.m
On this point, ·~Teanne became resigned. But another
conftict, a combat of love and generosity, was fought be-
tween her and her liberal Benefactor. How could she feel
herself so loved and see herself so loaded with favors, and
not multiply her deeds of gratitude? Yet, what can she
give to her God, what can He do with ~vhat she gives? If
He has no need of aught for Himself, yet He has said:
"'Vhat yon do to the Ie.ast of Mine, you do to Me." These
words infiame her heart with charity. She becomes the dis-
tributor of her mother's gifts to the poor, and, by her gentle
pleadings, she multiplies these alms. She imposes priva-
tions on herself: three times a· week, she adroitly manages
that the dishes servecl to herse.If be given to the poor. She,
moreover, takcs up collections to assist them more abun-
.dantly. -nrreathed in modesty which renders the graces of
a young maiden of t'yenty years more attractive, she goes
from door to door, accompanied by a respectable lady-friend,
to beg alms for the poor.
Corporal needs of her neighbor, however, were not those
tlrnt most aroused her zeal. She had the interests of God
and souls so mnch at heart that, Iike the Apostle, she seemed
to have solititnde for an the clrnrches. She addressecl her-
self to the saints of the Clrnrch triumphant, and conjured
them to praise Gocl for her; in return, she presented to the
Divi11e lIajesty her prayers and good works for the increase
of their aceidental glo1·y. She offerccl 11nmerous snffrages
fol' the relief of the souls of the Church snffe1·ing; in the
:u'<lm· of hcr compassion, she implorcd the favm· of e11dnring
füei1· paim~, in OI·der thnt thcy might hc delive1·ed from them.
Hile multiplicd he1· supplications in hchnlf of O.ie mcmbers
of the Chnn~h militant. She implorcd the divine mercy to
11 u togra phic Life, cl1. XIV.

57. 'l'HE FRUITS 011~ VICTORY 31
give the life of grace to those who were depriveù of it, and
to increase it in those who already possessed it.
To aid souls in their countless needs, she exhausted all
the formulas of prayer. Every day she recited the office of
the Blessed lfother and that of the Roly Ghost, as well as
the gradual psahns and the rosary. On Montlay, she added
the office of the deaù. ~I'hese were only the short forms of
her intercession. Her prayer began with the dawn and
lasted till n'ight. No external occupation could interrupt
it or distract he1· mind from the presence of God, or ber
heart from His love, for "she could no longer love anything
but Him in all things and all things in Him.m
As this love for God increased, the virtues were admir-
ably de,Teloped. The sight of ber nothingness became so
clear, the feeling of ber impotence so deep, that Jeanne
could not rely on berself for the smallest things. Never-
theless, her courage 'vas not thus lessened. True l~mnility .
.so far from weakening H, on the contrary multiplied it ten-
fold. Hoping nothing from herself, she hÔped all fro1n the
goodness of God, and the more incapable and feeble shc felt
herself, the more she relied on the infinite power "Thich sbe
kne-v could never fail her. rrhis confidence carried her to
the height of magnanimity. If she"saw that God might be
offended, she refrained from nothing that could prevent this
evil. Sbe confesses that, ;voung and timid as she was, out-
side of sin, she feared nothing created.
The ardor of her faith equaled the firmness of her hope.
To ber, revealed truths appeared luminously evident. To
believe them was one of the great delights of her soul. She
often repeated in a sweet transport: Testinwnia tua credi-
7Jilia facta sunt niniis. "'I'hy testimonies have been made
exceedingly "Torthy of belief."2
On a foundation so broad and solid, a vast and sumptu-
ons edifice can be raised. The Supreme Architect will now
construct this temple with magnificent layers of precioul':
~toues. Ye shall follmv the progress of this masterpiece,
withont stopping to study its marvels. ~ri1Ù~ ~~,~en~;able
iAutographic Life, ch. XIII.
~Ps. XCII, 5.

58. 32 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
Mother, who will be our guide, while recording the graces
she received, did not profess to elaborate a treatise on
praye1·. As the tit1e of her antobiography indicates, she
made an inventory of the divine mercies, and she relates them
to Him 'Vl10 lavished them on ber. In the course o-f her
recital, she thanks Him, "as He knows that she does the
utmost violence to herself to write this book of ber life, He
furnished the words which reveal His liberalities.m In fact,
she narrates them in terms which experiencè alone can
supply, and she depicts them in colors which render them in-
telligible to all, in spite of their prodigious elevation.
Humbly, therefore, with this pious l1other, shall we attempt
to make an inventory ·of the riches imparted to her by her
generous Benefactor. After admiring so many munifi-
cences, we shall the more easily comprehend the sublimity
of the mission for which God predestined her.
1Autographic Life, C'h. XX.
•• ,. c
·~

59. CHAPTER IV
The Ascent to the Highest Mystic Summits
1618-lGlD
Before we contemplate the snccessfre ascents by which,
eYen during the days of her earthly pilgrimage, this great
soul ·will be carried into the bosom of God, it is not un-
timely to remark that if it is not given to all to rise to
these heights, all can draY from these recitals new lights
on the lo-ve our Divine Savior has for souls. If God does
not bestow on all the same testimonials of His love, because
His designs on all are not the same, it is certain that the
advances, the devices, and even the prodigies of His grace
by which He insures, for each one, the infinite happiness of
Hearnn, will be througbout eternity the subject of aston-
ishment and thanksgiYing, eYerl after the proofs of His in-
comparable love giYen to all in His Incarnation, in His
death and in the Holy Eucharist.
Jeanne has tolcl us th~t her Divine Preceptor taught her
how to make mental prayer and to cull frorn His sacred
mysteries and the Scriptnres a thousand holy thoughts.
For a time He applied her mind to the consideration of the
truths of faith and taught her ho·w to penetrate these truths,
without the aid of discursive reasoning~ by simple sight and
a pure intention which filled her with light and joy. It
was the gift of infused contemplation, that SYeet elevation
of the soul unto God, b:~ God Himself. "You ga-ve me the
part of 11ary," she says, ·•and hae not taken it away. From
beams of light which radiated from Your Dfrine face and
insinuatecl tbemseles into my mind, there proceecled an
enlightenment which eleYated my soul into admirable con-
templations. As :Jlagclalen was troubled about nothing, so
rny spirit dYelt in Your presence, to hear Your dfrine word
and at Your will walked with Yon among Your own mar-
Yels. In this sweet contemplation _I found the one thing
33
ST. MARY'S SEMINARY LIBRARY
Perryvl lie, M Issouri

60. 34 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DID MATEL
necessary ·which llar.r chose and which is naught ·else but
You, 0 my AIL'n
Thus interior1y delighted and endowed with recollec·
tion by her good lfaster, Jeanne experiences to what an ex-
teut Be is the Guest and l~elicity of her heart. 'l'his s·weet
expm·ience condncts her to the prayer of quietu<le, in which
t lie ~ou], finding its well-beloved intimately present within
itself, can do naught else but stay near Him in ineffable
repose and peace. 'Vhen she speaks of this favor, she multi-
plies expressions to portray the happiness which she enjoys.
Her heart appears to her to be like a delightful garden where
the fairest flowers grow and abound, because Ile Who is
the fount of the water of life is in its center from which
tlows the river of peace. She compares the powers of her
soul to bees running after the odor of the perfumes of their
sovereign King vVhose blessed presence, like an aromatic
wine, attracts them into the hive of His Sacred Heart. She
corresponded to this grace with fervor, and rarely absented
herself from the companionship of her good lfaster.
He was satisfied, and to testify this to her, He allowed
her a glimpse of the designs of His love. He said to her:
'"l'hou art My faithful Israelite. In thee sha11 I glorify
~Iyself.m At this prospect of glorifying Him, she exulted
with joy and felt herself still more recollected. Our Lord
explained Himself further: "I built My dweUing in thy
soul which is to lfe an agreeable desert, because it lovingly
lodges no one bnt lfyself.-There I Jay a foundation so deep
that future generations will be able to subsist. and dwell
there with security."3
But all this remained a mystery to her, and, as she re-
marks, gave her no idea of the Ortler which He wished to
fonnd through her.
Like the sponse of the Canticle of Canticles, Jeanne
ha<l found Him Vhom she loved. He was in the middle of
hcr hcm·t. Also like that spom.;e, her soul melted with ·
happi11e~s and love wheu He caused lier to hear His voice.
1Autographic Life, ch. XIX.
2Ibiùem.
:llhicl e m, ch. XX.

61. THE ASCE~T TO THE HIGHES'I' ::-.lYSTIC SU:ll:lITS 35
")Iy heart melts," she says, "as soon as You speak to it;
it melted and fiowed into You more times than my tangue
can tell. You made it like wax, ready for all Your desires.
...'-1-S soon as my heart feels Your flames, it is melted in the
middle of my breast and dilating, submits to Your desires.m
Yiani manflatorum tuonun cucurri cUJn dila-tasti cor meinn.2
This dilated hcart liquified at the breathings of grace. -
received delightful wounds from Divine Love who bent His
bow to let many a shaft fly into her heart. At every mo-
ment, Divine Love made her feel His look so lovingly fixed on
her that His regard transfixed her like an arrow, and made
ber His capth'e.
"Your bow," she says, "was the continuous attention that
You showed me. The light from Your eyes so wounded me
that T could haYe said t9 You: Turn Your eyes away from
me! They make so many breaches in my poor heart that
my soul almost goes out through these loving apertures."3
~1other de )fatel makes a remark which is consoling for
souls whose love the Divine Master purifies by trials. "The
tlarts," she says, "'Yhich the "Vell-beloT"ed secretly shoots, are
painful and incurable as long as He is absent. But the
souls which receive them, enjoy a sweet sorrow. Although
they do not see the hand that wounds them, it is the hand
of loYe.""' Snch a lasting memory of Him for Yhose ab-
sence they weep, although harrowing, is still a grace. If it
does not bring to the soul light and comfort, it neyertheless
increases strength and purity.
In Jeann~·s case, Lm"e did not stop with these first darts,
but took her heart, so to say, by assault, and infiamed it.
··As for the arrows, they pass with their flames, but that
bolt of fire forms a wheel and seems to place the body and
the spil-it on the rack.':5
Etcnim sagittae tuae transeunt)
vox tonitrui t ui in rota.G Sometimes she saw herself as-
Lutographic Life, ch. XX.
~I ha.-e run the wa~· of Yo.ur commandments when You haYe dilatec1
my heart. ( Ps. CXYIII, 3 ~. )
3.-utographic L ife, ch. XXII.
-tibidem.
5l bidem, ch. XXIII.
_ GFo r T hy a rrows p ass : t he Yoice of T hy t h u nder in a "·heel. (P~
'6, 18.) .

62. 36 LJl!'E Ojj' JEANNE CHEZAI-W DE llA'l'EL
sailed, besieged, so that she seemed about to expire. Her
pulse beat violently and her whole body quivered. But this
dj-vine torture was delightful, and, for nothing in the world,
would she have wished to be delivered from it. She could
ask her Besieger only to widen the breach which He had
-made and through which she had already perceived the
light of the celestial city. "Love has pity," she adds, "and
is not slow to appease, by a river of joy and peace, the burn-
ing it has caused."
"After these assanlts You enter gloriously, not to
take booty, but to be Yourself the booty. Your spouse is
too poor and Yon combat to save. Yon demand nothing in
orcler to give all; You ask from the Samaritan woman a little
water to give ber the fount of the living water which leaps
up into life eternal. Having started a' fire in the beart of
Your lover, Yon produce there a sea of delights, and You
are there, You, Yourself, in Your plenitude. You put the
~oul into a saered repose in which the body has a gooclly
share. As it has suffered weariness so Yon make it feel in
repose, as far as it can~ the delights of Your lov8. Both
soul and body tlrnnk Yon for the feast You have gjven thflm
after having rescued them from fire and water.m
From the midst of these ftames, the flight of her soul
towards God becmne more vehement. Her powers felt them-
selves drawn into ITirn, in a way which was irresistible but
indescribable. 'Vhen she attempts to speak of them, she
i·epeats: Non Nd sermo in Un.qua 11wa. '·'rI1ere is no word
on my tongne." (Ps. OXXXVIII 4.) If we find it impos-
sible to penetrate into the center of the splenclors into which
_ <1od draws her, ·when wc read her words we feel onrselves
f'loser to the fnrnace of life and light in which she delight-
fn11.v loses herself. "'Vhen the faculties of the soul," she
~ays, "m·e elevated by these violent attractions, Yon direct
the will from which these facnlties seek to free themselves.
8peech is almo~t irnpo~8ible, the i011f?;11c is powp1·leRR. 'rl1e
sonl ~nv8 meBfallv: 'I know iwt whither Yon ai·e leading. ., '
rne.' TH ih0se snsppu~icrns, Ood ieaehPs the ~0111 to adm·e
Ilim i11 spii·it ~md ünth. At timP~ He Clltertaius it through
I Jutog rnplJi c Life, ch. ' xx1n.

63. THE ASCENT 'l'O TlIE HlGHEST ~IYSTIC SU~Bll'l'S 37
angels, and in their presence He discloses wonderful secrets.
Other times, He speaks w"itbout intermediary, uniting to
Himself the intellect, enlightening it with His own light;
enkindling His fire in the vdll, which He drmys to Himself,
after the admirable knmYledge He has imparted to the un-
derstanding. 'I'hese commlmications and operations no
tongue can express.ni
.Jemme saw her adorable Guide leading he1· step by step
to those summits of contemplation where Heaven borders
on eai-th. On the feast of St. Thomas, in the year 1618, she
passed in a sublime rapture, the last ascent. A powerful
attraction inYites her to prayer; she yielcls to it and finds
her S!Jirit so forcibly eleYated that it seems near quitting
ber body. She seemingly becomes frigid and Iifeless. She
thus relates: '"The combat between the spirit and the bod~1
wa,s Yery great. For the body clid not "~ish to release the
si)irit, and the spirit had difficulty in quitting the body;
but the force that drew the spirit was so potent that the
spirit could not, sbould not resist. I t heard the word.
'C1011J"age/ which was erncacious eliough to cause it to resolve
to quit the body, and it saicl: Infelix ego quis me libeJ"abit
de corpore mortis llltjus! '"Unbappy that I am, who shall
deliver me from the body of this death "?" (Rom. VII, 24.)
)ly Lord and my God, giye me the power to go to You."2
Her prayer was grantecl in a manner both sweet and
diYine. The Spirit of Goodness put ber into a perfect re-
pose and communicated to her His seven gifts.
These gifts appeared to ber as seven different, luminous
fol'lns, spiritual forms unknown to human ken. "Tbese
forms," she says, ·'are the hidden sacraments of God."3
Jeanne tastecl ineffable delights. She would have wished
neYer to be recalled from this rapture, but she recefred from
the DiYine )faje~ty the order to return to redYify her body.
Tt was cold and almo:-;t l'igid. She fclt Hll nnspeakable
i·epngnance to reanirnate it. I t seemed to her no more than
an insnpportalJle lJurclen, a sad prison far away from her
Lutographic Life, ch. XXI V.
~ Ib irl e m , c h. XX T.
3l biclern.

64. 38 LIU'E OU' JEANNE CHEZARD DE lf ATEL
home, and, therefore, hated it as the cause of her banish-
ment. If she had not known that, during its exile, it is the
instrument of the sovereign Master of life and death, "She
would have tœated it with all the rigors which indiscreet
zeal can invent.m
~Phe effects of this first rapture were marvelous. It
wrought in Jeanne such a complete transformation that she
no longer recognized herself. I t especially impressed on
her soul a great contempt for earth, an ardent longing for
Heaven. Ali that here below is called wealth, beauty, bliss,
seemed to her viler than dust. To live in this dreary world,
after having tasted celesfial beatitude, became intolerable.
J esus exhorted her to take life patiently. To make this
resignation easier, He often took her away from her exile
and caused her to pass some blessed, swiftly gliding mo-
ments amid the joys of her heavenly country. "Dear Love,"
she writes, "one can see from the narrative which I have
made as true as I can, the nature of the raptures and ecsta-
sies which I experienced as gifts of Your -wise goodness.
Ordinarily, raptures are in the understandiug which is rapt
into Y our admirable light, and ecstasies a1~e in the will
which is :fired with Your lovable flames. You are the Beau-
tiful and the Good, the beautiful for the mind and the good
for the will.
"This distinction which I make between raptures and
ecstasies, does not forbid to call ecstasies raptüres or rap-
tures ecstasies. The understanding can rise and go out
above itself by goodness, and the will can be rapt and drawn
up out of itself by beauty. Beauty and goodness cause rap-
ture and ecstasy in the Spouse in this life. Light suspends
the understanding, mid heat dilates the will which volun-
tal'ily goes out after these ftames. Love has as its specialty
to take the sonl ont of that which it animates, to bear or
draw it to what it loves. Love is eestatic. 'r'he soul that
knows ihnt Yon love it, gocs out of itself to enter into You
who m·<l ~ove1·cig1ily lovahle. Findi11g Yon immense, it
wislte8 io quit it~ limitPd dwelling so as to have its exten-
Rion in Yonr immensity. Yon have asked the Father that
tAutn~Fnphic Life, ch. XXV.

65. THE ASCENT '1'0 THFJ HIGHES'l' MYSTIC SU~Il'll'l'S ·39
as You, by love, went· out from Him to corne to men, so
men may go ont of themselves ·by love, and that that love
may lead them to You by sacred ecstasies. ~rhis is why th~
Spouse says: Dilcc:tus meus mihi et ego iffi. "My Reloved to
me and I to Him.m (Cant. II, 16.)
Only a divine experience could have dictatéd these lines.
With surprising prodigality Our Lord effectively granted to
Jeanne the graces of which she speaks with such clearness.
Her existence became a chain of raptures and ecstasies.
"Dear Love," she says, ''for several years my life was a con-
tinuons ecstasy. You often said tome that I no longer lived
in myself but in You, that it was Your pleasure to be my
Iife and that I should long to die to myself and to all that
is created, in order to live in You."2
These multiplied favors fortified her soul, but weakened
hep body. She became dried up, burnt out by the fiames
which devoured her heart. For the space of several years,
she had to endu1·e long and painful maladies. Fevers, which
were either tertian or continuous, consumed ber. She was
not ignorant of their cause which, however, she was on her
guard not to disclose. Indifferently she accepted all the
remedies which were presèribed for her by the physicians.
Her case was very perplexing to them. "The fire which
You enkindled in my bosom was so intense that it was like
a furnace whicb was continually blazing. lfy blood was
boiling as the physicians said. Two contraries troubled
them in ordering various kinds of medicine which my
stomach could support. When they gave me remedies
that were heating, they increased my burnings, and when
they ordered those that were cooling, they weakened my
stomach. But as the heat in my blood surpassed the cold-
ness of my stomach, they necessarily gave and still give
remedies which are refreshing, to moderate the fiames
which Your goodness, 0 Divine Love, came to enkindle in
my heart, without any merit of mine. I can say with truth
that I have contributed very little to the.se ardors and -that
it is Your cbarity which is corne to cast this fire into me,
1Autographic Life, ch. XXVII.
2lbidem. ch. XXVIII.

66. 40 LIFE OF' .JEANNE CHEZAilD DE lIA'.rEL
making it ardent according to Your desire. Dear Lorù,
continue to the end, and, if° it pleases You, make me a per-
fect holocaust.m
When her sufferings iuereased, Our Lord redoubled His
tenderness. .He gave her snch great graces that she did not
wish to be relleved from her ills. The flame of love in which
she was consumed, thus grew ever more vehement. From
the midst of these flames she often seemed on the point of
taking flight into eternal llfe. One evening, while re.citing
the last psalm of Lands, and conjuring all creatures with
her to praise their Divine Author, on arriving at the words:
Let every spirit pra1se the Lord, Omnis spiritus lattdet Domi-
nmn (Ps. CL. 5), she felt her soul and her lips ready to go un-
impeded, to praise in Heaven Him Vhom she loved so much.
'fhese boundless desires to praise God were, at the same
tüne, her life and her martyrdom. Her spirit conld be
occnpied with nothing but the divine praises. Her mouth
opened only to uttcr them. On recalling these hynrns of
praise she seemed as if "her whole interior and her very
marrow melted as balsam which heat dissolves, or as incense
cast on bnrning coals."2
Her heai-t was like an arrow shot
from the bow and its swiftness seemed snrpassed by the
flight of her soul towards God. In the excess of her happi-
ness she cried out: "Enough, 0 Lord, I am dying of de-
lights: my heart is ready to burst with joy, and break
through my very breast.m •
A moment came when our seraphic virgin had no longer
sufficient strength to live at the same time both her earthly
life and her su1Je1·1rntnral life. This is but an occasion for
the most sublime of favors, one which is the crowning of all
the othe1·s, and which will re-el4fablish the eqnilibrinm be-
tween the facnlties of the spirit and those of the body. 'Ve
g·ive ber own words:
"As it was Yom· good plcasnrc, 0 Lord, to be the lIcdüt-
tor betwee11 God and man, Yon wished to hold th i8 omcc
hetwcc11 my body and my soul; bctwecn the pm·t whieh i~
1.Autogra phic Ufc, ch. X XVIII.
:!A u l ogr ap hi c Li fe , c h . XXX.
:n hi<l N n .

67. THE ASCEXT TO THE IlIGHEST JIYSTIC SUJDlITS J]
inferior and that 'Yhich is superior: I cannot express thi~
better than by saying that You separate the soul from thl'
~pirit, I mean to say. that soul which has kinship Yith that
of the animals. from the spiritual soul which reasons with
the angels and which is made to Your image and likeness.m
The follü'Ying are the facts. In the eening of the first
Sunday after the Epiphany, in the year 1619, an all-powerful
attraction calls her to her oratory. She obeys the call. There
God manifests Himself as the :Jionarch and Soereign Rule1·
of every spfrit. rnaking war to secure peace. In His pres
ence. she fincls all her faculties suddenly assailed. This pro-
duces trouble. coufusion. reYolt. Amazecl. she asks herself
what this can be. She does not know who are the assail-
m1ts or the assailed. Her will imrnecliately rises up in pro-
test: ~.:Jiy King. Ill.' God. I cannot know who are on Yom·
siqe. I place m:çself with those who combat for justice and
I gfre no consent to the rebellion of the enern,.~· 2
The combat rages without her being able to recognize
the cornbatants. But all at once she hears the cry of ÎC
tory, ..-n~ho is like to God.'' Quis ut Deus? "At these word:;..
of the Generalissimo of Your armies~ .. she says...Y our ene-
rnies were ovend1elmed. yanqnished. and put to flight. The
inferior po,Yers of my rnul had been put in their lowly
}Jlace. The superior powers of my spirit had been exalted
and placed in the lofty toYer of the diYine protection and
the enemy could uo longer approach it. Then, 0 my LoYe.
too condescending. I rnake bold to say it, Yon offered it the
ctown, naming it the queen. "-hile St. :Jiichael with all hi:;..
angels sang with a raYishing silence: Sanctus, Sanctus.
Sanctus. :Holy: Holy. Holy.' It may be astonishing thai
T expressed this Trisagion by a silence. I t is because the
angels speak by thought in a wa~- "-hich ne term here below
can express.~'
Seeing that she was the abject of such diYine Iiberality,
.Jeanne pro~nates her:'elf and wü~hes to refuse the crown.
But )Iichael. still n~iug the angelic lauguage. makes he1·
undel'~tand that her refu~al~, coming -from a üue realiza-
IA u t o g-raphk Life. c h . XXX.
:.!.- u to :;r a phie Li f e , ch. XXX I.

68. 42 LIFE OF' JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
tion of her nothingness, are in no way displeasing to thP
Sovereign King, but that His infinite love, taking pleasurP
jn allowing her to participate in the triumph to which she
has contributed by the protest of her will, desires that she
accept it humbly and lovingly. She obeys and the God of
all goodness bestows upon lier glory and ineffable delights.
He then says to her: "My well-beloved daughter, what I
have effected this evening is the separation of the spirit, or
pmvers which are superior, from the soul or powers which
are inferior. Henceforth, My daughter, while occupied with
external affairs you will receive My grace so that the atten-.
tion which I desire will not be thereby diverted. You will
be able to see and enjoy lfe, without being rapt into ecsta-
sies and without the pains which raptnres cause to the
body.m
"rhile these celestial prodigies were being accomplished,
honrs had passed on the earth. She thought to withdraw
so as not to undnly retard her mother's rest, for in her wish
to watch over the sleep of her dear daughter, Madame de
:Matel obliged her to sleep in the materna! room. But she
heard the words: lnclinavi Cactis. "My daughter, I have
bowed down the heavens for thee. Since lfy wisdom has not
judged it proper to place thy spirit entirely in glory, the
love that the Trinity has for thee, induces It to dwell in
thy soul, in a manner which is adorably admirable, so that,
by enjoyh1g Our company, thou mayest not grow weary in
this valley of miseries, where, without Our companionship,
thou wouldst live a life of sufferjng languors. lfy daughter,
he 'vho has God has all. Sinre He suffi.ces for Himself, He
can sn ffice for thee."2
This snpreme gift was not revoked. "From that moment,
I fonnd myself accompanied by Your splendors which are
Your Threc Divine Pc1·sons Vho have never since quitted
me. It was thil'ty-one ycar8 ago that Yon did me this favor.
If sorne <lays of these years have been veiled, the partial
dep1·ivation of these splendors was designed to impress me
l Au t ograpliic Li fc, cl 1. XXXI.
2Ibid e m .

69. THE ASCENT TO 1'HE HIGHEST lIYSTIC SUl11IITS 43
with the realization of the felicity I enjoyed by their pos-
session.m
This habitual preseuce of the 'l'1·inity in the center of the
soul _; this separation of the inferior pai·t of the soul and the
superior powers, whose superior part rernains continually
occupied with the sight ancl love of the Sovereign Good and
finds again all Hs liberty to carry on the work of God-
.these, say the mystic theologians, are the marks of the most
elevated state which souls eau reach in this life. They
affirm that it is to souls who have reached this degree, that
God confides the accomplishment of His highest missions.
He had predestiried Jeanne de Matel to serve as His instru-
ment in'the realization of a new plan of loYe. After He has
prepared her for this mission, by grace, prayer, and the
practice of the virtues, she finds herself perfectly ready. He
will now begin to unveil to her His adorable designs.
1Autographic Life, ch. XXXI.

70. CHAPTER V
First Manifestations of the Designs of God
161.9-1G20
Jeanne de lfatel was now twenty-three years of age. Om·
Lord, 'VI10 had conferred on her such sublime lights, had
not as yet revealed the designs which He had concerning:
her. In the course of the year 1Gl9, He sketched their first
ontlines.
In a symbolic vision she sees a crown of thorns sus-
pended from rays as luminous as those of the sun. These
rays are so admfrably attached to the thorns that they blend
in one. ri-'he infinite distance which exists between a radiant
sun and branches of thorns woven into a crown, does not
hinder them .from forming a unit. She gazes at this prodigy.
and adores it, for she is tàught that this is a figure of the
Person of the 'Yord allied to human nature in the unity of
Person. She is asked to be the standard bearer of this
· 'Vord thus hnmanized. She accepts, ''hopi11:g that He will
carry her who wishes to carry this sacred burden, by His
order and for His glory.m She then sees this sacred stand-
ard planted in the center of lier heart; J esus assures her
that many will follow her and :fight valiantly for the glory
of His adorable Name whirh she will carry thronghout the
vhole earth. He promises to make her a new legislatrix
of the laws of His love. ,
Sorne time afterwards, another mysterious vision con-
firms her in this mission of legislatrix. She sees a colunm
snrronnded by JHUchments on which are written, in admira-
ble characters, the marvels of the law of Divine Love and
the ineffable name of the Vord. She receives a promise that
at th e moment indieated by Providence, shc will extend the
g-101·,v of that Name. She is shown compasses .to measn rc
1i 11 t ogT:1 ph ic L ife, ch. X XXI .
44

71. FIRST lUANIFESTAT JONS OF THE DESIGNS OF GOD 4:J
the lands in which He is to be adored. As lloses was the
ambassador of the Most High for the J ews, so will she be
His interprete1· to a d10sen peo1)Ie. Gocl 'dll make he1· the
"fabernacle, the A1·k of the Covenant, from which He will
gi're forth His oracles.
Now that the divine plans have been accomp1ished it is
easy to pierce the mystery of these symbols.
The mind of Jeanne de Matel did not entertain the
slightest idea that God called her to found a new Order.
She dreamed only of her future in a Carmelite cell. Only
there would she escape from all that would hamper her com-
munications with God. It was most painful to her to walk
the süeets of Roanne after a rapture at the Eucharistie
feast. I t was a hardship for her to converse with creatures
when the Lord called her to His delightful colloquies. She
~poke as little as possible to the inmates of her paternal
home, for often when she came from prayer the:y sa'y an
aureole of light envelope her brow. I t is little wonder that
she ardently sighecl for the solitude and silence of the
c1oistèr. Rad she consnlted only ber own attractions she
would undoubteclly haYe entangled herself in fruitless ex-
periments. But the DiYine 1Iaster Yh?. led her,, did not
leaye her without visible guides. The true lights of obe-
dience hindered her from entering on false routes.
'Ye have not spoken of the direction with which Jeanne
was provided. Sorne years before the time of which we are
now treating~ a noble Christian, llr. de Chenevoux, eldest
brother of the celebrated .Jesuit Father Cotton, had endowed
the eity of Roanne with a college under the directiÜn of the
Fathers of the Society of Jesus.1
Their zeal and their ex-
perience in guiding souls are well known. Jeanne de llatel
had them as direetors. For a long time they had knowledge
onlv of the vestibule of the sanctuarv of which she bad made,., "'
them the gu~rdians. 'ro snbmit to their control the interior
lThe two broth e11s were so n s of Guichard Cotton, Lord of Chen e -
Youx, who was th e head of an old family of Roannais. The seconct
son , Peter. was born on 1'Iarch 7. 1564, near Roanne at Herone of
which his fn th er was the chatelain. He en tered th e novitiate of the
Soc~ety of Jesus on September 30, 1583. and died on lfarch 19. 1626.

72. 46 LIFE OF .JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
attractions she had experienced or the celestial communica-
tions she had received, had never entered ber thoughts.
Rcverend Father Cotton had greatly contributed to the
i·e-establishment of his Order in France. He had been the
confessor of Henry IV and of Louis XIII. He was now
devoting himself to the evangelization of the southern
provinces of the Kingdom. He frequently visited the .city
of Roanne. On one of these occasions Jeanne entered a
confessional which he occupied. His "sweetly ardent" words
so captivated the chosen soul kneeling at his feet, that, with-
out any hesitation, Jeanne manifests her whole soul to him.
''I avow," she relates, "that he was the first confessor to
whom I ever declared the mercies which God had vouchsafed
to me. By his sweetness he inspired with confidence the
most timid souls.m Father Cotton was as learned as he
was holy. He immediately discerned the eminent virtue of
his penitent and the great favors of which she was the
recipient. He prevailed upon her to become a member of
an association of prayer which he had organized. It in-
cluded several persons who were renowned for sanctity,
among whom were Miss de Conche and Sister Mary of
Valence, and he promised to pray for her specially "six
times every day." Each time this worthy priest visited
Roanne, he was always glad to see her; he wrote her sev-
era1 letters in which his humility was not less admirable
than his zeal. The esteem was reciprocal.
On January 13, 1625, Father Cotton arrivéd at Roanne.
Many persons desired to speak to him. Jeanne Ieft to oth-
ers the satisfaction of being the first to entertain him, and.,,,.
continued her prayers in which her soul was submerged
in sweetness of the divine love. Suddenly she perceived a
city built on a high mountain and fortified hy towers, bas-
tions and bonlevm~ds; then she saw great silken nets com-
ing down from Heaven.
'l'he following day, as she was assisting at the Mass of
the eminent religious, God gave her to nnderstand thnt
1A 11 tog rn phi c Li f e, ' ch . CLXX.

73. FIRST ~là.~IFESTA.TIOXS 01;., THE DESIGXS OF GOD 47
this Father is that city strengthened by powerful fortifi-
cations for the defense of the Church and the desüuction
of its enernies. That the nets she saw are his words full
of eelestial sweetness by which he draws souls from the
sea of sin and brings tbem into the haven of salyation.
Father Cotton particularly inculcated in Jeanne devo-
tion to St. Joseph. He himself, had it in an eminent de-
gree. Doubtless, it was this deotion that obtained for
him the priilege of dying the death of the just, on the
feast of that august Patron of a happy death, 1Iarch 19,
1626.
Jeanne de ~Iatel, not only had the advantage of re-
ceiing in the holy tribunal the balm that dropped frorn
the heart and lips of this great religious, but she could
also drink in the eloquence which issued from the Chris-
tian pulpit.
This was a great priilege which, howeer, for a heart
bnrning like hers with cliine loe, was often changed into
a martyrdom. '·The words of Father Cotton were like can-
non balls.:a ~hat Ïolence she had to do herself to hide
the breach they mâde upon her soul! The good Father
counseled her to implore God for strength so as not to
be disturbed by these interior lights. She considered her-
~elf a par.ticipant of the privilege of J esus Tho while a
traeler on the road of life ''as at the same time a pos-
sessor of the joys of Heaeii. "I followed his counsel," she
adds, '·but begged him to solicit in my behalf that bless-
ing which he obtainecl for me in abnndance from the infi-
ni te goodness.:·2
Ye hae seen that this grace, one of the
greatest she eer recefred, was already accorded her.
J eanne·s other directors, who succeeded Father Cotton.
had no trouble_in peuetrating her soul, limpid and sincere.
The ReYerend _Fathers Antoine Parot, Jean de Yillars,
Philip de ~Ieaux, and Xicholas Dupont successiely guided,
at Roanne. this fa,ored soul. But to ReY. Father Jac-
quinofs judgment all important questions were referred
1Autographic L ife. ch. CLXX.
2l bidem, ch. XXXI.

74. 48 Llli'I~ OF .JEANNE C HEZAIW DE lHATEL
for final decision.1
T'hi8 Father having come as P1~ovincial,
to make the visitation of the college of Roanne, was con ~
snlted hy the confessor of :Miss de Matel on the matter of
the extraordinary favors which had been accorded her. Rev.
Father ~Tacqninot was unwilling to make any decision be-
fore he himself had heard J eanne's te.stimony. He had
her called to the church where he questioned and examined
her according to all the rnles of consummate science and
prudence. She replied so naively to all his questions and
revealed with such simplicity, the ways by which Divine
Love guided her, that he had not the least doubt that she
was led by the Roly ·spirit. The excesses of goodness which
the Lord showed in this sonl, excited in him such a tram;-
port of admiration that he said to her: ''You must not
doubt that the Spirit of -God is the Author of all these
wonders, for they surpass all the capabilities of yol!r own
spirit.m
One of the first questions which Jeanne submitted to
Father Jacquinot had reference to her aspirations to enter
the cloister. On this matter she received a written response.
To read some of its passages is enough to appreciate the
wisdom of that eminent religious.
"After .having begged Our Lord for light to counsel you
according to Ris good pleasure, I feel myself forced to
tell you that it would not be best for you to be shut up
in a cloister. The state in which you are placed by the
1 The g reat virtue a nd high wisdom of tJlis religious destined hirn for
most important fun ctions, not only in the Societ y of Jesus, but a1so at t l e
Hoyal Court. Thus he wa s chosen by Louis XIII to be the confessor of
his s ister. H enrietta of France, and to accompany her to England at tlie
time of th e n egotiation of the marriage of this princess to King Charles I.
Several times Rev. Father Jacquinot earnestly commended to Jeanne
t he success of this mission. U nder date of F eb. 15, 1625, he wrote to lrnr
frorn Paris: "The ha te th e F:nglish bear towards the Jesuit cassocl{ has
broug ht it a b out, that since tliey saw m e at th e Louvre to confess a n -'1 in-
s t r uct Madam e, the K ing's sister , there is no kind of opposition tliey liave
not made in onlcr to hinder m e -from accompanying lier to Englanc'l. In
face of a ll this, th e King lias ever sl10wn h e wish es this to be. But th ere
m igl1 t be con sid era tions introduced to b reak up tllis whole plan. If the
ou tcome be w hn t is for the greater glory of Go(l, I will be most content,
fo r w l1at else is t here on earth for us t o seek ? R edoubl e your prayers
for tllis. 'l'hus t hey w ill be well employed."
T he obstinacy of E n gland justified the previsions of R ev. Fatller
.T:1cquinot. T he French Cou rt was forC'ecl to r enounce the choice it had
ma<le of a .Jcs11 it as the co nfessor of t he vrincess a nd na m ed in his st ead
an Oratori::i.n, Fatlier rle Dcrull e.
2Autogrnpl1ic Life, c h . XXXIV.

75. InRS'l' MANIFESTATIONS OF '!'HE DESIGNS OF GOD 4!)
frequent visits of God, requires a condition of holy liberty.
rehe religions state demands that, in all your actions, you
walk in the path of regular observance, which, being marked
out for all, would often hamper you. It frequently hap-
pens that you cannot speak. How then would you chant
in the choir? You would need special authorizations, and,
indeed, authorizations as great as those given to the Blessed
Mother Teresa, to be tolerated in your prayers by the Sisters
as she was. And before this can be brought about, how
many sufferings ! . . . 1
"The extraordinary graces w"l1ich you receive, call for
an extraordinary vocation. In its own good time this will
be manifested to yon, if you be humble. But you must
practice patience and wait for the angel to move the waters
of the pool before you leap into them.
"In the cloister you will work, almost solely, for your-
self; it seems that God destines you to aid your neighbor.
Js it not your experience that wheri you associate with
your neighbor you are useful to Him?
'~r feel in no way disposed to counsel you to take the
veil. And if God desired this, doubtless He would give
me some inclination as He does 'vhen He wishes me to
receiYe a candidate into our Society. He would give it
to me out of love for you, since He knows that you will
take my advice into account in this as in other things. This
then is my advice: 'Yait for what it shall please Roly Love
to do with you, and continue to serve Him faithfully in
your present state, without thinking anxiously about aught
else. If you do this, the hour will corne when He will
disclose to you what you should undertake."
.Jeanne made a sacrifice of the longings of her heart and
snbmitted to this decision. The future showed the wisdom
of her com·se. God Yill gradually lift the mysterious veil
which Rtill hides His designs concerning ber.
'Vhile she was under the direction of Father de Villars,
:-;he happened, one day, on a feast of the Blessed :Mother,
to be in the college church of Roanne. Our Lord made
k110w11 to her that she was to be examined before several
''dodors and great prelates." At the thought of being

76. 50 LIU'E OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
obliged to divulge the secrets she had so far hidden with
such care, she is fi.lied with fear. But the Good lIaster
says to ber: "Have no apprehension. I will give thee the
grace of ever discerning Me. Repose in peace in the midst
of the ungracious and mortifying comments which will be
made because of the marvels which take place in thee. Have
the wings of a dove; be caudid with thy directors and tell
thy confessor that I wish thee to receive lIe every day.m
Having returned to her senses, Jeanne wished to give
an accouut to Rev. Father de Villars of wliat she had
learned, but the extreme repugnance she felt at being noised
abroad and at having to stand such varied examinations,
caused her to lose· all power of speech.
Finally the struggle is crowned with complete victory:
''I was unwilling to resist Your orders. I conformed myself
to Your will, and with Your grace abandoned my own."2
Father de Villars, on heing informed of the cause of his
penitent's anguish, advised her to divert her mind by occupy-
ing herself in some manual labor. To fulfill his injunc-
tion she begins to make a quilt, no sooner had she begun
than a suspension of her spirit sudclenly arrests her. She
beholds the Blessed lIother standing, in sweet majesty, at
her right side. Our Lady acldresses her these words:
"Daughter, offer thy~elf to re-establish my Ronse which
the Ursulines have give11 up.m Jeanne is amazecl. So
many have vainly striven to preserve the Ursuline monas-
tcry at Roanne. Row could she, without abilities or re-
sources, re-establish it? The divine lIother i·eplies: "Only
offer thyself, and He "TI10 works 'vonders by Himself will
accompl ish it. Sencl this message to Hev. Father Cotton."4
.Jeanne promises to obcy.
'Po provide young girls with the benefits of a Christian
edueation, 1fr. de Chenevoux, the fonnder of the College
of the J esuit~, f4ecm·ed for Homme a com1mmity of the
Pr:-;nliHes of Paris. ~rliey were receivcd with joy, but were
Hot af4sisted with the same good will. 'fhcir resonrces wcre
1.A utographic L ife, ch. XXXIII.
2l biclem.
:iJhicl em.
4Ibid c m .

77. FIRST MANIFrnS'l'A'l'IONS OF THE DESIGNS OF GOD 51
so depleted that they were obliged to abandon the founda-
tion. lfany attempts were made to procure their return,
but withont success.
After the orders from her heavenly visitant, J eaune
took new and more energetic measures. Rev. Father Cottou
became üiterested in the cause but the results of his efforts
were not more happy. Having exhausted all possible means
to ensure success, Jeanne believed herself freed from her
promise. Rad not our Lady said to her: "Only offer your-
self !" She had done more than that, she had given to
the goodness of her heavenly )fother the means to procure
for herself the first home and the first co-operatrix for her
work, Catherine Fleurin.
This young girl belonged to an honorable family of
Roanne. God and lier pions parents had surrounded her
:with such vigilant protection that, according to her con-
fessors, she preserved her baptismal innocence. From her
tender infancJ'", her virtuous mother had initiated her into
devotion to the Blessed Virgin and into meditation on the
mysteries of the Rosary. This was the source of many
special graces. Catherine had been sought in marriage when
she was quite young, but an interior voice had said to her:
''God alone is unchanging; accept no one but Him." These
"'"ords made a vivid impression on her and she resolved to
become a religious. When the Ursulines came to found a
convent at Roanne, she was among the most earnest in
soliciting admission into their communit.r. She received
the religious habit at the age of seventeen. Eleven months
after, she had to lay aside this holy li-very and i~eturn to
the world, in consequence of the departure of the religious.
To Catherine this was a cruel trial. In order to soften
its rigor, she zealously devoted herself to works of charity
and became the soul of the movement to re-establish the
Ursulines in Roanne. She contracted a grave malady while
serving the poor in ·the hospital and was unconscious for
seventeen days. During this long agony, she. underwent dis-
tressing interior vicissitudes. Her soul struggled against
frightful temptations of blasphemy and despair, after which
the eterna1 horizons were opened beforn ber eyes. Among

78. 52 LIU'E OF JE.NNE CHEZAHD DE 1lATEL
other visions, she is favored with one which is singularly
JH'O}Jhetic. 'l'he mountain of Gonrguillon, on which after-
wards was established the mnsery of the Order of the In-
caruate 'Yord, is shown to ber. On the summit of the holy
bill, she sees a beautiful c1·oss, solidly planted in the living
rock and she sees Jeanne de Matel holding a number of
writings. Unrolling one she sees a magni:ficent scroll re-
splendent with the name of J esus.
'l'he zeal shown by Jeanne for the return of the Ursulines
contributed perhaps, to Catherine Fleurin's idea that Jeanne
was assisting in the accomplishment of that vision. 'l'his
was preliminary. But a future, which was not far distant,
will literally verify the vision and thus unite these two
great souls forever.
~Jeanne had transmitted to Hev. Father de Villars the
formal command of Our Lord, ""Say to thy confessor that
it is My wish that thou receive Me every day.m 'l'his Father
would himself have anticipated this order, if he had not
feared it might develop hi certain imperfect souls the .seeds
of rivalry. Rev. Father Jacquinot discarded the objection.
He said to ~Jeanne de Matel: "l1y daughter, I feel inspired
to permit you to receive Holy Communion every day.m
And as she adduced as an objection the apprehensions of
Rev. Father de Villars, Father de J acquinot replied: "You
must fear nothing when you practice obedience. Oh! how
much you are obliged to love Him 'ho has given you so
many graces !"3
She began her daily Communions on August 22, 1620,
octave of the feast of the Assumption. 'l'he Blessed Virgin
said to her: "My daughter, I have obtained this favor
for thee from Him 'Vho is all love for thee. It is the better
part. It is a greater benediction than tlrnt which Rebecca
hrought to Jacob. I t contaius the God of all benediction."4
Our Lord wished the dispenser of His liberalities to have
a shm·e in them. He said to His dearly beloved daughter:
" f have blessed and shall bless that Father for having
1Autographic Life, ch . XXXIII.
21hiclem , cl1 . XXXIV.
~ lbiù em .
4lbid0m .

79. 11~msT lIANIF'ES'l'.A1'IONS OF 'l'HE DESIGNS OF' GOD 53
knovn thy hunger and provided for it. As a recompense
for his charity, I will deliver him from his enemies in the
evil days.m ~rhis daily reception of the heavenly bread.
far from appeasing he1· lnmger, macle it ·an the more keen.
'l1his sacred manna became indispensable to her life. Thus
when she has arrived at the snmmit of the dolorous Calvar:y
which she is to ascend, she will waste a way and die be-
canse she is clepriYed of her divine nourishrnent.
These eucharistie favors were productive of other divine
munificences. 'fwo days later, on the feast of St. Bar-
tholomew, August 24, after having received Roly Com-
munion, Jeanne sa"T herself, "clothed in a white garment,
'vhich had been washed and bleached, as if she had been
baptized in the Precious Blood.m
That eYening she receives the explanation of this begin-
.ning, as it were, of a new life. After returning to her
oratory tow·ards nine o'clock, ~Jesns draws her ·far from
earth and confides to her His great design: "lly daughter,
thou thinkest thon onghtest to enjoy the repose of con-
templation in the house of thy father, since thou possessest
the benediction of the supersubstantial bread. Thou lovest
recollection. But :My divine wisdom ordains otherwise.
I have destinecl thee to institute, under lly name, an Order
which shall honor )Iy Personality incarnated out of love
for men. As I chose blessed Ignatius to institute an Order
of men which honors ~fy name, so have I chosen thee to
form a Congregation of 'vomen. Recall that on Easter,
1G17, I wished thee to carry thy cross and to be followed
hy many women clothed in white, to corne and adore Me
on the altar on which I reposed during the Forty Hours.
This carrying of the cross was a figure of what I wished
to do with thee, by calling thee for the design which I de-
clare to thee thü.; eyening. Courage, then, )ly daughte1·.
Resolve to quit the house of thy father and the holy recol-
lection which thou dost cherish, to follow lly intentions."3
'Vhat 'vill .Jeanne do in the face of this mandate which
1Autographic Life, ch. XXXIV.
2Ibic1em, ch. XXXV.
~ A ut ogra phic Life, c h. XXXV.

80. 54 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
upsets all her dreams for the future? In what labors and
difficulties is she now to engage? The illusory clonds of
ordin ary souls cannot rise to the height of the region of
love and light in· which Jeanne dwells. God has spoken.
His will must be accomplished. She counts her own tastes
and impatiences as naught, and replies: '"0 my Divine
Love, how sweet for me to cling to You. In You I place
all my hope.m
'rhe response of J esus to this humble submission, was
a redoubling of favors and tendernesses. At her Com-
nrnnion of the next day, the twenty-fifth, He invites her to.
enter in to His heart. He says to he1·: "A heart which is rent,
cannot suffer barsh things without increase of pain. Bring
here . no hems or fiounces of affections for creatnres. In
thy desires be simple ·and stripped of all that is not pure
love for Me. Thus shalt thou console Me in lfy sufferings
and sweetly soothe My wounds. The more a soul becomes
simple in its intentions, the greater are My delights to re-
ceive it into My heart.m
The moment she enters her oratory to consecrate to
Him the last honrs of that day, He eagerly approaches
her. He seems scarcely able to restrain His tenderness:
"0 lfy daughter, how I love thee ! What dost thou wish
from Me? Ask with all liberty, I will give it to thee. My
love urges Me to grant thee all the reqnests thou shalt
present to me.m ~Jeanne is stupified. The Infinite
Being deigns to address her in such words. A paroxysm
of love and joy causes a violent throbbing of her heart,
which seemingly wishes to escape from her bosom. At first
she is dumbfounded, but finally replies: "Love, I desire
naught for myself. Having You, I have all. But, since
it pleases Yon that I present a request, I beg, in all, through
all, Your own greater glory and the salvation of souls
ransorned by Your precious blood.m
She needed nothing, outside of God, and she was right
in saying: "Ravi11g Yon, I have all." 'rhis Sovereign Good
1 Autographie Life, ch. XXXV.
2Jbiùem.
~Ibidem.
4lbic'J em.

81. li'lflS'l' l1ANIFESTA1'JONS OF THE DESIGNS OU' GOD 55
could give her nothing more excellent than Himself. His
purpose in making her such generous offers was to give
Himself to her in the most perfect manner possible in this
life. He had resolved to elevate ber to the most sublime
heights of a mystic union to which theologians give the
name of spiritual 11iarriage.
The next day, as she approaéhes the Roly Table, her
Divine Savior cornes to ber with a love whiCh is very ardent.
Scarcely has shé received Hirn sacramentally than He un-
covers to hm~ anew the entrance to His heart, and tenderly
m·ges her to penetrate, by that opening, into the most inti-
mate recesses of that sacred interior. Unheard of grace !
He assures her that several have been admitted into His
heart, but He had not manifested to ·them the secrets of
that nuptial conch. His love for her urges Him to unveil
. them to ber as His very dear spouse. The light she re-
ceived, the delights she tasted in that rapture wliich lasted
two hours, she declares impossible to describe. Neverthe-
less she attempts to recount them: "Your most Sacred
Heart "ras our adorable couch blooming with purity. On
it I was united to You in a most pure virginal union. In
the~e di vine nuptials I was in You and You were in me
by a loving transformation. an august deification. The
senses like those of the foolish virgins gained no entrance
into that nuptial chamber. I could say to You with St.
Agnes: In loving You, I am chaste. In kissing You, I
am pure. In entirely giving myself up to You, I am
virginal. Yon gave me the ring of faith, that faith which
Your Father gave to St. Peter and which flesh and blood
cannot reveal. 0 Divine Spouse, Your spouses contemplate
You in Your source of life and origin which is Your Divine
Father. They see how Yon are in Yonr Father and He
is in You. rrhis is the secret of the nuptial conch ! They
see Your mystel'ies as nncovered.m
Such was the inestimable privilege of the celestial 'ved-
ding and it was by no means transitory. ~Tesus promised
lier: "This light which I name to thee by the name of
lAutograpbic Life, ch. X X XVI-X XXVII.

82. 56 LIFE OF .JEAN"NE CHiiJZAHD DE lIATEL
faith, shall not be taken mvay from thee. I t will wnx
to the zeuith of glory. It will show thee a bright dawn
of the divine sun which will make thee luminous.m Her
writings attest the possession of this prerogative. She treats
of mysteries unfathomable to mere human understanding,
with ease and lucidity, and proves that she gazes on them
under a light more b1·illiant than can be seen during thif~
earthly pilgrimage, and that a sacred dawn of the light of
glory beams upon her.
The delights of this glorious alliance were followed ùy
confidences regarcling the future. The next night Jesus
unfolds to His dear spouse, in a figurative vision, the secret
of His designs. On a table, which serves as an altar, she
sees a statue which, at first, seems to be that of St. Ignatius
of Loyola, but gradually she discerns it to be a repre-
sentation of Our Lord. A cherub is on each side of the
holy image. Vhile they are adoring, they are at the same
time attentive to all that takes place in the oratory. rrhey
gaze with amazement on a little girl in a kneeling posture
profoundly humbling herself before the Divine l1ajesty
concealed in that st~tne. On the altar, there is a lamp
so marvelously fashioned that it does not appear to be
the handiwork of man. Neither is its light of this world.
It is fed by no material substance.
'Ve recognize this little girl as Jeanne (her lrnmilit,v
thus design ates her) who admfred ail these things withou 1
graspiug their meaning. One thing, however, does not
eReape her attention. "rrhe fuel of the lamp was unknow11
to hcr but not its lnsfre !~· 2
In it she l'ecognir,es the heavenly
light which enables her f'Oul to see things of the supernat-
m·al order.
The next day, at Holy Communion, Our Lord explain~
io he1· the meanillg of the symbol~. rrho statue of St.
1gmltins, wh ich takes the divine featm·ef-1, "'Shows to her
11wt shadows alld figures JH'eeede the truth which al011e
1~ perfeet.''3
Site did not a1 ffrst uu de1·stand the ''~fyf'tcl'ies
1, uto grap lli c Life, c h. XXXV TT.
2A utographic Lifc, c h. XXXVIII.
aJbid crn.

83. FIRST :i.IANIB'ES'i'.'l'IONS OF THE DESIGNS OF GOD 57
hidden in the Institnte whieh she is called to found.m She
interprets this· to be a Congregation formed as a dnplicate
of the Society of J esns.
This is not what is pI'oposcd. This Ordcr will be an,
e:.rtension of His Incarnation. By it H'is Divine Father
wisllcs to introducc Him i1lio the 1corld again. 1-'he ador-
ing chernbs mark out to her the accomplishment of the
sacred oracle: Et cum iterzwi introducit Primogenitum in
orbem terrae~ dicit: Et adorent eum omnes Angeli Dei.
''And again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into the
·world_, He saith: And let all the angels of God adore Him."2
In fact, such was the first idea awakened in the mind of
.reanne de ~latel by the announcement of her mission as
Foundress. Accommodating Himself to the nature of her
thoughts, as we remember, Our Lord had said to her: "As
. I chose the blessed Father Ignatius to institute a Society
of men to bonor ~.iy Name, I have destined thee to insti-
tute, nnder My Name, an Order 'Yhich honors My Person
Incarnated out of love for men." Her directors at that
time had a similar idea of the divii1e design, as is shown
in many of their Ietters. At the tim_e of her first sojourn
at Paris, zeal which is not a little self-interested will take
hold of that opinion, to accuse her ·M wishing to found
.Jesuitesses and to unchain against her a tempest which
will give us another occasion to admire the goodness of
God in her regard.
.Jeanne hears the Lord ''commanding the celestial spirits
to adore His Son W'"hom He wishes to introduce anew into
the world, by this Institute. 1-'hey admire the love which
the Divine :Majesty bas for her, as He enlightens ber with
a light which is almost unlmown among those wbo live
on earth; as He chooses her who is so insignificant to ac-
complish a design which is so augnst: and as He com-
nmnicates to her, in a divine manner, the prerogatives
of Abraham, by destining her to become the :Mother of a
multitude of daughters wl10 shall be as brilliaut stars in
that Order."
1.A utographic Life, ch. XXXVIII.
2H e h. J. fi.

84. 58 LIFE OF JEANNE CiIEZARD DE MA1~EL
This sublime destiny fills Jeanne_with amazement and
J esus adds: "In this Institute I will give thee the seed
of David. T wish to work in thee a miracle of love.m
'rhe humility of .Jeanne shrinks from this word 11iiracle
and plunges her into an abyss of self-abasement. For
God to be able to accomplish something through her in-
strumentality there is need of a grace which has the nature
of a prodigy, so great is her incapacity, so lacking are her
virtues. As a ray of light penetrating the darkness of her
spirit, the words of the Blessed Jfother corne back to her:
''Only offer thyself for the design of the Divine 'Visdom.
He 'Vl10 can work all wonders alone is as good as He is
powerful to make His plan succeed."2
This then was God's wish : to offer herself for His de-
signs and to leave to Rhu the means and the time for their
execution. Re had shown the outlines of His plan which
was so sul!lime that it surpassed human powers and con-
ceptions. 'fhe 'Vord wished "to be introduced into the
world again by His Tnstitute." She whom He had chosen
had only to let herself be used as His instrument. J eanne's
directors offered no opposition. In particular, Rev. Father
.J acquinot said to her that he had no doubt that God would
establisb that Order; but that she must not quit the paternal
home before Providence-had shown that His Own time had
corne, and that, while waiting she must persevere in the
practice of her pious exercises, and especially that of re-
ceiving daily Communfon.
That time of waiting and of direct preparation was to
last fiv.e years, from 1fi20 to 1625.
1Aut::>graphic Life, ch. XXXVIII.
2Tbic1em.

85. CHAPTER VI
Preparation of Jeanne for Her Mission
1620- 1625
During the seed time, the long spring, which preceded
the unfolding of His ·Vork, the Incarnate rord poured
with a prodigal hand, into J eanne's heart graces which
vatered the rich soil and gave fecundity to this germ.
As He had caused His temporal birth to be announced
by a nmnber of prophecies and figures, so did He prepare
the way for His mystic birth _)n His Order, by frequent
symbolic visions and promises. The venerable l1other, in
her autobiography, carefully collates what has a more di-
rect relation to her mission. Rev. Father J acquinot wished
to be kept informed of all that took place in ber soul. The
letters he received at.that epoch testify to the almost un-
precedented prodigality with which God lav~shed His favors.
The contents of a single one of these missives would be
enough to enrich a life. They are beautiful caskets filled
with celestial gems. They defy description but, neverthe-
less, we shall attempt to narrate a few.
On the festival of All Saints, 1620, after having received
Roly Communion, Jeanne sees a band of gold which raises
three of its fingers to bless her. She interpret/s this as a
figure of God subsisting in Three Persons and one essence.
On her forehead sbe feels a heat and splendor which repre-
sent the seal with which the elect of Israel were ~tamped,
according to the Epistle of the Mass of that day. During
the whole octave of that feast her soul superabounds in
graces. 011e day during her thanksgiving J esus reveals
to her the source of these many graces. Re shows her a
multitude of white hands raised np to Heaven, then she
~ees two ·]Jersons fake a vial and pour its contents on her.
Her Diville Savio1· makes her nnderstand this is a symbol
of the prayers which the saints addl'ess to God that He
may embellish her with some of their own beatitude.
59

86. 60 LlVI~ Oli' JEAN NE CHEZ.A.HD DE llA'l'EL
On the day of the Octave, at the moment wheu she np-
proachcs the Roly 'rable, she hears: "Today, many , run
to Me, to pray to lfe and My saints, but one alone canies
off the prizé.m Her heart, which is already burning with
love, becomes more inflmned. She longs for that prize. She
begs it of ~Jesns. He hears the prayer He has inspired and
leads Jeanne to His Divine Fathe1·. For almost an hour,
she remains delightfnlly plnnged in that source of all being.
He makes her, fo some manner enjoy the fruition of Him-
self, and entertains her paternally and says: '"lfy Son
thanked Me for revealing lfy secrets to the lowly. I am
doing this to thee. Draw near that I may bestow on thee
the highest and most perfect gifts.m
However, Our Lord did not deprive her of the strength-
ening gift of the CroRs. lfore than once, ber daily Com-
nnmions became occasions ·of much suffering. The pre-
monitions of Father de Villars were j1stified. Certain
persons who formerly had shown great esteem and affec-
tion for Jeanne were now jealons of her and refrained
not from insulting ber. 'ro so noble and delicate a soul,
this was exceedingly painful. But she did not retaliate.
Hesponsive to the inspiration from on high, she generously
prayed for those who afflictecl her and she carried her self-
denial so far that she begged Our Lord to give them ber
Communions and the favors He granted her, if they would
thence glorify Him more than she would.
'rhe result of this trial was complete sncceRs, and he1·
Divine Master prepared other g1·nces, by similar crosses.
He did this hy the insüumentality of ber dirccto1·s. "rhether
it was to test the solidity of her virtue 01· to disarm envy,
they dirnillü:hed the nnmhcr of her I-Ioly Comrnnnions. This
was the g1·catest pl'ivation ihat conld have heen imposecl
npo11 her. Ilow will shc live witllo11t .TPRns'? Rhc findR
(_·ornf01·t in ihe thong;ht tlJHt if ~he i~ <1ep1·ive<l of Ilim
sac1·allle11inlly, shc wrn re<'ein~ Ilirn ~pi1·ii"nn1l)r with a1l
the fe1·vo1· of' wh ich shc is cn pahlP.
One <lny, while pcncfrat-cd with these seHtilllcHts, ~lemme
1L 0tter of Jc>allne <l e M a t el to Fntl1n Jacquinot (Oct. 2!), 1620).
2lbillem.

87. PREPARATION OF JE..l~~E FOU HER lllSSION fil
supplicated the celestial_ court to prepare her for the visit
of the well-beloved Guest, for Thom her soul was sighing.
But ber anguish and ardent longings had already attracted
Him. He says to her: ~·:Jly daughter, I came for sinners
and the sick. Thou art all that. Behold ~le here in thy
house, as I "ras in tlrnt of St. :Matthew. All My saints are
with Me. Uake ~le a great feast.m As she understands,
the Host which is to be consumed in that feast is herself.
She prays ber Divine Priest to transubstantiate her. He
arises and says: "I baye a meat to eat which you know
not. It is that this soul shall do the will of My Father."2
~Jeanne acquiesces in the Divine behest. She seems to her-
self to be notbing more than a sacrificial feast with which
the sovereign Priest and all His court are satiated. ~Jesus
says to her: "Love is a key -which opens all. Thy con-
fessor has one keY and loYe the other. It is with this that
thon hast entere~l into Me and I into thee to give thee
life.m And that she may nnclerstand the admirable effects
of this Communion of clesire and sacrifice, He shows ber
an open heart in · "-hich a crucifix is formed out of the
substance of the heart or rather the heart changed to a
crucifix. 1-'his was her mYn heart which loye and obedience
transformed into her crucified God.
This course of transformation was to be continued in
a series of trials. Her confessor commands her to do noth-
ing without a~king her mother's permission, even for the
most triYial actions. :Jiadarne de Matel seeing that her.
dear eldest daughter diYicled her time between prayer, labor,
and good 'yorks, gaye her complete liberty. To. request
every moment the sanction to do that which she well knew
would be approYecl. was to !Jeanne a matter of constant
sacrifice. She a<:cepts it generously, but keenly feels it.
especially when seized with an ecstasy or a rapture, and
is oblige(l to ask to retil'e to ber 01·ato1·y. On these occasions
she with(frew so adroi tly that she kept the household ignor-
ant of the secret of the operations of God. But to ask
I LPtter of Jea nne de lIatel to one of her direct ors, Sept. 20, 162 2.
2Tbidem .
3l1Jidem.

88. 62
penuission when the divine rays are already beaming on
her countenance and she can scarcely speak-this covers
her with confusion. Sbe feels this is an attack on the most
delicate modesty of her soul; nevertbeless sbe obeys.
To this humiliation other$ were added. Our Lord, by
depriving her of all consolations, reduced her to what she
calls total poverty and destitution. He then permits dan-
gerous imaginings from which, hitherto, sbe had been pre-
served, to take possession of ber soul and the1·eby cause
her intense snffering. Finally, she complains to her
J)ivine Spouse for His having permitted her enemies to
wage such a war upon ber. He replies: ''No one will
he crowned who has not fought worthily. By the
anguisb thou hast endured, I have wished to give
thee the merit and experie_nce of the sacrifice of the
1hree vows -of religion.m 'Vh en a gleam of light pierced
the sombre sky, it was only to give Jeanne a glimpsc
of future trials and to show her the "chalice of affliction
and the crown of thorns which are gained undcr
the rod.m A fever was added to what ·she was already
enduring. Tlle Mother of lIercy then became her con-
soler. Our Divine Lord afterwards said to her: "Thou
cornplainest to tby eonfessor of lIy absence, but has
not My lfother corne to visit thec? nesides crosses
and chalices, did 1 not show thee a crown ?"3
At that in-
stant, a grèat cross of white marble rose hefore her. Ob-
~erving its height and veight she recoils with fright. Onr
Lord says to her: "1Iy daughter, thon shalt not carry
this cross. Jt will carry thee. lt is rock, marble. Tt is
on this that I wish to found the Tnstitnte. I am the ti-uc
rock on which lfy Church is bnilt. Courage! It is on
Myself tltat I will fonnd lfy Order."4
rpJte 1°CSJ>OllSC of J eanue to the VÎCÎS~itndcs throngh wh iclt
she is passi11g, is a vow of abm1domncnt to all the wishcs
of hcr a<lo1·nhle Rpousc. rrhc followinµ; is its fo1·rn11la:
'".lfy mo~t merci fu l C1·en io1· mi<l Rn vio1·, i t i8 from Yon
1 ~ r anusc ri pü; of t he a ceo u n ts of conscience of J eanne (le Ma tel.
:! .-utogTa ph ic L ire, ch. X L .
3 ] b iclcrn.
4lbiclem .

89. PREPARA~rION O:b"' JEANNE FOR HER MISSION 63
tlrnt I derive all that I have by nature or by grace. lfy
body and my soul are the work of Your hands. If there
are any virtues in me, they are the effects of Your mercies
and of the graces wl~ich Yon have merited by Your death
and passion. I return and give baek to You, by duty and
by love, aII that Yon have_ given me by charity and by
mercy. I give and throw myself into the arms of Your
Divine Providence. I give and submit myself, with a com-
plete abandonment of my whole being, to aII of Your divine
wishcs. Henceforth, with all the plenitude of my freedom,
I renounce my own inclinations, my judgment and my will,
all honors, dignities, and ~mtisfactions; all friendships and
kinships; in general, all creatures in so far as they would
be an impediment to the fulfillment of this vow of aban-
donment.
"Behold me, 0 Lord, stripped of all, will, affections, and
desires. 'Vhat do You wish Me to do? I wish ·nothing,
I love nothing, I desire nothing but Your most holy 'vill,
which I adore and embrace with all the extent of my
affections, in ignominy and poverty as .well as in peace
and prosperity; in interior and exterior sufferings as well
as in consolations and joys; in sickness and death, as well
as in health and life.
''God of love and most lov-able Savior, You will eternally
be the sole object of my affections and ambltions. I do
not wish or care for any beatitude in Heaven or on earth,
in time or in eternity, but that which is found in the ac-
complishnient of Yonr hol~; will. And, since I am firmly
assured that I cannot find this will on earth better than
in the love and honor which we owe You in the most angust,
lovable, and adorable Eucharist, it is there that I anew
make myself Yonr slave; and as such, prostrate before the
feet of Your divine Goodness and l1ajesty hidden in this
ineffable Sacrament, I give and abandon myself once more;
I offer, dedicate, and consecrate myself, by dnty and by
love, to You, my sweet Savior, on Your throne of love,, in
Yonr excesses of love, in this most sacred and divine Host
which I adore, which I love with all my powers, with all

90. G4 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MA'rEL
my ·heart, with all my soul, promising to live and to die
in this love; to labor with all my streugth and powers,
even to the shedding of my blood, if occasion offer, so that
the whole world may know, love and adore this marvelous
mystery of Your infinite love. I cast off all care for my-
self and for everything else, and I wish that, in the future,
all my care and all my thoughts- and actions may be for
the love of this memorial of Y our love.
"Most loving and most lovable Savior, give me the grace
to persevere untlinchingly in this love, and to fulfill thiR
vow of abandonment which I make, confirm, and ratify
by my signature, iu Your presence and in that of the glo-
rions Virgin ~fary, St. Joseph, and my guardian Angel.
JEANNE DE MATEL.-'-'
Abandoned without reserve to the good pleasure of her
Creator, detached from all that is not God, J eaune become~
a more and more fitting instrument for the accomplish-
ment of His merciful designs. From time to time, He re-
minds her that the moment is approaching when He will
execute them. One day Re tells her that as He had chosen
the small village of Bethlehem as the place where He wished
to be born, so also He chose Roanne, which was only a small
place, to be born there again by His Institute. As His
first birth had aroused great passion among the powerful
of the world, so also this second birth would arouse great
contradictions. The demon who tempted Arius, and the
one who tempted Pharaoh, would for a long time oppose
His glory. But Michael would vanquish them as he van-
quished the dragon. Our Lord added: ''I swear to thee
Jy lfyself, I swear to thee by liy salvation, T, 'Vho am
the first of the predestined, that I will execute My designs.
J charge lfyself with this J~jstablishment, and with the
means to found it. ln lfy hand is thy fate, in My bosom,
thy treasm·eR. 'rhe king who built a temple, the wonder
of the wo1·ld, pleased Me; but, My daughter, I take much
mo1·e satisfadion in considering the temple thou shalt bni1d
for ~le. A11 is 1n·eseut to lfo, the past and the fnt11re;

91. P IŒPXfL:lrrIOX OF .H:..1_XXE FOTI HETI ~fISSIOX G5
and I gaze with delight on the houses of .Jiy Order in ·whicb
r will be adored in spfrit and in truth.:n
.Jeanne was to feel the need of the courage given her
by these solemn assurances. She was under the direction
of Father de )Ieau:x and countecl on being nnder it for a
long time, as that Father was highly esteemed by ~Ir. de
Chenevoux, the founder of the college of Roanne.- But
the Father became ill and the physician declared that his
health could not be re-established except by a change of
residence. To Jeanne this news was a source of great pain
and even of a strong temptation. She highly esteemed
this Father's guidance. Seeing that she was fROred YÏth
many graces he e:xacted from ber much perfection. Know-
ing also that her naturall:r delicate constitution had been
Yeakened by frequent ecstasies, he was of the opinion that
sh~ ougbt not to think of founding an Order, but should
persevere in the life of prayer and good Yorks which she
was leading in hei· father's bouse. Jeanne naturally ap-
prehended the difficulties of her mission and willingly
entered into the views of her director. To entrust herself
to a new guide, -whose appreciations might perhaps be en-
tirely contrary to those of Father de )leau:x, aroused in
ber soul a thousand troubling thoughts. Vas she obliged
to belieYe revelations calling for health which she was far
from 'possessing? All this could well be but an illusion
from the spirit of darkness disguising himself as an angel
of light, to deceive her as he had deceirnd so many others.
"To all these fears," she says, '"Our Lo1·d replied by
imprinting on my soul a feeling of confidence that this choice
came from Himself, Vho wished to show His strength in
my feebleness and infirmit~es; His science in my ignorance,
and His power in my powerlessness."2
Before bis departure, Father de )leaux came to the castle
of )fatel, to bid farewell. Jeanne, who was at firstJ sad-
dened, turned interiorly to Our Lord and said to Him:
"Yon sent me this Fatber and now that You take him....
aYay from me, I corne back to Him who gave him to me
1Autographic Life, ch. XXXIX.
2Autographic Life. ch. XL.

92. 66 Lœrn (Hf .JEA NN E C Hl!JZAHD DE lI A'l'l!JL
nnd 'Vho is Yonr Own Self.m At the sarne moment, she
nnderstood that it was expedient for her that this Father
go away, so that he might not Iiold her back when the hour
came in which the Incarnate 'Yord would wish to establish
His Order.
This hour was about to strike. Manifold are the pledges
of it given to Jeanne. Father de Meaux has scarcely left
the honse, when St. Michael appears to her. He offers
lier bis assistance to execute Our Lord's de.sires and makes
known to her that he has a mission to protect the new
I nstitute; that he is given to her as her master who is
to teach her the desires of God, through. the radiation
of the divine light which discloses them to her.
~Teanne was p·rofuse in her gratitude for the visit and
the assurances of this celestial protector, when Our Lord
Himself appears to her. He wore a wooden tiara with-
out ornaments. She gazed af it with astonishment, -and
then sa'v it gradually become covered with precious gems.
The divine Pontiff says to her: "By this symbol, I wish
you to understand that if I .commence the execution of My
designs by poor appearances, I accomplish and perfect them
by rich effects."2
At her Communion on the following day, she is raised
in spirit to the Roly Trinity. She sees herself, as a little
girl, held up in the arms of the Blessed Virgin, and pre-
sented by her to the trim1e God. She knows that "This
augnst society treats of great mysteries and that this little
girl is destined to do great things for the glory of God,
' Vl10 deigns to choose her because He is good, and accepts
her as His daughter and His spouse from the hands of His
Mother."3
Later in another ecstnsy, she sees a hand, the forefinger
of whieh points to the Orient from whence the 'Vord and
His Divine F ather wish to send her the Adorable Spirit,
thcir mntual Love. She i8 abashed at seeing herself, so
irn pc1·fcct and so devoid of virtnes, possessing snch a treas-
1A utogr a phic Life, ch . XL.
2A utograph ic Life, c h. XLI.
::: Jhicl em .

93. PREPARNrION OF .TEANNID FOR HER MISSION 67
ure. But that Father 'Vho bas pity on the poor, consoles
her and shows her a cloud which rains down on her, puri-
fies her, and causes her to be born again spiritually. '11
he
rrhree Persons of the augnst Trinity wrought, in an in-
effable manner, the regeneration of this new creature,
through the waters of this mystic cloud. She hears applied
to herself these 'vords of Isaias: Rorate coeli desup~~kt
nubes pluant jnstit1n: aperiatur· terra et genninet sal-
vatorem.1
Chape! of the old College of the Jesuit Fathers, at Roanne, in which
Jeanne de Mate! had many visions.
By this mystic regeneration, Jeanne l'eceived the grace
to commence ber life of Foundress, which was to be totally
different from that which she was leadi11g, occupied with
God alone. rrhe Incarnate 'V01·<l already made lrnown to
llsaias, XLV, 8.

94. GS LIF'E OF .JIDANNE CHEZARD DE lIA'l'EL
her that He wishes to make her His standard-bearer; that
He will rnake use of her to found an Ortler which will
honor His Kame, His Person, and His l1ysteries; which
will be an "extension of His lnçarnation." She is still
ignorant of the means by which He wi11 employ her to
realize these designs. He will now make them manifest.
On J anuary 15, 1625, as she is assisting at the Roly
Sacrifice of the Mass celebrated by Father Cotton in the
ehurch of the College of Roanne, Our Lord appears to her
clad in a worn and faded pnrple mantle. By this He
makes her nnderstand that He wishes the Religions of her
Order to wear a red mantle h1 memory of the one with
which He was clothed in derision, when He wore on His
head the crown of thorns and held in His hands a _reed
as a sceptre, and the J ews bent their knees before Him and
said: A ve Rex Judaeorum ! "Hail, King of the J ews !m
Jeanne is surprised and says: "Dem· Lord, all will langh
at me when I propose that mantlc." "lfy daughter," re-
plies the Divine Savior, ''have I not received it for mock-
ery '? lly spouses are to love contempt and snfferings, so
as to conform themselves better to lfe. 'l'o them T address
these words throngh yon: Induirnini Dominwn J esus
Cltristum et hune crucifixum.2
''Put ye on J esus Christ and
Him crucified."3
In her recital of this important vision, Jeanne begs
pardon of her Divine Maste.r for her reply which, she says,
was the suggestion of hnman respect. If there be fault in
this aversion, it may be called a happy fault, for it refutes
the objections of those who would attribnte the singularity
of this religions habit to a pions imagination. 'l"'he dis-
like which ~Jeanne feels towards such a man tle is a proof
that it is not her ehoice, but a manifestation of the divine
])l an.
'Phis scheme wil l gntdnally llC unfolded. Sorne month:-.;
latcr Our Lord appears to hcr again. Ile wears a white
:t ll(l 1·ed i·ohc, (·<11ulid us et 1·11ùi<'mul11s. 1
"Tt i~ in thiR white
1:Ma tt. XX ' IJ, 20.
2Autograpll ic Llfe, clJ . XLII.
3fiom . XIII., 14, a n rl J. Cor. II., 2.
·•Cant. V.

95. PREPA.RA.TIOX OF JE.à.XXE FOR HER )lISSIOX 69
of innocence and this red of charity that I wish to clothe
the Daughters of :Jiy Order. These are the colors and
this the livery whicb tbey are to wear. The white robe
will honor that which was given :Jie in the house of Herod,
and the red mantle that which was given 1Ie by Pilate.m
These statements are formal. Howeer, the Incarnate
r·ord wishes to confirm them again.
Catherine Fleurin visited Jeanne de )latel to acquaint
her of what she had seen cluring. a long ecstasy. She be-
helcl four angels bearing a representation of the adorable
Xame of the Incarnate ~ord; a plan of the mission which
Re had ordered Jeanne to execute and 1'hich was still a
profound secret.
Great was J eanne's astonishment when she heard that
humble girl tell what had been revealed to herself. She
a9mired the depth of the judgments of God Yho, for tbe
accomplishment of His work, chooses a person of meager
capabilities who had been rejected by the L"rsulines, al-
though in the eleventh rnonth of her nontiate, when they
left Roanne. Our I...ord says to her interiorly: Lapiclem
quem reprobcn;erunt aeclificantes,. lzic factus est in caput
anguli. "The stone which the builders rejected, the same
has become the head of the corner.''2
';:Jiy judgment is not
like that of men. They judge by appearances. I look, not
at the face, bùt at the heart."3
On the Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi,
)fadame de :Jiatel requested her daughter to invite Cath-
erine Fleurin to dinner. ~hen a considerable time had
elapsed after the latter~s Communion, Jeanne approaches
ber in order to extend the inYitation. She finds her in an
ecstasy and waits. Catherine, having returned to herself,
saYs to her: '~Our Lord bas charged me to announce to
yo"u tlÎat the time for manifesting His design has corne
and that you are to acquaint Father Cotton.'~ 4
He was
then at Paris.
These assurances "·ere co11Yh1cing, yet Jeanne not de-
i A.utogra p h ic Life. ch. XLII.
2Ps. CXVII.. 21.
3Autographic Life. ch. XLII.
Hbidem.

96. 70 LIFE OF JEANNE CHE-ZARD DE lIATEL
siring to be over hasty made 'Catherine no promise. "In
order not to repose too great trust in private revelations,"
she adds, ''I am not quick to believe revelations and I sec
no wrong in others testing my own, for I could deceive
myself."1
And she addresReR Him 'Vl10 manifests Himself
to her so liberally: ~'.All the designs You hàve communi-
cated to me so far have been verified. I hope that Your
mercy will not permit me to be dereived, because I have
not asked of You theRe visions and revelations."2
On the last day of the Octave of Corpus Christi, Our
Lord again gives .Jeanne a sig11 of His will. He shows her
a park withont a gate, wherein she sees a multitude of
sheep withont a shepherdess. He says to her: Pasce oves
1neas. "Feed my sbeep." He then shows her altars and
wreaths; for these Rheep must offer themselves as a holo-
caust of love.
'rhese visions confirmed Jeanne"s belief in her mission,
but by no means determined her to take the initiative for
its arcomplishment. On Sunday, June- 6, Feast of St.
Claude, Catherine Fleurin accosts ber as they return from
Vespers, and says to ber: "You mnst begin this Congre-
gation as soon as possible." ''Begin it yonrself !" .Jeanne re-
plies with a smile. Catherine catehes the sting of irony
contained in this reply, but urged by a divine impulse she
retorts: ''Yes, yes, I will begin. God can well supply the
qualities which are lacking in me~ hnt by refnsing to com-
mence, you i·esiRt the Roly Spirit."3
~Teairne de lIatel realizes that it is the Spirit of God
which speaks by the mouth of this. pious girl. Catherine
gocs to pray at the foot of the altar of Our Lady of the
Hosary, and .Jeanne Imeels before the high altar. Scarcely
hns she fa] lell npon he1· knees when she sees herself~ clofüed
in light and, as it were, besieged by the augnst T1
rinity, the
Blesscd Virgin, aud the whole court of Henven. 'l'hey urge
her to bcgill the hlessed Order which the I11cnrnate 'Vor<l
wiNhe~ fo im;tit:nt-c. .AB the saiuts rnanifest their desire
1Aut ogrnplli<· Lif(', el1 . XLI 1.
211Ji<le m .
~ lhicl e m .

97. PIU~PAIL.TION OF' JE..:NNE FOU I-IEU ~lISSIO:N 71
for this Establishme11t. Tt "·ill be the abridgrnent of the
divine wonders. By it, the Eternal Father wishes to_glorify
His Inc~rnate Yord in Heaven, as He has been glorified
by I t on earth. Mary wishes to fayor this Order, as to
please her, J esus protects those "'ho are dedicated to her.
''I do not undertake to recount," adcls .Jeanne, "all that
the Queen of Heaven and all that the Blessecl said to me,
nor all the kindness of the Holy Trinity. This is im-
possible. Yom· Majesty signified that I W'"ould remain
clothed with these SJ)lendors until I promised to commence
the Congregation without clela:r.m
1'.,.hat could she do but sunender to sueh glorious in-
sistences '? HmYever, doubtfnl of all that did not bear the
stamp of obedience, she asks Our Lord to allow her to re-
main in her father~s house until she has reeeiYed Father Jac-
quinot·s authorization, and she begs Onr Lord to ·incline
the will of that father to permit what is really God~s own
adorable will. "This said, Yon raised the siege, and, al-
though I was the one who was vanquished, Your benignity
gaye me its own victories, by promising to make me triumph.
0 Adorable Goodness, there is none Iike Yon !m
1'7
hen Jeanne entered her oratory to close her day by
prayer, she wns again visited by her DiYine King, accom-
panied by His court. ".All Your courtiers congratnlated me
on the affectionate love Yon had for me. T'hey praised Your
merciful char]ty for Your choice of one so insignificant to
extend Your glqry on earth, by bearing Your eternal and
temporal Kame comprised in the term : Incarnate .1Vord.
In the words of Isaias, Collsolamini) consolamini, papule
meus: ''Be ye consoled, he ye eonsoled, lly people.m 'l"'hey
made the air. ring with gladHeRs and jubilation. All these
praises emharraRsc<l me. Yon impre~sed on my soul such a
deep sen se of my nothingncss, that I ~nid , with Yonr consent,
after the example of Your holy ~lot her: Ecce aneilla
Do111ini; fiat u1ihi sccund1u1t ccr7nrni tull1n. '·Behold the
handmaid of the Lord, be it <loue nnto me according to
IA utog-rapll ic L ife, ch. XLII.
2Ibidem.
3Tsaias, X L., l.

98. LlIN~ 01•' .JEANNE CI-IEZAnD DE 11.ATEL
'rrhy word."1 "0 loving ~Wr':tness, You made me hear with-
out beholding the speaker: Beata quae crcdidisti) quoniam
_ perficicntur ea quae dicta sunt tibi a Do1nino. "Blessed
art thon who hast believed, because those things shaU be
accomplished which have been said to thee by the Lord."2
•
3
vVithout further delay, God procured the means of giv-
ing to the execution of His designs, the sanction of obe-
dience which Jeanne had begged. Father Jacquinot was'
leaving Paris for Toulouse but did not intend passing
through Roanne. Father Nicholas Dupont, who was di-
recting J ~aune at that time, told her that she would not
have the consolation of seeing Father J acquinot during his
travels. But the Divine Master. willed otherwise and .bade
her wait with confidence. On June 21, 1625, to the aston-
ishment of his friends, the distinguished religious arrived
at Roanne. 'Vhen Jeanne went to see him, he said: "My
daughter, it is only out of consideration for you that I pass
through this city.'~ "Dear Father," she replied, "I hoped
for that from your charity. The interests of God's glory
are at stake. Heaven and earth urge me to commence
the Côngregation. Catherine Fleurin's and my confessor,
the Rev. Father Rector, and also Father Bonvalot are of
the opinion that the tirne to begin has corne. I have prom-
ised to commence on condition that your Reverence approves
the step." ·
'I'he prudent religions reflected. Numerous objections,
oppositions and difficnlties to which this enterprise was
to give birth arose in his mind. He seemed to withhold
bis authorization. "l'Iy daughter, what do you yourself
think about it ?'' "Dear Father, Our I...ord has promised
me that He will accomplish it. He has ordered me to tell
you that you and l must trust in Ris mercy and rest our
heurts on His strcngth.:~4
Finally, when Father J acquinot
had listeued with attentiop. to the recital of the promises
and the reiterated iusistences of Heaven, he felt convinced.
'l'he establishment of this Order appeared to him to be
1 Lu ke I. 38.
:.!Luke I, 45.
3.cutog-ra phic Life, ch . X LIII.
4lb ide m .

99. PREPARA.TIOX OF JEAX~E FOR RER :IISSIO~ 73
God··s will, and he said to Jeanne: "Commence when you
wish or when you can.m
No more doubt lurked in the mind of Jeanne de :Jlatel.
The Incarnate Vord had chosen her to institute an Order
especially consecrated to honoring His Sacred Person and
His adorable m;vsteries. He Himself had gfren lier the
pledge which she had asked of Him. In the afternoon of
the same day He confirmed it and at the same time revealed
the complete form of the habit in which she was to clothe
the new religious.
Catherfoe Fleurin desired to speak to Father J acquinot.
Jeanne accompanied her to the college and, during their
interyiew, she gave herself up to prayer in the college
church. She then saç a crown of thorns in the miclst of
Yhich was Titten the Roly ~ame of Jesus, above a heart
which was pierced with three nails and marked with the
Yords: Amor .:lleus. Our Lord said to her: ":Jiy daughter,
My Name is oil poured out. :Many souls will be attracted
to this Order by the sweetness of this Name. Place on the
scapular what tliou hast seen in this vision, so that I may
repose on the hearts of My faithful spouses." After this
new mercy of the Incarnate Yord, .Jeanne exclaims: "0
dear Love, when You were a mortal man, You rightly com-
plained that the foxes had their dens and the birds their
nests, but that You had no place to rest Your head. Let
this be so no more. Rest on us, dear heart of our Lo-ve, dear
Loye of our hearV'2
The next day, June 23, after Holy Communion, the
powers of he.r soul were suspended in God. She .saw a
ciborium containing the Blessed Sacrament and sustain-
ing itself in the clouds, by its own power. Our Lord
then appeared to her. He seemed to be thirty-three years
old and was crowning a persan who was kneeling at His
feet, above the clouds. He made known to Jeanne that
she was that soul who was priYileged by the e:s:cess of His
love, and that He crowned in her, not her own merits, but
the abject of His Ovn mercies. The sacred ciborium con-
1Aut ograph ic L ife, ch. X L III.
2Ibidem.

100. 74 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZAIW DE llA'l'EIJ
taining the Il1essed Sacrament loving1y bent dowu towards
her. Jesus said to her: Amor meus pondus 11ieum. "My
· 1ove is my weight." 'rhen one of the most touching scenes
of the Apocalypse was nnfo1dec1. Sbe saw, in the air, a
legion of angels who said to one another: Ecce uœor Agni!
Ga-ud.camus et cxultcmus et dcmus glorioni e1'.. Q"Ïtia vcn-
cruut nnptiac Agni. PJt nxor ejns prcparavit se et datmn
est illi) ut coopcriot se byssino splcndcnti et candida.
Byssi11/n1n enim j ustificati011 c.c:: sun t sanctornm. "The mar·
riage of the Lamb is corne, and his wife bath prepared her-
self. And it is gI"anted to her that she shonld clothe her-
self with fine 1inen, glittering and white. For the fine linen
are the justifications of the saints.m
As the angels had mrnomiced, the hour had corne ·when
~Jeanne was to leave father and mother, to cleave to her
adorable Sponse. In a soul wl10 abandons the paternal
i·oof to follow the heavenly Rponse, the sacrifice is always
painfnl both for ber and for those_from whom sh~ is sep-
arated. · rrhe conditions nnder which · the sepm·ation of
~Jeanne de 2'fate1 was to he accomplislted, i·enclered it much
more harrowing. 'rhere was not question of only leaving
ber fmnily aecording to natlne to find a fmnily accord-
ing to grate; of fleeing from the wol'ld to eu ter into a blessed
solitude where she wonhl füHl in abundance blessings of
Heaven, · exemption from cm·e~ of the earth, and the halo
of respect and h011or which encircles brows consecrated
to God. She was to lannch ont i11to a future which was
most nncel'tain, in the imrsnit of a project the execution
of which presented vel'y great difficnlties; without any sup-
port or resources beyond her confidence in Him vVhose
will she belieYed she was doing.
The annonncement of this enterprü·;e ca1JSed an ont-
lmrst of reproaches and coutradictions. ,Jeanne's three sis-
ters londly disnppI'oved of it and told her ~he was merely
entangling herse1f in wo1·ries and hibnlations and that her
strange experirnent wonld end in shame and failnre. If
~he ever achieved miy rcsn Its, 1hey predicted tlint it would
1A11ocal. X I X. 7, 8.

101. PUEPAHA'l'ION OF JEANNE FOR HEU MISSION 75
be only after long and painful waiting. "If I had to wait
forty years," i·eplied .Jemme, "Our Lord Yould give me the
constancy and I would hope against hope. I have con-
fidence in His ProYidence whieh does not fail those who
rely O:Q Him.m
The opposition of Mr. de :Jlatel to the execution of his
daughter's project coulcl be easily foreseen. He .. was de-
tained at the Court by bis office-of gentleman of the King's
Household. Fathers Unpont and Bonvalot urged Jeanne
to leave the paternal home as soon as she acquainted him
"~ith her intention, so that he would have no time to inter-
fere or raise obstacles which might be well-nigh insur-
mountable.
The venerable )ladame de llatel, who was to feel more
painfully than others, the separation from her well-beloved
child, was the only one to accept the trial, like. a heroic
· Christian~ She said to her: "lly daughter, my. natural
inclination cannot permit you to leave me, but that yon
may follmY a divine inspfration,- I will overcome myself.
My life is drawing to a close. lIy desire would be for us
not to separate during the short space which is left for
me to pass in this valley of misery. But I do not wish
to retard the designs which God has on you.'·'2
The abun-
dance of her tears showed the Yiolence she did to her maternal
love, to consent to this separation. In order not to increase
them by mingling her own, .Jeanne repressed her emotion
which burst out all the more strongly when she was alone.
It became impe1·ative to put an end to so painful a situa-
tion. The feast of the Visitation would be celebrated in
a few days. ~Teanne made her ar1·angements to leave home
on that day.
She was not to p1·ocure the consolation of seeing the
divine promises realizecl until she paid tJie price, not only
by outward contradiction, but also by angnish of soul. On
the vigil of the feast of the Apostles SS. Peter and Paul,
while praying before the Blessed Sacrament, she "Tas op-
pressed by fear and sadness. She seemed crushed by the
1Autographic Life, ch. XLIII.
2l 1Jide m.

102. 76
weight of anxiety and the obstacles against which she would
have to struggle as if they were already present. She had
recourse to the God of lier heart, 'Vho, ordinarily, was
so prompt to assist her. But far from calming her fears,
He made her know that to establish this Order, it would
be necessary, as of old to rebuild the Temple of J erusalem,
to labor wi th one hand and fight with the other. He bade
her to pray, to be patient and courageous, that His grace
would be very necessary for perseverance in the face of
delays and difficulties. He gave her a presentiment of the
many struggles she would endure without unveiling them
completely, so as not to weaken her courage or chill her
ardor.
The following day, June 29, an encouraging vision
came to strengthen her soul. She saw armed men who
sought to wound her and to destroy a sun which seemed
to rise from the depths of a mighty well. Our Lord said ·
to her: "'My daughter, what power have these arms against
this sun? So shall it be with all the oppositions which
will be made against lfy Order." At the same time the
Blessed Virgin appeared to her, under the image of Notre
Dame de Puy, and she heard these words: "Place thy
trust in her, she shall aid thee and I shall not abandon
thee.m
'fhese symbols and oracles traced in oµtline the whole
program of that life of Foundress which she was to com-
mence under the auspices of lfary. Obstacles and sufferings
on earth, assistance and protection from Heaven. "Vhen
we pass in review the whole of her new existence, we see
that while creatures resist her, misunderstand her, make
her undergo almost intolerable trials, her Divine Love, the
1ncarnate "rord, fo1-tifies ber, consoles her, manifests Him-
self to her, with a mnnificence which is almost without
precedent. And after unHing her to Hirnself most inti-
mately through love and sorrow, He gives her the grace
to expire on the CrosR and to be able to say with Him:
Conswmna"tuni est. "I t is consummated."2
1Autographic L ife, ch. x r...an.
zJolm XIX, 30.

103. CHAPTER YII
The Beginning of the Congregation at Roanne
1625-1627
On the 8''"e of the feast of the Visitation, the tempter
made an effort to destroy the great enterprise ·which was
to commence the next day. He unchained a tempest of
apprehensions and terrors. J eanne's body and soul seemed
the victim. A violent fever ensued. •'But," as she remarks,
''Our Lord, who neYer leaves her long in affliction, came
to her aid, dispersed her enemies, and sent her a refresh-
ing slumber.m Yhen day davçned, she assisted at )Iass.
received Roly Communion, and made to God the sacrifice
of. herself and of all that she held dear. Yith Catherine
Fleurin and )Iary Figent, she visited the house which the
Ursulines had abandoned. )Jr. de Chenevoux, the owner
of this property, had left it at the disposal of Catherine
Fleurin, who, he belieYed, wa~ recruiting· postulants for a
new foundation.
After they had crossed the threshold of this dwelling,
Catherine Flenrin and )fary Figent cast themselves at
the feet of )fotber de )Iatel, as we shall henceforth call her.
'fhey recognize her as Superioress. They promise her blind
obedience and YOW to follmY her anywhere. She embraces
them most tenderly and, in a fe,Y touching words, exhorts
them to appreciate the grace which .the Incarnate rord
grants them by '""ithclrawing them from the world and
choosing them to work for the establishment of the Ortler.
She protests that she is ready to suffer all kinds of priva-
tions and persecntions, to accomplish the designs of Hirn
in Vhom she plaees all her confidence. In t.heir turn, they
affirm that neither hunger, nor thirst nor any tribulation
shall eYer separate them frorn füe charity of J esus Christ
vd1ich bas united them, and having embraced each other
again, tbey chant together the psalm, Ecce quani bonwn!
!Autographie Life, ch. XLIV.
77

104. 78 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
'l'he Incanrnte 'Vord wisheù His Order to be born in
the arms of holy poverty. Forty crowns as a gift given
by lfadame de l'Iatel to her danghter, and ten to Catherine
Fleurin by her mother, comprised _their whole endowment.
It was indeed little. But this little, joined to the inex-
haustible Providence of their heavenly Father, was more
than sufficient. He never permitted them to lack neces-
~aries. On several occasions He provided foi.. them in a
miraculous manner.1
lfother de Matel and her daughters,
far from worrying over their poverty and privations, cher-
ished them. They found in them occasions to immolate
themselves in order to promote the work of the Incarnate
'Vord~
In order to strengthen the courage of the new Found-
ress, Our Lord permitted her to see, for a brief moment,
the future fruits of her labors. She heard Mass· and re-
ceived Roly Communion. Divine consolations began to
invade her soul when she had to leave the church to follow
her companions. Having re-entered their house, she hum-
bly sets about preparing the modest repast of the little
community, when Jesns sends her a rapture. She is shown
a mountain on whose smni;nit is the Eternal Father, hold-
ing in His lap all the danghters of the Incarnate -nrord and
He says He will beget thern not by flesh or blood or the
will of man but by the Divine will.
Then her adored Doctor explains to her in favor of
these begettings of grace in time, His eternal generation
and His temporal generation; He then says to her: '"lfy
daughter, in this establishment, I, 'Vho am t_he Incarnate
vVord, will extend My Iucarnation. I shall dwell with
thee and thou sbalt see My p:lory equal to that of the Father
" 'ho eternally begets Me ü1 the divine splendors. Thou
shalt sce lfe full of grace aud ünth to accomplish in thee
and in My Order, all the promises which I have made thee,
which I make thee and which I shall make thee."2
Again
the Incarnate ' Vord shows her all the daughters of His
1 Very often without the lrnowledge of a ny one Mada m e de Matel was
t h e b en efi cent hand of ProvidenC'e..
2A 11 togra ph ic Life, ch. XLIV.

105. THE BEGINNI:îG OF' THE CONGREGA'rION AT ROANKE 7!)
Order. They climb the holy mount,1 accompanied by many
other persons who recite with them the psalms : Laetatus
sum in his quae dicta snnt 1nihi: in donimn Domini ibinnts.
''l have rejoiced in the things that have been said to me:
w·e shall go i~ito the house of the Lord."2
On August 12, feast of St. Clare, lfother de llatel re-
called a vision in which that Saint had appeared to her
in 1619, accompanied by St. Teresa, and had promised
to aid her in a matter of great concern. She asked herself
what this help was that she was to expect. At that moment
Our Lord showed her a sun dial, the needle of which marked
the hour, and said to her, "I am the center of all these lines
vd1ich are lly saints, holy men and w·omen. lIy Providence,
as a sun, fixes its light on the Jine which is the hour that
indicates lfy will. All lIy saints seek ~ly good pleasure,
and not their own. Doubt not tbat St. Clare and all lfy
saints desire nothing greater than to contribute to the
Order which I wish to establish. Be not astonished that
you have not entered the Carmelites. St. Teresa regards
you as her sister and not as her daughter. She is in con-
formity witb all lfy ordinances, and desires y·ou to have
the white. of Lebanon and the red of Carmel; and, as for
lfyself, I tell you that I have destined for lfy Order from
all eternity, the glory of Lebanon and the beauty of Carmel:
Gloria Libani data est ei. Decor Carmel et Saron. "There
has been given to her the glory of I.ebanon, the beanty of
Carmel and Sharon."3
These graces of light and hope were follow·ed by others
not so comforting but not less precious. llother de lfatel
keenly felt the privations which this new mode of life im-
posed npon her. It exchanged the sweets of solitude for
the cares and exigencies of community life. She no longer
had the. same leisure to give herself up to her comnrnnings
1Mother de Matel as yet knew nothing of ·Mount Gourgnillon. It had
just been shown to her. Tvvo years later, she recognized it with joy,
when she came to Lyons. It was there that God prepared a bouse which
was to be the nursery of the Order of the Incarnate Word. It was then
occupied by the religious· of St. Clare, who abandonecl it to live in a more
central locality.
2Ps. cxxvr.
3Isaias XXXV, 2.

106. 80 LlFE OF JEANN.E CHEZARD DE lIATEL
with God in prayer. r s we have seen, it happened that
when she 'yas beginning to enjoy favors from Heaven, she
had to abandon p1·ayer for more humble duties.
Heart breakings were added to these sacrifices, when
lfr. de llatel learned of his daughter's determination. He
wrote her angry, threatening letters. This procedure of
her father, who 01·dinarily had been so tender towards her,
afflicted her profonndly, but did not shake her resolntion.
"Tith all the art at her disposal she informed him, with
reverence and affection, that the project had been effected
and that, "for nothing in the world conld she tnrn her back
on the will of God.'' lfr. de lfatel became fnrions and sent
letters which were even more terrifying than the first. He
reproached his wife whom he accused of weakness and com-
plicity. He forbacle her to give ~Jeanne any money so that
necessity wonld soon force her to return home.
He with whom lfr. de lfatel dispnted the possession of
bis daughter was the more powerful. He was her first
Father. He said to her: ~l'lldi filia et vide) et friclina aurem
tuam et oblivi} crc ]W]JlllUJn tnnm et domimi vatris tui) et
concupiscet Reœ decoreni tumn. "Hear liy danghter and
Ree and lencl Me ihine ear, forget thy people and thy father's
honse and the King will be enamored of thy beauty.m "Fear
nothing, althongh thon art abandoned by the fa ther who
deprives thee of what he owes thee. I will give thee whereof
to build lfy temple and complete the w01·k of the Lord thy
God. The angels will make thee presents and provide thee
with all. rri10n shalt lead to lIe a company of virgins."2
A dllucentcr rcgi vi1·g-incs pos:t canl.3
Ho,vever, these harrowing CÎl'l'.nmstances were nothing
to those which she soon experiencecl. Dndng three long
months He 'Vl10 had lavishecl npon her so many proofs
of His tenderne~s an<l fm· "Tho~e love she had left all, hid
Himself frorn her uoi wiihstm1diug all her yé:unings.
Heaven seemed t111·11cd i11io ln·onze and insensible to all
hei· snpplicatiorn~. Rhc <lid ]1ot remember having had dur-
1 Ps. X LIY, 12, 13.
2.A utographic Life, ell. XLI V.
3Ps. XLIV, 16.

107. THE BEGINNI~G OF THE CONGREGATION AT HO.ANKE 81
ing the nine previous years a single day of desolation like
that to which she was now reduced. Her exterior occupa-
tions far from being an alleviation for her sorrows, were
sources of inexpressible weariness. At the recreations, she
langhed withont jo.v; at meals, she ate withont relish; in bed,
she s1ept wi thmit resting. Her soul coutinually longed for
Him and called out to Him Vho was her only desire and
her only love.
Sister Catherine Fleurin was not slow to see that lfother
de Uatel was in a state of anxiety, and requested ber to
tell her the cause. Regardless of her repng,nm1ce to com-
plain to an.v one but Inm Vho was the source of her grief.
~he confessed that her God was no longer to lier what He
had hitherto been. ThiR charitable Sister conjured Our
L01·d to withdraw these trials. But the days of affliction
had not been completed. Nevertheless, divine Goodness
iùade somewhat of a concession to her appeal and. commis-
sioned he1· to say to lfother de lfatel: "I have loved thee,
1 love thee, and I shall love thee with infinite love.ni She
'Yas like Magdalen. No voiee but that of her Well-beloved,
was capable of comforting that soul desolated by the loss
of her adored lfaste.r.
At last, this sweet and mighty yoice made itself heanl
in her soul while her body was buried in sleep. "Yon made
a general attack," she says, ''on all my faculties. Yon en-
tered gloriously, offering Yourself as my booty. And she
who was vanquished, by Your love saw herself victorious
and delivered from the weariness which she suffered in
Your absence."2
That morning as she was going to Com-
munion, Our Lord. transparent and luminous, appèared to
her. He came to her as in a transport of love which had
been long repressed, and He heaped npon her, ineffable de-
lights, which did not vanish with the day that had brought
them. They wel'e lavished with sneh abundance tllat even
the pions llother, so accustorned to J'eceiving celestial fa-
vors, was amazcd that she conld enjoy them without dying.
By these gl'aces, Onr Lord prepared ber for the frial
L'utogrnphic Lif<>, ch. XLV.
'.2lbidem.
'f

108. LIFI1~ OF' JEANNE ÇHT!JZARD DE ~lA'rEr,
with which she "·as soon to be visited. On Septernber 29,
1G~3, feast of St. Michael, the venerable Madame de llatel
became seriously ill. At thnes her sufferings were so in-
tense that they eaused violent convulsions. All foresaw a
fatal issue. Her patience, piety, and spirit of penance, pro-
fomHlly edified all who -vüdted her.
On .J mnrn1·y n, 1G:2n, foast of the Epiphany, Our Lord
showed His c1·oss sealed with blood to )fother de lIatel, and
said to her: --~Jy danghter, behold the inventory of My
riches sealed with lfy blood. 'l'hcse are Ivly treasnres and
1 give them to thee." He t hen unveiled wonderful lights
relative to the religions state and to His Order in particu-
lar. He foretold to her that it would be an object of almost
universal contradiction nnd coutempt, similar to those
·which St. Joseph, His holy lfother and Himself had en-
dured in the stable, in Egypt, in .Jndca, and on Calvary. -
· After these tribulations the Order would pnrticipate in the
glory Re receiYed after Jlis Ascension, when His Nnme was
b01·ne to the extrcmi1ü}s of' the earth. 'J'his Orde1·, blessed
by Ris Father was to extend over the world among differ-
ent nations from which it wonld gnther its danghters.1
'fhe c1·oss shown to .Jeanne, soon weighcd hea vily upon
her. On lfa.1Th ü, Hi~f>, Gofl called her rnoiher to Himself.
It was customary for Jeanne to make her an early visit.
()n this padicnlar day, she deferred her vüüt mitil evening,
as ~Iadame de ~fnte1'8 condition seemed improved. The
physitian lrnd not been called and she had uot been watched
by a nnl'se as on preceding days. lIother de lIate1 was in-
;;.;pired to remain with the ~aintly patient who in ber rever-
PBC'e and tendcrness for ber favorite daughter, would uot
pe1·mit her to render ber any of the humble services which
~he wonld have been only too happy to lavish on ber mother.
....t thi~ .Jemme "·ns mnrh pained but was forced to resign
hcr:-wl f i11 01·de1· not to distl1rh her dying mother, who said
io h()1·: '':Jfy danghter, I am left alone!" "My good mother,"
-NhP J·rplieN, "my micle, rny thrce siste1·R and the maid who
wni ts on yo11, :u·r alwnys with yon." "Ah! my danghter,"
Nhe :t11NW('1·~, ''yon arc not hc1·c !" "lfy dear
1.utogr apl1ic Lif<', el!. XLVI.

109. rl'HE BEGINNING OF 'l'HID CONGREGA'l'ION Nl' ROANNE . 83
'
mother, if yon had expressed such a desire, I would have
stayed with yon during yonr illness. Our Lord would have
been glad to have me do this. You showed your love for
me by permitti-ng me to enter the Congregation, but that
does not hinder me from coming to do my duty to you.m
After exchanging some other '-rords Jeanne withdrew a
little in order to permit her mother to rest. Almost irnme-
diately Madame de l1atel is again attacked by suffocation,
calls her back, and says to her: '•My daughter, corne near
me and say t11e litany of the great liother of God." She
answered the invocations with great fervor. Her pulse low-
ered rapidly. Mother de :Matel begins the prayers for a
departing soul, and while she is reciting them, that admira-
ble Christian woman breathes her last while making the
~ign of the cross.
· 'rorrents of tears burst from ber broken-hearteçl daugh-
ter. Overcoming her grief, she closed the eyes of her
through whom she first saw the light, and who had loved
ber so tenderly. 'Vhile paying this last debt she said
interiorly to Our Lord: '•:My mother loved Yon, more than
she loved me, niore than her life, more than everything
created. I conunend he1· to You as You commended Your
Mother to St. ~John. I leave her in Your hands. Place me
in the hands of Yom· .Mother who is all powerful. Give
her to me now as my .Mother." But nature claimed her
rights. llother de 3fatel swooned 1~ear the cherished re-
mains of her whom she mournecl. The bystanders hurried
to her aid, but she gathci·ed all her remaining strength to
make a sign not to give. her anything to drink fearing that
it might be midnight, and that she might not be able to
receive Roly Communion in the morning.
She needed ber Divine Consoler. 'Yhen she finally pos-
sPsses Him, she presents H im to the sovereign Majesty, for
the ransom of the son1 of hc1· goo<l mother. She begs the
adorable Justice to cancel any indebtedness of the dear de-
partecl by the merits of the holy Passion of the Incarnate
'Yorcl. 'l"his offcl'ing conld not be rejected. She had the
1Autogrnpliic Lif€'. ch. XLVI.

110. 84 LH'D; Ol!' .mANXE CHEZAno DE lIA'l'EL
happiness of seeing her request granted by the divine Mercy
of Him to vVhom it was presented.
Many believed that the venerated deceased died in the
odor of sanctity. Hcr funeral couch exhaled a celestial per-
fume like to that of lilies and roses. A respectable widow
of Roanne named Anne Barbillion, had seen her after her
death as a burning bush preserving all its ·verdure in the
midst of flames. Before calling her to Himself, Our Lord
had shown lIother de Matel a starry dwelling which Re
had prepared for that mother whose loss w~s so painful to
her child. But the most irrefutable mark of ber sanctity
was the practice of heroic virtues. These kept her memory
in benediction among all who had known her.
'iil1e death of such a mother could not but be extremely
painful to her who was the most beloved of her children.
Her sorrow manifested her filial tenderness. Her humility
made her regard this as lack of virtue. After having related
the circnmstances of her mother's death, she added: "'I
confess with shame that my love for You was not strong
enough to destroy the feelings of nature. Your providence
used time as a healer to remecty this sorrow which caused
me so much confusion for it showed me that I had no vir-
tue, as indeed I always saw that I had none, despite the
liberality with which You bestowed graces on me. l:Dvery
time I went to pray at her tomb, my eyes poured out streams
of tears which continuecl thronghout the nights that I lay
awake thinking of her."1
This grief was not the only one occasioned by the de-
cease of her good mother. As soo1~ as lfr. de Matel learned
the news of his wife's death, he wrote commanding letters
to bis daughter to force her to return home. He bade her,
as his eldest claughter, to take coutrol of his household, and
thus make it possible for him to remain at Court. JDvery
lctter recloubled her nffiiction. ""Knowing that You did not
deRire this sojourn of my father at P~uis," she says, "I did
not care to leave Your daughtcrs and my sistcrs according
1Autograpliic Life, ch. XLVI.

111. THE BEGINNIKG OF THE CONGilEGATION A'_r ROANNE 85

112. 86 LIFI<J OF JEANNE CHEZAilD DE 11.A'l'EL
to the :-.11Jirit, for his daughte1·s who werc my siste1·s accord·
i ng to the fiesh.m
~rhis family. according to grace whid1 she was nnwilling
to abandon, had admitted a new member on J uly 17, 1025.
She was a widow named Madame Claude Bernard. .A.s our
ancient annals relate, '~she came to join ns impelled by a
movement of the Roly Spfrit. She was very virtnous and
lived continuonsly in God's presence with which she pene-
trated all who saw her pray."
She was skillful, clever and conversant with household
duties. She had· a special talent for imparting knowledge
to the young. · This talent YTas highly appreciated in the.
little Congregatiou which soon admitted boarding pupils.
,,rrhe pupils were trained in all the duties of a Christian
life and were ü1structed ü1 eYer,rthing necessary for well-
bred girls.''2
Mother de Matel had drawn up a plan of the Constitu-
tions of the future Cong1·egatio11 wllile she was still dwell-
ing in her fatber's bouse. rrhese were observed witll edify-
ing exactness as soon as she and her daughters were assem-
bled in community. They liYed in great fervor and consid-
ered themselves happy in devoting and sacrificing all they
possessed in order to procure the establishment of the
Ordei·. God was i.lie. ouly oùject of their desires and with
Hirn they were perfectly nnite<l. rrhey began to diffuse that
good odor of ~Jesns Christ whid1 charms and attracts chosen
souls. Hell, affrighted at thesc generous beginnings, made
an effort to hinder them.
A wealthy you11g lady Yho had Iost her parents, con-
ceived a strong desfre to join the new community. She
planned to con~enate hc1· great w<>alih to the establishment
of the Institute. Vhen he1· relatives leai·ned of her purpose,
they lefi: Ho sto11e untm·ned to prevent it. 'J'he affair reached
the ears of Mi·. de Chenevoux who had given Cathedne
Flenrin the use of the honse in which ~he.r dwelt; he showed
great initation bccause they ha<l al>andoned the project of
1A ut ogr a phic Li f 0. c h. XLV r.
2Fo11ndn tion of tl1 c Orde1· of the ln carnn t e Vnnl. (Origina 1 ma n11-
l"<Ti pt, }). 2 6.)

113. 'l'HE BEGINNING OF THE CONGIŒUATION AT RO~.NNE 87
re-establishiug the Couvent of 1Trsnli11es in order to fonnd
a bouse of another Order and he clnimed h~s property.
The good intentions of the rich heiress, instead of bet-
tering the situation of ~[other de ~latel and her dnnghte1·s.
rendered it more uncertnin. They we1·e obliged to leave the
d"·elling that had sheltered them for nenrly t"·o years, for
a rentecl one which they only fonnd afte1· many difficnlties.
This entailed an incrense of privations whreh, however, were
nccepted with joy. 'Ye1·e uot these more valnable blessings
than e:i.rthly things? 'l'hey augmentecl the üeasures of holy
poverty, the blessed enclmnnent of the YOl'l:s of God. None
had a t•ight to be more gratified nt this than the daughters
of the Incarnate 'Yord, 'Yho wns born in a stable.
Althongh :.Mother <le_1Iatel arnl hel' <1aughtel's otservell
the practices in use in the more i>ious commnnities whose
fervor they ernulatt>d, still tlieir n~sociation hfül no eauoui-
cal existence. Tt had no npp1·0Jrntion from dio~ef.:aÙ anthor-
ity.1 I1"nther ~ieholns 1>np011t, 1he eonfessor of :lothee de
~fatel, thought it well l'or her to tnke aclYantage of the
extraordhrnry occasion of the .Juhilee _accorded hy Pope
Prbau YIII in 1G~7, io visit Lyons. 'l'here she conld
solicit the approbation of Mg1·. de ~lil-011 who Ya~ atout to
take possession of the lH'Îmati al sec i11 fü nt eity. The Father
said, ''The Jubilee wi11 serve n~ n cove1· of' yonr 1mrpose. If
y01fr efforts are frnitle~~. no one Yill be the wh.;er; but if
God blesse~ yonr endenn)l's, we shall han~ "·hat '"e want."2
Mothe1· de :fatel l'onml this reaso11i11g jndicious, but she
felt a great l'epng-11 an ce to m1dertake the j onruey. Her con-
fessor ·told ber to receive Holy Communion for this inten-
tion and to commlt Onr Lord on i he project. ''As I obeyed,,,
she snys. "Yon withdreY my soul from its own inclinations.
attracted it to Yom·self by a 1oving ecstns~~, and placed it
in a state of sweet enthusimmi. Yon pe1·~uad<>d me to mnke
1It is certain tl" at J.fothE'l' cl e ~Iatel h:u1 solictecl th e approYal of
Cardinal de Marquernont who occuvie(1 the ai·chiepiscopal ~ee of Lyons
from the beginning- of the foum1ation at Roanne in 1625. Tl1e contl'act of
the founclation of the Monastery of Lyons, signecl on D ec. 30, 1655 , men-
tions the permission g iven by tlrnt Cardinal ancl his successor, Mgr. cle
Miron, to assemble in community. (See this contract Pièces justifica-
tives, note F.)
2Autog-raphic Life, cl1 . XLYTTI.

114. 88 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
this trip. You showed me a dolphin which was out of the
water and seemed about to expire. I said to you: 'Lord,
what do You wish me to understand by this vision?' 'My
daughter, as this dolphin is dying out of its element and
w"ithout its proper aliment, I tell thee that I would die, if
I could die again. If thou wilt go to Lyons, thou wilt place
Me in lIy element and provide Me with lfy proper aliment,
which is the establishment of the Order which I have com-
missioned thee to found.' m
I t was impossible to resist, but the repugnance of lfother
de lfatel persisted. Her body was ravaged with fever, still
she armed herself with generosity and confidence. "I know
it was Your will," she said, "and not my own that I was
doing in undertaking this journey."2
She departed, accom-
panied by Catherine Fleurin, and arrived at Lyons on lfay
15, 1627, the day before the vigil of the Ascension. On that
same day, lfgr. de Miron made his entry into his archiepis-
copal city.
1Autographic Life, ch. XLVII.
2Ibidem.

115. CHAP'l'EH VIII
Approbation of the Congregation
Its Establishment at Lyons
1()27-16:28
~lother de lfatel's mission to Lyons was indispensable
for the existence of hcr little community, but its accom-
plishment was extremely difficult. Ecclesiastical authority
always assumes an attitude of wise reserve in approving re-
cent forms of the religioiJs life, and ~Igr. de lliron ha<l
already declared his dislike for new Institutes.
Before taking any direct step, Mother de nfatel spent
three days in gaining the Jubilee and in consulting those
'vho were desirous of promoting her cause. She .was not
unknown in Lyons, which was only about forty kilometers
from Roanne. She had formerly made seyeral visits there,
and the renown of her extraordinary virtues was already
widespread in that great city. Pe1:sons of distinction held
her in high esteem and manifested nrnch interest in her
work. Among this number were ~Iesdames de Coligny, de
Beauregard and de Champron; the counts of Eveine and of
Vichy, and lladame, the wife of President de Chevriere,
whose guest llother de lfatel was. 'l'his lady undertook
to solicit an audience with the Prelate. The day appointed
for the interview was the Tuesday after Pentecost. All of
the above mentioned ladies resolved to accompany her to
meet the Archbishop, and she was to be introduced b~y Count
f1'Eveine.
The new Archbishop had previously convoked a council
to study the affairs of bis diocese. One of the first articles
which he recorded was a refusa! to establish any new Ortler.
Count d'Eveine had procured information relative to this
decision. He had been told that it had been made espe-
cially in view of l1other de l1atel's Congregation of which
. lIon~ignor had heard rnmors current in the city. The
S9

116. DO LIFE OF JEAX~E CHEZ.AUD DE lIA'l'EL
Couut said : ''Yhy take the i·isk of asking the Archbishop,s
approbation at snch an nufavo1·able time? If he now re-
fuses, it canuot be spoken of later on. 'Ylrnreas, in his
nhsence, the matter conld be more easily treatecl of with
)Jgr. de la Faye, the Vicar Geueral." The O'ount gave this
advice in the Primatial Palace of St. John, a few moments
before lIother de l1atel went to the audience. She "~as in
a chapel in which there was a painting of St. Ignatius the
martyr. Lifting up ber eyes and heart to him, she conjures_
him to take her nnder his protection : she 8eeks the glory
of Him for whose love St. Ig1iatius had been glad to be
ground between the teeth or the lion. 'rl1en con:fiding in the
power of the Incarnate "Torcl and the intercession of the
holy martyr, she ente1·s the ai·chiepiscopal palace with the
noble ladies and Connt d'lDveine.
Tntroduced into the presence of the ..:~r~hbishop, whose
mein at first appeared pwst stern, lIother de lfatel took
the last place. All eyes seemetl tm·ned -upou he1·. lfonsig-
nor rerinested ber to d1·aw near that she might be interro-
gated. "How did you corne to think of fonnding a new
Ortler since so many ah:eady exist in the Chnrch? 'Yould
it not be preferable to devote onrselves to 1·efonning the
ancient Orders, instead of creating new 011es '!" Her only
reply was to place in the harnls of the Prelate the letter
which her confessor Iiad given her. 'Yliat was her emlmr-
rassment when she heai·d it J·ead alond ! 'rhis letter related
several of the remarkable gTaees which Onr Lord had given
ber to prepm·e her to fnlfill this misf'.don. It spoke of the
qna1ities with which she had been endowed to J·ender her fit
to execute it, etc. 'rl1e poor lIothe1· wns ve1·y much
embarrassed.
Healüdug the torture whid1 these 1n«ti:-.;e:-.; can:.;ed ht•l' and
taking pity on ber, the A n~hbi~hop ~ai<l: "~Iy dm1ghter, I
am at your diRposal to give you a p1·ivnt-e alHlience whcuever
you desi1·e it.m Com1t d'Evei11c f'em·i11g ihat if ~lothcr de
Matel had to mcct the Prelate,8 oppositiou alo11e, her peti-
tion would be sm·ely J·cjected, he bcggcd thn t the i11tc1·view
lJe defened mi f-il the followi11g <lny. lfonsignm· ncœded to
1 Aut<!grnphic Life, ch. XLVIII.

117. APPROBATION OI1~ THE COXGREGATION Dl
this request and directed his own confessor, Father ~lorin
of the Oratory, to be present.
This investigation lasted three hours. Our Lord re-
,...ealed to her that she would have to undergo an e.xamina-
tion before several doctoi·s and prelates, and told her to have
no fear of them. Ile did not fail her in these trying ordeals.
"I saw and knew," she tells us, '~that Yon gave me a month
whieh expressed yonr lights." He placed on ber Iips such
sagacity to reply to the objections that were made, and such
lncidity in her exposition of the divine desires in the mat-
ter of the new Onler, that :Jlonf;dgnor de 3lfron avowed
that ''he felt himse1f favorably inclined towards this Insti-
tnte, in spite of bis own judgment, because he could i;iot help
recognizing that it was a design of God's ".,.isdom which
surpa~~es all the wisdom of men.·n
· This Pl'elate's resolution to refuse to sanction the estab-
lishment of a ne"- Order, was not a blind, stubborn ·idea. It
was based on good reasons. But seeing these outbalanced
by rensons of a higher order, he bowed his own honest, strong
will before the divine. Before reaching a final decision, be
wisbcd to make a thorongh investigation. He, therefore,
orderecl Father 3Iorin to examine :Mother de :Matel on sev-
eral occasions and directed him to make these examinations
according to the rnles proper for the discernment of super-
natural operntions in souls.
'flrnt illustrions religions acqnitted himself conscien-
tiously of this mandate. IIe showed himself a prudent man
and a lenrnecl theologian. He omitted rio point to assure
himself that the chain of graces and revelations by which
Our Lord had, as she said, manifested His design. "'as not
an artful inyention and tlrnt the vastness of her knowledge,
"'hich nppeared to be supernaturally infused, had not been
the result of cleYcr stndy. Such suppositions conld not
long stand before the sinc<>rity of llother de :~latel and the
authe11ticity of the favors "...hich she had received. 'r11e most
insidions questions e.,.oked i·eplies which manifested her
goocl faith. The more eagerly Fniher ,[01·in tested h<>1·
Lutographic Life, ch. XLYllI.

118. 92 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
astonishfng knowledge of things divine, the greater were
the lightR which she revealed.
The learned religiom~ became thoroughly convinced that
ecclesiastical authority was confronted by a design of God,
and in this spirit he reported to lfonsignor de lfiron the
result of his investigation. The latter, whose conviction
had been the same after l1other de Matel's first examination
made in his presence, decided that he ought not to r_efuse
the authorization which she solidted.
He said to her: "My daughter, if that design were from
yourself alone, as I am one of the bishops most opposed
to new Orders, I would not grant it. But since it is from
God, T approve your Congregation for Roanne, since that is
what you request. Have a petition drawn up by Fathers
lfilieu and l1aillant, and I will sign it.m
Tbese Fathers seeing the Prelate so favorable to the
Foundress, told her she should take advantage of his good
will to haye ber Congregation established at I.Jyons. The
protection of the Archbishop and the greater importance of
that city, would favor its progress. Father de Bense of the
Oratory and Madame de Chevriere being of the same opin-
ion, lfother de lIatel decided to follow it. She drew up the
petition and p1·esented it to Monsignor de Miron, asking
him if he would kindly permit her to transfer the fonnda-
tion to Lyons. IIe replied: "My daughter, I would like
that hetter to-day than to-morrow. If such is your inclina-
tion, it will be my joy."2
He signed the petition, affixed
the archiepiscopal seal, and gave his authorization to the
transfer of the Congregation from Roanne to Lyons. He
then spoke the following words of deep fatherly interest:
"My daughter, if a new Order could be established withont
a Bull, I would establish yours. And if I had not, only a
few days ago, begged Cardinnl Spada to inform Rome that
it is better to reform ancient Ordei·s than to fonnd new ones,
1 myi;;;eH would Jletition the Roly Father for a Bull to
c·s ~ a bl i sh yom· Oi·der. Hnt T am Hot lrnmhle enongh to re-
1J'aét what I wrote aud thonght th1·ee days ago. But it is
i .. utog-rnphic L if(", cl1. X LVIII.
:2TlJi rl em.

119. APPROBATION OF THE CO~GREGATION 93
my advice and desire that you sencl a supplication to His
Holiness iu your own narne. The Pope will have it examined
by the Congregation of Regulars, and afterwards, if, as you
say, your reqnest asks to be under the Ordinary, the Bull,
when granted, "'"ill be sent to me, and I promise you that I
,Yin execute it immediately. Do your utmost to secure a
hom.;e in Lyons suitable for your community.m
This change, so complete and nnhopecl for, sh<îwed clearly
that this work was from God, for only to such conviction
could the Prelate have surrenclered his judgment. As to
the transfer to Lyons, the divine good pleasure was declared
to Mother de lfatel by the counsels of her directors and by
the wholè-hearted support of her Archbishop. Providential
circumstances seemed to direct her every step. After leav-
ing the Archbishop, :Mother de Matel, who was previously
invited, 'vent to dine with a respectable widow of the quar-
ter of St. George named Madame Colomb. This. lady in-
formecl her that there was in the neighborhood, a house
suited for the needs of a community. This building had but
recently been vacated by the Sisters of St. Clare for one
more favorably situated in the center of the city. lfother
de Matel lost no opportunity thât presented itself to favor
the establishment of her Congregation and she went imme-
diately to inspect the house.
As soon as she hacl entered, her divine Oracle utterecl
these words: Haec reqnics mca,; lzic habitabo, qnoniam elegi
-ca m. ''11
his is the place· of rny rest; here shall I clwell for I
have chosen it."2
On viewing the surroundings, she recognizes tlle holy
mount, which she saw two years previons, in a vision, and
on the surnmit of which she beheld the Eternal Father hold-
ing all the claughters of the Incarnate 'Yord in the augnst
bosom in which He incessantly begets the Yard. Finally,
the fonner sojonrn of the daughters of St. Clare in that
house, recalled to her what that Saint had promised in
lGl 9 when she appeared in the company of St. 'l1eresa and
i-;aid that "she w'oulcl aid her in something great.''
1Autographic Life, ch. X to XYIII,
2Ps. CXXXI, 14,

120. LIF'E OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
The Divine 1faster therefore wished her to eFltablish the
community at Lyons and He Himself had madœd out the
site of the dwelling. She chose that select spot and in-
formed 1fgr. de 1firon to that effect. The venerable Prel-
ate, happy in seeing the band of God guiding this whole
enterprise, with the goodness of a fathe1·, placed his carriage
at the service of lfother de lIatel, advised her to return to
Homme, arrange all business matters and bring to Lyons
her littlc community.
Favored with the kindnesses and benedictions of her
.Archbisbop, she left Lyons with Sister Catherine Fleurin.
As certain an·angements did not permit her immediate re-
tnrn, she sent ahead of her Sister Catherine, Sister Claud
Bernard, and two yonng pupils who were unwilling to be
separated from them.
'Vhen the little caravan arrivell at the honse which was
to be the cradle of the Order, they found nothing bnt bare
walls. A basket was the only wardrobe, a rope their only
clothes rack, etc. It is in this cradle of poverty that the
Incarnate Word wishes to be born again. Like true daugh-
ters of this divine King of the poor, "they were," relate
piously the memoirs of the fonndation, "in unspeakable
jubilation to see themselves poor and helpless; they thus
imitate the better the Incarnate " Tord poor and abject, for
Vhose love they willingly snffered all things, not only with-
ont complaint, but with joy. It is in this that God is pleased
and that g1·nce most ab01mds: the· Jess there is of the cre-
ated, the more there is of God.m
On couclnding he1· bnsiuess nffafrs, lfother de Matel
1·etur11ed to I.yons an d partially fnrnished the house with
the effects brought from Uomrne. In a short time Siste1·
Claude Bernard's talents attrncted a nmnber of young lady
boar<ler8. 'r11is was n ~om·cc of 1·evenne to the little com-
mnnity, all(l it secrnccl dcstined to JH'ORpc1'. 'r'he reception
of scve1·al SüdPr8 ildo the Co11gregntion Hl:-o m1gnred well
f'm· j iR e~ hi hl iRh ment. . 11 who Ra w 1he 11.,01rnd1·e~R were
till0<1 wi1h êtd111i1·a 1io11, 1·eRpPd :rn<l affedio11 for hel', aud
1Fot11 1< lati()tl of' 111<1
I1w;1n1:dü 'onl. (Origi nal nwm1script, p. 43.)

121. 95
took a keeu iute1·est in he1· work. The pl'otedion which the
Archbishop acco1·clec1 the yonng Congregation was both a
recommendation and a pledge of the immediate can<?nicnl
erection of this new religions Order.
Such, howeyer, were not the iews of ProYidence. )fany
and arduous trials~ long and anxious waiting were to p1·e-
cecle the clay when these hopes would be realized. As the
blessed birth of the Incarnate Yord had been the object of
so many longings, praj·ers and ardent expeetation of the pa-
triarchs of old, so "·as this mystic rebirth to be called dmn1
by burning desires~ abundant tears, and inYincible hope.
The Yery :first year opened an era of tribulations for the
little fonndation.
Contrary to his pJans and Ye1·y much to his distaste )fr.
de )fatel "·as obligea to return to Roanne, consequentl,Y he
macle no effort to hide his irritation. He announced tlrnt
as SOOn as Jeanne asked him fo1· her ]JOrtion of ber mother's
estate she wonld feel "·hat a father can be when enragecl.
To feel her father's u~jnst anger; to see herself ü1 the
dilemma of being unable to obey him without resisting the
will of Goà; to un dergo the pri n1ti on of her rightfnl mater-
nal inheritance at the moment when 8he most needed it to
support the struggling Congregation and to take the steps
for obtaülÏng the Bull of approbation at Rome-all were
causes of great pain and humiliating embarrassment. The
absence of )lgr. de ::liron aggraated the:-:e circnmstanees.
ITe was obliged to go to Paris. He left Lyons in the rnonth
of September. 1627, and returned only toYards the middle
of the following year. The Foundress saw her "·ork at a
standstill, and, according to her expression, she "·as fo1·ced
to practice patience and take in her ~mils during those tem-
pests, as there was no gleam of hope in the near future of
being able to petition Rome.
This retardation of her work "·as, for )lother de )fatel.
an epoch of ardent supplications for the interests, not only
of her own specia1 mission but for tl10se of France. In the
hearts of saints, lOYe fol' theil· herffenly conntry is far from
absorbing their affection for thefr earthly comitr,Y. As their
love for God grows greater, in the ~ame mensure their reY-

122. DG LIF'l1: OF .JI~..>J~E CHEZ ~nD DE lIATEL
ereuce for the depositories of God's anthority, and their
zeal for the wclfare of their neighbor increases. rrhus we
shall see lfothe1· de llatel taking fo heart nll the hnppy or
unhappy events of her time.
After having recovered sornc da,rs of peace m1d in·o~1)e1·ity
under the paternal administration of Henry Ir, France hnd
seen, through the action of minorities, another outburst of
revolts of nobles, insurrections of Protestants aud civil wars.
At that moment, through the genius of Richelieu, she was
beginniug to find a remedy for her exterior evils. But the
nation was taking to heal't the sorrows of its pions Queen.
After the several years of her union with Louis XIII, Anne
of Austria had not yet had the consolation of giviug him an
heir to the throue. From every part of France, prayers
ascended to Heaven to beg this gift of God. From the
year 1621 Fathe1·s Cotton and Jacquinot requested 1lother
de lfatel to beseech Our Lord to bless the arms of the King
and grant the desires of the Queen. Mother de llatel re- ..._
ceived prophetic assurances which the future fully realized.
God made known to her that Louis XIII wonld conquer his
rebellions subjects and bring them nnder obedieuce; that
he would triumph over the Protestants and that God, out
of love for St. Louis, the King's illusfrious ancestor, and
also out of consideration for the King's father, Henry IV,
Louis XIII would have au heir, and would be loved by the
Divine l1ajesty, because he had loved justice and hated
iniquity. In 1625, she saw in a vision a tree blossomed in
lilies and she heard: "this tree is the generation of Louis
XIJ f."
Father Voisin, then the director of lIofüer de ~fatel, on
being· inforrned of these visions said to ber, dnl'ing one of
. his visits to Homme towards the end of September of the
year 1G37: " Urge Our Lord to accornplish the promises He
made to you in favor of their lIajesties. 'Yben shal l om·
good QlIC~en give a Dauphin to France'? I shall say lIass
for that inteution on Sunday, October 3. Yon must assist
nt it and pI'ay f'o1· the sa11w purpose."
On the dny nppointed, the pions Fonudrrss went to pray
i11 llcr own OI'at01·y ear1y in the morui11g. She was soon

123. APPROBATION OF 'l'HE CONGREGATION 97
i·a1Jt in God aud heard these wonls: ""I will magnify My
mei·cy upon your Queen. I will visit her as I visited St.
E~Iizal>eth hy making her a mother.m 1-'his promise 'Yas like
a river of joy inundating her heart. But she had to tear
herself away from the consolations of this prayer vd1ich
Heaven had heard, to go to Father Voisin's :Mass. On the
w-ay, the I1""athe1·'s words recur to her memory: '•Take care
lest it be your own inclination and not God that speak:s.''
Her heart to which happiness and hope had been opened
now felt itself contracted by fear as she thought to herself:
"lt might well happen that I could be the victim of a delu-
sion as so many others have been."2
God, Vho is not the spirlt of unrest, soon restores peace
and confidence in the heart to which He ·wishes to make a
comlllunication. As she enters the church door, He speaks
to her: Ad queni auteni rcspiciam nisi ad panperculzun et
cohi1'itwn spiritu et trementem scrnwnes meos. "But to
whom shall I have respect but to him that is poor and Iittle
and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at My words '?"3
'Vhen she is in the middle of the church, she bears the text
of Osee as applied to Louis XIII: Justus gcnninabit sicut
liliwn. 'arhe just man shall bud like the Iily."4
As she hears
this all-powerful and well-known Voice, her doubts vanish
and are succeeded by a state of delightful conviction which
throws her into an ecstasy. During this rapture, Our Lord
shows her a sword surrounded by a luminous aureola and
enclosed in a scabbard of black velvet, and upheld by a
celestial power. He says to her: '"My daughter, this sword
is that of Louis XIII, vd10m I will make victorious at La
Rochelle." Theu a divine ray coming from the tabernacle
where the Blessed Sacrament resided, rests on herself and
at the same time she hears: "I wish to feed among lilies.
I will establish lIy Ortler after the victories and the bless-
ings given to the King and to the Queen."5
Father Voisin wished her to give him an account of what
1Autogrnphic Life, ch. XLIX.
2Ibic1em.
3Isaias, LXVI, 2.
40see, XIV, 6.
5Antographic Life, ch. XLIX.

124. 98 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZAilD DE MA.TEL
had passed in her sonl. rl'his she did with her invariable
candor. ~rhis Father's esteern for the snpernatural gifts of
his penitent, made him hope that the.se promises would some
da,v be realized. God granted him the happiness of seeing
thern accomplished even to the minutest detail. He, as well
as Fathers J ncquinot, de :Meaux, and Gibalin lived long
enongh to be witnesses worthy of credit of the gift of proph-
ecy granted to lfother de Matel.
In fact, all was prophetic in what she had seen and heard.
rrhe gleaming sword enveloped in mourning well expressed
the circumstances of the capture of La Rochelle, on the one
band so glorions for the gigantic efforts which it accorn-
plished, and on the other hand so pitiless towards the vic-
tims of that rebe.Jlious city. Ont of its 30,000 inhabitants,
29,000 perished from famine during its desperate resist-
ance ! The tierce Guiton, mayor of the city, had placed a
dagger on the Council table to stab the first man who would
speak of sunender: "Tt is enough that one man remairrs to
shut the gates," was bis reply to those who said that La
Hochelle wou] <1 soon be a desert.
At that time, 1fother de Matel did not even know that
that city was besieged. The preliminaries for the siege were
only beginning, and yet the victory was announced to ber
a whole year before. As to the promise made regarding
the postcrity of Louis XIII, it was necessary to wait eleven
years for its realization; and as had been foretold the estab-
lishing of the Order of the Incm·nate 'Vonl was to be only
after the birth of the Dauphin. rri1e royal child, the object
of so many prayers, was born on September 5, 1638. On
necember 15, 1639, at Avignon, the first five religions of
the I ncarnatc 'Vord were clothed with the holy habit of the
01·der.
'l111e favorable assurances given to liother de Jfatel did
not make ber diminish ber prayel's. She not only raised ber
owH bands to Heaven in behalf of the King who was fighting
heretics m1d rebcls, but shc kindled in the hearts of others,
the zeal which was bnrning in her own. On the feast of
Ali Saints, November 1, 1G27, she assembled ber little pupils
seve1·al time~ to joiu her in asking God to defeat the Duke

125. .APPROBATIOX OF THE COXGREGATIOX 99
of Buckingham who, at the head of an English fleet, came
to aid the Protestants of La Rochelle. "She hoped that
these inno~cent souls would obtain access to the I.amb of
God, to obtain from Him that He would become the Lion
'Tanquisher of Buckingham.m Our Lord promises this to
her.
Saint :Jlichael, the Generalissimo of the celestial legions.
offered himself to ber, "to take care of the King and his
army, as he had done in the time of Joan, the :Jiaid of
Orleans, and he conducted :Jiother de :Jiatel into the pres-
ence of the Lord of Hosts Vho sent from Zion the 'Rod'
of His power to rnake of His enernies the footstool, not only
of His own feet, but also of those of Louis XIII.'~2
Yho does not recognize in this Rad of the strength of
God, the celebrated minister whose mighty energy knew
hqw to tame the audacious hanghtiness of nobles, quell the
reYolt o-f heretics ând een the waYes of the sea. Richelieu.
like Alexander the Great, constructed an immense dike
which preented the entry of the fieet, and thus hindered
protestant Englancl from lending aid to La Rochelle.
Vhilst )Iother de )fatel was taking such zealous interest
in the struggles of France, the tirne of trial for her great
work was upon her. . Towards the end of the year -1628.
"Thile praying in the Carmelite Church, she heard Our Lord
sa:r to her: Percutiam Pastorem et dispergentur oves gregis.3
At these words she is seized with fright. Yhat is to be-
co_me of her little fiock 'Yhose sole future depends on it~
Archbishop, if the hand of God strikes that good Shepherd !
She represents this to the adored :Jiaster. She prays and
conjures Him to reYoke this decree. But He appears insen-
sible to her clesires and tears. She reiterates her supplica-
tions, and hoping that God will hearken to her pleading she
says nothing about this reYelation to her dear Archbishop
nntil fincling the soyereign .Judge insensible to her praye1·s
she informs the worthy Prelate. On April 80, 1628, in fi
1·nvtnrc, :--he agai11 henrs the fatal decree : Pcrr'ufia m pas
L utograph ic Life, ch. XLIX.
2I b iclem.
3Za ch. XIII, 7.

126. 100 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lINl'EL
torcm et dispcrgcntu.r oves grcgis! "At this second utter-
ance," she tells us, "my heart felt as if it had been pierced
or cnt in two. I said to Yon: •lTy W'"ell-beloved, I feel my
little ftock dispersed. This Archbishop is favorable to us
and You wish to take him away frorn me.'" "My
daughter," replied the Divine lfaster, "you must go to
Paris.m Any strnggle hecame impossible. There was noth-
ing to do but to be. resigned. Our Lord seemed to take
away her only clefence. She who in other circumstances
did not hesitate to ask the seemingly impossible, now saw
herself powerless to pray. Her supplications seemed as an
arrow that fell to the earth instead of piercing the sky.
On lIay 5, 1fother de lfatel wrote to lfgr. de lfiron what
Our Lord had revealed to her. The Prelate knew, from ex-
perience, the precision with which the words of the humble
Foundress were verified and received the news as a message
from Heaven. He replied that he submitted and that he
humbled his soul under the mighty hand of God. He has-
tened to complete the affairs which detained him at Paris,
and returned to bis diocese. On his arriva], he manifested
such gratitude and confidence in llother de lfatel and
showed snch eagen1ess to be of service to her, that it in-
creased her grief and humiliation. He told her of his de-
sire to please God in everything, and he charged her to
acquaint him with anything that the Divine lIajesty re-
vealed in his regard.
On the vigil of the feast of St. Ignatins, ~July 30, lfother
de lfatel was conversing with tl{e Archbishop and two Jes-
uits, Fathers Milieu and d'Arnoux, who came to iuvite him
to be present at their solemnity of the next clay. After
1·eplyi11g to thefr i·eqnest, he said to them as he introduce<l
the Fonndress, "Dear :Fathers, it is necessary fol' these, my
daughte1·s, to press their affair at Rome. Shonld God give
me the graec to live, I wonld exeeute the Bnll most gladly."
'l'hen hn·ning- to her, he said in a most fathe1·ly tone: "lIy
dan ahter what cm1 I <lo to he of se1·vice to you ?" Sh~ wasb ' ,,
HW'P<l t o th e hoHom of her ~011 l mul i·pp] ie<l: '"lforn.dgnor,
yon h:t v<' :th·e:uly pl<H·e<l me 1m<le1· ~uch ohligaticrns that l
1A ut ogTH pl 1ic Lif0, C'l1. L .

127. APPROBATION OF THE CONGREGATION 101
feel overwhelmed by them. Our Lord wishes to give to
another the completion ·of the establishment of His Ortler,
as He gave to you that of its commencement." 'l"he Arch-
bishop understood. 'l111inking that she may have something
else to communicate to him, he urges her not to fear but to
speak freely. He assures ber that he receives her communi-
cations as coniing from God and that he endeavors to profit
by them. As she is withdrawing, he repeats to her: "l1y
daughter, how desirous I am of rendering you some little
service !m
She was never to see him again. On August 5, lfother
de :Matel was at the couvent of the Oapuchins, visiting Fa-
thers Pontian and Irenaeus, who had corne to Roanne to
assist at a Ohapter, when the news that the Archbishop
had just succumbed to a stroke of apoplexy, spread uni-
versai consternation.
In silence l1other de lfatel submits and adores the will
of God. ''How is this," asked Father Pontian, "that you
eured me by your prayers when the physicians had aban-
doned ail hope and now leave our good Shepherd die, who
was so favorable to you ?'' She hnmbly replies: "Father,
there are times W'hen God is pleased that we beseech Him
with tears, to revoke His conditional decrees, as He did for
King Ezechias. "TIThen I asked God to reverse the judgments
of physicians for you and for Father de l1eaux, the Roly
Spirit prayed in me with nnspeakable groanings and com-
pelled me to ask with great simplicity what He, through
His own goodness, desired to grant; but now, I cannot even
pray, despite the lm~s T suffer. It is the divine decree that
the good Shepherd shonld leave me and I must submit, not
0~1ly with resignation, but µlso with reconciliation to the
good pleasure of m;v God."2
During the night after this fatal blow, Our Lord poured
the balm of consolation into the wounded heart of the
Foundress. It was so effective that the worthy llother could
only adore and abandon herself to His holy will. Her be-
1·eaved religions family also shared these dispositions. ~rI10se
1Autographic Life, ch, L .
?.Autographie Life, ch. L .

128. 102 LIF'l<J OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIA'rEL
who knew how highly llother de lIatel had been favored
by the Prelate, now mourned by all, supposed her to be
plunged into saclness and anxiety. Her friends came to pre-
sen t their conclolence and encouragement. But when they
saw the resignation, peace, and confidence of the little com-
munity, they went away edified and were coilsoled them-
selves.
'Yhen lIother de :lfntel knew that the sentence pro-
nounced against the Aychbishop was irrevocable, she begged
Our Lord to giye he1· as liis successor, Mgr. Alphonse Riche-
lieu. rrhis prelate who had been nominated to the bishopric
of Lucou, had resignecl that see in favor of his younger
brother, Armand de Hichelien, the future minister of
France, in 01·der to retire to the grande-Chartreuse. There
he had taken the 11101rnstic habit and macle the vows of a
religions. Twenty years afterwm·ds he had been constrained
to give up his solitude nnd necept the archbishopric of Aix.
He had occnpied thnt see t"To yearR before the death of lIgr.
de lfiron.
The~e long years in the rel igionR li fe led Mother de llatel
to hope tlwt, as Archbishop of Lyons, lIgr. de Richelieu
wonld protect the work with w·hich she had been commis-
sioned by the Tncai·uate "Tord. She may also have been
inftuencecl by the gratitude which her pions patriotism felt
for the se1·viceR i·encle1·e<l to Fnrnce hy the great Cardinal
:Minister, to ùeRin~ to be g<wer1H:d by his hrother and to show
him rcspectful devotcdness. 'Vhatever motive impelled her
she continued her supplirati01rn mnemittingly nntil Our
Lord revealed to ber that they were granted, but not with-
out restrictions. He Raid to her: "Yon shall have him,
but yon shal1 be like ~Tc~nte's danghter, destined for sac-
rificcs.m No 1ight nccompmiied those words to make their
mPm1i11g: cl<•a1· miel in inte1·preting them, :-;he followed the
<li<·(nt~R ol' hel' heal'L Rhe thonght it lrn<l refei·ence to the
~ac1·i fÎ('P ~lie wi1-d1P<l 1o rnake of hcl'f-;elf to G0<l hy the rrli -
gion~ pl'of'p~~i011.
'1,he futm·e was io µ:ive a vcry <liffere11t intcrpretatioH .
.. Yon <l i<l not thc11 g·i ve rnc i he µ:1·acP to .mHlP1·:-;ta1ul the man-
lJ utogra pll ic L i fc, c ll . L.

129. APPflOD..TIOX OF THE COXGflEG..TIOX 103
ner in which I would be ~ae1·ificed;' she w1·ites, ··but ex-
perience has eleared it np. Yi th my cornpanions I have not
to lament my virginity, but the long waiting to conseC'l'atc
i t to Yon by solemn yows.''1
The glory of procm·ing the establishment of His Orcler
which the Incarnate "~orcl clestined for another hesides :Jlgr.
· de Miron, was not to be accorclecl to Cardinal Richelieu.
After the first ne,Ys received by the Foundress of the death
of her good pastor, Our Lord had shown her in a vision a
priest raised up in the air and celebrating at the altar, the
holy mysteries. He said to her: •·This is he who W'"ill es-
tablish the monastery of Lyons." He had a smiling face
and blonde hair. He was short of stature but g1·eat in mincl.
I clarecl not ask his narne. Yon said to me: ··He is attached
to the Oratory.''2
One day, :Jiother de :Jlatel "·ill recognize
in. 3lgr. Camillus de :Xenville that in·ie~t with the pleasing
physiognomy, ••a man small in body but great in · mind/'
whom she had seen betYeen Heayen and carth discharging
his function of sacrificer. He will be the one "·ho "·ill
establish the monastery at Lyons and become it:- protector
and father.
'l'he first part of the prophecy announcing to :Jlother de
:Jiatel the deatb of her A1·chbishop) was accomplished. 'l'he
shepherd had been struck and the disversion of the flock
quickly follo"·ed. For several months, the antiphons, ver-
sicles, and lessons of the Office for the Dead, had somehow
been evee on the lips of Mother de Matel and, withont her
knowing why, they became the formnlm of all her ejacu-
latory prayers. She soon unclerstood the cliYi11c reason for
them. Sorne days after the obsequies of :Jlgr. de :Jliron) a
pest showecl itself at the very gates of the city. Tmyarcls
the latter days of the month of .._'-.ugust, the city "·as a vast
morgue. The plague ragecl w'ith terrible violence. Three
Jnmdred deaths were counted in one honr. The hearses on
which the corpses were heaped, rumbled by day aucl night,
and we1·e not sufficient to JJel'fo1·m theii- g1·uesome tnsk.
Boats had to be impressed into se1Tice.
1 Autographic Life, ch. L .
:?lbicle m.

130. 104 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
I hu·ing the te1-ror and desolation which reigned on all
sicles, lfother de lfatel was touched more by the offences
which had been committed against God, than by the chas-
tisements with whicb He was pnnishing them, and she gave
herself up to conüition and penance, without a thought of
the dangers to whicb she was exposed. Sorne of her daugh-
ters feared for her, but there was divergence of views. Of
the six members who composed the community, three were
of opü1ion that the Incarnate Yord having cbosen their
lIother to institute an Order, would not permit her to suc-
cnmb to the sconrge, and that she ought uot to leave Lyons.
The other three thonght that to expect a miraculous preser-
vation 'vhen tbey had the means to escape the danger, would
be to tempt God, and that not to take precautions would be
to bazard the very existence of the Ortler by endangering
the life of the Foundress. Snch also was the opinion of the
friends of the Congregation.
Vhile tlrns nrged in opposite directions .by two sets of
counselors, lfother de Matel remained indifferent and calm.
Finally, Fathers llilieu and Arnoux intervened. They did
not wish her to expose herself to danger any longer, and
ordered her to accept the offer made to her by Mr. and Mrs.
de Pure to take ber to theil' Castle of Bermond, near Roanne.
'ro persuade her to take tbis course, they told lier that in
this vicinity some religions women lived outside of tbeir
cloister and were deprived of spiritual helps, and that tbey
were in gre.at ignorance of the duties of their state of life.
She was persuaded that by instructing them she conld pe.r-
haps lead them bnck to a more edifying life.
The hope of bringing nearer to God souls whom He
especially loved and whom the lack of knowledge kept far
away from H im, was of the kind to tempt her zeal. But
to abandon her own dear family which was still in its cradle
and in the midst of a crisis, seemed a sacrifice impossible
for ber to make. Althongh insensible to personal danger
from the horrible sconrge, shc was deeply concerned for her
daughters; she felt ~he would live in a continuons state of
nlann if separai-ed from them by such a distance. It was
ncccs~rn 1·v to use the force of obedience to make her accept

131. APPROBATIOX OF THE COXGREGA.TIOX 105
this separation. And it was only on Septernber 1±, 1628,
feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, that she tore her-
self from the arms of her dear daughters.
I t was her last adieu to two of them whom she ''Tas neYer
again to see. One of them without suspecting it, "Tas al-
ready attacked by the contagion when she was embracing
her mother and died in six days; the other succumbed a few
weeks later.
Our I...ord, Tho demanded these painful sacrifices, blessed
the delicate deT'ices of her zeal to reform the religions of
Dorieux. They had exceJlent natural dispositions. W'"hat
was deficient in their conduct came rather from lack of
instruction tban from deliberate malice. At first she isit-
ed them under the prete:xt of seeking consolation on account
of her separation from her religions family. Gradually
she inspired them with such affection for herself, on account
of her delicate cbarity, and such Yeneration for her virtues,
that they spontaneously solicited her admonitions and coun-
sels and reqnestecl to make a spiritual retreat under her
direction from which they reaped the happiest fruits. Later
on) )Iother de )Iatel had the consolation of learning that
God had gfren those religions the grace of leaing tbis soli-
tary place and of entering at I.yons. the conent of the Yisi-
tation, popularly called the Antiquaille.
Thile she was deoting herself to this mission, Father
Arnoux informed Father Jacquinot of the dangers to which
)Iother cle 3Iatel and her work were exposed. Tas it not
well for her to take adyantage of the need of quitting Lyons
to make a journey to Paris? She might try to establish
herself at Paris. Father Jacquinot residing there YOuld be
in a position to help her.
The latter not onl.' approYed the plan but urged its im-
mediate execution. )Iother de )Iatel was in full accord
with these de,oted friends.
A journey to Paris in those days was a difficult and e:x-
pensiYe matter. )fother de )Iatel had no means at her dis-
posa!. She had spent the little money she had on provisions
to be sent to ber dnnghters. n od beemne her ProYider. ~Ir.
de Pure. hadng :-:een the Jette1·s in whith Father J acquinot

132. 106 LIFE OF JEANNE CHIDZARD DE 1L.'l'EL
m·gecl her to corne to Paris as soou as possible, offered
to take her there. Barly in November, 1G28, they embarked
on the Lofre. 'rl1ey had to take the boat two leagues from
Homme, which city had ah·eady been infected by the pest.
lfother de lfatel never nndel'took any journey without
extreme repngnance. 'l,1·aveling seemed a torture both to
body and soul. She had never made one so long or painful
as this. Her stomach i·ejected almost all nonrishment and
her spirit snffered violence as if she were being dragged by
force. 'Vhen she was alone her tears flowed in abundance.
'Vben they reached Orleam~, she was so exhausted that it
was rlecided that she wonld remain the1·e for some days to
i·ecuperate, and that lIr. de Pure wonld continue alone on
his way to Paris, to explain to Father .Jacqninot the reasons
for· this delay at 01·learn;;;. OJ l1is ow11 accord, Father Jac-
quinot had provided for thi:;;; situation. .He had written to
li'ather Jgnatins de Heyne, Snpel'ior of the Jesnits at Or-
leans, to detaiu llother de lfatel for a few days, and the
latter before receiving this missive had invited her to take
a little rest before continning lier jonrney.
Dicl he have a in·ese11timent of the graces he was to
procure dm·ing the sojoun1 of the saintly traveler? 'r11e
fact was that dnring the seventeeu days lfother de Matel
spent in Ol'leans, he never tired of c01wersing with her on
the things of Gocl. He fonnd willing friends to care for
her health, and he introdneecl he1· to rnany persons of virtne
and dif.üinetion in the city. As she was on the point of de-
parting he tohl her of his i·evel'ential regard and his esteem
for her : '"My danghter, in my opi11ion, yon receive from
God more favors than ans other ('l'eatnre on earth. Since
my con versations with yon~ T have been delivered from a
i;;;piritmd malady which lm~ made me gray as yon see me,
althongh I am still yonng. Ncithe1· refreats nor interior
mHl ext0ri01· rnol'titkatiolls hi·onght m1y 1·0lief to my snffer-
i ng~. T admire the 1rn1·iiy wiih which yon are privileged
and whieh pm;se~ to thosc who freat wi th you.m
'rliis Father was a man or extraordiHary virtue. God
had called him to a high deg1·ce of ~'mctity and hnd made
lAutograpllfc Life, ch. LI.

133. .PPROB.TIOX OF THE COXGREG.TIOX 107
liim vass through g1·eat üibulations. Towards the end of
his career, God ~eut him the olive branch by the hands of his
humble hanclmaid, just as t"?o years later Saint Chantal.
arrfred at the end of her course, receivecl it frorn the hands
of St. Yincent de Paul in whose presence Yanished the ter-
rible trials which had put the seal on her eminent virtues.
Father de Reyne had scarcely seen departing from Or-
leans her through whom peace had been restored to his soul,
than he was called by God to Himself. His death which
was most sudden, far from taking myay from his last mo-
ments the use of his faculties, seemed to illumine them with
rays of hea-rnnl3ybeatitude. His spirit Yas filled ·with divine
lights and his heart inflamed with intense love. All the wit-
nesses of this cleparture were transported with admiration
and begged to die a death like that.

134. CHAPTER IX
First Sojourn at Paris
1628-1632
On November 29, 1G38, lfother de lfatel reached Paris
with her soul fn11 of sadness. She saw herself a stranger
and without means in the midst of the great city. The only
person from whom she had a right to expect any help was
the one whom she most dreaded. On leaving Roanne for
the Court, lfr. de lfatel had not renounced his purpose of
making his daughter feel the effects of his resentment. To
these apprehensions founded on her father's state of mind
which was only too well known, there was, perhaps, added
a secret intuition of the sufferings 'vhich were in reserve for
her in the capital, for Paris was to be her Calvary. She
says: "l arrived on the vigil of the Apostle St. Andrew.
Everything in my soul being a cross, I tried to salute the
holy Cross with that Saint. As soon as .I had fallen upon
my knees to adore You there, I burst into tears and said
to You : 'Dear Lord, I adore You and I thank You for
having brought me to Paris, according to Your promises.
I know full well that here I shall suffer and find crosses.
I left Lyons on the day qf the Exaltation of Your holy
Cross. I do not refuse any of the crosses which You have
destined for me. I apprehend those which my father, who
is in this city, will make me suffer. If it pleases You to do
so, give me courage or conform his disposition to Your
wishes, since he is angry with me only because I have left
bis house to follow Your orders.' m -
Our Lord heard her prayer. On her first visit, paternal
affection rcawoke in the heart of that father who had cher-
ished her so tenderly. His wrath was disarmed and his con-
duct wa·s altogetber different from what he had menaced.
He 1·eveals not only affection, but also respect, for bis daugh-
1J11tographic Lifc, ch. LIT.
108

135. FIRST SO.lOUHN A'r l'AHIS lOD
ter whose whole personality beams with_sanctity. Although
her father showed that bis heart was again softened towards
her, she was unwilling to ask him anytbing to relieve her
necessities. "Yould be not have replied that to want for
nothing, she had only to go back home?
A certain lfb:s Guilloire, a penitent of Father J acquinot,
had offered to give Mother de lfatel hospitality until Easter,
and the offer had been accepted. But the time came when
that charitable hospitality 'vas to end. "Vhat is she to do?
She addresses herself to Him Vho so many times had said
to her: "In My hanùs is thy fate, in ~fy bosom are thy üeas-
nres." She represents to Him that "As long as the Hebrews
still had remaining some of the fiour of Egypt, no manna
fell. But as soon as they had nothing left, that bread from
Henven had been given to them. She, too, on H!s orders, had
left the land in which she had d";.elt, to go where He had
wished. She relies on· His Providence.m
Her divine P1·ovider did not break His word. 'l'he new
Foundress had corne in contact with persons of the highest
rank. Her eminent piety, distinction, and candor soon won
their heurts. The Duchess of Rocheguyon, in particular,
"lo:ed her as a daughter," and she wished to prove this by
kind deeds. Ilut she had not yet received her inheritance
and she and her whole household were living at the expense
of her aun t, Miss de Longueville. She said to 1Iother de
~fatel, "Pray God that I may receive my dowry and you
will then lack nothing." She prayed, and the affairs of the
Duchess were so 'vcll arranged that on Roly 'rhursday, 1629,
she was in a position to lease a house in which she installed
her pions protege. In the contract of the lease, she assnred
her the use of this prope1·ty for three years.
The next day, Good Friday, on awaking, :Mother de Matel
saw a wine press which she was to turn by herself. For
some days the words: Oollcgcnwt consilium a-dvcrsus
.Jesum. "'l'hey assemblPd a conncil agaiust Jesus,''2
con-
stantly came to her mind. She could uot UJJply them to the
memmres taken against Our Savior at the time of His Pas-
1Autographic Life, clt. LII.
2Matt. XXVII, 1.

136. 110 LmI<J OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIArl'EL
sion, and she had a presentiment that there was a question
of something actual. She said, "Dear Lord, who is it that
is holding a council against Your Order ?m She obtained
no answer but understood that she would receive one from
the events, and that she ought to prepare herself for suffer-
ings. For this purpose, she asks Father J acquinot's per-
mission to make a retreat. That Father's residence bein()'~
very far from the place where she dwells, she asks his leave
to make her retreat under the direction of Father de Lin-
gendes who is preaching a mission near by.
This was agreed upon. On Easter lfonday she begins
her retreat and continues it without any special incident.
Father de I.ângendes seeillg with what abundant tears she
accuses herself of her faults in a general confession, says
to her: "lIy daughter, the wine press ·which has been shown
to you, is the contrition which God accords you."2
The fol-
lowing Friday, he had changed his opinion. He calls lfother
de lfatel and says to her: "'Are you ready to turn the wiue
press alone and to support the greatest cross of your whole
life ?"-'Vhat is it ?-He hesitates to tell ber on that day.-
She insists.-"Letters have corne from Rome forbidding all
the Jesuits of their three houses in Paris to have anythiug
to do with you or your work. After three days, I shall not
be able to speak to you. For as I have that time left to
remain out of our Professed House, I have begged the Super-
ior to permit me to receive the prohibition of my Superior,
Father J acquinot, only after my return to the college. 'Vhat
do you say of this cross?" "Father, it is great, but I have
a Gocl 'Vl10 is still greater !" ~rhe Father says with a smile,
"'Ah! you play the part of a courageous woman, but to-
morrow and after will not this courage be beaten down ?''
"' If your Heverence will assure me that a11 the lights I
have received arc not illusions, as your Fathers who have
g·nided me from my childhood have alwnys assured me that
they are not, I do not fear that cross. 'Vith God I can
1 Autogra phic Li fe, cll. Lli.
21hicl E>m.

137. FIRST SO.JOGRX AT P_-RIS 111
do all things. He will give me the necessary courage ancl
strength.?n
The storm ''"hich burst so unexpectedly on the head
of the poor ~Iother was willed by God. But it had a cause
which Yas human. HmY could the General of the Society
of ~Tesus ha-re corne to such a determination? The follo-Y-
ing is the e:xplanation:
The passage of the Foundress through Orleans and the
graces granted through her to Father de Reyne had there
aroused great admiration. the echo of which reachecl Paris.
It was spoken of in good society Yhich congratulated itself
on possessing such a soul in the capital. ~Iiss de Sainte-
Bem"e: who was all afire with zeal for the prosperity of
the -Crsulines whose house at Paris she had founded, be-
came greatly alarmed. She imagined that if ~Iother de
~Iatel succeeded in instituting the Order which she -was. ~
endea,oring to establish. she "-onld monopolize the fa-vor
of the people and the work of her own beloved "Crsulines
would suffer.
~Iiss de Sainte-Beuve had a right to gratitude from the
Jesuits as she had founded their nontiate of the faubourg
Saint-Germain. She summons those Fathers who had many
dealings with her and addresses to them the most lively
cornplaints: Father J acquinot has brought from Lyons an
individual whose ambition it is, under his protection, to
found an Ortler of .Jesuitesses. If it is ever founded, it
will attract everything to itself, to the detriment of the
other monasteries.
At that moment~ the matter was particularly serious.
Home was considering, with the purpose of suppressing it,
an Order which had been founcled néarly a century before
by two English ladies and which was to be abolished by
Pope rrban YIII bYO years later. SeYel'al influential .Jesuits
wrote one after the other to the General of the Society,
to inform him of the pretenclecl designs of Father .Jacquinot
and of their own dangers. ~liss de Saiure-He1ffe is deter-
mined to oppose this innoYation with all he1· 11ower. She
will make use of the influence of her nephew, the P1·ocura·
1 Au tographie L ife, ch. LII.

138. 112 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIA'.I'El.i
tor General. The Archbishop and the Keeper of the Seals
will be begged to i:efuse their assent to tliis innovation. If
in spite of all this, it is finally erected, it will p_rovoke
animadversions. Already the Jesuits are unpopular. There
are complaints against the great number of recent founda-
tions. Will not there be loucler protests against this one,
than against all the rest?
At a distance from the facts, this was more than enough
to arouse the Father General's fears. These were so great
that without taking time to learn from Father Jacquinot
the character of this foundation and this Foundress, he
immediately sent the formal prohibitions which Father de
Lingendes had just transmitted to l1other de l1atel.
lfother de Matel, after receiving this information, beggecl
that Father to tell her, as far as he was not prevented
from so doing, what he believed best for her to do. He
replied: "Do not quit Paris, no matter who advi&es you to
leave. Even if throngh consiclerations of prudence, I my-
self should give you this connsel in the presence of another,
do nothing of the kind. YV_e have received the order to in-
vite you to leave. but yon have not taken a vow to obey us."
"It is true that I am not obliged to obey," she said,
''but no one is ignorant of the fact that up to this I have
been guidecl entirely by the counsels of Father J acquinot.
If I resist him, will there not be disedification? It will
be better for me to support my refusal by the authority
of my own father. He is now favorable to me and will
certainly oppose my ·leaving Paris for the satisfaction it-
might give to Miss de Sainte-Beuve."
Father de Lingendes finds this idea excellent. llr. de
Matel will make it a point of honor to retain his daughter
at Paris. In that way she wi11 escape all blmne and loss
of confidence. He remarks: "How providential it is that
lfodarne de Rocheguyon has takrn a leai~e of yonr honse
f'or three years ! Rhape yonr <·om·se so that yonr devote<l
hencfactress will not be alnrme<l nt the mcasm·es taken wiih
1·egm·cl to yon. I will warmly rcp1·escnt to Father J acquinot
what harm they rnight canse to your work and to your repn-
tation. There will Hot ho lnckin~ mnny who will say that

139. FIRST SO.TOUUN AT PARIS 113
the ~Tesuits have finishecl by recognizing that you were under
an illusion and that they have withdrawn 'Yithout noise
from directing you.m
.After their interview in which such afflicting revela·
tions w·ere made to her, lIother de lfatel resumed the exer-
cises of her retreat. It seemed as if a great burden was
,,,.eighiug her down. Only two big tears feU from her burn-
ing eyelids. In her prayers she says: "Dear Love, is it
J who have presumed to institute an Orcler from a motive
of ambition, or is it Yon Vho by Your incomparable good-
ness~ have iuspired and deRtined me for this work? If it
is I, Oh! dear Lord, have no fear (if I dare to speak to
Yon thus) to confound me uow in time, for this fault
would now be more from ignorance than malice. At pres-
ent, T feel the grace and courage to suffer universal shame
l?efore eyery class of persons. It is from, Your goodness
that I hm'"e these sentfrnents and uot from my .merits.''2
At this moment there came back to her memory the
VOrds of Gamaliel to the ~1 ews who wished to hinder the
.A_postles from preaching the name of Jesus Christ : Disccdite
ab llomfoibus istis) et sinifc 'Îllos: quoniam si c.~t CJ'
lwminibus coHsilium hoc) aut opus) clissol vetur: 8i rerc c.r
Deo est,. non potcritis dissolvere illucl) ne forte et Deo
repugnare inveniamini. "Refrain from these men and let
them alone; for if this counsel or this work be of men,
it will corne to naught. But if it be of Gocl you canuot
overthrow it, lest you be founcl to fight eYen against God."3
And Our Lord said to her: " lIy claughter, this enterprise
is neither from thee nor from men. It is from :Jlyself 'Yho
permits thee to be abandoned by all so that I may found
:Jly Ortler, I 'Yho do wonders by ~lyself. Vhen I unitetl
lIyself to thy nature, I took it tlevoid of human person-
ality and I supported it ou lly cliYine Person, and lly
holy lfother was obliged to confess before receiYing Me,
that she knew uot man."4
He then shows lier in a bright
light how becoming it is for an Ortler through which He
1Autographic Life, ch. LIT.
'.:! Ibidem .
3...-- c ts V . 38. 39.
-tAut ogra phic Life. ch . L II.

140. 114 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
wished to be introduced into the world anew, to have only
Himself as its prop, so that enraptured and consoled she
enn say with the Royal Prophet the words: Dorn in us illwn-
inatio n1ea et salus 11iea)· queni timcbo? Dominus pro-
tecto1' vitae mcae)· quém trcpidabo? "'rl1e Lord is my light
and my salvation, whom shall I fear? 'rl1e Lord is the
protector of my life, at whom shall I tremble ?m
Comforted and fortified by the consolation of ber lIaster,
Jlother de Matel felt the courage to go and learn from
Pather J acquinot himself the decision made with regard
to her.
That Father, after recehrjng the orders from Rome, had
nssembled a council to examine what was to be done. A~
the Superior General had been wrongly informed. would
it not be proper to submit to him some observations? -nTifü-
out his being aware of it, the Fa~hers whom he consulted,
were all secretm·ies of ~li~s de ~ainte-HeuYe. 'rheir senti-
ments wonld not be doubtful. 'r~ey were of the opinion
that the Fathers of Paris should conform strictly and im-
mediately to the orclers received.
Father J acquinot lwd to follow the advice of his com1-
selors and thenceforwanl showcd himself the most deter-
mi ned oÏ all to see th at the Geueral's orders were rigidly
execnted. Vhen Mother de lfatel pre:sented herself, he
pointedly manifeste<l to her his resolve to obey the orders
of Home and to conform to the decision of his council. She
said to him: "My Father, yon thns abandon me, me who
carne to Paris only to obey yonr call and who would be
ready to cross a thousand seas at yonr word ! Can yon
not "Tite to the Father Assistant?" "lIy daughter, T
must obey !-Yon yourself write to Rome. Complain of
me. 'relJ how yon have been treated. But do not corne
lnH'k to sec me ml1il yon have received the reply.m
Before leavi11g, perllaps never to see him agaiu, him
whom she had looked upon as the interpreter of the wishes
of God with reganl to herself, lfofüer de lfatel asks him
01H:<.~ 11101·e if he helicves that the ellte1·prise she i~ promot-
1Ps. X XVI. 42.
2.Autographi c Life, c h . LH.

141. FIRST SO.JOURN AT PARIS 115
ing is from God. He replies to he1·: '"Yes, my claughter.
it is not from you. I am grieved that mincls are so nar-
row in their zeal, that they wish to place limits to the ex-
tensions which God wishes to make for His glory ! Poor
innocent child ! Must these narrow minds cause you to
imffer so nrnch and oblige me to tell you not to corne back
to see me ?m ·Vhile uttering these words, he who had
before shown such a firm countenance, feels his heart
wrenched and tears moisten his eyelids. As a last mark
of inte1·est, he directs this chosen soul whom he can no
longer guide, to a Carmelite religions to whom he is bound
by the ties of an affectionate friendship; they separate
ful1 of sadness.
Three months passed by for )lother de niatel in the
isolation to which fears that were lrnman had reduced her.
But in tbat hour of abandonment by creatures, God was
nbt far from her. She says: ''He did not quit me day or
night." He inundated her with so many lights ·and in-
ebriated her with so many joys, that she was fainting under
the weight of her happiness. At times she said to her Vell-
beloved in the sacred delirium which transported ber: "If
You make me die by inundating me with the torrent of
Your graces, my death will b.e pl'ecious in Your sight, but
'vil1 not give glory to Your name before men, who will say
that I died from sadness at seeing m.rself abandoned by
them, whereas the plenitude of the redoubled delights 'Yhich
You deign to accord to her who is uuworthy of thern, would
be their sole cause. Let not Y our mn1 glory suffer."2
At other times, her soul, clad in brilliancy and filled
with joy, seemed to leave her body and not to eare for
its needs. Fatigued with bodily pains, she said to her
divine Love : '·Lord, give me somc re~ief, let me sleep.'·
He replied to her: Proptcr Sion. uon taccbo_, et proptrr
J erusale·m) non qnicscani) etc. ''For the sake of Sion I
shall not be silent, for the sake of J erusalem I shall not
take repose,'·3
and in the apvlication to he1· of the whole
1Autographic Life, ch. LIII.
2Ibidcm, ch. LII. ·
3Isaias, LII, 1.

142. 116 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZAilD DE ~IA'rEL
of that magnificent chapter of Isaias, He overwhelmed her
with new torrents of joy.
Inundated witb felicities which êll'e eternal, Mother de
lfatel forgot the intrigues of time, but others were at work
unraveling them. Above all others, Father de Lingendes
was laboriug with all his elo<Juence and devotedness. He
wrote to Home a full explanation of the supernatural char-
acter of the mission of the Foundress. He said: "She
has no dream of founding an Order of J esuitesses. She
has ever been too docile to our counsels. And we are
not so ignorant of our duty that Ve would not have turned
her away from such a plan, if she had ever thought of
it. Her design is not to do harm to other religions women.
She wishes only to nnite her work to theirs, to lead more
easily and in greater number persons of her sex to the
safe harbor of religion. She is a new pilot who joins
with rnany others to facilitate the voyage." He then showed
the sanetity of her vlan and the proofs which she had
given of ber own eminent virtues and he concluded: "Very
Heverend Father, see then the person whom you order us
to abandon. 'Vill not the public, wbich is a witness of
our presen t and om· past course, have a right to insult this
work of God, and have we aiiy reason to authorize such a
scanclal ?m
The General of the Society of J esus, after being informed
of the true plans of Mother de Matel, sent to Father J ac-
quinot letters as favorable as possible to the work and
person that he had before forbidden his subjects to have
anything to do with, and he gave the Jesuits of Paris full
liberty to help them with their counsels and direction. Im-
mediately after the arrival of these missives, Father de
Llngendes hastened to inform ber whose cause he had de-
fended so faithfully and whose interests he wished to serve,
recog11i:;,i1~g these ~aine interests as means for promoting
God's glory.
1 Life of tll e ve.nerahl e Motller Jeanne Mary Chezard de Matel,
Foun1l r1·ss of t he Congrngation of the H.eligious of the Incarnate Vord
a rnl t he Bl0sse(l Sacram cnt, by a Priest of the Society of Jesus. (Book
JTJ.)

143. FIRST SO.JOURN AT PARIS 117
The storm, which the spirit of error had raised to hinder
the establishment of an Order against which it was again
to rage with violence, was now appeased. Severa! persons
of piety and distinction, desired to aid in establishing the
Ortler. Madame de la Hocheguyon1 and Madame de la Lande
in particular asked the privilege of furnishing the temporal
means of founding the lIonastery of Paris. I t was, there-
fore, now the tirne to take the steps necessary for obtain-
ing from the Holy See the Bull of erection. Father de
Lingendes, who knew in what esteem lIother de lIatel was
held by Father Morin of the Oratory, since she had been
interrogated b_y him at Lyous, at the request of Monsignor
de Miron, resolved to take advantage of the influence of
that illustrions religions. He begged him to ·send to Father
Bertin, Superior of the Oratory at Rome, the petition and
rlocuments which were necessary for the promotion of the
càuse. Father Bertin was one who was capable. of con-
ducting the business to a happy issue. He had already
received from Father Condren a similar commission in
behalf of the Daughters of the Blessed Sacrament. There
was then forwarcled to him, the request in which the ends
proposed by the Institute were laid before the Sovereign
Pontiff. The pious Foundress writes: "The request rep-
resented to His Holiness that we desire to honor Your
sacred Person in all of Your mysteries; and that as You
reside really in the Divine Sacrament of the Eucharist out
of love for us, we wished, as far as it was in our power,
aided by Your grace, to compensate by our adoration and
services for the contempt which the J ews showed You while
You were visible and which heretics and bad Christians
show You every day.m
'ro this principal document were added attestations
from Fathers J acquinot and Arnoux, J esuits; from lI. de
1fontrenil, Doctor of the S01·bonne and Pastor of St. Sul-
pice; from Dom Pierre of St. Bernard, Feuillant, and from
Father Morin who describecl the severe examination which
1See among the pièces justificatives, th e petition which the D uch ess
fle la n.ocheguyon addressecl t o Pope Urban V III, in favor of Motller de
Matel, Note A.
2Antographic Life, ch . LIV.

144. 118 Lrn~E OU' JEANNE CHEZARD DE lI ATEL
he had made tlte Found1·ess nndergo at the demand of
lIomdgnor de Mil·on, and the esteem whieh that prelate
had coüceived for her.
C:udinals Cajetan and Bentivoglio who were charged
with the examination of these documents, made a favor-
able report of them to the Congregation of Regulars, which
Yas unanimons in declal'ing that in all tbis there were
reasons more than sufficient for obtaining a Bull from His
Holiness. One thing remained to be decided, the name of
the new Order, Monsignor de Langres having asked
Rome not to give it the title of the Blessed Sacrament,
already accorded to the nuns of Port Hoyal.
At the reqnest of Cm·dinal Bentivoglio, Father Bertin
wrote immediately to learn what name was desired. 'Vith
her nsual candor, Mother de Matel has recourse to Him
to Vhom she has confided her work: "'Dear Lord, what
is the name whieh You wish to give Your Institute, a name
which comprises all that You have promised Me ?''1
He
raises up to Himself the spirit of His dear sponse and
makes her hear the words: "I am infallible truth. I will
keep all l1y 1n·omises to thee. 'l'he name which I wish
ihec to ask is the Tncarnate 'onl. 'rhis Name erninently
and exce11ently comprises all that is in 1le. I have been
and am from eternity the nncreated 'V01·d, and I shall be
eternally the Incarnate Yord. In this Name thon wilt
have all. 'Yho has all, has the parts. My danghter, I
assm·e thec that th is Name wil1 be gi Ye11 to thee for My
Onler, without contradiction. My dearly lJelovcd daughter,
it is T 'Yho choose this angnst and gloriülrn Name. Os enim
Domini locutlt1n est. ' I~""or the rnonth of the Lord hath
Rpoke11.'2
BJccc, 11012 est abbrcviata 'IJ/Wllls Do111i11i. "Hehold,
the hand of the Lord lwth not heen shm·ü~ne<l.'3
'l'his Name
shall procm·e 1hce all the a(l'nnt-age:s T have p1·omised thee.'~
Infinite love ha(l ihu~ <lonate<l a pl'ieeless gift to His
humble haudrnaid. lu füc rnphn·e in whieh she is trans
pol'ted He <liReover8 to hcl' tlic 8ig11itica11ce of the great
1A utographic Lifc, ch . LlV.
2 1 :,;a i ~s LVJIT, 1'1 .
3l sai as, L l X, 1.

145. li'JW•;rr SOJOURN AT PATIIS 119
'vord which she has heard. ~rhis name is a symbol. The
1ncarnate Yord gives Hii11self to this Order.
T1
0 make her penetrate more deeply this mystery of
ineffable charity, the Blessed Virgin appears to her and
by a rare and iwecions favor, presents to her, as she had
formerly clone to St. Bernard, her sacred breasts, to nour-
ish her with the virginal milk wiih whieh she had
nourished her adorable Son. Then the Vord of God said
to her: ''See the visible sign of the invisible thing. 'fhis
is a sacrament and seeret of love with which lfy Mother
has wished to gratify thee. This divine Prophetess gives
lfe to thee as she gmre lfe to lVIy Father.m
'Vhen the name cho:sen by God was transmitted to the
Cardinals, they admired its conformity with the end of
the Institnte. 'J'he Roly Father was eqnally struck by it,
and, in approving this pl an on whieh i he imprint of the
Roly Spirit vrns visible, he prononueed the words Ffot ut
petit11r, which canonically gave birth to a new Order in
the Clrnrch. 'l1he confidante of the Incarnate Yord was
supernaturally informed of this snpreme approbation.
On .Novernber 23, 1G2D, feast of St. Clement, Pope and
Martyr, as llother de Matel was praying for the Sovereign
Pontiff, Our Lord reveals to her that Urban VIII will be
favorable to the establishment of her Order and will thns
give her a very great consolation. The grateful heart of
the pious Foundress ovel'fJows with thanksgivings and sup-
plications. She feels that she ean obtain all, as the execu-
tor of the designs of the love of her God. She draws as
nsnal from the Holy Scriptures the inspiratio1~ of her
prayer, and asks the Incarnate Yord to recompense the
Pope for the ereetion of the Order, by prolonging his life
for the same nnmber of years as he hacl increasecl the life
of E~eehias, so that he mn.v greatly augment his heavenly
merits. She 1<1arns with cr1·tninty that her prayer bas not
heen rejected.
Hnman pi-ogno~tic~ we1·e coutnn·y to this. The health
of the Poutiff wm; sliattered. lIany belicved hc had arrived
at ihe cnù of his carecr. 1fakers of horoscopes announced
1Autographic Life, ch. LIV.

146. 120 LIFID OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
that he wonld die as soon as he had created some new Car-
clinals. In spite of all this, lfother de llatel constantly
hOJJed that Urban VIII would complete the nnmber of
years which Our Lord hacl granted to her petition.
Indeed this "~as one of the circumstances in which her
spfrit of prophecy was most manifest. On several occasions,
great personages came to her to recommend to her prayers~
the health of the Pope who seemed about to snrcumb, and
always, without any fear of being belied by the event, she
assured them that he wonld not die, for he had not yet
lived the number of years which the Incarnate Tord had
conceded to him as a recompcnse for the erection of His
Order. In fact, Urban .!III died in 1644, fifteen years
after the intercession which had been macle in his favor
by the worthy Foundress, on November 23, 1629.
Our Lord had hearcl the supplications of His "royal
spouse," as He often callecl lier, in the same way as He
hnd heard those of the royal sick man of J erusalem, but
without asking it and without her lrnowing it at the time,
the sign which Bzechiaf5 had asked, was gfren to her: "that
the shaclow of the sun ·would go back ten lines."
This Bull conceded by Urban VIII in 1629, was carried
into effect only ten years afterwards, namely in 1639. Our
Lord wished to crown her patience.
The benevolent act of. the Pope permitted the immediate
expecliting of the Bull of the institution of tlie. Order of
the Incarnate Tord. Father Bertin clid not hasten to have
this clone. Before sending it, he was determined to leave
to the religions of the Blessed Sacrament of Port Royal
time to have their own Bull executed by the Archbishop
of Paris. He foresaw tlrnt as they were to have three
Bishops as their superiors, their establishment wonld meet
with eonsiderab]e obstacles. r:rhe lIarchioness de la Lande
nrged Father Bertin to send the Bull. She multiplied her
solicitations to Father llorin to press his confrere to send
it imrnediately. Nothing conld make him modify his plan.
rt was neccs~mry to wait.
God knows how to use, foi· the aecomplishmeut of Hi8
<lesign~, what we cnll ohstncles as well ns what we call

147. 121
means. He made use of this delay, so 1minful to Mother
de Matel, to make her enter into the very heart of her
mission.
From her early childhood, 3lother de 3latel i·arel.r
opened her prayer-book, without her eyes lighting on these
Yords of the Psalmist: Eructa vit cor meum vcrb uni bon um:
dico ego opera mea regi. Lingua mea calamus scribac
i·clociter scribcntis.1
"My heart hath uttered a good word:
I speak my works to the king. My tongue is the pen of a
scriYener that writeth swiftly." She would then wonder
that she ahYays savr these words of which she did not com-
prehend the meaning. .At the period of her life which
we haYe now reached, Yhen Our Lord commands her take
up her pen, He recalls to her that striking circumstance
which He now makes her understand. 1
hat formerly
appeared to her mere chance~ was a divine call, a provi-
dential indication of the task which she was to accomplish.
He says to her: "The prophet Isaias received from the
HoI:r Spirit an order to take up a great book and to write
in it the style of a man who was to be God abridged. This
eYening, I give thee the same command to take a book to
mark in it the style of that God Yho has wished to be a
man. That )lan God is the Incarnate Yord, the marvels
of Yhose goodness thon art to tell, and afterwards thou
shalt confess that thon are- deficient in the narrating of
these marvels and of all the fa-vors He has clone thee and
of all He will do thee if thou art faithful. "2
The blessed secretary bowed down before the will of
her adorable Lord. She says to Him : ")lost dèar Love,
my heart, my tongue, and my pen are Yonrs. Gie them
the motions which please Yon most. You bear witness of
Yourself in me and by me. Grant, if it so please You ac-
cording to Your promise, that I may ever write according
to Your spirit of trnth, and that when I speak of Yonr
marvels, I may not bewilder those who read them with
right intentions, such as. those intentions with which I
1Ps. XLIV, 1, 2.
:!Autograp hie Life. ch. LTV.

148. 122 LlF'fiJ OF .JEANNE CHEZAnD DE lIATEL
Tite, nnmcly, to follow Your de~i1·es a1Hl to 1n·oe11re
10111· g1ol'y and the sn1Yntim1 of ~onls." 1
As she afterwards relates : "Yom· 1Iajesty commmHlell
ihat while waiting for the Hull, I shonld w1·ite about Yom·
four espousals: with onr hnmanity, with the Blessed Virgin,
with the Chm·ch and with myself, Your most unworthy
handmaid; Yon told me to explain in these esponsals the
Canticle of love, assnring me that Your Spirit would in-
struct me with an abundance of Ught, that I should con-
fide in Him, that in me He would verify the words in
the Gospel of St..John : 'He that believeth in Me,' as the
~criptnr~ saith, 'ont of his henrt shall flow rivers of living
wate1·.'2
Yon said to me: 4
1 · prononnced these words
concernh1g those who have received lIy Spirit Vho teaches
nll fruth to whom He plea:-:es.' Spiritus 11bi vult spirat et
roccm rjus a1tdis. "1"'he 8pil'it breatheth where He will: and
thou hea1·est Ilis voi«e."3
To thee, ~ly daughter, is giYen
the grace to hem· lIy voice, to feel lly breath and to see
the splendor of the Father of l ights, Vho out of His good
pleasure, has gi ven thee the best and perfect gift. In thy
soul He begets and causes to be born bright lights which
you must not bide nncler a bushel but by which you must
illumine all those who are in lIy bouse in order to glorify
thy heavenly Father, as thon must seek His glory and not
thine own.
" Do not let th.n;el rbe trou b!eù by the talk of men when
thon art doing the will of God. Fear nothing. 'I'he Three
Divine P erso1rn will not abandon thee. Say boldly all that
'Ye eommand thee to ~a.r about lTs. Onr testirnony is trne.
'Tres s1111t qui lrsti111oniun1 daJ1t in coclo: Pater, Vcrbum
et 81;ir itus Sunctlfs: et lti trcs 1wwn snnt. Jùt trcs snut
q11i tcsti.Jn nni11m daut in tc1Ta: Bpiritlls et aqua et sany11is:
et 711'. t r f'S ni11un sunt. Si tcsl:inwninm hominnm acccpirnus.
t cstim o11i1un f)d JJ1<1/11s est. '"'rh0rc m·e three 'YI10 give
test im011y iu llenve11: the l~athcr, the 'Vord, and the Holy
G hmd : m1d these threc :ue .<me. Aud there are three 'Vho
JJ u togra phi c Li fe. c 11. Lr.
2.To hn YIT, :m.
::.Tn li 11 l f 1, 8.

149. FIUST so.rncnx ~-.T P.:RIS
girn testirnony on earth : the Spirit, the water~ and the
blood: and these three are one. If we recefre the testi-
mony of men, the testirnony of God is greater.~· 1
He ~ho
cornes to thee b~ the Spirit, by the water and by the bloocl.
is thy faithful Spouse. It is I Yho haye borne and ill
bear testirnon of :JISelf in thee. If the testimonY of men.., ., .
has been reçefred, the testimony of God is greater.''2
These orders were formal. Humanly speaking~ the~­
-ere rnost surprising and for one who was a stranger to
theological studies, were impossible to execute. There was
question of nothing else, but treating of the most unfatbom-
able mysteries. But words of God bring with them the
pmYer which realizes them. Thus ~Iother de ~Iatel. illurn-
ined by the brilliant lights "-hich she will recefre from
Hea-ven and by these lights alone~ 'Yill compose nurnerous
treatises which will cause amazernent to the learned. The
arduous questions ·which science approaches with the great-
est caution, will be. by her elucidatecl with neatness. copi-
ousness. and precision. Yhen we reacl her worcls. it seems
as if, in her soul, the bol:· obscurities of faith had gfren
place to the dawn of eternal lustre. It is impossible not
to recognizc a Ocation and assistance which are diine.
Our Lord said to ber: ~'In what a maze of labyrinths
thou woulclst lose thyself. by writing so often about diine
mysteries which cannot be known b~- one "-ho bas not
studied,. withont the unction of that Spfrit ~110 illumines
thee with such brilliancy that tliou speakest of these mys-
teries as of things Yhich seern visible and familiar to thee.
and Yith such copiousness that it clearly appears that thon
hast in thee Him -n·ho is the source of liYing water and
that Hi~ blond ÏYifies thee and thy words."3
Yhen ~[other de ~latel was being urged on by the
ln·eath of diYine inspiration and hcr pen was flyiug along
l>et"·cen lier fing:er~, momentai·ily she was oùliYions of her
ti-ials. But as soon as she ccascd writing:. the iedinm of
1 Fir::-t Ep. of John, Y, 7, S. 9.
~ utographic Life, ch. LYI.
3lbiùem.

150. 124 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
her long waiting was felt most keenly. Then Our Lord
gave her delicious consol~ltions.
"lVhen this long delay annoyed me," she says, "Your
goodness sent me Saint lfichael ai!d Saint Denis to con-
sole me. Afterwards Saint Jerome appeared. 'Vhen these
saints hacl disappeared, Your lfajesty made me unclerstand
that You had sent them to cheer, strengthen, and instruct
me, and that having given them to me as my three masters,
you wished me to see them. Saint lfichael, by sublime ef-
fusions, was to teach me Your divine mysteries. Saint
Denis was ordered by Yon to teach me mystic theology,
and Saint ~Jerome, H oly Scl'iptm·e. You said to me: "lfy
<laughter, by these favors, thou canst know lfy goodness
towards thee.m
The imprint of the grace special to each one of the.se
masters, remained visible on the works of lfother de 1fatel.
Saint lfichael was to illumine her on the divine mys-
teries by the radiation of the light in which he contem-
plates them. From the mauner in which she treats of them
we comprehend that the rays from a seraph, aid her to
penetrate these dazzling abysses. As it is easy to believe,
Raint Denis made,_ to his pious disciple, a generous com-
munication of that mysterious science which he was charged
to teach her. And when we consider her knowledge of
the Roly Scriptures, does it not seem that Saint Jerome
made her a present of the fruit of his labors in the grotto
of Bethlehem?
As soon as the pions lfother entered into prayer, two
streams of tears gushed from her eyes. At this she was
astonished. She said to Onr Lord: "lVhy this weeping,
since Yon make my confidence in You unshaken. If Yon
spoke to my soul, I would not be astonish.ed that it melted
with sweetness, but now that it is only dryness and aridity,
whe11ce corne these tears ?"2
'r o these reiterated qnes tiouing~, J esns made a i·esponse
full of divine te11dernc8R. He appcared to His dear lover
1·e~pl end en t with glory, gi1·dec1 with n hnldric of dazzling
1Autographic L ife, ch. L VI.
:! Jbid cm, ch. LVJl.

151. FIRST SOJOURN AT PARIS 125
beauty on which glittered like diamoncls numberless and
marvelous tears. ")ly daughter, these tears are those thon
hast shed without knowing thei:i: beginning or their end.
Kno-w that in Heaven they are valuecl more highly than
people on earth value the precious stones and pearls of
the orient. Thus, before :ily celestial courtiers, I g1ory in
wearing this baldric wbich My love has fabricatecl from
thy tears which it renders clivine1y adorable by placing
them on the shoulders of a )fan God.m
On the vigil of Saint Lawrence, August 9, 1630, the
good Mother, broken down in body and soul, had to go to
bed, after returuing from Mass. Seeing her afflicted_, the
Di,ine Sador hastens to cure and console her. He says
to her: "Have confidence in )le, I will establish lly Order
by ways ·of which men are not a"Tare. There shall be-seen
in this Establishment the union of the 'riara and . of the
èrown of France.m And while explaining to her the hun-
ched and fifteenth Psalm: Crcdidi vropter quod locutus
su nz. "I have belieYed, thei·efore I haYe spoken," among
other things He says to her: ")Iy daughter, speak of )ly
marvels, because thou canst not doubt the trnths which
T teach thee.-Thou canst say to those who are ignorant
of the excess of the · lo-rn I hae for thee: eery man is a
liar when he thinks he can afflict the soul "Thom I con-
sole, etc.m 'rhen, with the in timacy of a friend. He con-
fides to her the prodigy He pnrposes to work in fayor of
Louis XIII, by the po"Ter of the diYine Eucharist. and the
testimonial the King will give Him of his gratitude by
establishing the Religions of the Blessed Sacrament.
At _tbat time, this could not have been foreseen. Sorne
days after, the Countess of Saint Pol met )lother de :iratel
and said to her : "The King is umdlling to permit the
establishment of any new mon aste1·y in the capital.~'
":ifadame," she replies, "-what would you say, if the King
Himself requested the establishment of the first ne"Tmon-
L--utographic Life, ch. LYII.
~Jbic1em, ch. L YI.
3Jbidem.

152. 12G LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIA'l'EL
astery which will be founded here "?"-"This appears im-
possible/' answers the Countess.1
Louis XIII, having fallen sick during the 'var of the
succession of M:antua, had been brought back to Lyons,
and W'aS in extreme danger. The alarming news was spread
everywhere, and the people crowded before the tabernacles,
imploring the cure of the royal patient from the eucharistie
mercy of J esus. Immediately after the arriva! of the
couriers at Paris, Father de Lingendes begged lfother de
:Iatel to obtain from eTesns in the Blessed Sacrament the
King's recovery.
In a tribune which lfiss de Longueville had had con-
structed in her parish clrnrch to hear lfass there, the pions
Foundress persevered several days and several nigbts in a
prayer which she felt was welcomed by her Divine Love.
Finally, He made her nnderstand that the hour is corne
in which He wishes to grant the grace so earnestly solicited,
and that the King ".,.ill recove1·. Full of gratitude, she
imparts to Father de Lingendes these consoling assurances.
Vithout losing any time, this faithful and zealous pro-
tector makes known to Father Ruffren, confessor of Mary
de Medici then at Lyous, by what ardent supplications
lfother de Matel had obtaiued from the King of Heaven,
the promise that He would cure the vell-beloved King of
France. He told Father Suffren to beg His lfajesty to
deign, in return, to favor the establishment of the Order
of the Incarnate YVord.
~rhis reqnest was not to reach the ear of Louis XIII,
but was for lIother de ~ratel the occasion of new trials.
The pl'Ïncei-:s, who was the Fom1dress of the monastery
of the Bles8ed Sacrameut of Port Royal, the erection of
whieh Father Bertin was awaitiug bef01·e he would send
the Bn1l foi· the Order of the Incarnate 'Vord, was then
visjting their llajesiie~. She solicited f1·om ihe gratitude
of' the King thnt he would second the irn.;tit11tio11 of the
111rn R of the Rlesscd Sacrament. ü1 thanlrngiviug foi· his
l'.111·e. .All(l t11c piom~ monarch, acecding to this rcqnest,
h<tcl 1n·omiNecl to m;e liis a11th01·ity over 1hc Archbishop of
1, u t ogra plli c l.ife , c h. TJlV,

153. FmST SO.Jorn~ .T P..TITS 1
.,...
.... '
Paris. to lnffc him execnte the Bull, and hc him~Plf had
gfren Iette1s pntent whid1 the keeper of the s~:ils h;1<1 siµ:ne<l
and sealed.
I11 snch l'.Ollj nndm·es, Father Suffren thonght lie ough t
not to speak of the foundation of the Incnrnate 'Yord,
but kno,Ying tlrnt the new Onler JH'Oposed to h01rnr "·ith
special deYotion the Sac1 ed Person of the Yonl made ftesh
residing in the -~Iost Roly Sacrmnent of the altar, H seemed
to him that it was more advantageous for the two Insti-
tutes 'Yhich were seeking recognition, that the~· shoulfl
be joined together as their Bulls resembled each other
in seYeral points, than that they shoulcl be Ieft ro grow
separately.
Snch was the counsel given b:y that Father who~ as
"Jiother de :Jlatel sa~·s, then "passed," for what he "·as in
fact, namely, '"a priest of learning and of great -drtne and
sanctit~·.m 'The idea pleased Father de Lingendes. He
asked himself if this was not a providential solution for
Yery many difficulties. The ardent :Marchioness de ]a Lande~
more exalted now than eYer, made strenuous efforts to in-
duce the Fonndress of the monastery of the Blessed Sacra-
ment to accept this plan of union. The latter gathered
information at Lyons where she then was, about what "·as
thonght of "Jlother de ~ratel and of the Order "Yh ich she
planned to found. Father Yoisin whom she consuHed. had
directed the latter Foundress at Hoanne and at Lyons. He
spoke of her with snch admiration and "eneration, that the
Foundress of the Rlessed Sacrarnent also seemed inclined
to accept the union. The next step was to learn what were
the sentiments of the nnns of Port Royal on this matter.
Father )!orin wished to receiYe this informa:tion. He
found them "in high I10pes" and understood that being
strong in the august protection which had been accorded
them, they wonld see in this fusion only a fa"or concederl
to the eminent Yirtue of )Jother de Matel who should
bnry her Institute ü1 theii-s as a drop in the ocean, mHl
1Autographic Life. ch . Lî.

154. 128 LIFI~ OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIA'l'EL
acœ1)t thefr Com;ti tutions :UHl thei1· Bull " ·ithout i·estrk-
tion.
In these combinations thel'e wa~ nothing that resem-
bled the designs manifested by Onr Lord to her, from
whom He wished, as Re had so often said, to receive,
by the foundation of His Order, a new and mystic birth.
Mother de lfatel did not feel in any Yay inclined to favor
the plan. However, in her profound and sincere humility,
seeing those who were interested in ber wol'l: judging in
favor of this union, as she says: "She lowered ber spfrit
before the Diyine l1ajesty, protesting that if the opposition
she felt came from any m~ti ve of self-love or any secret
desire for vain glory, she -renounced all her views and all
her sentiments to follow only His adoral>le will which she
conjured Him to make known to her.m
~rhis abnegation touched the hem·t of God. He replied
to this prayer by formulating His wish in a text from the
Book of the Acts: Segregate m ihi Sa nlnm et Barnabam
in opus acl quod asswn psi cos. '"Separate me Saul and
Barnabas 'for the work whereunto I have taken them.m
Bxplaining to l1other de lIatel the sense in which she is
to take these words, He says to ber: "My daughter, I
do not wish these two Orders to be united. I wish that
thon be separated from those religions. Barnabas signifies
son of consolation. They are now clanghters of consola-
tion, everything smiles on them. And thou, thon art
Paul, little and destined by ~Iy Providence for great con-
tradictions. I will harden the heart of those who ought
to aid thee, to cause to be seen in this Order and in thee,
the power of lIy right band which will vork a wonder
and will exalt thcc in the time preorclained."3
'ro c11com·age her to hear the trials which IIe foretells
to he1·, Onr Lol'd nnveils to her the graces which a multi-
tude of pl'edestiued souls will derive from her üials. He
tells her to rcpcat with the great Apostle, to whom He
has jnst cornpare<l hcr: Omnia, sustinco zn·optcr elcctos) ut
iAutographic Life, cl1 . LVI.
:!icts Xlll, 2.
:1.ntogra11hic Life. ch. LVI.

155. FmST SOJOUR~ AT PARIS 120
et ipsi salutcm conscquantur quae est in Christo .Jesu, cum
gloria crlcsti. ..I endure all things for the sake of the
elect, that they also may obtain the salYn 1ion '"hich is in
Christ .Jesns, with heaYenly glory." 1 2
He applies to her and to the fanwed IJOBterity of which
she wi11 be the )lother, other te:xts from this same epistle
of St. Paul and He says to her:
'·If thon sharest )ly sufferings, thon 'Yilt reign with
)le:'' The foundation which God lays is stable, and has,
as its seal, these worcls: ..The Lord knows those who are
His." I know,. them in blessings and I mark them with
the seal of -~Iy cross. and I im--ite them to follmY )le by
bearing the cross which )ly ·wisdom prepares for them
to make them like unto )lyself. If men appear to make
no acconnt of the lights which I haTe giYen thee, or of
t~e designs which I haT"e manifested to thee. know, )ly
daughter. that: r erbum Dei non est alligatun1 et fidelis
scrm o. "The Yord of God is ·not chained and )ly word
i s trnstworthy."3
After haying gfren her some idea of how much she was
to suffer for the glory of His Xame, Our Lord unYeilecl
to her the future of the nuns who are nmY Dauglzters of
consolation. He reeals to her that the protection of the
might~.. ,,111 not shelter them from trial. Again using
words of St. Paul to Timothy, He adds: Intellige quae
dico: dabit enim tibi Dominus in omnibus intellectum.
" l~nderstand Ydiat I say: for the Lord will giT"e thee under-
standing in all tbings."± At the moment when )lother
de )latel heard this oracle, she could not understand its
signi:ficance. Time gaye her its full meaning. ~~las, she
lfred long enongh to see the commencement of the sacl
vicissitudes of the celebrated abbey which, later on, was
so deplorably de:filed b~-- the errors of ~Jansenism.
Yhen Father Bertin had learned that the King and the
Parliament had granted the letters patent for the estab-
lishment of the Religions of the Blessed Sacrament and
1II Tim., 11. 10.
2Autographic Life. ch. LYI.
3 2 Tim. II, 9. 11.
4Ibidem , 11, 7.

156. 130 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARb DE MATEL
that 11. Ville-aux-Clercs in the name of His llajesty had
written to the Archbishop of Paris, to ask him to erect
the new monastery, he decided to send the Bull for the
Order of the Incarnate " Tord.
~rhe heart of lIother de lfatel must have bounded with
happiness and hope, ou receiving this message which was
so ardently longed for and which permitted her to pro-
mote the founding of her Order. Soon, then, she is to
touch the goal of her holy ambitions! The hour of Provi-
dence had not yet struck. ~rhe worthy Foundress, before
giving to the Church the blessed fruit of the divine prom-
ises, must pass through a long and painful series of trials.
They shall not wear out either her heroic patience or her
invincible hopefulness, for Our I..ord will sustain her.
'l"'he time and the manner of presenting the Bull to the
Archbishop of Paris, soon aroused divergences of opinions
among the noble benefactresses who wished to furnish the
financial means of founding the monastery. The eager zeal
of the lfarchioness de la Lande causes her to desire that
they solicit, without any delay, the archiepiscopal author-
izatiou. Madame de Longueville ana lfadame de la Roche-
guyon are informed that the Frelate has the intention of
snbmitting the affair to the deliberations of his Council,
but that the Vicar General, lf. Guial, maintained that he
could have the Bull carried into effect without the above
mentioned deliberations, provided its friends will wait for
the favorable moment. This plan was accepted by the
benefactresses, and was in harmony with the views of lIother
de Matel.
At that time the Council of the Archbishop of Paris
was colnposed of men of eminent learning and virtue who,
however, were ahsolutely devoted to special works.
Our ancient memoirs say: "Doctor Duval, on acconnt
of h is admiration for the reform made by lfother 'reresa,
wonld have liked to make all Paris another Mount Carmel.
'fhe Pastor of Saiut Nicholas of the Fields, devonred by
zeal for the converRion of poor sinfnl women, was leaving
to the care of Providence the n inety-ni11e faithful sheep,
to h1·i1lg to the HonseA of Bef'nge thosc that had sh'nyed

157. FITIS'l' SOJOURN A'l' PARIS 131
a way. .M. le Blane "'"as wol'ldng for the establishment
of the Religions of the Elessed Sacrament of Port Royal,
and he saw nothing better for himself to do than to join
to them those of the Incarnate Word.m
The outcome of deliberations of such a Council on the
proposed establishment, could be easily foreseen, consid-
ering, as 1Iother de lfatel remarks, that according to the
,words of St. Paul men abonnd in their own opinions, and,
without any fault, they can liaYe more ardor for things
they like according to God, than for those for which they
haYe no liking, since the angels themselves, as Daniel re-
late~, were of different likingR and resistecl one another.
It was decided to follmY lI. Guiars suggestion.
If there was anything that could console the patient
)fother jn this long waiting, it was the knowleclge of the
J."easons for it. These were unveiled to her by ber didne
Consoler. He showed her the rage of hell against the estab-
Ush ment of this Order. Above all the others, the demon
who tempted Arius, appearecl animatecl with a terrible
hatred for it. She saw the former under the guise of a
~Ioor. obstinate and determined to oppose to the last the
glory which was to be given to the Incarnate 'Yol'd by
the nev Institute. And she saw the second demon with
the mocking featm·es of a person who rails at and blocks
what he cannot hinde1·. Against the fury of her adver-
sm·jes, Our Lonl showed her the power of her clefenders.
He says to her: ""St. 1fielrneJ and all his angels are thy
nids. They have the same natnre as those spirits of malice,
and. moreoYer. they lrn.Ye the powei· given them by grace
and g;lory which they pMsess and which the others bave
lost."2
~-fier this He enra1)tnres lier spirit 'dth admiration
for the gTm1deurs and p1·ivileges of the Blessed Yfrgin, as
ihey m·e atmom1cc·d in tl1e thil'ty-fh!"'t ehapter ot' .Teremias
H 1Hl desc1·ibPd in the twelfth rhaptc~1· of the Apocalypse.
mal, 1lashiug on lwl' a 1·ay of His ete1·1wl light, Ile reyeals
1o her that she al~o is that wom::rn who coutaim.; in her
Lut ographi c Life, ch. LIX.
2.- u t ogr a phic Life, c h . L V III,

158. 132 LI:F'E OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIA'l'EL
bosom, in a mystic manner, the lfan îVho is the Orient
from on high,-that woman who appears as a prodigy in
the heavens, clothed with the sun which is Himself, crowned
wHh stars of divine science, trampling under her feet the
inconstancy of things created, and whom the dragon wished
to force to briI1g forth from fright, so that he might
devour the fruit of her womb. He says to her: "I have
destined thee to show to angels and men, a mystic repro-
duction of My greatest mysteries. I wish to make thee
lly Mother in a marvelous manner, and by a sacred ex-
tension of My Incarnation, to make thee bring forth, in
the Clrnrch, Ilim "Vhom lfy llother brought forth in nethle-
J~em, and all this, in spite of the fury of demons and the
contradictions of men. Vhat the august Trinity said to
lsaias when confiding to him his mission, for which a seraph
purified his lips with a burning coal, I say also to thee :m
"Those to whom thou shalt speak shall not comprehend
the wonders thou shalt tell them. While seeing lfe through
thee, they shall not recognize Me. Thy lights shall blind
them, thy words shall harden and stop their ears. The:y'
shall slrnt their eyes to l1y brilliant lights, and lfy splen-
dors shall appear dark to tbem, because they shall wish
to comprehend by natural reason what eau be known only
by the supernatural light which I give only to those who
humble their souls under lfy mighty hand."2
~rhe Incarnate Vord Vho destined lfother de lfatel
for so many contradictions and trials, at times also pro-
vided her with the sympathy and suppOI·t of His best ser-
vants, by giving them a glimpse of His ineffable tender-
nesses towarcls her. At that epoch, He won over to her
wol'l: and to herself, the devotedness of the sons of St.
1>ominic.
'rhe Dnchess de l~ Rocheguyon, her benefactress, mani-
fei..;ted a clesire that she wonld address herself for tJie direc-
tion or her eonscie11ce, to Fathe1· ~John Baptist Carré, a
Dominican i·eligiom; of great merit. 'r11inki11g tbat the
iHtention WèlS that ~lie 8hould be e:xai11i11ed, she aeqnicsœd.
1Au tog-ra phic Life. ch, LVJH.
:.? f sa i ~1 s, 'l,

159. FinS'l' SOJOURN A'l' PAillS 133
.Morè than anyone else, she desired that light should pene-
trate the inmost folds of her soul. Our T..ord, Vho at all
times was so lavish of testimonials of His love for her,
was multiplying them at that moment. 'rhese favors were
so evidently supernatural and so excessive, that this Father
Dstonished and enraptured, confessed that he had never
understood the goodness of God as he did after his ac-
quaintance with that privileged soul. 'Yhen he had learned
how the mission to found a new Order had been con:fided
to her, he recognized that she was manifestly divinely
inspired, approved ber plans and strongly encouraged her
to pursue them. For this he offered her all the services
which she believecl he could render.
Our Lord always showed that He was not insensible
to kindnesses towards His cherished spouse. The charity
of that excellent religions did not go unrecompensed.
One day lIother de :Matel was assisting at Mass. She
sa'v a number of lambs crowding around this worthy priest
on the steps of the altar. In all humility and meekness
they offered themselves through his hands to be led and
immolated to the Divine Majesty. Her good Master said
to her: "I will make him the father of a holy and fervent
family, in retm·n for his devotedness to My work.m She
gave an account of all this to Father Carré.
The realization of these promises was soon accomplished.
Father Hodolph, the General of the Order of St. Dominic,
having corne to Paris, thought it well to found there a
Novitiate and to uame Father Carré as its superior. Al-
though he had been fore,varned of this, he shrunk from
it. He deemed himself unfit to manage such an enter-
prise and to ful:fill such an office, and he sought to keep
away from it.
The Inrarnate W'"ord again wished that His handmaid
would comfol't him. He bade her announce to him what
he would have to suffer in the mission which was confided
to him and the nids which he would receive from on high.
The Roly Spirit will fill him ,yjth light and strength. He
will sweeten his sorrows by the unction of His grace. In
1 Aut ograp hie Life, ch. LIX.

160. 134 Lll?E OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
the holy school of perfection of which this Father will be-
come the master, God will be worthily served by pure and
fervent souls.
It was given to Father Carré to see all these words
verifiecl. Their memory sustainecl him when he saw un-
foldecl the üials ana consolations which they had foretold
to him. His veneration for the pions lover of the Incarnate
YVord and his desire to be of service to her, increased ac-
cordingly. Many years later, at the founclation of the
monastery at Paris, he will be among the most eager to
corne to its aid.
The General of the Order, who saw Mother de Matel
twice, showed lier a mal'lœd veneration. Full of gratitude
for such benevolence, she prayed her adorable Incarnate
YVorcl to become its rewarder. He responded by a beauti-
ful vision symbolizing the charity of this eminent Superior,
whose heart He showed to her like a pomegranate in which
each one of his sons had a place.
The hol:v Patriarch of the Apostolic Order shared the
pious predilection of his sons, towards the new Foundress.
On the feast of 8t. Dominic, after having admired the
glory which he possesses in Heaven where she saw him
as radiant ns a snn, her Divine Spouse said to her: "This
lnminons Patriarch clesires that I make thee a sun, a vessel
of clection, to carry My glory into the world, because, al-
thongh thon art only a weak woman, I have chosen thee to
fonnd lfy Order, and it is to make thee apt for My designs
that I give thee extraorclinary graces and lights to enlighten
and in1iame heal'ts."1
'l1hc moment whieh was propitious for prescntiug to the
ArchbiRhop of Pari~ the Bull anthorizing the founding of
the 01·de1· of the Im·a1·11ate Yrorcl, came nt last. 'rhe Prelate
8howe<l himRelf fav01·:1hlc to the plan, hnt thonght it best
io <lefe1· it~ i·ealiz:di011. lie pni<l a visit to Mesdames de la
HodH•µ;nyon :rnd Longrn_~ville, io assure thern of his good
intenViom; :111<1 to Pxplai11 to thelll his 1·easons for dcferring
~hc a<·<·mnpli~hmeHt of th<>i1· <leRÏl'e~. Ile said: "'fhe King
has eauNe<l a l<~ttPr to be w1·ittc11 to me, to execnte the Bull
1 ; utog ravllic Lifc, ch . LIX.

161. F'IRST SOJOURN AT PARIS 135
of the Heligious of the lllessed Sacrament, but it gives
thern three bishops as their Supe1·iors. If one bishop is
enough to gove1·n one diocese, how mnch more ought one
bishop to be enough to govern <me monastery in his own
diocese. I have no donbt that when I have made lmowu
to my good Pl'Ïnce how much that clause lowers the author-
ity of the Arcbbishop of Paris, his sense of justice will
appreciate my reasons for refusing to execnte the Bull of
the Blessed Sacrament, and for wisbing to execute that
of the Incarnate 'Vord. But, if I did this latter before get-
ting his approval for it, he might be offended and believe that
I have not sufficient consideration for the authority of my
King. I ask of you a delay of only three or four months
whicb I must pass at Saint-Aubin. On my return, I count
on being ready to realize your pions intentions." 'l"'ll"en,
addressing himself to Mother de lfatel, he says, ''lfy daugh-
ter, what do you think of my reasons? Are they good ones?
Can you not accept the delay which I ask ?" ''Monsignor,
it would be nnbecoming in one who owes you obedience
without knowing your reasons, not to snrrender to those
which you have the goodness to make lmown to her. Noth-
ing prevents our waiting your return from your journey.m
'fhis delay, therefore, was accepted. The impatient
lfarchioness de la Lande was the only one who could not
be reconciled to it. Perhaps she would have accepted an
open contradiction more easily than a delay which left
her activity nothing to feed npon. She made a decision
to give, without any more hesitation, to the abbey of which
her sister was the abbess and in which her daughter wished
to take the veil, the fnnds which she had destined for the
foundation of the monastery of the Incarnate YVord.
Mother de Matel had often asked herself how she could
sncceed in satisfying both · ~Iadame de la Lande and Madame
de la Rochegnyon, if she had to grant to both of tbem, the
privileges of foundresses of her monastery. She rejoiced
at this determination and retnrned thanks to Our Lord
for having delivered her from apprehensions from this
1Autographic Life, ch. LIX.

162. 13G LIU'l~ OF JEANNE CI-IEZATID DE lIA1'EL
source, without the affection between these two noble ladies
having been impaired.
Four years had elapsecl in a continuous succession ·of
obstacles and trials which we have seen haunting all the
steps of Mother de Mate] from her first arrival at Paris.
This time seemed very long to her little commlmity on
the holy hill of Lyons. The need of her presence was felt
more and more keenly. By every mail she received urgent
letters conjuring her to return. Their courage had been
worn out. Severa] subjects had withdrawn, despairing
of ever being religious if they remained in the Congrega-
tion.
Mesdames de Longueville and de la Rocheguyon were
absolutely opposed to the Foundress heeding those appeals
nt the moment when the object of so many exertions and
such painful waiting seemed on the point of being obtained.
Father Binet, the .Jesnit, was consulted and was of the
same opm10n. He said: '~He who quits the game loses
it." In order to net with all prudence, he wrote to Lyons,
to Father Milieu, to lean1 if the presence of Mother de
Matel was as necessary for her daughters as they had said.
'rl1e reply affirmed this urgency. 'rhen it was unanimously
agreed that the Foundress would go to spend at Lyons the
time which the An·hbishop of P~ris was to stay at Saint-
Aubin, and that during ber absence Father Binet would
cultivate the good will of the prelate and that she would
return at the first awakening of his desircs to execute
the BuIl. l1oreover, the Dnchess de la Hochegnyon declared
that shc would keep the Bull at Paris to secnrc the Mother's
return.
'rl1is decision had jnst been made, when lfndame de la
Deanregai·<l anived from Lyons and called upon l1other
de lfotel. "l have promised yonr claughters," she says,
''to take you bn<"k to them, and 1 beg of yon, as a favor,
to accede to their <lc~i l'es:' ''It is Providence that sends
yon,'' replie~ the pion8 l1othe1·. ''My depm·ture bas just
been decide<l 11p011, and Providence inspires yon to take me
m1der yom· pl'otedion for this jonrney, :u;; it formerly en-

163. FrnST SO.JO"GUX AT P~llIS 137
trusted me to ~Ir. de Pure whose good offices I shall never
forget. I shall hold myself in readiness to follow you when-
eYer it will please you to leave.''1
W'"Jiat poignant grief this departure caused the dear
~Iother to suffer ! She had endured such trials and sur-
mounted such oppositions to bring the affair of the founda-
tion at Paris to its present stage, and now that the Bull
has been received and the Archbishop asks only a delay
of three or four months, and many excellent subjects are
presenting tbemselves, she must abandon her position. And
in what financial difficulties she will now be involved !
Yithout resources. how will she meet the needs of the Con-
gregation whose indebtedness~ already considerable, would
be increased by the arrival of new members; in fact she
is bringing with her the four Parisian aspirants who have
.left all to attach themselves to her !
She pours out her sadness into the heart of her adored
~laster. He says to ber: "'Repeat with the Prophet:
Dominus regit me et nihil milii cfrcrit. ··The Lord ruleth
me arnl nothing will ue wnnting to me.":2 He Yill proYide.
'rrust Providence. I promise to furnish food and cloth-
ing for all the daughters 'Whom I shall give thee.''3
To tllese formal assurances, the tenderness of Our Lord
adds a consoling T"ision. ~hile she is praying in the church
of the Fathe1·s of the Oratory, He raises her soul up to
Himself and shows her a sky all coyered with manna, like
seeds of coriander, as white as snow, and this sky bmYs
down before her and seems to wish to follo'r her. The
Spirit of Love, under the form of a doYe. appears in the
middle of this slQ·. She has therefore nothing to fear.
ProYidence fecl a whole nation for forty years with bread
fi om Heayen, and 'dll know how tu proYide foi: the needs
of one religions family which js still in its cradle.
Final ee1·titncle of His will with regard to this change
of i·esidenee Yhich arousecl snch apprehension, was giYen
by her good ~I aste1-. Father .Jacqninot, after liaYing made
1Autugraphic Life, ch. LX.
~Ps. XXII, 1.
3..-.u tograp h ic Life, ch. LX

164. 1~8 LIF'~ OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MA'.rEL
the visitation of the houses of which he was the Provincial,
came back to Pai·is. She was able to ask his opinion which
she rightly pl'ized most highly. After weighing all the
reasons for and against, he also thought it best for the
Foundress to depart without delay, for fear lest discour-
agement woulcl disperse the members of the Congregation,
and for ber to corne back to Paris as soon as possible.
On the vigil of the feast of St. Andrew, November 29,
1632, she left the great city at which she had arrived for
the first time, four years before to a day, on November 29,
1628, and in which she hacl suffere<l so much.

165. CHAPTER X
Return to Lyons
1632-1634
Mother de Matel and her daughte1·s anived at Lyons
on December 11. The hour was late. As the horses of
their carriage were not strong enough to pull them np
the steep bill of Gourguillon, they stepped out at the foot
of the bill, at the home of the excellent )ladame Colomb.
This lady, as ever, full of veneration and devotedness to-
wards ber saintly friend, urges her and ber littlé colon.J'
to pass the rest of the night in he1· home. The next day,
3lother de 3latel, before crossing the threshold of her dear
solitude, wishes to intrust its intel'ests to St. Joseph, the
· born Protector of the family of the Yord made flesh, and
goes to the clrnrch which is situated in the ·quarter of
Bellecour. There she places also in the bands of the Blessed
Mother, the future of her little CongI"egation. She 'vishes
to govern it only in her name and as lier vicar. I t is from
her that, in all humility, she receives this office of which
she recognizes herself to be unworthy and incapable.
After having been strengthened anew by prayer, the
saintly :Mother hastens to go to her daughters who are
waiting for her with impatience. Before pressing them
to her heart, she wishes to do bornage to the adored Father
and nfaster of the whole family. She prostrates herself
at the foot of the altar on which IIe resides, _and pours
out an abundance of tears while ber daughters, enraptured
'vith joy, chant the 'Te Dcwn. Great "Tas their joy when
they we1·e at last perrnitted to embrace their )lother and
the Sisters who had been given to them by the Incarnate
Vord.
The consolation was reciprocal. 'l'hat of the Foundress
was particularly deep when the little boarders who were
being brought up in the bouse, came forward to clairn thei1·
139

166. 140 LJB'E 011' .JEANNE CHEZARD DE l1A'l'EL
share of he1· blessings and cm·esses. 'l'he venerable Mother.
ns she embraced them with the tenderness with which he1·
heart was ever over-tlowing for her children, continned to
re1Jeat, ••Dear Lord, grant that on their lips Yonr praise
may ever be perfeet.m
Evei·ythi11g that met he1· eye was a source of content-
ment to her heart. In her absence lfother Fléurin had gov-
erned with such wisdom that the whole house breathed a
spirit of order and presented an aspect truly religious.
The greatest favor the Incarnate 'Vord had done to
her dear family, was to corne and dwell under her roof. lf.
Chabanier, who 'yas a most virtuous priest and entirely
devoted to the little community, at first said lfass for them
every day in the chaµel of Our Lady of Loretto, which was
close to their dwelling, but he did not leave the Blessed
Sacrament in their house. As the lfernoirs of the founda-
tion relate, in the year 1G29, on the lfonday after the
feast of the Blessed '11
rinity, God made a special com-
munication to that pions ecclesiastic, who was a man of
prayer and full of charity for his neighbor, and said to
him: ''I am pleased with you. Ask your Snperior for
that favor for the whole octave of the Blessed Sacrament,
and he will grant it with the same ease with which you
ask it. Sorne days after, you will beg him to continue it
and he 'vill say that he cannot, but he 'vill ask advice on
the matter. 'Vhen you return, he will be vexed, but wil1
grant the favor. 'fhe good pl'iest then says: "lfy
good God, Yon will not be properly treated by us, we are
1wor and I fear Your lodging will not be worthy of You.
'rhe reply was: "Fear nothing, 1 will send an angel
to guai·d the bouse, and another to guard the altar, and
you will be infol'med co11ce1·ning the entÏl'e situation.m
~1. Chabanier objected and delayed until he was urged
mo1·e strongly and he felt that he was resisting God. He
went to see his director, who was . Father lfolliant of the
Ro<'iety of .Je~ns, mHl gavé him a full account of what had
1.A utogrnphic Life, ch. LXI.
2H iRt or y o [ t IJ e l'l on:i ste r y of th e In carn a t e "Tor<l nn d the Ble ssed -
S :i C'nlln<'nl o f L yons. O riginal m n nuscript, p. 52.

167. RETURN 'l'O LYONS 141
occurred. This Father answers: "My gooù friend, it is
God who has spoken to you. Eut to take aw·ay all doubt,
say to Onr Lord that if He cloes uot repeat to you all that
He had said, yon will do nothing."1
J esns was willing· to condescend to this ag1·eemeut and
again to ask hospitality from his faithful servant during
his prayer of that evening. He is convinced, but again
goes to consnlt his director, who enjoins him to do what
has been commanded to him, and to obse1Te with care
whether everything turns out as had been announced. Every-
thing was accomplished to the very letter•.
Great was the happiness of the little community. From
that moment the .Sisters said the Office and made their
morning and eveniiig prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
'l"'l1eir adorable -~Iaster W'illed to do still more. The chapel
. of Our Lady of Loretto, which later became the property
of the Congregation, did not as yet belong to them. In
1632, the ecclesiastical Superiors thought it best for the
Sisters to begin to observe the cloister and permitted them
to lodge in their house Him Who was their whole love
and treasure. An interior choir and an exterior chapel ,vere
arranged and He came to dwell with them on the day of All
Saints in 1632, scarcely six '"eeks before the arrival of the
Fonndress.
Now nothing was lacking for the .felicity of the little
family, which possessed its God and its lIother, except for
its members to see themselves clothed w"ith the holy livery
of the Incarnate 'Yord, and to consecrate themselves to
His service by the vows of religion. Yhile they were
awaiting this happiness, all of them, uncler the guidance of
their saintly lfother, labored with ne"~ ardor for the ac-
quisition of the virtues which make the true daughter of
the Incarnate 'Vord. They find admirable help for this
in the examples of the Sisters who have corne to them from
Paris. One of these above all had been preceded by a
reputation for merit and virtue, and, as the lfemoirs of
the foundation say, "Had been received like an angel from
1Histor y of th e Mon a ster y of th e In carn a t e Vorcl a nd th e B less -=11
Sacra m ent of L yon s. Ori g in a l m a nuscri pt, p. 52.

168. 142 LIFP: OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEt
Heaven." This was the venerable Sister Elizabeth Grasse-
teau.1
She was a danghtel' of a eon11selor of the Parliament
of Pal'is, and from he1· em·ly ehihlhood had given indica-
tions of the pe1·fection she wonld i·each. She was mirac-
ulously healed from an incnl'able malady, by the interces-
sion of the holy Bishop of Geneva, and she gave herself
up 'vholly to prayer, IJenanee and good works, and con-
secrated the greater part of every day to the care of the
sick in the hospital. She devoted herself to this holy
wol'l~ with the heroism of the great saints.
She entered the Abbey of Port Royal to be" a religions,
but conlcl not stand its ansterities, and was obliged to
leave. 'rhis disappoiutment cansed her such great pain
that she fainted. .At that moment she heard in the depths
of her heart. "'Conl'agc, my danghter, this is not the place
in which I wish thee to be. I have destined thee for lf~y
Order, the approbation of which is now being sought at
Rome. Soon, I will ·make thee acquainted with the per-
son to whom I have confided the execution of this great
design of .My love." The effect of these words was all-
powerful. Imrnediately she recovered her senses, adored
the will of God, and devoted herself to it completely. She
ardently prayed that the hour wonlcl corne for her to see
that confidante of the divine plan. 'rhe first time these
two great souls met, Our Lord revcaled each to the other,
and the veneration and attachrnent which they reciprocally
inspired, unitcd thcm forever.
Vigorons recrirninations were made in the family of
~Iiss Grasseteau whcn her resolntion became known:
attach herself to an i11divic1nal who has taken it into her
head to found a new Order ;-sacrifice ber Iife to the pur-
snit of an nncel'tainty ;-what an aberration! Is it not
better to enter a monastery which is well established, in
wh ich the honor m1d secm·ity of her existence will be as-
snred? During four years the family will persist in pay-
ing no pem;;ion for her, ail(l iu lendinµ; her no help. Neither
t.AH that concerns Motller Elizabeth Grasseteau is taken from the
original manuscripts of the founùation of the Order of the Incarnatë
Tor<l, and from the biographies of the ftrst Mothers.

169. IlETURN TO LYONS 143
the severity of her IJat·ents nor the long delay b1 the estab-
Iü~hment of the Order, could make her take back the abso-
lnte gift whkh she had made of herself to the Incarnate
Vord. Like a trne danghter of His Order, she desired
only to imitate Him and to follow Him even to Calvary,
and she carried to heroism the p1·actice of the virtues which
made her more like Him.
Althongh she had been brought np delieately and her
health w~s weak, she unceasingly sought the occupations
which were the most painful and menial. Often the
Foundress, seeing her giving herself np to the more fatigu-
ing labors in the kitehen, said to her: ""lIy daughter, leave
that to be done by Sü;ters who are stronger than you." She
replied: '"My llother, if yon knew the joy I feel in doing
this work, you would not order me to quit it. For a little
pain suffered in my body, my 'Yell-beloved fills my soul
·with all the joys of Paradise. 'rhe more I suffer, the more
I desire to suffer to make myself like Hhn. By ·yonr mn1
cxperience, ;vou well know that we cannot keep away from
suffering when we look at that adorable Spouse dying on
the cross."
The sole anxiety she cansed her clear llother was that
of moderating her peuances. nrithont this checking, she
would have wasted herself away from fasts and austerities.
She continnally wore a hair-shirt and inflicted herself with
severe disciplines, so that the Sisters took pity on her and
hid ber chains and cords, etc. But this precantion was
useless. She was caught in the act of gathering hanclfulls
of nettles to take the plnce of the instruments which had
disappearecl. She found a way to make a c1·own. of thorns
w·hich she wo1·e on certain days nnder her heacl-gear. She
was greedy for humiliations and besonght the lIother
Foundress not to be stingy in giving them to he1·. 'rhe latter
knew the high perfection to whfr·h her well-beloved danghter
was callcd, and did not spare ber. Rhe reprimanded her
severely for the slightest imperfections, withont sncceed-
h1g in satisfying her thirst for abjection and lrnmiliation.
'rl1is thirst can~cd Mother Grm~setenn to ~nrceed in ob-
tahiiug for hcrself the o!licc of tonrierc. She fulfillcd

170. 144 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZ.A.RD DE lIATEL
it for four years. 'Vhen she was hurrying through the
streets canying heavy loads, her heart was in a staté of
jubilation at sharing the pains of Jesus loaded with His
cross, and her humility was triumphant.
Our Lord responded to this heroism by favors which were
sublime. He imparted to her a great gift of prayer. Every
day she prayed three or four honrs together, on her knees,
motionless and without support. Every night she remained
in prayer until midnight, to adore the annihilation of the
'Yord in the moment of His Incarnation. Her entire life
was but one uninterrupted prayer. She remained in profound
recollection and kept religions silence in the midst of most
distracting occupations. The Incarnate 'Vord favored her
with His sensible presence. Few days passed without her
receiving some signal favor from Heaven. The austere Fa-
ther Gibalin, to whom she gave an acconnt of her favors,
considered them a treasnre which should be preserved for
the Order.· He wrote them in twelve or fifteen note-books,
in a snrnll aud close hand, and entrusted them to the keep-
ing of the secretary, Sister Frances Gravier. But the hum-
ble l'fother Grasseteau came to learn this, found the papers, .
and immediately consigned them to the flames.
It was not possible to hide altogether the secret of so
many graces received. Our Lord, at t~mes, made them so
striking that they pierced all the veils with w·hich they were
covered by her hnmility. 'rlrns, on the feast of St. Thomas,
the Apostle, while she was hearing a sermon, her heart was
pierced with a divine wound, which made her fall down
fainting and drew from her :l cry which "~as heard by the
whole community. 1~
1
rom that moment, her health: which
was ah·eady wenk, became still more feeble. On every Fri-
day especially, she suffered extreme pains from that wound.
Yhen they bccmne insupportable and sremed about to put
an e1H1 to he1· days, He, 'rho had wonnded her, showcd Him-
self to he1·, and cnred her hy touching and blessing this
wotmd with Hi~ adorable hand. lIothcr de l'fatel dccmcd
it lier dnty to try to b1·ing some ~olace to thi8 martyrdom,
lly hnman rcmedics. 'I'he physicians, who had trcated her,
ùcdarcd that the illncss came from a supcrnatm·al cause

171. RETURN TO IiYONS 145
an<l that their art could do nothing. üp to her death. this
faithful hnitator of ~Jesus crucified, kept on her right side
the stigma of that loving wound which was like a blackish
scar covering coagulated blood.
It is easy to eonceive ·with 'vhat supplications thi~
seraphic lover of the Incarnate 'Yord, called for the estab-
lishment of His Ortler. God, in His impenetrable designs~
wi11ed that the sacrifice which she so ardently desired to
consnmmate for the glory of her adorable Spouse, woulcl
have only Heaven as its witness.
One day, as Rhe wns meditating on the means of attain-
ing the highest perfection, Our Lord appears and invites
her to make the three vowR of poverty, chastity and obedi-
ence, although the Order was not yet established. At first
she feels some apprehension at the thought of making the
vow of poYerty. She fears to appear singnlar among her
Sisters who lfre in the Congregation and retain the domin-
ion of their property. AR thiR circumstance grieves her.
Gocl the Father manifests Hhnself to her in incomparable
glo1·y. and says to her: ..T SYear to thee by Jiy Son incar-
nated for the salYation of man, that thon wilt never repent
of having offered Him the three vows of poverty, chastity,
and obedience. Jiy Roly Spirit will be thy light in thy
doubts. and thy strength in thy weakness. Our august Trin-
ity will assist thee with snch graces and surronnd thee
with snch protection that thou shalt not offend It in any of
these vows." Sister Grasseteau is thus reassured and im-
parts to her director and her veneratecl ~fother, what the
Incarnate "Tord desires of her, and asks them, with such
earnestness and humility, their permission to accomplish
it, that she obtains their approYal. To make the~e vows to
Our J_,01·d she chooses the feast of the Hlessed 'l'rinity in
1G~-1.
On that ble~sed dny, the Ete1·nal Fai her opens to l·rcrive
ht1
1' and hr1· sac1·ifier, the adol'ablr boRom 111 whieh He eter-
mllly begpts; His W'"m·d, aud sayR to her: "'Thy vmY of obe-
<1 ienee i~ accepted by :fy~elf, that of poverty by ~Iy Son. and
that of cha~tity hy the Holy Spirit. F1·om tltis sncred cen-
ter of the divine Essence, she discovcred so nrnny womlei·s

172. 146 'LIFI~ OF' JEANNE CHEZARD DE 1IATEL
on the excellence of the religions vows, on the inconceivable
love of the 'Vord of God for herself and for the Order which
He wishes to make an extension of His incarnation, that
her soul, inundated with light and joy, could not again de-
i-;cend from the heights to which she had been elevated.
Duriug the en tire octave of the Blessed Sacra.ment, she
liYed as if in one nninterrnpted raptnre. The saintly Moth-
er, wl10 alone shared the secret of these favors, had to take
the care of the body of her claughter whose son:!, being in
an ecstacy, could not lower its flight to the earth to attend
to the needs of the life here below.
After tbis, it is needless to say witb what perfection
she observed her vows, not only did she strip herself of all
she possessed, but on her knees, with inexpressible hurnility,
she hegged for anything she needed and received it as an
ahns. Indeed it was necessary to oblige her to make known~
her wants, for she felt excesses of joy when anything bap-
pened to be lacking to her, and she lovingly concealed the
treasury of her privations. If some represented to her tbat
the vow of poverty does not obligate to such priva.tians,
she replied: "Tbose who practice poverty only from the
motive of its obligation, do not know its value. To be truly
poor and to have a little pure love, is to be infinitely ri('h,
whereas, to possess all and be poor in pure love, is to be
in a state of indigence that is pitifnl."
The chastity which she had vowed from her early child-
hood, shone in her with angelic lustre. To conserve it, no
austerity seemcd to her to be too great, but she considered
the mortification of the senses and the heart to be indi8-
pensable, and she said that the lcast imperfections in tlwsc
matters tarnii-;h the pm·ity of the soul and hinder it from
rising to God. She was ingeniom~ in hiding the µ;iftR of
natnrn and grace she had reecived, sn as to prevent other~
from becomillg nttadied to her. In her desire that all crea-
tnreH might be occnpi<Àd with the Sovereign Good alone, she
wonlù have likcù that no one wonld ever thiI1k of her.
Bnt the charaderist-ic fcatnre of he1· lifc was the per-
fection m1<1 11e1·oisrn of her obedien<'c. Vhen Rhe offered
llcrsclf to the J11carnaic " 1ord to imitatc and follow Him,

173. RETURN TO LYONS 147
He shmYed His cross laid on the ground and ordered her
to stretch herself out upon it, and to let herself be attached
to it by the )fotlier Founclress. She did this, liYing and
dying on thnt eross of obeclience Yhic-h made her humhly
accept the fact that tliree monnste1·ies of the Incarnate
Yorcl were founcled before she herself was clothed with the
habit. She submitted to the intentions of the good ~lother
'd10 destined her for her dear bouse of Lyons of which
she made her the Snperioress and from which, in 1645, her
soul, Yhich no longer coulcl be held to the earth, suddenl:y
took its flight to Heayen, adorned with the vfrtnes and the
love of her DiYine Spouse.
Such Yas this Yenerable "Jiother Grassete~rn of whom
)Jother de ~Intel ,n·ote: "'All the Order of the Incarnate
Yo1·d 11n1st prai~e her î'irtues to its last day.''1
She also
called ber ··the fnithful one by excellence.'' The spectacle
·of her boly life and of her unalterable dev-otedness was one
of the greatest consolations which the Incarnate tTord had
prepared foi· the Founclre~~ , to aid her to support the trials
she was to enconnter in the establishment of the Order.
rmmediately after her arriv-al at Lyons, lIother de lIatel
met with neY trials. )Iother Catherine Fleurin, on giving
back into the hancls of the )lother Foundress the govern-
ment of the bouse, relatecl with what charit:y the Fathers
of the Society of .J esus had assisted them and had eyen pro-
Yided them with food and meclicines during the terrible epi-
demic, and with what deYot~dness and enlightened zeal
their Snperior, Father Poire, had directed their souls in
the way~ of perfection. At the same time, she informed
he1· that tYO clergymen, whose lights and science- Yere far
from eqnalling those of that great religions, were seeking
to substitute their ministry for his and to make themselves
the maste1·s of the 1ittle Congregation.
'l'his fact was strange but true. Of this lIother de )latel
Yas soon convinced. These two personages, hoping that
their good intentions wou1cl be more appreciated by the
lrnmhle Founclress than they had been by her who had been
taking her place, macle demonstrations of joy at her arri-
l .;- utographic Life, ch. LXI,

174. 148 LIF'E OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE l1A'l'EL
val, and hastened to make in the most eugaging manner, the
offer of their servîtes. She readily understood their incom-
petency and the co1TcdnesR of the iuformation giveu by
Mother Flelll·in. 'J'herefon:, she humbl.r thanked them aud
begged Fathei· Poire to takc hcr under his directiou and
to continue to help the Congregatiou of the Iucarnate " Tord
to advance in the perfectiou to which it is obliged, which
is to imitate Him of 'Vl10m it bears the Name.1
Nothing is so presumptuous as unconscious incapacity.
'J'he clergymen in question, not being able to do the good
for 'vhich they deemed themselves suited, believed that no
one else could know how to do it, and gave themselves the
mission of overthrowing the "~ork, for which they were
not wanted as its rulers. After having attempted in vain
to make lfother de lfatel lose the good esteem which she
had conceived for Father Poire, they üeated her most rudely
in the dealings which .she was obliged to have with them
for a long time. They endeavored to cause the withdrawal
of children whose edncation had been eutrusted to the Sis-
ters, and to tu ru membel's of the connnunity away from
their vocation. ~f'hey succeeded in several cases.
'rl1ese pel'fidions doings cansed the patience and charity
of the pions liother to shine forth with all the greater
brilliancy. She thus writcs of one of those agents: '"Yith
all his intrigues, he was unable to take away from me
those daughters whom I desfred to keep, becanse You gave
them to me, and, Yot1r band, which is strouger than mine,
has retained them. Only those have left whom Yonr Provi-
dence did not wish to stay in Your Order and whorn I
have allowcd to go away to do their owD ~vill. Most dear
Lord, as I have no unkind feeling against those who have
made me suffcr, I do not wish to have a pen to specify the
edls they wished to do me."2
Tt is true that the charitable Mother had no pen to
wl'Ïte the record of the nnqnalifiable proceedings used to-
wm·ds her, nnd that we cannot find anywhere the names of
those who wcrc thefr antho1·s. She did not coufiue herself
1 A utogrnphic Life, ch. LXI.
2J u tograpJii c Life, ch. LVI.

175. RE'L'URN 'l'O LYONS l49
to imposing silence on the persecutious of which she was
the object, but when she SJ)Oke of those who had condncted
themselves so evilly towarcls her, she found in her great
·soul words of benevolenee to safegnard their reputation.
The 1Iothers who were trained iu her school showed them-
selves w01·thy of her. Vhen they relate this trial in the
Annals of the Fouudation, they only say: ''If our Reverend
Mother Foundre~s had no pen to write what she was forced
to suffer, the charity of her daughters ought to follow her
example and have their ink dried up, since charity ought
to be the soul of their souls.m
lfother de llatel and her work had in the person of
Father Gibalin of the Society of J esus, an adversary who
was truly formidable. His profound science, solid virtue
and acknowledged prudence had rightly procured for bim
general esteem. During four years, on eyery occasion, he
liad raised his voice strenuously against the '"imaginations''
of Jeanne de llatel ·and her •1
chimerical hope8'' of found-
ing an Order. w·e may ask onrselves, how a man who was
so serions and enlightened, could conceive such prejudice
against a woman with whom he had never had any deal-
ings? How could he, a J esuit, have professed sentiments
entirely opposed to those of his religions Superiors and
brothers who had been 'vell informed, (since lfotber de
Ifatel bad always had them as her directors) and who were
filled with veneration for her and with devotedness to her
work. By nature and from motives of virtue, Father
Gibalin was opposed to extraordinary ways. Nevertheless
bis strong good sense, bis science, and humility, far from
peing impediments to his recognizing special operations of
God in souls, placed him in the best of conditions for dis-
cerning between truth and illusion. His dispositions in
this respect, were not the sole motive of bis conduct to-
wards 1fother de lfatel ; he also had other reasons.
Father Gibalin had a brother 'vhose affection for him,
already great, had increased in in·oportion to the bonor
reflected on his name, by the reputation of the learned
1History of the Monast ery of th e Incarnate Vorcl at Lyons. Origi-
nnl manuscript, p. 72.

176. 150 LIFE OF .JEANNE CHEZARD DE MA'l'EL
theologian and eminent religions. 'Vhen J...iyons wns visited
in lG~S by the terrible pest which brought about the first
~ojonrn of lfother de lfatel at Paris, lfr. Gibaliu petitioned
the Superiors of the Society to permit his brother to eome
and sta_y in his castle of Villars with such a nnmber of
.Jesuits as it would please them to send, as long as the epi·
demie would last. Father Gibalin came to enjoy his broth-
er's hospitality in the company of Father Crest, a religions
of great piety whose skill in the direction of souls later
won the confidence of Anne of Austria and of the more
virtnous ladies of her Court.
The eldest daughter of llr. Gibalin, lliss Mary lIargaret
Gibalin du Yillars, had cmbraced the religions life in a
commmtity of lîrsnlines recently established at lfalzieu,
a small towu of Laugnedoc, of which lfr. Gibalin was gov-
ernor and which lJ01·dered on the estate of Villars. 'l'he
Ursulines of llalzien made only simple vows and were not
snbject to the rnle of the cloister. The niece of Father
Gibalin, desirons of profiting for the good of her soul
by the presence of her uncle, made him frequent visits. Jt
nearly always happened that lfr. Gibalin, who was charmed
"Tith the learned conversation of his brother, gave his
daughter an opportunity of conversing with Father Crest.
If, at first, there was a reason for feeling that she was
making a sacrifice, she was not slow to perceive that this
was a rnost special grace. Shc soon observed that this holy
religions took plcasure in speaking of nothing but God~
and that he was- as prudent as he was pions. 'l'he more
she Iistened to him, the more she felt assured that she had
haù finally met the interpreter of the desires of God for
her~elf, and this was the truth.
lfother lfargaret Gibalin was a rare soul. Our Lord
had Iavished on her Ilis gifts of nature and of grace. At
the age of trn1, she had received a celestial proposa! from
the Sponse of Yfrgi11s, and had engaged her heart to Ilirn
hy the vow of clwstity. 'l'o remain faithful to this sacred
})l'ondise, ~he had to sustain many an attack from the world
and her family. Our Lord e11dowed her with power from
on high, to make her win the victory. As she was assisting

177. RETURN TO LYONS 151
at .Mass, in a chape! dedicated to the Immacnlate Concep-
tion, her spirit was suddenly rapt to a place all resplendent
with inexpressible magnificence. 1'hen she saw herself
arrayed in a robe of dazzling white and decked with the
jewels of a royal sponse. The Blessed 1fother prcsented
her to the I-Ioly ~rrinity, Y'ho i·eceived her from Mary's
materna} hands with grcat love, encircled her ùrow with
a splendid crown and vested her in a light by which she
felt herself penetrated and transformed. 1'his vision filled
her with such great courage and such a vehement desirc
to love God, that it seemecl to her that nothing on earth
conld hinder her from devoting herself to His service or
could separate he1· from His divine charity.
She triumphed over all obstacles and tore herself away
from the world, and on the day of the Purification, Febru-
ary 2, 1617, at the age of fifteen, being presented to Our. '
Lord by the hands of 1lary, she took the holy habit of re-
ligion. During the ceremony, celestial harmony of the
angels sonnded in her ears and fransported her spirit far
from the earth. In the midst of this rapture she heard
the words: "1'here is joy in Heaven becanse of you.m
1'he Snperio1·s of the young novice mnltiplied her trials.
Her great qualities, the nobility of her family, and the serv-
ices which could be expected from her, appeared to them
good reasons for exceeding the ordinary limits, to root
her virtne more deeply. 1'o humiliate her she was sent
iuto the town to ask alms, knock at door after door, and
beg for wool, straw, and wood, and to carry the wheat
to the mill, the bread to the oven and the soiled linen to
the brook. Her fervor conquered her natnral lrnughtiness
and made her pei·form all of these acts with generons good
will. Bnt her parents became indignant and complained
londly that the religions snpcrioresses thns treatcd the
danghter of the Gove1·nor and degr:.'tded ihe wholc family
ü1 her pc1·son. 'rl10se trials ouüüde the honsc were stopped,
but were mnply compensated by others at home. 'rhe virtne
of the heroic child was not fonnd wanting. Her love for
lWhat is here relate(l of Mother lTargaret Gibalin is taken from the
History of th B Jncarnate 1Vonl and frorn the biographies of the first
Mother.s,

178. 152 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZ.A.RD DE MATEL
J esus, her memory of the torments which He wished to
endure for us, made her find such happiness in what she
had to suffer, that the joy in her heart beamed on her coun-
tenance, and filled with admiration all ·who came near her.
'1'hc transports of her soul, and the attachment to her voca-
tion which was procured by her through so many mortifi-
cations and humiliations, became so vehement that, three
months after taking the habit, on tl~e day of the Exalta-
tion of the Roly Cross, being unable to resist the attrac-
tion which urged her irresistibly, she made, after her Holy
Communion, the three vows of poverty, chastity, and
obedience.
Vhen receiving prematurely, from the tenderness of His
youthful spouse, that triple oath which ordinarily He ac-
cepts only when approved by the authority of those who
represent Him, Jesns weÜ knew· that it would one day be
fully ratified. In fact, the community were of one voice
to admit such a fervent noYice to her profession. Four
years after, they confided the government of that bouse to
this religions who was only twenty years of age, but whose
qualities and virtnes commanded their esteem and confi-
dence. Ye shall not speak of the fear of the young Super-
ioress or of the efforts which she made to avoid the burden
which was imposed upon her. To make her accept it, Our
Lord showed her His Own Cross which lovingly attracted
her and inundated her soul with sweetness, which becamP-
greater as she pressed it the more strongly to her heart.
Mother Margaret, onte bonnd to this cross of superiority,
surpassed all hopes. 'rhe commnnity which was already
very fervent, follo"?ed in her steps and made marked pro~­
ress in the ways of pel'fectiou. Never had regularity, union
of' hcm·ts, obediencc, aiHl holy joy hecn so great. Our L01·d
visihly pom·ed ont His blcssings on things and persons,
lrn 1 e~pecially oll the 'Rnpe1·ioress, whom He haù favored
with cxceptional gTaces and who responded to thesc favor~
hy the p1·adiee of' most r--;uhlimc vi1·tnel:-'. Howerf'l', one
day, while ~hc i~ ni p1·nycr, the Divine lIaster givcs her to
mHle1·:;..;ta11d, that Ile i~ 11ot c11ti1·ely satisfied, and He ex-
pecü; "~ometh ing m01·c from her." An immensurnble long-

179. IlETüilN 'l'O LYONS 153
ing to Imow what is desired of her by Him 'Vlwm nlone she
]oves, inflames her heart. Her prayers have no other objecL
Even those of her danghters are directed to this intention.
She had often aspired to a life more absolntely i·eligions
and more segregated from the world, without any one el~e
having made snch a sngg(•stion. But the more she pI'ayetl,
the more she felt ·nrged to nccomplish the will of Gnd, 110
matter what sacrifice it might cost her. It is at the moment
when her whole being is aspiring towards the unknown
goal to which the wishes of her well-beloved Savior are
ùrawing her, that Father Crest cornes to Villars and Mother
..'fargaret feels ai·ising in her soul the conviction she has
fonnd the one, who will reply to her constant question :
Domine qzl'id me vis facere. •'Lord, 'Yliat do yoù wish me
to do ?m
She opened her heart to the holy religions, made to
him a general confession of her "thole life, revealed to him
the favors she had been granted by Our Lord, and her desire
of a more perfect state of life, but, above all, the ardor
which J esus had enkindled in her heart by saying to her
that He desired of her '"something more." According as
the treasures of graces with which Our Lord enriched this
so11I, were spread out under the sympathetic gaze of the
pions J esuit, the light becarne brighter in his own mi11d.
'Vhen .Mother llargaret had ended her account, he said
to her: ''I rnay, indeed, have fonnd what Our Lord asks
of you. Bnt will yon ever have the courage to accom-
plish it '?" She reiterates her protestations and
urges him to explain. He inforrns her that now at Lyons,
a person of extraordinai·y merit and virtne, is laboring to
realize a design of ineffable mei·cy with which Our Lord
has charged her,. namely, that of establishing a religions
Ortler under the title of the Incarnate 'Vord. He says to
her: "If the name is great, the Institute is no less great
and demands high perfection in the souls that are called
to it." He explains to Mother ~lai·garet at the p1·ice of what
sacrifices she will have to pnrchase the favor of belong-
ing to that blessed Order. But carried away by the Jrnp·
1Acts. IX. 6.

180. 154 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
piness whid1 immdates her, she interrnpts: "Oh Father,
that is enongh. Yon have fonnd what God asks of me.
Long ago, He inspired me with the thonght of an Order
of the Incarnate 'Yord. If f had been able to uuderstand,
I wonld have sparecl myself mnch mmoyauce. He wished
to explain it to me by yonr mouth, in order that I might
owe my salvatiou to you."
She then relates that one year after her profession, when
she was gatheriug some pinks to offer a bouquet of them
to the Blessed lIother, the beauty of one of those flowers
in which the brightest red was blendecl with the most
shining white, threw her into a transport of admiration.
She was giving way to the desire of belonging to an Order
consecrated to the l1other of all purity, when her soul,
seized with profound recollection, heard the words: "An
Order which woulcl be for the glory of llary wonld please
thee, but if there were one of the Incarnate Vord, would
not this be acceptable to thee ?" At these words, all her
being had bounded with happiness and gave itself up with
love to the Incarnate " Torcl. But she had never heard
<)f an Order that bore that name, and she had seen in this
insinuation only a delicions bait from J esus to draw her
heart to Rimself more tenderly, and she had no idea that
it could contain an indication of a design of God. ·
Tt is easy to understand. after that, what an 1mpres-
sion was made on lfother llargaret by the p1·oposal of
Father Crest. She felt herself in the folness of light and
truth, ready to nndertake and suffer anything to accom-
plish the desires of God. r_ro gain greater assurance, it was
agreed that for this intention the Father would offer the
Holy Sacrifice three tirnes. and lIothe1· Margaret wonld hear
three lIasses.
As she was assisting at the last of the three, she had
a raptnre and was trm1sported to lfother de lfatel. She
!-aw he1· in the room in which she lived at Lyons, and
elothed in the dress that shc wore there. 'rhis good llothcr
cmh1·aced her with cxtrcmc tende1·ncss and presented her
to the Blef'f'C<1 'r1·inity as a victim to be imrnolated to Its

181. RE'l'URN 'l'O LYONS 155
glory. Father Crest had been favored with a similar vision.
For both of them, this was a sign of the divine wishes.
There was seemingly nothing now to do but to take
the means of realizing ber desire. lIother lIargaret, conse-
quently, writes to lfother de lIatel and expresses an ardent
wish to be a member of the holy Order which the Incarnate
"YVord has cornmissioned her to fonnd, and earnestly begs
for admission. She obtains a reply which is very cordial
and entirely favorable. Alas, what a long time and how
rnany trials before the happy moment when she will be-
come the first religions of the Incarnate -nTord ! To dispose
he1· for this long waiting, Our Lord appeared to her smiling,
under the featnres of a Iittle child who was loa<lecl with
a cross and looked at her lovingly and was departing for
a long journey. She understood. But no matter how
painfnl this delay, it could not shake her resolution. She
often said: "If I had to go on foot to Rome, 01· even to
the end of the earth to procure the establishment of the
holy Order, I wonld not hesitate one instant."
This whole affair was arranged during Father Gibalin's
sojourn at Villars, but in view of his well-known seutime11ts,
it was thought best not to inform him of it. He departed
without haviug learned anything of the plans and steps
of his niece. Unfortunately, a letter she had written to
the venerable Sister Catherine Fleurin, by chance, slipped
into his papers and he fonnd it on his retnrn to Lyons.
I mmediately, with his most sharp pen, he writes to lIother
Margaret and treats her as one who is fickle and cannot
stay where she is doing well: as one who has no ~ense, and
is caught by a plan whith is imaginary, etc. In the same
spirit, he w1·ites to lfon~ignor de IIareillac, Bishop of
)fende, and to Mr. dn Yillae's, his brothc1-., whom he begs
to nse their anthority to p1·event his niece from irnrsuing
a f'hime1·ical projrct whieh will never lw l'c>nlizc)d, since
tllc> Cardinal of LyoHs, 11po11 "·hom tltey co1111t- to eom-
1ll('Jl('<1 the 01·de1·, <loe:-; 110t wi:-h to hear of' iL
8nch :-;trong letters corning from a mn11 of' :-;neh co11-
~i<leration as Father Gibalin, had their full effect. 'rhe
Bishop of lIende, whom Mother 1fargaret had informed

182. 15G LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIA'l'EL
of her intentions and who had encouraged them, now dis-
approved them. Mr. du Villars treated bis daughter as an
ingrate. Her relatives turned against her. The neighbor-
ing priests and i·eligious, who up to this, had been full of
esteem for he1 now blame her.
In the midst of these storms, she remained confident
and calm. He, for 'Yl10se love she was suffering, became
her peace and strength and joy. He lavished upon her
His rarest favors. ~rbe recital of them would be too long.
Sometimes it was the Roly Spirit who soared above her
and she heard the words: "I will espouse thee in the Roly
Spirit." Sometimes it was the Inca.rnate Word, Vho, at
the moment when the Bull was being solicited, appeared
to her all covered with the wonnds of His scourging and
saicl to he1·: ''At Rome I will be propitious to thee." "There
were even procligies which were manifest to the eyes of all:
thus the instantaneous cure of one of the Sisters by the
application of an autographie letter from the Reverend
llother Foundress. But of all the consolations which came
to her to sweeten the tedium of her long waiting, none
was equal to that which she experienced from the con-
version of ber nncle, Father Gibalin, towards that Ortler,
of 'vhich be had been such a persecutor.
On her return from Paris, lfother de lIatel saw her-
self face to face, at the same time, with the unreasonable
ambitions of two inclivicluals who wished to arrogate to
themsel ves the governing of the Order, and with the
antipathy of Father Gibalin. She quickly perceived how
the dissimilal'ity in the motives of these oppositions made
a difference in the hope of seeing them cease. With moRt
loving confidence, Rhe addressed herself to the Incarnate
Yord and asked Him to change the heart of Father Gibalin
an<l to make him the protector of her work. Rer Divine
Spouse reC'eived her supplications with tenderneRs and as-
sm·eù lw1· that shc hnd be<}n henrd.
On 1>e<'ember 2:3, shc sent to beg this Father to have
tl1c ki11ùneRR to p1·ea('h the sermon fo1· the fcast of Chl'ist-
111:t~ io hpi· lit t-lP l';rn1ily. Nevcr ha<l Father Gibalin deigned
to knock at the door of tlint house. NevPr hnd be seeu

183. RE'l'UilN '1'0 LYONS 157
lfother de lfatel. At thjs special invitation, be resolved
to go to her and to take mvay from her for all time the
illusion she was cherishing of later counting his niece among
the nmnber of her daughters. 'Vhe~1 he presents himself,
everything in his personality speaks ont. Hi~ F;tern dis-
dain reveals his plan of campaign. lfother de Matel is
not troubled at it. She knows that God's time has corne,
and that her intrepid adversary is well on his wny to Damas-
cus. She receives hirn with the exquisite politeness of
the saints. Rhe listens modestly to his cutting arguments
and replies to him with great gentleness: ''Father, it is
vain for yon to resist. Our Lord has promised me that
you will be our Saint Paul.ni He continued to struggle,
but the Incarnate 'Yord was throwing him down. The
reasons which he believed invincible, in his skilled hands,
were now onlv arms withont anv force in them. The hum-
ble l[other wl~o felt thnt he was flghting the: Duru m est tibi
contra stim ulwn ra lcitntre--'·It is hard for you to kick
against the goad"2
- said to him: "Father, the Incarnate
"'Vord wishes to confi de to yonr care all the houses of the
Order, as He confided to St. Paul the care of all the
churches."3
Her_ardent but loyal nntagonist was vanquished. God
had combated for her, for she had said almost nothing.
However, she had some share in the battle and victory.
Father Gibalin had had too much experience with souls
not to recognize that the humble and deep peace she had
maintained u11de1· the blows of his biting assertions, could
be the effect, · not of calculation, but only of sanctity. He
i·etired deeply moved.
After llis retm·n to the college, Fnther Poire who often,
but in vain, had tl'ied to win him over to the Foundress,
observed his pern~ive mien- and asked him its cause. He
iHgennonsly avowcd thnt he feared he had been mistaken
about ~[other de ~f;üel. rJ'l1e Pather Rector strongly
m·ged hirn to investignie 1he qnestiun and clcar H up.
1A utographic Life, ch . LXII.
~Acts, IX, 5.
3Autographic Li fc. c h : LXII,

184. 158 LIFE OF JFJANNE CHEZARD DE MA'l'EL
rrhe excellent religious, who had made an error in
good faith, sincerely applied his mind to the search for
the truth. He prayecl, he consulted authors on the mystic
state. and he couferred with the ablest theologians in Lyons
on the extraordinary things which had taken place in
tl.1e case of the humble Foundress, and when he was finally
convinced that the whole "...ork was from God, he frankly
acknowledged his eITor. He promised her that he would
exert hirnself with more ardor to procure the success of
her pions enterprise than he had previously shown to op-
pose it. He kept his word. The Order of the Incarnate
. Yrord and its venerable Foundress had no more persever-
ing and devoted protector and no witness or judge who
was more enlightened or impartial.
'rlie generous Father WI"ote to his niece, 1Iother :Mar-
gm·et, in a tone vcry different from that of bis first letter.
He declared that like another St. Paul he had been con-
verted to the work which he had persecuted. He exhorted
her to remain faithful to the divine call which she had
heard, and to try her best to 1·esponcl to it as soon as
possible. He wrote his rctractions to the Bishop of lIende
and to lfr. Gibalin du YilbH's, and begged them to acquiesce
in th_e plans of his niece. and cxpressecl to them his own
veneration for the Foundress and her work "'hich he had
before depicted to them in an unfavorable light. His
brother's esteem and affection won lIr. Gibalin du Villars
over to his changed opinions. Hnt it w,.as not the same with
ihe Bishop of Mende.
No one rno1·e than Father Poii·e blessed this change of
miml of Father Gihalin. He had long greatly desired to
gain oyer to the ea u~e of the ncw Institnte a man of such
nbility. Henceforth they will he ahl0 to work together fo1·
its i111Prrsh' a11<1 io m1iie ihPir cffo1·ts fo1· it~ J>I'O~perity.
OnP or iltP- 1irst ('OllllSels wliielt füey gan~ io Mother <le
~l:t(pl W<IS 1101 lo ]'('Üll'll io Prn·i~ hd01·0 ihc ]'t'('eption or
111c Bull whid1 the two i11<1iYidrntls, of wholll "·e have
:--;pok<•u, h:t<l had iJJ<l presm11p1i011 1o solidt 1'1·om ({orne fo1·
the ho11se of' Lyo11s withont cvcn iufol'ming the Fonndress
of this step.

185. 159
As the reader may remember, at lier departure from
the capital, she had p1·omised to i·ehu·n in three months
when the Archhi~d10p himself was to be back, and to execute
the Bull for the monastery of Paris. Fathers Poire and
Gibalin, doubtlesR cmijecturing that things wonld not be
ùone as promptly 01· emüly as had been believed, thought
it best for the llother Found1·ess not to le.ave the city
before she hacl receiYecl sure pleclges of the realization of
nll those promises. 'rhey even seemed to hope that a mon-
astery would be erected at Lyons before the one at Paris.
Mother de lIatel dicl not slrnre these views. On her side
supernatnral lights we1·e added to hurnan prudence.
On man:r occasions, in the course of her career, the pur-
poses of which were so often crossed, she saw better and
farther than those who gave ber counsels. But even when
~he gravest interests were at stake, she never preferred
her own persona} lights to those of obedience. If, in the
present case, it was given to her to know the duration
of the delays of the establishment of the monastery of
Lyons, her submission was heroic, for she contented her-
self with saying, ''Reverend Fathers, there will be a long
time to wait. But as I left Paris only on aclvice of yonr
Fathers, I will stay at Lyons to follow yours.m
Our Lord rewarded the generous obedience of the saintly
lfother by miraculously making her know one of the rea-
sons of His delaying the institution of His Order. Let us
hear herself relate this favor. ''On the vigil of Pentecost,
in 1633, while I was 'veeping before Your lfaje~ty 'Vho
reposes in the tabe1·nacle, the throne of Your love, I heard
Your seraphs, who are the closest to Your diYine fiames,
saying to each other: Soror nostra JWJ'l)a, et ubcra 1wn
habet: qnid facicnills sorori nostrac in die quando allo-
qucnda est? Si murus est ocdifice1wus super ell1n pro-
1mgnaculn argcntca. ''Onr Sister is little and hath no
breasts. Yhat shall we do to onr sister in the day when
she is to be spoken to? If she be a wall, let us build upon
1A utogrn1)hÎC Life, ch . LXII.

186. 160 LIFl~ OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE llAr.rEL
it lmhYarks of silver.m Yhen I asked in what sense they
nse(1 these words of the Cantiele of love, they replied:
'"'J'hon art onr little sister who has 110 breasts to nonrish
the ehild1·e11 of this little Order. 'Yhen the time cornes
to speak of the tempm·al means of fonnding it, we promise
thee to p1·ocm·e from Divine Provide11ce all that is needed
to fonnd it in thy name, with -what He will give thee, for
thee to return to I-Iim, without thy having coutracted obli- .
gations towards creatures of the earth for that founda-
tion.
''Know, our sister, that the magnificent King, thy Spouse_,
thy Lord and ours, will retard its establishment until we,
by His orders, have provided all that is needed. He does
not will to fonnd the first honse of this Order through
ladies who want their time, and not His which shall corne.
He does not wish to give to another the glory of this founda-
tion. His grace, His SJJÜ'it, and His goods, that He will
give thee, will be snfüeient to found it. Be consoled and
place thy confidence in Hirn Yho wished no other material
to cover Hi m with a body but the pnre snbstance of a
virgin, and 'Vho has resolved to give thee, what He wishes
to receive back from thee, to establish His Order. Have
patience and thon shalt see great things. Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but His word shall not pass away. He
will accomplish all He has ordered ns to promh;e thee."2
It is easy to comprehend 'vhat c011solation such assur-
ance ponred into the heart of that happy sister of the
seraphs, and what tender confidence it inspil'ed in them.
'''l'herefore," she added, "'l call on them in rny needs with
as mnch faith m.; they have fidelity, and I have experienced
theil' pl'ompt snceor.'~3
Rome months late1·, she received
from thcm n signnl fayor.
As she -was complaini1i'g to Om· •Lonl of remnining so
]oHg a time without being a 1·eligions, ~lie lrnew that His
goodnes~ nl'ged theRe Spirits, who al'c all chnrity, to con-
~ole he1·. 'l1hey em·aptnred her, and, i11 the prc~euce of
tCanticl e of Canti c les , VIII. S. ~-
2Autographic Life, ch. LXYilL
3lbid e m .

187. REJ'l'URN 1'0 LYO~S 161
the Divine lIajesty, admitted her to take part in their
sacred chorus, to chant with them: Sanctus) Sanctus)
8anrtus. and to be cornmmed, like themselves, in the braziers
of infinite Iovo. '"From !hat day," she says, "l was so in-
tlamed with their living tlmne füat I saw rnyself bnrning
with tlrnt seraphi~ ffre; my heart and hosom seemed to be
a fnrnace.m
I t was necessary to take measm·es that the decision
made about the return of lIother de lIatel to Paris might
not compromise there the foundation which had already
advanced so far. It w:Js determined to send, in her place,
Mother ~.,leurin, in orcler that she might promote its ad-
vancement, and at the same time, devote herself to the
work of the foundation of the House of Providence.
One of the first to co-ope1·ate with St. Vincent de Paul
and Miss Legras, was :Mary de Lumague, · the Widow
Polallion.2
Madmne Polalli011 rernained an active mem-
ber of the Confraternities of Charity, which were like pre-
ludes to the wonderfnl institution of the Daughters of
Charity. and she devoted he1·self particularly to what 'vas
called the -YV01·k of Providence. In a house situated on
the street of the Arbelete, she had gathered eighty girls,
rescued or preserved from a life of shame. She ardently
desired that lfother de lIatel would take over the direc-
tion of it. But the mission with which the latter had been
charged, did not permit her to accede to these desires.
lfadame Polallion was not di.Rconcerted by this refusa!.
She made such an eaniest appeal to lfother de lIatel, that
she obtained from her the promise to give her one. of her
rlaughters to direct this work.
Snch was the office which the venerable lIother Fleurin
was to enter upon. In spite of her modeRty, with which
she veiled her whole life, in this new undertaking ber emin-
ent virtues were to shine forth with brilliancy. She gov-
1Autographic Life. ch. LXIV.
2She was born at Paris in Hi99 ant1 died in 1657. She enterec1 when
very young, the Orc1er of the Capuchin Nuns, but left it for reasons of
health, before llaving pronounced her vows. Sl1e was governess of the
children of the Duchess of Orleans. In 1630, she foundec1 the "Daughters
of Provic1ence" and helped St, Vincent de Paul to establish the house of
tlie New Catholics, which was endowed by Turenne.

188. 1G2 LIFI·~ OF .JEA:N ~E CHEZAnD DE lIA'.rEL
en1ed ihc mimerons and difllcult }Jen;onnel of the estab-
lishment "~ifü sueh wü~•lom as can corne only from 011 high.
Her zpa} wns lrn1·niug. Slle spared neither ]H'<typ1·~ llOl'
penmH·•~s for the ~nl vati on of souls. Often, <iod g:we ltl'r
the knowledgc of the state of souif.; whethe1· in lifc 01· :tfk1·
<ll·nth. Once, as she was l·ommending to Our Lord a poor
woman who had lost her mind, she learned that this mis-
fortune had corne when she was in the state of mortal
~in. She immediately redoubles her supplications and con-
jures the Divine Mercy to giYe that poor creature the rneans
of regaining the state of grace. She obtains for her thrce
days of perfect lucidity, during which she makes her gen-
eral confession and receives Iloly Communion, and then
relapses into her former demented state.
Not only did God show to her the })l'eseut state of souls,
but also granted her prophetic lights, the truth of "~hich
was always confirmed by future e'vents. rrhere were couuted
more than six persons, living then like saints, whose fofi-
delity she fo1·etold, which, alm~, turne<l out only too true.
On the other hand, sbe promised the return to God of cer-
tain souls from whom nothing was hoped aiid who after-
wards were sincerely con vel'te<l.
Her charity was not exercised only for the good of souls,
bnt extended to all kinds of nceds. God often ble~sed her
with mfracles. Iler Daughters of Providence attested that
they had been witnesses of scveral exüa01·dinai·y cure~~
which were acconled to h~r prayers. Ye ~hall mention
one of these :
A surgeon, while applying causti~ to a patient, bnrned
:rn al'tc1·y. 1='he nnfortmiatc woman was losing all lter
hlood. T'he most skillful physieians of Pal'is lent thei1·
nid. After nselc~s effol'ts,. all abandoned th9 case. rl'ht>
anthor of the aeci<lcnt wa8 thns "losing hiR courage with
his honor." J n accents of despair he said to ]fother FleuriJ1:
"Jfofüer, if you do not pray for me, I am lost." She i~
<lP<•ply touched. She assembles the co111mm1it,y in the chapel,
lia~ the I1oly Sacrifice offe1·cd, 1·cccivcs Holy Communion,
:rnd wlH•11 (hc ~[assis ovcr, t-hc p:d icnt i~ i111111e<liatcly cm·c<l.

189. 163
But Mother Flenrin won the confidence and veneration
of all her danghters less by these special gifts than by her
virtues, especially by her humility, obedience, love for pov-
erty, and her continuons prayer. :M. le Tachet, a holy
priest who was the eonfessor of the honse, seeing this soul
called to a state of high perfection, made a study of how
to assure her spil'itual progress and to humiliate her. He
ordered her to givc an aeeount of ber interior to a person
of the COllllllllllÎty and to mrow to her, every day, the faults
into which she had fallen. rrhe ~Iother embraced this prac-
tice 'Yith such generosity, th at she verformed it on ber
knees. .The expre~·sions she then nsed revealed such con-
tempt for herself, that the person who had received the
order to listen to these confi dences and to reply to them
with dry reprimands, even when she saw no reason for so
doing, was filled with admiration fo r the liother and with
shame for herself.
The holy Directress was ingenious to mortify herself.
Often she gave all ber own food to the poor and passed
whole days 'Yithout taking any nourishment. And one of
lier d~nghters remnrked thnt '"Yrc never lwd any trouble
witJ1 her except whcn we snrprised her giving alms.m
In orcler not to lose, while governing others, the merit of
obedienee, she had made a vow to obey her confessor and
although he W<l~ mndlling to accep t t his VOY, she prncticed
it with fidelity which was heroic in its degree. r:rhus, to
obey him, dm·ing long years she dep1·iyed herself of the
hnppiness of "'earing the lwbit of the Order of the Incar-
nate Yo1·c1, nlthough this was t he ardent clesire of her heart.
Ill spite of their respect for the Yorthy Mother Fleurin,
it wa~ not she, bnt the Fmrn dres~ 'Yho wm; desfred by the
noble dmne~, who h ad thonght to endOY t he mona~tery of
ilte enpitnl. rrheil· go()<l w i ~lt e~ g1·ew ~la ck . YVlrnt appeared
po~~ible to fin i~]1 in ~orne• n1on t.h~, c11·np;g·ed 011 throngh year~.
ln 1h<' <>n cl, <l~ lH•1· ~c·1·npltic prm' i cl P1·~ had ann<nrnced io
. loiJ1p1· ch• .fniel, it ':l~ uoi ' Îtl1 i lte f111l(l~ '"hirh ih (·~<~
cl: 1 111P~ J1ncl p1·0111i~cd th:ti: the 111 0 11mdt•1·y wn:-; fo1111Cl ecl, hn i
1.All h er e i·ela t ed of lT oth er Fle urin is t aken fro m the Histor y of t h e
Fo11ndation of the Order of the In carnate Vorcl a n d fro m t h e b iograph ies
of th e first llothers in original manuscripts.

190. 164 LIF'E OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE 11.A'.rEL
with those which the seraphs had been charged to procure
for that purpose.
Finally, news was received at Lyons of the step taken
at Rome to obtain a Bull authorizing the erection of a mon-
astery in that city. 'fhis news was not what was desired
but only what was to be expected from the presumptuous
meddling of those who had taken the affair npon themselves.
Cardinal Bentivoglio com1Jlained that the petition was
not worded in the 1n·o11er form, and it was not like that from
Paris, which had been praised and approved by the Holy
Father and the Cardinals. It was necessary to begin all
over at new expense. So that this Bull cost the double of
the first, whereas, as lfother de lfatel says, '"lt co~1ld have
been obtained with almost no expense, by asking only what
had been asked for by the Rull from Paris.m
The two individnals whose incompetency received from
this fact, an evident demonstration, had not yet ended their
vexations. lfother de lfatel, from this circumstance,
thought it best to break off all relations which were so in-
jurions and painfnl. She consnlted her director, Father
Giba1in, to whom the decision W'as left. He had the courage
to ask her to continue these relations. Ce1·tain persons of
mnch goocl sense, who were witnesses of the sacrifices which
this advice aftenyards cost the Foundress, said, "That it
was not only severe but also cruel."2
Nevertl~eless, the
saintly lIother snbmittcd to it. Her faith hcard the voice
of God in obedience, and she could not dcprive herself of
this merit.
'J'his apparent rigor was only a divine süatagem of Him
who loved her so amazingly. rrhis daily cross added to the
othe1·s, which were occasioned by her efforts to accomplish
hcr mission, crented in her soul, by the nced she felt of the
•liYine ai<l, an eve1· growing eapaeity to 1·eeeive graces which
the T11rarnnte Ym·<l wishP<l to f'êlll~P to fiow into it in
êl lm ndanee.
'l'he pel'iod of Jtp1· e:u·ee1· 011 which :-;lie wns now entc1·ing
Y(IN, i11 fa et, one of the mo~ t favol'ed i11 her life. Almost
l / 11tog-raphic Lifc, ch, L X H,
:.!Ibidem.

191. RETURN TO LYO~S 165
every day Our Lord raised her spirit up to Himself aud
cornmunicated to it surprising lights. "YVhen she afterwards
gave to the directors of her soul, au acconnt of what had
been granted to her to see and understand, they were struck
with admiration. They avowed that such sublime knowl-
eclge, in a JJerson who wns a stranger to science and theo-
logical studie;;.;, could only corne from God. rrhe enlightened
directors, to whose bands Providence lwd snccessively en-
trusted her, had been unanimous in wishing her to consign
to 'vriting the lights she received. As we have seen, Our
Lord had given her the same command. At this epoch He
renews H and says to he1·: Dedi te ·in Zu1nen Gentinm. "l
have given thee as a Iight to the Natiou.','1
In her humility,
she tried to persuade herself that it woulcl be much more
proper for her to keep sileuce than to "Tite rashly about
thiug~ of Gocl. Bnt He rejoined: ,My 1
lcords are rnore val-
iiable than gold and precious s'tones,2
and it would be a
crime to let them fall into oblivion through neglect. 'Vhen
thy infirmities will no longer permit thee to write them
down immediately, have them noted in an abridged form by
thy director, to be developed afterwards by thyself, when
thon shalt be in better health. It is for this purpose that
I have made thee corne to I.yons and that I have managed
that thou shouldst have the direction of Father Gibalin."3
rrhere was indeed a solid assurance in the impartial and
Iearned control of the grave theologian, who, having con-
sented to examine what he hacl reproved, without knowing
it, said humbly: "'After haYing studied aud tanght t.heology
during long years, I found myself far from the admirable
Iights which this g1·eat soul had clrawn only from com-
nnmications with God." He also affirmed "'That having
snbjected the w1·itings of ~fother de ~Intel to the most rigor-
ous censorship lrnown to theology, he lrnd fonnd in them,
Hothing whith was not in harmony with the standard of
01·thodox faith 01· which did not agree entirely with the
1Is. XLII, 6.
2Ps. CXVIII.
üSee in Cliapter XXXI on the Testimonies, the attestations of Father
Giba lin. .!

192. 166" LH'E Ol<' .J.KANNE CHEZARD DE lIA'l'EL
teaC'hings of the Pathers of the Chm·ch or did not breathe
the perfnme of piety."
By the splendor of the lights divinely infused into the
pious Fonnclress, he soon came to observe shadows in the
science which he had acquired at the cost of such great
labor. He regTetted the loss of the time in which his spirit
avid for wisdom had been in search of knowledge other
than that whose incomparable beanty was unfolded under
his eyes. Wrhilst the humble lIother, in giving an account
of the favors which she had received, was .trying to ex-
press to him, in lrnman langnage, the ünths which she had
contemplated in their divine source, that scholar whose
mind ".,.as so positive and whose imagination was so cool,
was so em·aptured that time passed without his perceiving
its duration. It eve11 happened to him to become oblivious
of the honr for him to be prese11t at the exercises of his
own commnnity.
However, Fathe1· Gibaliiù; great admiration did not fas
cinate him. IIe wns al ways hinu~elf. He was ever austere
and desirous of fostc1·ing in lIothe1· de ~fotel the vrofound
lrnmility which tonched him more deeply th:rn all the other
grnce~ which he a<lmired in her. IIe rcbnked her unRpar-
ingly Hll(l i·e1n;oaelwd her even for faults of style which
he fonnd in her writi11gN. 'rhc holy disciple of the Incar-
nate wrord, who had received in the m·t of writing 110 lessons
but thosc of' her adorable lfaster, 8poke to Him of these
l'eproaches and eommHed Him on "·hat to do so as not to
deserve them agnin. Our Lord mfüle replies "rhich were
duuming. 'l'hns Fnthf'r Gibalin having repronched hel' for
not lrnvillg cnongh 01·flc1· m1d sequence in he1· writing·s, she
plaeed hc1· <lilîiculiy hPl'ore lier Divine 'reach('1', who repliecl:
·•Tt i~ the W<lY of srn a11 me1·ch:m tl4 who enny nll thei r goods
i11 011P ]><tek tiPd to ihPi1· llP('k, io keep in ol'(le1· the little
111e1·<·harnli~c wlii<'h il1Py h:tYP. Hut i11 the gt'(~at tdoreR, the
:drn11<l:lll<'<' ol' '<•:dllt lll:tkPN l'Î<']I llH'l'<·h:llllN pilP halPN 011
h:tl<·N wi11to11t Ol'dPt'."
1
lie ~:tid Io hp1· :tg:1i11: ""11 ÎN 11ot 1'01· :1 qHeeu, Io wliorn
Jip1· 1·0.ntl NJH>llNe 11e'c1· tÎI·es of' gi'Ïllg new jPwels miel gowrn~,
1Vriting8 of l'lotl1 c r d e Matcl, Vol. l, p. 215.

193. RETUR~ TO LYO~S 167
to pnt them in orde1·. This is the bn~iness of the l'Hlie~
in "·aiting. )Iy mnnifieence is mnch gl'eater to thee tli;rn
that of a11y king to his qneen and ){y honnty i~ enricldng
thee eontiinwlly. Let othe1·s nnanp:e these adornment~ in
the wa,v thPy ,,·i~h. The i11(1iYidna1s who thns SJ)eak to thee,
are thy page~. I t i~ their fonction to arrange the chamber
of the Sponse, as it is that of )Iy lm·e to giye nnsparingly
all that I "·ish thee ·to liaYe. Let them arrange, if they
can, the profusion of 1Iy graces which are all agreeab1e
in their loving confusion w·hich is not disorcler but admir-
able liberality.m
In fact, profnseness of wealth is a characteristic of the
n·itings of )Iother de )Iatel. The traYeler who has climbed
to the summit of a high monntain, from there, vdthout
effort, can admire the general aspect the relatfre situa-
tions. and the beauty of the yçbole view. In an instant
he Slll'Yeys the immense space 'Yhich he takes 111UCh time
to t raYerse '"hen he again descends to the plain. Thus,
from the sublime heights to which Onr Lord deigned to
I«tise that priYileged soul, it was grantecl to her to }Jlunge
lier enraptured gaze into the limitless horizons of the
diYine mysteries, and to disco-ver something of the inef-
fable fecundity of the Sacred .,.ord. In a fact or a word
of our Roly Books, there appeared to her a whole world of
Wmders. But when she lrnd corne dmn1 from her Thabor
and had to relate what she had admired in ber rnystic
ascensions, and express snccessiYely what she hacl learned
hy simple sight, this was a difficult task. Let us hear her-
self explain this:
··Seriptnre teaches us the same truths in seYeral "·ays
and nnder diverse symbols, which cliYine light rnakes me
know all at once by simple sight. No one shoulcl be aston-
ished that I am so long and prolix in my w1·itings, as I
haYe been illmnined by so many lights and by manifold
knowleclge of ~o many clifferent matters. 'Yhen the Spirit
of the Father and the Son teache8 me wonders, by His good-
ness, on ti-nths of the Scriptures, withont any d_ifficulty in
fin<ling the tln·ead, I write or speak according as the mnlti-
1Vr itings o.f :Iother d e l1ate1, Vol. 1, p. 215.

194. lGS LIFE OF JEANXE CHEZAilD DE lIATEL
tude of thoughts, which crowd me, permit. Those who are
in the water up to their knees, corne out of it as they wish;
tho8e np to their necks, as they can.m
'J'he most consi<leral>le parts of the writings of lfother de
Mntel, which have corne down to us and which we have
the happine~s to pm.;~ess in her handwl'iting, bear the date
of the six years of sighing and waiting, which she is to
pass at Lyons. and füey form a treasure of more than three
thousnnd folio pages. She there relates; almost day by
day, the graces which she receives. And her divine Spouse,
by His adorable and manifold tenderness, seems to wish
to make her forget the length of His expectations, and to
console her for the refusals virl1ich oppose the execution
of His work.
Thus, thanks to ail these aids, the pious :Mother and
her daughters will traverse, with heroic patience and ·COn-
stancy, the period of unyielding resistance, on which they
are now to enter.
1Vritings of Mother de Matel, Vol. 1, p. 400.

195. CHAPTER XI
Mother de Matel and the Opposition of Monsignor
de Richelieu
1G3±-1G37
8ome time after the corrections had been made in the
petition which, as we bave seen, was sent to Rome without
)lother de 3latel being consulted, the Bull for Lyons ar-
rived.1 'l"'his happened on August 14, 163±. It placed the
monastery to be erected ü1 the city, uuder the jurisdic-
tion of the Ordinary and the Archbishop was commissioned
to put the Bull into effect. lfonsignor Alphonse de
Hichelieu then occupied the archiepiscopal see of Lyons.
T11e reader will recall the appeal made by Mother de lfatel
to the Incarnate 'Ym·d, to obtaü1 that this prelate would
succeed :lonsignor de )[fron and the prophetic response
"'hich she had reeeiYed: '·Thon shalt be like Jephte's daugh-
ter, destined for sacrifice:' T'hese words we1·e now to be
accomplished. She who bad been the first to go out to
honor the new Primate of the Ganls, like .Jephte's daughter
was to receiYe from the month of that fnther of ber soul.
the sentence which was to dra"T from her and ber daughters
so many tears, not becanse of involuntary virginity, but on
account of the resistanee opJJOSed to their ardent desires to
otfer up, for the honor of the Incarnate 'Vord. the solemn
sacrifice of their virgiuity and of their whole being.
As soon as the Bull had been received, measures "'e1·e
faken to 1n·esent it to the Archbishop under circumstances
which werc most fayorable for its acceptance. A distin-
guished .Jesuit, whose eminent vfrtues and Ids dignity as
Provincial had acqnired for him the esteem and veneration
of all, was i·e<1nested to lle the hearer of the document to
His Eminence and io solicit from hirn its execution. 'rhis
was Father )!ilien. 'rhc preceding year, the intercession
1See on the following page the fac-simile of the Bull of Pope Urban
VIII for the monastery of Lyons.
lGO

196. 170 LIFE OF' .JE..N'.N'E CI-IEZ.IW DE lIA'l'EL
Q)
,...
.....
<H
0
<l.J

197. OPPOSITION OF iCOXSIG~on DE nICHI<JLHDU 171
of Mother de ~fatel haù ~nntêhed him from the jaws of
death. The g1·eat age of the holy i·eligious and the ex-
freme grayity of his malady, left 110 hope of saving his
life. But the T11cm·11ate Yord replied to the supplications
of His beloved sponse, by letting· ber taste some of the
beatitnde whieh He had prepared for His faithful se1·v~nt,
and sho""ecl her the place whete his body was destined
to repose ""hile mYaiting the glol'ies of the resnrrection.
Yithout allowing herself to be disconraged, Mother de nfatel
continued her earnest appeal and repeated: ·•Dear Lord,
l pray You that this Father may not leave ns so soon. He
i8 a saint who wil1 increase llis merits dnring the few more
years of life that I ask for him and for whom Yom· Provi-
dence will rese1·ve the happiness of which it "·onld now
wish to put him in possession.m
The Divine lIaster was vanqnished by this çonfidence
and promised to i·estore health to the veuerable patient.
'rhis promise was soon renl ized. The cure was remm·Irnble
and all felt sure tlwt from thenceforward Fathe1· ~Iilieu's
devotedness wouhl ertnal hi:-; inflnence. :November 30, 1634,
feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, was a memorable day for
the pions Foundress.
From the dnwn of that day, the Inem·nate Y01·d caused
His graces to overflo~v in the soul of His dcar sponse. He
recalled to her how Abraham had hoped even against hope,
and hmv God, who gives life to the dead and calls him
who is nothing ont of his nothingness had made him accord-
ing to His 'vorcl, the Father of a multitude. He nssured
her that if she ha(l confidence in His 1n·omises, Hè wonld
gfre he1· a]so a numerons and blesscd progeny, that His
Providence woul<l precede he1·, and that His me1·cy would
follow her, all the days of he1· life. ""Keep thy spirit in
peace," He addcd, "'throngh ~Ie app1·oa('h my Divine Father,
with the c01itidencc of a ehilcl. 'J:'his Father of mercies
Will behold thy vatience in the COll h-ndictions thon shalt
endure. Thy hope in Hirn slrnll not be coufounded. Ris
1Autogr a phic L ife, ch . L XVI.

198. 172 Lllq~ OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MNl'EL
charity will be poured into thee by the Holy Spirit takillg
np His abode in thy heart.m
'l'hese divi11e advances filled the heart of l1other de
Matcl with consolation but gave her a presentiment of
trials. She was generons and confident and lovingly sub-
mitted to them. Vith the Royal Prophet, she continued
to repeat: Paratmn cor m cu·1n) D cns) paratwn cor 11ieu111i.
"lIy heart is lWepared, 0 God, my heart is prepared."2
Then
drawing courage from the example of the holy Apostle,
under whose patronage Providence had placed the impor-
tant step which was to be taken on that day, she exclaimed:
" Saint .Andrew saluted the cross with such tender words
that they would sound tlattering, were they ·not addressed
to a gibbet, and if they did not corne from the abundance
of a heart which holy love filled with joy and dilated in
tribulation."3
These sentiments of the great lover of the cross pene-
trated the soul of the pions liother and beamed on her
conntenance. 'rl1e J esuit, Father Balthasar de Villars, hav-
ing corne to see her, said to her: '•lfothr-r, how joyous you
appear today !" ''Father, it is God 'Yho is filliHg me with
joy while Father Milieu is presenting the Bull to His
Eminence from whom he will receive only a refusa!. If your
Heverence will wait here for half an hour, you will witness
the distress of the good Father who, Ç.isheartened, will corne
to say to me, with his usual lrnmility and with a shrug of his
shoulders, that any one else would have had better success
and that His Eminence is unwilling to execute our Bull."
''And this is the reason why yon are glad ?" "Yes, Father,
for how can I be sorry when God has been preparing and
consoling me, sinee I awoke this morning !" 4
':L"'his conversation had not cndcd when the venerable
Father lfilieu arrivcd and verified her previsions in every
point. Hecding ouly her own exquisite delicacy of feeling,
she secmed to forget her trial and to be occupied only
with the regrets of the holy religions, assuring him that
1 Autographi e Li fe, c h . LXVI.
2P8. LVI.
3lbidem .
.Jlbi<l e m.

199. OPPOSrt'ION o~~ lIONSIG~OR DE RICIIELIEU 173
she and her danghters would ever be as grateful for his
undel'taking in presenting the Bull to the Archbishop, as
ihey wonld have been had this ~tep met with the success
which his zeal had inspire<l him to hope. "'l1he heart of
His Eminence i~ in the bands of God," she added, '""rho
will incline it as Ile pleases. Ilis holy will be done. The
honr for the establishment of the Ordel' of the Incarnate
"rord is not yet come.m
After Mother de ~fatel had borne the brunt of this first
assault, Our Lord -did not abandon her who was suffering
for His sake. The next day, while assisting at Mass, she
saw the Roly Spirit under the form of a dove with extended
wings covering her bosom as with a shield. I t was the
visible image of the invisible but sensible protection with
which she was powerfully surrounded. And in the course of
that day, Father Gibaliu having sent her a few lines to
nscertain hmv she had received the Cardinal's refusa!, she
answered: "that her soul was in perfect peace, even as the
abode of Solomon, guarde<l by sixty forts of Israel; and
that neither Satan nor sadness had been permitted to
approach her with their darkness."2
Towards evening, when she had gone to the chapel, she
sa.rs: ''He 'Yl10 is everywhere,b.r His immensity, came to
meet me and with such charity that I fell into an ecstasy
from the. delights with which He filled my soul which He
µlunged into the torrents of His joys, and I heard the words:
Pm·vus fans qui crevit in fluvill1n et in lucem solemque con-
üer8us est) et in aquas plurimas refnndavit. (•The little
fountain which grew into a river and was turned into a
light, and into the sun and abonnded into many waters."3
He said to me: '"lIy well-beloved, thon art that little
fountain which shall become a great river and that light
which shall become a snn. 'rlrnt sun shall illumine lIy
Church, and that river of lIy graces shall fiow into it 'vith
an abundance of science and eloquence. 'l"'he Roly Spirit
hath placed Himself over thy heart, as a shield, to parry
1A utographic Life, ch. LXVI.
2Ibidem.
3E~ th e r, X , 6.

200. 174 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
all the ülows which th1ne enemie·s shall wish to strike thee.
In the slrndow of His 'Yin°·s llv dauo·hter re1"oice in clinO'-b ' .r b ' • b
ing to His goodness. My i·ight ha11d hath taken hold of
thee, to render thec insensible to all contrndictions. He
who slrnll tond1 thec, shall tonch the apple of lIine eye
Joviugly fixed n1JOn thee. My daughter: E cce c.r;o m ittam
in fundamcntfa Sion lapidcm, lapidcni probatum , angularem.
prrtioswn in fnndamcnto fundatum. Qui crcdidcrit. non
fc8tinct. "'Behold I will lay a stone in the foundation of
Sion, a tried stone, a corner stone, a precious stone, founded
in the fonndation. He that helieveth, let him not hasten.''1
She repl ied: ''lIy SaYior, it pertains only to You to lay
ihe fonndation of Yom· Institute, since it will be founded
npon You 'Yho are the corner stone and the precions stone.
Since Your goodness has promised and sworn by Yonrself,
that Yon will establish Your Order, I believe that Yon will
accomplish it, and this is why I am not in a hurry."2
It is on this divine corner stone that Mothe1· de Uatel
and her work will rely as their only support. Frequently
when God, throngh the bands of a woinan, wishes to i·aise
in the Clrnrch a new standard of religions perfection, He
gives ber the 1woteetion and support of one of His most
illustrions servants. It is with the. co-operation of the
austere St. Jerome that St. Paula succeeds in forming
lH:r numerons com·t for the divine King of Bethlehem. It
iR nnder the dh·ection of he1· b1·othcr, St. Benedict, that
St. Scholastica lays the foundation of the Benedictine
.A hbeys vhich were to be multiplied thronghont the 'yorld
and give so mauy saintly women to Heaven. It is by the
cxnmple and m1der the guidance of the seraphic Francis
of A~sisi, that St. Clai·e blazes the pnths -of the most
go:;.;pel-like povel'ty. In fine, foi· we caimot cnmnerate them
all, it ]s from the a1·dent sonl of St. Chantal and the gentle
genins of Rt. Fl·ai1eis de Rales tltat tlw 01'<kr of the Yisita-
tion is horn.
lH ~lot he1· de ll aicl'N ease i t i ~ not tlurn. The h1 caruate
W'"01'(l w«ts m1willing to share with m10ther the title of
llsaias. XXVIII. Hi.
21utogrnplii c Life . ch . LXYf.

201. OPPOSI'l'lON OF' lIONSIG~OR DE IUCHELIEU 17f5
Fouuder of His Order. As in His temporal birth, He chose
to have no father from among men, and W'Îshed to owe
His life only to a vfrgiu; so He desired that there should
be no instrument of this second and mystic birth besides
the virgin whom He had favored by His grâce and whûm
He wished ever to cover with His special protection. ~rhus
Mother de ~Iatel always received only particular or tem-
poral'y help from those who wel'e most clevoted to her. 'l'he
Incarnate 'Yord alone neYer failed ber. He refused her
the support of men, but did not spare her their contra-
dictions of 'Yl1ich her life was one tissue. But He made her
finc1 snpereminently in Ilimself what she was deprived of
on the part of creatnres. "Yhat passed in the solemu cfr-
cumstances which we have just related is a proof of this.
wre have already obsel'ved it and we shall notice it again.
The reader may ask what motives inspired so pions
and charitable a prelate as Cardinal R.ichelieu with such
opposition to the work entrusted by Heaveu to lIother de
)fatel. -::'_~ot only had the conduct of the venerable Mother
and her daughters neYer merited the least blame, but the
perfmne of their virtues had spread abroad and permeated
the entfre_city. The lnunble Foundress in particular had
won at first sight the heart and confidence of all. She
"Tas the objeet of m1iversal veneration. 'l'he care inspired
by her maternai gooclness for the education of the children
confidecl to her, caused it to be said that nowhere were
yonng girl~ so well edncated as in the home of 1Iother de
jfatel. Thus the pastoral solicitude of the Archbishop had
nothing to fear from the Congregation. 'l111ence not mo-
tiYes of ~eal but reasons of human prudence hacl led him
to re~ol Ye not to erect the mon astery.
Am011g the personages of distinction who were most
h1te1·e~tell in the fonnclation of the Order of the Incarnate
Yonl, was ~fn<huue <1<' ncaurcganl, née g1eanor de Coligny,
a 1·clativc of Cal"<li11al Hichl1
1i•_·n. Hc1· dcvotion to Our Lonl
:rn<l hcl' affeeti011 f01· ~Iothcr (le 31atel, had made her takc
the 1·c~olutio11 of emlowing the mo11aste1·y which was de-
Ri1·c<l at Ly011s. Rhe hatl wished to have her name appem·
in the petitio11 ~eut io nome for the Bnll of erection and

202. 176 LIU'E OL1, .JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
promised to give twelve thousand crowns toward the foun-
dation.
The zeal of this noble beuefactress was perhaps more
ardent tlrnn prudent. At the time she pledged herself to
give this suni, hel' finaucial affairs were much entangled,
yet she was full of hope for the future. All the Arch-
bishop's persum;ions to make her abandon her plan, were
useless. But he was not a man to yield readily. In order
to frustrate the projects of lfadame de. Beauregard, he re-
solved to refuse his anthorization for founding the mon-
astery. If lfother de lfatel had been less tactful or humble,
she conld have tried to gain the good will of the Cardinal
by offering to bear alone the expense of the foundation,
since she knew that finally she wonld have to do so, as
the Incarnate Yord had informed her that no means to
establish the Order would be forthcoming, except those
which He Himself wonld give for that pnrpose. She never
manifested to Madame de Beauregard that her zeal was
burdensome, nor offered to snbstitnte herself for that lady
as Fonndress of the tempo1·alities of the monastery.
However, this reason was not the only cause of lfon-
signor Alphonse de Richelien,s opposition. He had a spe-
cial interest in the couvent of the Ursulines of Lyons, in
which several of his relatives, among others the claughter
of lfadame de Beauregard, had taken the veil. · A lady
of high rank, who in this sharcd the sentiments of her
.Archbishop, represented to him, in and ont of season, the
hann wh ich the Congregation of the Incarnate l'Vord was
doing to that establishment, by the nnmber of children
of the hest families whom lfother de lfatel was cdncating
and by the incrcasc of disti11guiNhed subjects whom she
was reeci ving. 'rhe Cardinal was uot i11sensible to these
gTieVHHCe~. TJe dt}~fred th:Ü, instead of attempting to insti-
tutc nn Onle1·, whose uame and habit seemerl to him so
~iHgulm·, llother <le llatcl woul<l consccl'ate herself to God
in the c011vc11t of the lfrsulines. It would have been a
joy to him to sec thcrn acquire a snbject of snch grcat
mc1·it. He, thc1·efo1·e, showcù himself inexorable ngainst

203. OPPOSlTIO:T OF MONSIG:'OR DE RICHELIEU 177
ber "York, although he had great esteem for her personally~
as we know from nwny proofs.
As to the venerable lIother who was so often called
the Dovc without gall, the~e things were all supernatural-
ized in ber heart by divine charity, and transformed into
the "vill of God by sentiments of religions love and filial-
submission towards the prelnte who was wounding ber
soul with the rnost painful S"vord with which it coulcl be
transpierced. She fervently recommended him to God in
her prayers, and interestecl herself in everything that con-
cernecl him. SeYeral times Our Lord responded to this
generous intercession by reyealing to her secret and pro-
phetir tliings concer11iug lfonsignor Alphonse de Richelieu
and his brother, the Cardinal Minister.
This became known or perlwps was only surmised. The
Jwbitual Iiberalities of Jesus towards His devoted servant
could have caused it to be suspected. The Archbishop
of Lyons showed himself desirous of knowing what the
Incarnate 'Yord had manifested regarding himself. On one
occasiou, among other things, he interrogated Mother de
lfatel on this subject. She hesitated to answer, as for
the present she had nothing consoling to tell liim. '"What,
my daughter," he said to her in Latin, as he knew she
understood that langnage, '"is there no longer any oracle
in Jerusalem ?" She S})Oke, telling him that the Divine
~faster was not pleased with his resistance to the execu-
tion of His designs, and tlrnt He would b~ afflicted with
dropsy frorn which, after g1·eat suffering, he w~uld suc-
cumh. The Cardinal was not vexed at the frankness which
he had exacted; his was a stern charader and the pre-
<liction seemed not to worry him. However, the future
Yel'ified the oracle of the Inearnate "rord.
In 1G3J, Father Carré, Snperior of the Dominican
~oYitiate at Paris, who, as may be recallecl, had personally
experienced the effect of the p1·ayers and predictions of
~lother de Mate1, begged her in a secret missive, to inter-
ccde with specia1 ardor for "I-Iis ducal Eminence and to

204. rep01·t to Father Carré what Our Lorcl would make knowu
to her.m
Hichelieu was on the point of making France intervene
in the ':rhirty Years Yar. W'"as it he himself. "'Yho, at the
moment of making the grave decision tlrnt aronsed so much
hlnme. lrncl procnred this secret consultation of the con-
1idante of the Incarnate Tord'? It was not imvo~sible.
His dealings with his brother, the Archbishop o_f Ly01rn.
show that Mother cle ~Iatel was not nnknown to him. and
that he ésteemed he1· becanse of her lights and virtnes.
The reqnest of Fathe1· Carré at first caused some em-
hanassment to the good )Jother. For many years she had
bee11 praying for the Cardinal Jiinister, but had never
asl~ed Almighty Gocl to make known to her anything re-
gai·ding him. 1t Yas not her habit to question Onr L01·d
throngh curiosity. She says humbly: ""Yhen Yon please
Yon teach me wbat You w·ant me to know.n2
On this oc-
casion. her sulm1issiveness makes ber lny asicle he1· habitnal
1·eserve. Yith all the cm1clor of her faith she alleges to
Our Lord that whereas Father Cnrré has been ber con-
fes~m·, she cornes in obeclience to him to learn wlrnt arnnver
to give hirn. rrhe good :Mastel' acce1)t~ her discrect and
simple pnlyer. He shmvs her a verdant, bndding rocl and
says io hc>1·: ··~Iy clanghter. it is I 'Yho have chosen Car-
<1inal Hiehelien to lend France and to cause the aston-
ishment of all Europe. Yith the rod Yhich yon see, he
will 1<.l:-H1 the people. T wi1l manifc>st My power in the
arrnie~ which lie will direct. As I confoundecl the counscl:--;
of ...A<·llifophel.. f h«we confonnrled and slrnll confonnd the
1·onn~c]i-; ngni11~t Hid1elien. He shnll pa~f' throngh the He<l
Ren of confrnclictiorn~ of nw11 and demon~, T Rlrnll show
that )fy 1·iµ;ht lrn11d works thr011gh him more tlrnn th1·ongh
nie 01'<1 iwny :rn <1 cxt i·nor<l irnu·y p1·m1cn('C of a Ill Ïll i~ter of
8i:li e.''
011<> of the 11101·<• I'<'<'PM hiN(o1·i;tn:--; of' lfot·he1· <1e llatel
jn<lic·io11~ly ;1:--;kN witli n~g-m'(1 to thi:-; :tffai1·: "111 this com-
1111111i<·ntLoll frorn on high, we1·e thc1·e m1.r w<ml~ of hlmnc'?
1. utogTaphic Life, C'h. LXV.
~lfi id Pm.

205. OPPOSITION OF lIONSIG~OR DE RICHELIEU 179
'tihe1·e is noihing that prevents us from snpposiug it. But
there is 110 proof tlrnt the Fournlress was charged to transmit
them. She _was not obliged to diynlge them iu a document
destined to pnss nuder the eyes of the brother of the all-
powerful minister." ...ml if the letter addressed to Father
Carré contained re,relations of this nature, they are not men-
tioned in the documents "Thich are in our possession.
Yhile ·~lother de )latel was shoydng such interest be-
fore God in the welfare of the two illustriou_s brothers.
seyeral persons of distinction, stimulated by their devo-
tion to her and her mission, were i1Ieading her cause be-
fore the Cardinal of Lyons; without being commissioned
by her for this purpose. The Count d'Eveine, the Provost
of the )lerchants. ~fr. de Pure and, eYen the Aldermen, were
making efforts to obtain the consent of the prelate, but
·without success. Finally, the whole dty arose. 'rl1e Yen-
eration for Mother de ~Iatel and interest in ber 'york Yere
so great in Lyons, that the inhabitants of that city resoh"ed
to make a eollectiYe effort to indnee the Cardinal to execute
the Bull which would erect the Congregation of the Incar-
nate Y'"ord into a religions Order. A petition, whose length
obliges us to refer it to the appendix and whieh does as
much honor to the zeal of those who formulated it as to
the virtues of those in whose fm'"or it 'Yas made, ,yas pre-
sentecl to the Cnrdinal.1
It rendered homage to the piety
~nd good deeds of the i1relate and conjured him to add
to these the favor which was so g1·eatly desired. It over-
threw m·gnments which could be clrawn from the newness
of the Institnte or from the great number of those "Thich
already existecl. Finally, it emphasized the ad,Tantages
which tlie city boped to clerive from this establishment
and frorn the merit of the Foundress. Bnt all these efforts
were fruitless. ~rhe unanimous prayer of his people. whom
he cleeply loYed, hacl no effect on the Archbishop's decision.
He merely replied: '"No Incarnate "ord for me. Let no
one talk to me about it."2
1 See this petition. Pièces justificatives, Note B.
20riginal manuscripts of the foundation of the Order of the Incarnate
Vorc1.

206. 180 LIFE Oij' JE.ANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
The news of these attempts and of their results must
have bcen ve1·y bitter for lfother de lIatel ! And, yet, in
the delicacy and hurnility of her saintly heart, she felt
more pain, as she avows, from the importunings which her
Prelate had to undergo ou ber aecount, than from his
refusals. But He, fQr 'Vlwm she W'"as snffei·ing, took care
to console her. ''From the feast of St. Andrew, 1634," she
says, "up to the Lent of 1635, Your liberalities to me seemed
to have changed their name: they were excesses.m
These aids from the Charity of her good lfaster, were
given to prepare her for the painful trial which she was
again to experience from the band of her Archbishop. This
hand, which she venerated even when it was piercing anew
the wonnd it had caused her, was on the point of striking
a most painful blow. Cardinal Alphonse de Richelieu was
sent by the King, on an important mission to the Roly
See, and left for Rome in the spr·ing of 1635. Before leav-
ing Lyons, he conferred with his Vicar General on the
intere~ts of each one of the Comnrnnities of his diocese and
commended them to his care. But when the Vicar General
mentioned to him the Congregation of the Incarnate Word
he replied sharply: "'l"'hey are no daughters of mine. I
shall inform myself at Rome of the way in which their Bull
was obtained.m
.When these words came to the knowledge of the poor
JJother, she was broken-hearted. At that moment she re-
called the maledictions which fell from the pen of the
prophet Osee, and she said: ""Dear Lord, are You not ap-
plying to me the words: roca cam absquc 1niscricordia.
Call her without mercy: and to all of Yonr daughters:
Non zwpnlns meus: Yon are not lfy people."3
It was cer-
tainly nothiug of the kind. Sorrow alone could cause such
1.A utographic Life, ch . LXVII.
2Ibidem .
In f:l ct, th e first care of the Prelate after arriving at Rome, was
to g0t information on this affair. Ve have b efore us the Extra.et from
t he B ull of er ection taken from th e Roman Archives, and declaring the
a uthentic ity of th e Bull of crection of the Ordcr of the Incarnate Vord
fo r the convent of Lyons. This important document is dated April 24,
1G35.
aOsce, l , 6, 9.

207. OPPOSITIO~ Oli' l'.lü~SIGXOH DE IUCHELIEU 181
a fear to peneüate that heart wbich was so tenderly loved
by Jesus.
He, the1·cfore, hastened to i·eply : Ego swn Pastar bonus:
cognosco oves meas et côgnoscunt me nieac. Sicut 11ovit
me Pater et e.qo agJzosco Patrcm) et animam me(l}n pono
pro oribus meis. •'I am the Good Shepherd: I know My
sheep a11d ~line know Me. As My Father knoweth Me I
also know lIy Father. I lay down My life for ~Iy sheep.m
'J'he Shepherd of shepherds was the only and infinitely Good
Shepherd of His little flock. He knew His sheep and He
loved them enough to lay down His life for them. Yhat
should they fear?
This assurance was timely. The Cardinal vas not three
lcagues from Lyons before the ne"'S of his sentiments to-
wards the infant community was known throughout the
.eity, and parents of young women who were preparing to
receive the habit of the Incarnate Tord, despairing that
this favor would ever be granted them, came to demand
back their daughters, in order to place them in other mon-
asteries. Several allowed themselves to be persnaded to
leave the Congregation. Indeed some who had no parents
to shake them in their vocation, took this resolution them-
selves.
The contagion of discouragement would now infect all
the souls of ber Congregation and annihilate ber 'vork.
Yhat can the Foundress do? Ought she reanimate con-
fidence in the divine promises made in favor of that Order
or should she yield to the storm? ~lother de Matel never
took counsel from the promptings of her own spfrit. She
always sought God's will only, to ful:fill it afte1~wards at
the price of any sacrifie@. Thus God permitted Himself
to be found by this upright soul and responded to all ber
questionings with snch clearness that afterwards she fondly
called Him ber Divine Oracle. She, therefore, had recourse
to prayer.
Yhile in prayer, Our Lord said to her: "My daughter.
be not afflicted by the Joss of those of thy danghters who
will abandon thee. The dragon must take a'vay from thee
1.Tohn, X, 14, 15.

208. 182 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
oue-thfrd, as fo1·mel'ly he caused une-third of the stars to
fall from Heaven. rrhose whom he will draw away, "~ould
be cornets of woe in My Order rather than stm·s. They
an~ the ones whorn thon hast desiguated to Father Gibalin
ns not being ~mited for 1Iy Order. rrake no action. Con-
üibute in no way .to their depal'tnre and thon shalt see
nll things come to pass as I have told thee.m
'Yith such pI'ecise data, the good lIother could appre-
ciate_, at their value, both the exteut of her own sacrifices
:tnd the mel'cy which regulated their object. She could
only bow clown in loviug submission. IIowever, she allowed
herself to ask a fa Yor for one of her danghters, in whom
she had observed ene1·gy in striving for the acquisition
of virtne~ in whidt she was deficient. "Dear Lord," she
~mid, '"l have in·omised not to sentl her away and she has
courage 1o tend to pel'fection." IIer adorable lIaster with
tonching condescension i·eplied: ""Vhat thon sayest is
üue, but she won1d cause thee mmoyances which thon
couldst not snffer. 1-"'hon shalt not send her away, but I
)[yself will take her away, and in the place where she shall
be, she will suffer so that she may acqnfre humility.'~ 2
'l"'he future vel'ified wi th exactuess all these wonls of
the Divine Oracle. Ont of the thfrty subjeds whom the
Congregation conuted on the departure of the Archbishop,
there soon remained ouly twenty. Following the example
of the Inc.anrnte V01·d, Vho, after the defections at Caphar-
nanm, said to the Apostles: NunHJnicl et vos _vnltis abi1'c?
..no you, alf-;o, wiRh to go away from lIe '?"3
the worthy
Fonnd1·ess <lf-;Sembled the little fiock whkh remained with
her aml addressed thern iu iJiese terms: ··My dear dangh-
ters and Sisters, yon have seen how the Cardinal on his
depal'tnre foi· Ilorn<' did not 1n·orn i~e to make us religions.
lmt Raid to the ..:n·hde~1eo11 that he wished
1
to find out how
0111· Hull was ohtained. rrhis docs not signify that on
hif-; 1·etm·11 lie will or will not make ns religions. I recom-
rnend now, <lR 1 haYe nlways done, thnt you pray for him.
II is jonrney lrn~ been a· speeinl providence for the Order.
l .:utograpllic Lifc, ch. LXVII.
2fbi(l em.
::i.Tolm, VI, GS.

209. OPPOSI'l'ION OF 1IONSIGNOR DE UICHELIEU 18;3
Our I..ord has made use of it to give to those whom Ile
does not wish to belong io it, an apparent and just pre-
text of withdrawing, so as to spare me the pain which
they wonld have caused me. I have nothing to say of
thern, except that the.r we1·e not destiued for this Orcler.
If other monasteries are "~i lling to receive you, I will not
take it ill, and I will testify to the satisfadion which you
have giveu by your concluct and your efforts to arrive at
pel'fection. If the exertions of yonr parents to lu.1ve .ron
received el~ewhere, are unsuccessful, and yon desire to
remain in the Cong1·egation, I will keep yon and will not
nbandon yon."1
'l1he veuerable Sister Elizabeth Grassetean then tlu·ew
he1·self at the feet of ~Iother de lIatel, and, like anotlle1·
St. Peter, snid to her: ""Denr Mother, to whom shall we
. go'? I who have left all to follow yon, have no thonght
of aband9ni11g yon. I wonhl die of sorrow, if ·I were to
be separated from you.' '~ All the others likewise fell at
her feet and protested thnt they would never have any
one else for tlwi1· ~Iother, promising to 1·espond to her
maternnl gooclness, by their entire submission and devoted-
:ness.
'l1he tender and finn charity of the Foundress hnd thus
put an end to all hesitation and eleared the horizon of the
last clolHls which wonld have hindered it from being dis-
tinctly outlined. Like lier J>ivine ::Iaster, she lrnd the con-
~olntion of b~ing able to say: ""l have not lo~t any one
of those whom Yon gaye me.'' AU those to whom He had
p1·orniscd to grnnt the g1·ace of perseverance, showe<l them-
selves faithful. He1· beart wns dilated with joy arn1 grati-
tude. She said: ··How contented m.r spirit felt at seeing
tlrnt those ,~dwm Yon chose, we1·e i·esol ved to follow Yon
nn d to Ion· one nnothe1· ns they do in Yom· love."3
Fath e1· • i ilm1i11 YHS stnH'k lJy the mathemn tical pre-
<'Îsi 011 wi1h whi<'h was ''el'Îfied the word of Our Lonl gfren
io )fo1he1· <l<1
JlatPL thnt mH1
-1hil·tl of hel' daughters would
HhalldOll he1·, <lll<l hc gladJy <titeF'lC<l io the l·edo11hli11g Of
J ..: utographic Life, ch, LXVII.
·~ 1hid em.
Jlhidem,

210. 184 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
fervor and increase in love for their vocation produced
by the trial which they had undergone, in those who had
remained faithful. In order to reap the full fruit of these
dispositions he gave the comrnunity the spiritual exercises
of a retreat. During these days of benediction, grace super-
abounded in all their souls. Some received such spe.cial
lights on the favor done them by the Incarnate 'Vord in
making tbem the foundation stones of His holy Order,
that, to testify their gratitude to Him and to defend them-
selves against any thought of ever being unfaithful, they
begged Father Gibalin's permission to make the vow of
perpetual chastity and another vow to live and die in
the Congregation, in the pursuit of· the establishment of
the Order of the Incarnate Word.
Sorne time afterwards, on the feast of the Ascension,
Fathcr Gibalin made known to Mother de l1atel these prom-
ises of her daughters, and advised her also to make them.
From her tender childhood she had made the vciw of per-
petùal chastity, and Our Lord had given her such lights
nnd graces to show her His will that she should labor
for the foundation of this Order, that she considered it
would be a sin against the Roly Ghost if she resisted.
She did not see how she could make a vow to do some-
thing to which she felt so strongly bound, and she desîrecl
to consult her dear daughter, Elizabeth Grasse.teau, on the
subject.
~rhe venerable Sister had uot had the remotest idea
of such a vow. "Dear lfother," she said, "I have such a
strong resolve never to leave either the Congregation or
your company that there is no neeù for me to take the
vow of presevc1·ance.m 'rhey both agreed to pray fervently
mHl asked Father Gilrnlin to celebrate several lIasses that
the will of God might be manifest in this matter.
011 the fca:-;t of Col'pns Christi, Onr Lord te8tified to
~Ioth er de lfatCll that it would be agreeable to Him if
shc maùe thi:-; vow. Shc ~o i1tfonncd Father Gibalin, and
in eoncc1·t with him decideù that on the octave of that
f'east, ~hc and her daughtcrs should make solemnly to the
1Au tographic Life, ch . L XVII.

211. OPPOSITIOX OF ~IOXSIGXOU DE RICHELIE U 185
Tncarnate .,.ord the offering which He desired frorn them.
The interyening time Yas consecrated to exercises of fer-
ent preparation-silence, profound recollection, prolonged
meclitations, penances, public and prfrate acts of humi1ity.
Finally_. on Thursclay, June 14, 1633. the octaYe of
Corpus Christi, the Divine ~Iaster reaped the first fruits
of this new harest of sal,ation and grace Yith which His
dfrine charity wished the ever fertile field of our Holy
)lother the Church to be enriched. Father Gibalin cele-
brated Holy )Iass in the chapel of the Congregation. At
the moment of the Communion, he adYanced to the choir
grille, haYing the ciborium in his hand_, while the pious
Foundress, holding a lighted candle~ knelt at the com-
munion rail and, in a loud Oice, read the follmdng formula
which she had written with her blood:
")Iost august and most adorable Trinity, Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost, I, Jeanne de )Iatel, although the least
of Your serants and the most unworthy of Your creatures,
confiding in Your diYine Goodness urged by the desire of
sering You and by a special loYe for the most adorable Per-
son of the Incarnate Yorcl, J esus Christ, and the mysteries
which He wrought for our Redemption, and wishing to
recognize the affectionate love that Ieads Him to dwell
amongst us in the Blessed Eucharist, as also to honor the
Jmmaculate Conception of the glorious Yirgh1, His )Iother,
and desiring to contribute according to my weakness to
the glory of His Holy Xame do Yow to Your Dfrine )Iajesty,
in the presence of the same glorious Yirgin, of her dear
Rpouse, St. Joseph, and of the whole heayenly court, perpet-
ual chastity, to liYe and die in the holy Congregation of the
Incm·nate ...ord, ne,er to abandon the pur pose, inspired by
Him, of establishing this Congregation as a religions Order,
in which the Incarnate ...ord may be perpetually and spe-
cially serYed and aclored. I , therefore, conjure Your goocl-
ness, by the bonds of Your infinite charity, by the merits
and blood of the Incarnate Yord, J esus Christ, by the
powerful intercession of His Immaculate )Iother and of
Hi8 beloved Foster-fath er, t o accept the sacrifice which

212. 186 LIFl.J OF .JEANNE CHEZAnD DE lIATEL
"" ,' 11 ~
~ ~I
I1' n cs irnilP of tll e Formula of Yows wllich Mother cle Matel wrote
a !Hl s igne<l with ller own f)Jood .

213. OPPOSI'J'ION OF' :IONSIGNOR DE RICHELIEU 187
T make of my body and my liberty, as an odor of sweetness,
and to grant me abundant grace to accomplish it. Amen.
JEANNE DE MATEL.''
After ' Uother de Matel had thus solemnly consecrated
herself to the Incarnate Vord and to the mission which
He had confidecl to her, He gave Hirnself to her in Holy
Comùrnnion. Nine of her daughters made similar engage-
ments in the same terms, "·hich the majority had also
written in their own blood. Vithout the vows which would
make them religions of the Incarnate JYord and without
the consolation which had been refused to them, this was
the most irrevocable donation of their souls- which they
could make to the divine Sponse and to the blessed work
in which they lrnd been permitted to co-operate.
'fhis first and solemn consecration to the Incarnate
'Vord, was the strong and proli:fic root of His Order. Vhat
would, at first sight, seem only a weapon for a special
occasion, a means of rendering invincible the first clangh-
ters of the Incarnate Yord, in the midst of the assaultR
made on their pr~severance, was, in the plan of that divine
Dispenser of gr-aces, the inviolable seal which Re wished
to place on the fnvor with 'vhieh He wonld regar·d the souls
whom He would call to His Order. This engagement of
liYing and dying in the Order has been petpetnated by
a vow 'vhich each professed adds to the three vows of re-
ligion, and which places ber in the impossibility of ever
exchanging the priceleRs pearl accorded her for what she
might be}jeve a greater good. 'fhe terins in which the
pions Founclress and her first companions offored them-
~eh·es to the Incarnate Y01·d, have remained, with the·
addition of wlwt concerns tlie vow~ and their va1idity, the
sfü·red fol'llrnla by wh ich the religions of Hil-i Order con-
~e<.Tn te thc.lrn~eln·s to Tlirn in thc·ir profeRRiou. ~Io1·eover,
ilH• <hly of the oci-:t'l' of' CoqmR Cl1ri:·di ha~ heen ehosen
f'm· onC' of Ut0 i wu ~o1em11 i·(•110va ti 011 ~ w11 ieh tnkP p1n<'P
i11 the h1~tii11ie en:•1·y yenr.
Tc11e1·a1J]e ~iste1· Cathe1·iue Flcul'i11 1tad 1Jeeu i11fm·me<.l
of the great act which the Sisters of the Cougregation

214. 188 LIFID OF JEANNE C'HEZARD DE l1Arl'EL
were preparing to make, and she received its formula at
Paris. Thence on June 14, she was able to pronounce
it in the church of the Fathers of the Society of J esus,
and, by the oblation of herself to the Incarnate ,'Vord, to
join those whom distance so painfully separated.
'fhree month~ later, Mother Margaret Gibalin also took
the same engagements. Before taking this important_ step,
she had had to walk painfnlly in the rough road of tribula-
tions. She had just completed a secon~ triennial as Super-
ioress, during which time the hardest trials had given to
her devotedness an occasion to manifest all her resource-
fulness and heroism. Four of her Sisters had been at-
tacked by a pernicious fever which had become prevalent
in the town. She had jsolated them from the community
and shut herself up with them in order, at the risk of her
life, to lavish on them the cares required by their condi-
tion. God had blessed her charity. Health had been re-
stored to all those to whom she had devoted herself. She
had been preserved from the malady, although its poison
was so virulent that from having touched those who were
infected, her finger nails had fallen off.
Soon the epidemic became wholly pestilential. The
Bjshop ordered all the Sisters to leave the town, and the
Superioress had the whole community on her hands. She
obtained her father's permission to install them in his castle
of Yillars. During their refuge there, a great fire broke
out in the town of Malzieu and in a few hours had destroyed
eight hundred homes, and burned down their convent with
the exception of the chapel, the preservation of which was
cousidered miraculous. At the moment of the disaster,
the Superioress did not own ten crowns. However, after
having earnestly prayed. and having placed her trust in
Providence, she set abont rebnilding the ruins. She devel~
oped snch energy, devotedness, and efficiency that, eleven
months af'terwm·d~, i he convent was reconstructed and soon
all expenscs were paid. Af thi~ pe1·iod her tenn of office
expired. She ardently desired to be freed from the bur-
den, bnt the religion~, le~~ disposed than ever to yield to
her de~il'es, re-eleded hcr for three more year~.

215. OPPOSlTIO~ OF :.IOXSIGXOR DE RICHELIEU 189
The Bishop of )fende, feeliug hnrt because )fother Mar-
garet "-as unwilling to renounce ber purpose of entering
the Order of the Incarnate Yord. and because the com-
munity refnsed to aggregate a gronp of rrsulines of Saint-
Chamond which the Archbishop of Lyons desü-ed to place
in bis diocese. sent a Franl'iscan Father to )lalzieu to de-
pose its Superioress. ~o far as )Jother Gibalin was con-
cerned, tbere was nothing· easier. This "-as in harmony
with ber mn1 desires. But on the part of the community.
the case "Yas far different. They had legitimately elected
a Superioress who was the most capable of all the Sisters,
and they refnsed to replace ber. Ho,YeYer, the V"enerable
)Iother thrmYing herself on ber knees before ber daughters,
finally, by her earne~t supplications. preYailed on them to
submit.
A11 this happened in the spring of 1635. Sorne months
·afterwards. )fonsignor de )larcillac himself, came to
)falzieu to enforce his projects. But the Sisters were so
far from beino· willinff to ao·o'l'eO'ate other relio·ious to their~ ~ ~~ b ~
mYn community that they cleclared they had the intention
of entering the Order of the Inearnate ·yrord as soon a~
it wonld be established and that they had already offered
their bouse to the Foundress so as to erect a monastery.
This offer raisecl the dissatisfaction of the Bishop to
the highest pitch. He protested that not only ,yould he
neYer permit this establishment, but that be wonld infiict
seYere punishments upon those who would perseYere in
this design. Thinking that )lother Gibalin, although no
longer the Snperioress. might yet baye po"-er to influence
the other~. he conclemned her to be confined in a ·room for
eight clays and to fast on bread and water. This humble
and 'Yorthy religions threw herself at the prelate's feet
saying that she accepted all the penances 'Yhich he wished
to impose upon her. but that she implored him to permit
her to follmY her yoeation which "-as to h0 a dnnghtc~r of
the Tnearnate ~ord .
The news of these pai11ful eyents haYing reached Father
GibaJin. he nrged his niece to corne to L~-ons immecliately.
in onler to receiYe aclrice aùout füe final steps she onght

216. J!)û LlF'~ OF JEA.NNE CHEZAilD DE ~IA'l'EL
to take. She "'ent there in September, 1G35, with her dear
~·d~te1·, Helen Gibalin, for whom, by her prayer~, she had
obtained the religions vocation, and who, after having made
simple vmys in the ronvent of the Ursulines of lfolzieu,
desired, like her elder sister, to consecrate herself solemnly
to the Inenrnnte 'Yord, hy entering His holy Orde1·. She
Yas a chosen sonl whose berrnty Yas reflected by an ex-
terior full of grace and digni ty. She was destined to render
the future Institnte important services of which the great-
est. a-fter her example of heroic virtnes, was the founda-
tion of the monastery of Lvons..· .
Hitherto lfother de "Matel ha<l Leen acquainted with
these two eminent religions only by report and by what
lrnd bee11 s11pernntm·ally 1·eyealed to lier. She alreacly
had a high idea of their nwrit, but Yhen she saY them
and was able to appreeiate the gifts of nature and grace
w·ith which Our Lord had so l'ichly endowed them, her
esteem and affection were nnlimitecl. ln orcler thnt noth-
ing might e:rnse her to lose snch freasrn·es. she proposed
to them to hiud thernselYes to the Ordp1· of the Incarnate
W'o1·d hy the nnY io live a11d die in the imrsnit of its
establishment. rrhe two sisters heartily aecepted this pro-
posal. T'heil· veneration for the wodhy Fonrnlress and
their loye for her work had g1·e:tt-1y i11crem~ed after they
had ~eeu, fm· themNelveR, the virtnes of the ~Iother and
he1· danghters. To i·ender their engngement the more sacred,
they signed it with their blood, mlCl after fifiecn bli~sfnl
day~ they retnrned to lIalzien.
~Iueh opposition was still a w«li ting tht~m. rrhe B iNhop
of :Iende was less disposed tltan e'e1· to pe1·mit the dc-
pm·tm·e of ~fothe1· ~Im·gm·ct. lfo hnd sePn, with his mv11
p_reN, the 110bilHy of l1e1· ch•n·a<'Ü'I' :nHl thP heroism of her
'Ïl'ln<>. At nll <"oNiN he wiNhP<l i<.> ke<>p, 1'01· liiN ow11 <liocP~<
NO ntl11:1hl<~ :t Ntlhjt•<·L li ÏN NPY(~l'P il"P«ltllH'ld 1101 h:tvi11g
~111·<·<·<·cle<1 in NhHkinµ: h<~1· l'PNol11tio11, lie t1·ipd io Will hp1·
hy g<·1itl<'ll<'NN :111<1 lH'l"Nll:tNÎOll. 'jj]1 tliiN :1in1 li<~ <l<·put-c<l
roi· tlie ('()ll'Pllt of' t r1·s1tli11PN, :l1loll1<1
l' F1·:111<•i:·w:tll l 0
Plig-iou~.
wlio:--:<~ 111ÎNNÎ011 W«ts the cont1·<t1·y of' th:ü of' hiN preyions
dcl<-µ;•1 le. TJ1c estccrn whid1 lier Bishop had couccived for

217. OPPOSITIO~ OF ~IO~SIG~On DE nICHELmr 101
hp1·. hi:) intense clesire to keep her in his diocese. the con-
n:>nf!" ne-e(l of her Jm?!"ence "·ere f'C'i forth hy him i·o 1fother·.
Uibalin in a 11w11ner "·bich wns rnost <:>loq11e11t nrn1 mosi
approprü:lte to misleacl her. if such a thing '"e1·e 110:-.:sihle.
Bnt the motiYes "d1kh led ber to emln·nce thl' Orcler of
tbe Inca1'11 ate "Yord. we1·e aboYe hmnan consi de1·ations.
and the i11te1 ests of self-loYe. ~Hl these i·easous did not
shake her resolYe to respond to Gocl's designs on her: so
the Bishop's enyoy went away conYinced that nothing "·ould
e,·er make her renounce them.
~ronsignor de :Jiareillac sa"· himse1f~ face to face. "YÏth
a manifest cliine Yocation, and he clid not wish to oppose
it any longer. He consented for Jlother Gibalin and three
other religions of Jlalzieu to clepart for Lyons. on condi-
tion that the dO"Yries which they had bronght to the con-
)·ent of the rrsnlines shonld remain as the property of
that house.
For tlle delicaey of Jlothe1· Jlargaret this clause was
a :-:e,·ere tri al. Ho"· could four religions become a bnrden
to ~Iother de ~latel "Yithout any compensation'? Even
though the goodness of that Jlother would not allmY her
to consider the question of the p1·opriet~· of snch a pro-
cednre. wonld her menns jnstify her generosity '? Yould
not this difficnlty render futile the ictories "YOn ffer so
many other obstacles'? The Foundress, when informed of this
miscalculation. settled the affair after the manner of a
saint. "The Incarnate Yord!' she replied, '·~ho snstains
the world with three fingers. will knffw how to proYide for
the needs of four women. Come, therefore, 'Yithout fear
and as soon as possible.~'1
Towards the end of XoYember these heroic loyers of
the Incarnate Yord. thinking only of tearing themselYes
a "·ay frorn the final entanglements by whieh parent~.
friends, ecclesiasties, ancl religions Yied with 011e another
in attempting to impede them, left the fe1Tent mo1rnstery
where their days "Yonld haYe glicled by in pence and secn-
rit.'·~ to g:o forth to face the toils and trials of the fonncla-
1..nnals of the F'oundation of the Orcler of the Incarnate Yord
(Original ::1 anuscript).

218. 192 LIFg 01;~ JFUNNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
tion of an Order which, up to that time, had been involved
in difficulties.
nuring their jonrney their courage was severely tried
by storms, angnish, and accidents. They snffered in every
possible wa:y. lIother Margaret snffered most of any.
'Vhilc sorrowfnl apprehensions were afflicting her soul,
a fall from a horse came near costing ber life. Then, the
Incarnate 'Vord, showing Himself to her under the form
of a child of ravishing beauty, said to her as He bad for-
merly said to His Apostle: "I will make thee see how much
I wish thee to suffer for the glory of :My Name." He left
her filled with a celestial happiness which made her for-
get all her fatigues.
Finally, on Deccmber 4, 1635, they found themselves
in the bosom of that f amily of the Incarnate 'Vord of
which they had longed to form a part and where all were
so happy to welcome tbem. The merit of these four sub-
jects was as great as their vocation was extraordinary. 'Ve
are already acquainted with lfother Margaret and ·Helen
Gibalin. 'reresa Giballn, their cousin, and Mary Malacher
also possessed emineut qualities and were destined to render
great services to the nascent Order.
After making so many sacrifices and passing through
so many dangers, the new-comers relished the delights of
peace and consolation, in the haven which had been the
object of all their prayers. The sweets of this repose
were not to be of long duration. The more a soul is pre-
destined to become conformed to .Jesns Christ, the more
it must suffer.
'rhe daughte1·s of lIother de lfatel, bcing called to be-
come living models of their adorable Master, they might
expect that the chisel of sorrow wonld fashion them by
long and rigorons labor. lfother Margaret Gibalin, of
whom the divine Ai-tist was to make one of His most beauti-
fnl masterpieces, was to receive the most painful blows.
At that time, the foundation at Paris seemed to be
progressing favorably. 'Vhen good lfothcr Catherine
Fleurin lcanwd of the alTival of the four Ursulines at
Lyo11s, she wrote Icttcr after letter imploring that Sister

219. OPPOSITIOX OF :IOXSIGXOR DE nICIIELIEU 1!)3
.Margm·et Gibalin might be sent to her as soon -as possible,
and assu1·ing all that with the co-ope1·atio11 of a person
of such ability the affair would soon be brought to a snc-
cessful issue.
I t was impossible to recoil from a sacrifice on which
depended so desirable a result. In spite of its painfulness,
llother de :Jiatel decided upon it. As for Sister llargaret
Gibalin, neither her virtue nor her love for the Orcler per-
mitted her to refuse, although she keenly felt it as a hard-
ship and had a presentiment of all that it would cost her.
But the· will of her whom the Incarnate Yord had given
her as lfother, was, for her, the most certain expression
of God's will, and she. tried to be reconciled. To render
her submission easier, on J anuary 25, 1636, the feast of the
Conversion of St. Paul, at the moment of Roly Communion,
as she was offering herself to be immolated to His W'"ishes
and to be sacrificed for the welfare of the Ortler, God the
Father showed Himself to her and, taking her in His arms,
placed her, as a victim, in the lap of the Mother Fonndress,
to know and accomplish through her all that He would
wish.
The departure was decided, and on the fifth day of
February, only two months after their arrival in the Con-
gregation, Sister llargaret Gibalin and Sister Mary
Malacher left for Paris. :Nearly four years of trials mYaited
them there amid disappointed bopes, sickness, and humilia-
tions. As usual, grace Yas in proportion to the cross. All
Heaven seemed interested in that establishment which earth
combated. St. llichael, St. Peter, St. Francis de Sales came,
each in turn, to assure of their protection those who were
toiling for this work. But none were so tender and com-
passionate as J esus and His holy ~lother. This charitable
SaYior said one day to ~lother :.'largaret, who had corne
crushed with grief, to pour out her heart to Him. "I would
wish to console thee, but My Father is not willing.m The
Eternal Father, Author of every perfect gift, viewed, with
too much joy, the hand of pain forming, in these choice
1Biography of llother lJargaret Gibalin.

220. lD± Llli'E Oli' .JE.NNE CHEZAim DE lIA'rEL
Ro11ls, the image of His belovecl Son, to permit its opera-
tioll to be iuteITupted.
'Vhile the seed, sown at Paris by the Foundress and
cultivated by her clanghters, was passing through the period
of annihilation which prececles, more or less profounclly,
all germination, according as the harvest is to be more
or Jess excellent, the founclation at Lyons was doomed
io clevelop slowly.
After Cardinal Alphonse Richelieu's return from Rome,
l~ather Gibalin, withont notifying any one, visited him
with the intention of learning how the Prelate was disposed
towm·ds the daughters of the Incarnate Vord, and to solicit
the execution of their Bull. This visit took place on Decem-
he1· 20, 1636, at eight o'clock in the morning. On the same
clay and at the same hom·, Mother de Matel, who had been
Rnffering all the previous night, having retired to her room
to take a little rest, distinctly heard the words: "My
daugbter, His Eminence is now rejecting the petition of
Father Gibalin. But fear not. 'rhe Order will be founded
and I l1yself will establish it.m
'J~he Mother was alone and it was impossible for any
human being to have spoken to her. The voice which had
just been heard by the ears of her body, had all the sweet-
ness and strength of that which ordinarily spoke to the
ear of her soul. In order to be able to prove with greater
evidence the truth of these words, and doubtless also in
order to strengthen the confidence of her daughters, the
p1·udent l1other called Sisters Elizabeth Grassetean and
Catherine Hicharclon, and confided to them -what had hap-
pened. The fulfillment of the first part of this revelation
was to be to them a pledge of the realization of the second.
If it was true that, on that very morning, Father Gibalin
had asked the Cardinal to execute their Bull and had
obtnhwd ouly a refusal; it wonld also be true that the
Order wonld exist sorne day, and that the Incarnate 'Vord
Himself would establish it.
An occasion of verifying the mmonncement was uot long
1. 11t ogr a phi c Liff', c h . LXX.

221. OPPOSITION OF i.IONSIGXOR DE RICHELIEU 1!)5
delayed. At noon, M. de Nesme, the chaplain of the Car-
dinal and a clevoted friend of the Foundress, came, quite
dejected, to tell her of Father Gibalin's attempt and of his
clisappointment. He was astonished to see that such new~
neither surprised nor troubled the good Mother. He testi-
fied later that she sent for the two Sisters who had been
her confidantes and asked them to repeat what she had
conficled to them on this subject.-The chaplain withdrew,
blessing the Incarnate nrord Tho thus assuaged the trials
of her ·who suffered for His sake.
This was only the beginning of the consolations by
which the infinitely good Master wished to alleviate the
pain of a new refusal. That evening as she was going to
pray before the Blessed Sacrament, her soul was imme-
diately seized with a sweet enthusiasm and clelightfully
absorbed in God. She heard the words: Orietur in diebus
tuis justitia et abnndanUa pacis. "In thy days there shall
dawn justice and abundance of peace.m Then some flmvers
were shown her. The lily of the valley, the iris and the
lavencler embalmed her in their celestial perfumes and
shed upon her so sweetly tbat abundance of peace which
had been promised her, that she '"'as inflamed "rith a desire
that all nations, but especially her own, could enjoy this
blessing. In response to this longing, two beautiful branches
of lilies were placed upon her shoulders, and she was told
to present them to Gocl in her prayers. "These,'' she adds,
Hwere two branches of that tree of the fleurs de lis which
had been shown to me in 1()25. You told me to have
patience until Yon would explain distinctly that. vision
to me and that while waiting I should gratefully rejoice foi·
the consolations which, through an excess of goodness, You
imparted to me."2
, The meaning of this vision is now no longer a mystery.
It is well known that thi:-; tree of the fleurs de lis, shown
to Mother de Matel, as the posterity of Louis XIII at fhst
ga,Te two royal fiowe1·s to France: the Dauphin who was
Louis XIV and Philip, his brother, the Duke of Orleans.
1Ps. LXXI, 7.
2.-u tographic Life, c h . LXX.

222. 196 LIF'E OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
These were the branches so ardently longed for and which,
even before their blossoming, were confided to His be-
love<l, with the mission to present them to Himself in her
prayers.
How can we resist admiring the ineffable tenderness
of the goodness of '"Tesus, or recognizing the greatness of
the satisfaction which He can give to the noblest aspira-
tions of a soul whom He wishes to encourage? To the
soul of the Foundress which is so intensely French, He
offers, as a compensation for her sacrifices, the anticipated
view of the future prospel'ity of ber dear country. She
is imbned and inebriated with these joys, in the midst of
her own afflictions.
~rhis state of consolation continued throughout the en-
tire season which the Church consecrates to honoring the
joyful mysteries of the Roly Childhood. But with the days
when she dons again her vestments of mourning, there
commenced, for the poor Mother, a period of severe trials.
She fell dangerously ill. A violent attack of asthma cause<l
her painful suffocations. It was feared that her life would
not be prolonged beyond a few months. At that time, when
the unction of grace would have been needed to alleviate
her snfferings, her soul was bowed down with desolation.
On the second Friday of Lent, this state of interior
auguish reached its crisis. The sorrow of her soul became
so violent, that, as she said, "it seemed as if her intestines
were being twisted and torn out.m Her eyes shed torrents
of tears. Sorne time previously, she had seen the dove
which had reposed on her, at the time of the first refusa!
of the Archbishop, fty away and alight on the tabernacle
throne. She had told Father Gibalin of this vision, the
meaning of which she did not comprehend. "On that day,"
~he ad<ls, "I learned, by bitter experience, that the shielçl
which had made me insellsible to all the l'el'nsals of Ris
EminencP, was no longer over my hcm·t, :md i hat it was
tliis •love whieh had de~ccndcd 1qw11 Yon, 0 divine rod
of .Je:-;~e, Vho jlHlged fit to mnkc me l'eel 1he extreme
f'adncss wh ich l wns sn1foring, NO i lw t J rnight Jrnow what
IAulogra pliie Lifc, ch. LXXI.

223. OPPOSI'l'ION OF 1IONSIGNOR DE IlICHELIEU lf)7
a grace Yon bad given me, by sending me Your Spirit to
binder my spirit and heart from being afflicted.m
The love of the saints for tbeir God is independent of
the consolations or tribulations which tbey experience. He
vVhom they love, Js irnrnutable. .Thence, according to Holy
'Vrit, torrents or overflowing rivers are not capable of
extinguisbing the flames of trne charity. St. Paul ex-
claimed: "-nTbo shall separate me from the charity of
Christ? Sball affliction, persecution, or death? No, I
am sure that nothing will ever separate me from it."2
Vben her tortures were severest, the a fflicted lfother
thougbt of the possibility of their· lasting until ber death,
and of Our Lord, "'Vho so far had tempered ber trials by
the sweets of His grace, extending to ber henceforward,
witbout admixture, the chalice of affliction.
.She then, con:fidingly and unreservedly, offered herself
fo the desires of the God -n7
hom she loved, saying witli
the Patriarch of so1-rows: Etiani si occiderit me) in ipso
sperabo. "Even if He shall kill me I will hope in Hün."3
This magnanimous cry became a cry of victor,y. Im-
mediately she felt enkindled in ber beart an ardent flame.
'"rherefore, He V7ho hides Himself loves me while afflict-
ing me, since, from His high throne, He sends His fire
into my bones, and teaches me that He hicles Himself only
to see if I woulcl love Him as much when absent as wben
present."4
Our T..ord clid not wish her to carry, wHhout belp and
coi1solation, ·this cross of hope deferred which Yas weigh-
ing so heavily upon her. One day, when this long delay
was oppressing ber beart more painfnlly than usual, she
cried ont: "Dear Lord, when will You establish Your
Order? " The good lIaster replied to ber smiling, as it
were: "Thou speakest to )le like M:y disciples at the mo-
ment when I was about to ascend into Heaven, when they
asked: Domine. ~i in tentporc hoc restitues rcgnuni Israel?
dLord, wilt thon, at this time, 1·e~to1·c the Kingdom of
1Autographic Life, ch. LXXI.
2Rom., ch. VIII, 35.
3Job, XIII, 15.
4Autographic Life, ch. LXXI.

224. 198 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
Is1·ael ?" I replied to them: Non est vestrwn nosse tenipora
vel momenta quae Pater posuit in s1w potestatc) sed accipietis
virtutem s1ipervenientis Spiritus Sanct,i ùi vos. "It is not
for you to know the time or the moment which the Father
hath put in His own power, hnt you shall receive the power
of the Roly Ghost ç,omiug upon you.m Know, l1y daughter,
that, when My disciples tlrns qnestioned lIe, the .Kingdom
of Israel hacl alreacly been established, but not in the way
they imagined. 'r11r.r did not have a clear knowledge of lfy
spiritual kingdom, nntil after the descent of the Roly
Ghost vVho came t6 confhm it. Thou askest lfe when I
shall establish My kingdom before men. Leave that to
the knowledge aud foreknowledge of the God ~Tho loves
thee, and know that it is already established in thyself, in
whom l1y Father has constituted lIe King, as on l1y Sion
and in l1y peaceful J erusalem. 'fhou art lfy city in which
I have placed My fortress. On thy lowliness, I have heaped
up lly greatness. lIy lrnmanity and My divinity repose
in thee. I haYe bnilt My Temple in thy ~onl. 'Vhat is
this kingdom of hn·ael, bnt reigning _with God and seeing
God bowed clown to diffuse Himse1f, as I have doue in
such abundance in thee that we are wrestling almost con-
tinuonsly in a strnggle which gives thee greater advantages
than those of Jacob wrestling with lIyself hidden under
the form of an angel. Our wrestling consists in this, namely,
that thon tellest lIe thon art unworthy of l1y caresses,
and that, on lfy side, I wish to convince thee that lIy love
for thee has mel'ited them, and that it cannot withhol<l
them withont resisting the inclinations of lIy goodness. I
do not retire, at the break of day, after giving thee M.Y
ble:;.;~ing, for I am the Snn, the Orient, and I wish to remain
with thee as the Ood of blesf-'iugs."2
A shoi·t tirne afterwards, in the same year of 1637, the
Tnearnate 'Vo1·d onlci·rd her to 1mrcha~e the honse which
1he <"ommmiiiy oecnpie<l, bnt whielt was 0111.r leaf-'e<l. 'rhis
Wêl~ anothe1· wny of confhming the ceditude and stahi1ity
or ihat extei·ior Kingdom whil:lt He ]H'Ollliscd her for the
1Act s 1, 6, 7, 8.
2.i utog r a plli c Life, ch . L X VJlI.

225. OPPOSITIOX OF ~roxswxon DE nIC'I-IELmu 190
futm·e. As He made known to her, He wished, by the
establishment of a monastery of His Order in that place,
to honor the blood of His martyrs.
As we alreacly know, the marty1·s· Llood had flowecl in
such abundance on the sicles of the hill where the palace
of the Roman Emperors stoocl, that, because of the gnrgling
of the bloody torrent, the ascent had receiYed from the
people the name of Gourguillon. If, of old, the blood of
martyrs had been the seed of Christians, Our Lord prom-
ised that it "Tould also become a source of benedictions for
the future monastery.
He assured the Fonndress that He would make it His
temple, like that of Solomon, but that He would ne-ver
turn away His eyes from it, and that He would loYe that
Sion more than all the 'rabernacles of Jacob.
These ln·omises of p1·osperity were in strong contrast
with the actnal state of the little Congregation. 'rl1e good
:Jlother did not doubt the accomplishment of these -words
of her beloved Lord, but, at certain moments, p1·esent ad-
versities were more i·eal than future benedictions. Once,
when she had heard of the flourishing state of several
monasteries of the city, with a heart oppressed with sad-
ness she went to Our Lord to represent to Him how His
own religions fmnily was dec1·easing and was abancloned.
'rhen that inconlJmrable Spon~e bonowed, to co11sole her,
the words of Ekana to the future mother of Samnet his
afflicted and stetile SJJOnse, and He said to her: L-lww
cur fles? TunuJ_uid non c,r10 mclior tibi sum qllam dcccm
filii? ''--:nne. why wee1;est thon? ~m I not more to thee
than ten children ?m J oaww,. cu1· flcs? ".Jeanne, why weep-
est thon?" -:[y daughter, My s11onse, why weepest thon?
Yhy is thy heart afflicted? Am I not a thonsand times
more delightful to thee, than if thon hadst ten monasteries?
In :Jie hast thou not all üeasnres? Awnit Jfy time~ :JIy
dearest, and enjoy My love which is worth more to thee
than ten thonsand daughters.m Aftenvards applying to her
a great part of the fifty-fourth chapter of Isaias, He prom-
11 Kings, I, 8.
2Autographic Life, ch. LXXI.

226. 200 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE 11.ATEI_,
ised to enlarge her tents and to lay, with His own hand,
the living stones of His new city, and to found it on the
sapphire of His adorable lrnmanity.
One day, as Mother de Matel entered the community
assembly room, where her danghters 'vere worldng in silence
and recollection, she. felt ber heart transpierced at the sight
of their long waiting. All were sighing for the happiness
of the religious Profession and were sacrificing themselves
so generously in order to become danghters of the Incar-
nate -nrord ! She did not make known to them her interior
suffering, but, as usual, she ponred f01·th her soul in pres-
ence of her Spouse. On this occasion He sent St. Jerome
to console her.
As mny be remembered, the austere and learned trans-
lator of the Holy Scriptures had received the mission to
teach them to !Jeanne, as St. Denis had been commissioned
to instruct her in mystic theology. 'rhey were her most
beloved protectors.
1n her moments of greatest difficnlty, Our Lord favored
her with their consolations. "The sight of this, my Teacher,"
says lIother de 1fatel, "consoled me so much, that the sad-
ness cansed by the long waiting of my daughters, vanished
into a sweet ecstasy which our Sisters, seated near by,
mistook for sleep. The Saint appeared to me, clothed in
black like the religious of his Order. He was so emaciated
that he looked like a skeleton. His hair and beard were
all white, as if he were twenty years older than when
he first appeared to me at Paris. He informed me that
he had aged and wasted away in Yonr service, 0 my
Rovereign, and that be considered it a great favor to sacri-
fice Ids life and whole being for Yonr honor.m
'Hiis lesson was worthy of the illustrions hennit of
Bethlehem, and was well suited to stimulate the courage
and constancy of her who was also sacrificing her own
life mid her whole being to tbe accomplishment of the
designs of the Incarnate 'Vord. Bnt if example attracts,
love givcs wings. The gift which St. Denis made to his
pions pupi17
somc days later, on the vigil of his feast,
1Jutogr:1.pl1ic Life, ch. LXXIII.

227. OPPOSITION OF lIONSIGNOR DE RICHELIEU 201
October S, 1637, is thus related by her who received this
sublime favor.
"'l~owards eveuing," says the worthy Foundress, "I had
retired into 01u· chapel, to pray before Your Divine Majesty
reposing in Your tabernacle, when I had a rapture and
an ecstasy. My intellect and will were sublimely and
lovingly drawn by Yon, the one to be instructed and en-
lightened, the other to be united and inflamed with a teach-
ing and illumination, with an ardor and transformation,
which were a foretaste of heavenly beatitude. It pleased
You, 0 divine vVord, 0 voluutary Mirror, to disclose to
me, the most sublime things written by St. Denis about
Your supersubstantial Being and sovereign beatitude, and
about the divine names and the celestial hierarchy. Yon
taught me, as far as this is possible for a pilgrim soul,
.the difference which exists between essential and accidental
glory.m
At the command of Our Lord Himself, the pions Mother
attempted to paint, in pages which astonish, the divine
things which she had contemplatecl. Ve shall cite from
ber magnificent treatise, only the passage in which she
makes an allusion to the blessed effects procluced by the
sight or anticipated possession of the Sovereign Good:
~'The soul which is blessed with such a sublime favor, is
penetrated and imbued with the Divine Substance which
unites that soul to Itself in an ineffable but real manner,
and which simplifies it and conforms it to Him vVho is
divine form without rnatter. The spirit is spiritualized
in that furnace which is all mighty, all knowing, and all
goocl, and which makes it good and supereminent above
infel'ior things. This is what the Apostle says of the
spiritual man ·who judges all things and is judged by none
of them, because the divine ray, raising him above them,
withclraws him from their jnrisdiction, and that spirit ele-
vated in God, jndges with admirable discernment that which
is beneath God."2
1Autographic Life, ch. LXXIV.
2Jbidem.

228. 202 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE l1ATEL
Tt might be thought that, after having drunk from the
l'Ïver whose waves 1oll through the city of God, a poor lrn-
man heart would be incapable of relishing the joy~ of earth
below. However, the Incarnate 'Vord waR preparing to
meet the trials of His cherished spouse, with other con-
solations, whirh, thongh of an inferior order, yet did not
fail to re1>Ienish her with gladness, by satisfying one of the
noblest sentiments of her heart and by showing ber the end
of lier long waiting.

229. CHAP~rER XII
The Last Period of Waiting
1G37-1G39
In the beginning of December, 1G37, Mother de .Matel,
every night in her drearns, saw herself introduced at the
Louvre to Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. As she wished
to kneel to render them homage, they hastened to raise her
and they themselves bowed down before her. As these
dreams kept recurring, they attracted her attention, at first
only to jest about them. She spoke of them in this sense,
to the Abbé Saint-Just with whom she was familiarly ac-
qnainted. He seemed to see in these dreams presages of her
future greatness. 'rhe Mother wittily replied : "'That is
somethiug which I do not want. I would need the double
spirit which the prophet Eliseus asked of Elias. · And my
spirit is not suited to the Court. It is too simple and child-
like.m
Heaven finally i·evealed to her the meaning of these
mysterious visions: 'l"'he Queen had just conceived the royal
scion whom since 1625, Our Lord had promised he1· to give
to the tree of the fleurs de lis which He had shown her as
the posterity of Louis XIII. She promptly imparted the
good news to Father Gibalin. Sorne time afterwards, Father
r] olm Roux was apprised of this throngh one of his friends
at Court.
This Father was a recent conquest of Mother de Matel.
For a long while he had shown himself opposecl to her de-
Rign, falsely believing that she was ambitions of Îounding
an Order of .Jesuitesses. He had fallen sick and the Found-
ress had had a Mass said for him, after which he was cured.
Having Iem·ned through Father Gibalin to whom he was
ü1debted for the sudden change in his health, he 'yent to the
yene1·able lfother and said: "Your charity has conquered
me. I corne now to make my apology to the Incarnate " 1ord
and to you, for having opposecl yonr designs without know-
i11g tbem sufficiently."2
1Autographic Life, ch. LXXVI.
2. utographic Life. ch. LXXIII.
20:3

230. 204 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lf ATEL
vVhen this Father hurriedly came to inform ~Father
Gibalin of the happy event which had been announced to
him from Paris, he s~nY, from the impression made by the
news upon his confrere, that this was not news to him. He
suspected the source of his knowledge and plied him with
questions to relate all he knew of the matter. 'In the inter-
est of lfother de Matel, Father Gibalin would have liked to
satisfy the curiosity of Father Roux. He was not ignorant
of his influence at Court or of the zeal with which be would
use this influence in favor of the Foundress and ber work.
But discretion did not permit him to speak without the
authorization of her who had confided her secret to him.
He asked her permission, but the lfother refused it abso-.
lutely.
'Vhen she had hopes that the knowledge of God's good-
ness towards ber would canse others to bless the Divine
lfercy, her soul became transparent and permitted others
to see the treasures with which she had been enriched.
But when personal advantage seemed the principal re-
sult of such confidences, her humility covered, with an
impenetrable veil, the riches which God had confided to her.
It was thus-in the present circumstance. "I returned," she
says, "from Paris with my secret and was unwilling to
speak to the Queen, in spite of many opportunities of doing
so. Nothing would be so rnortifying to me as to be pro-
claimed at Court as a prophetess and to be known as a
child of revelations.m Father Gibalin's arguments were
of no avail, and the part which the pions lfother, by her fer-
vent supplications, had had in the graces which had just
been granted to France, remained unknown to men as far as
she could hide it.. The care which God took, with adorable
delicacy, to discover to her what concerned this great
event, unsealed to her the part she had taken therein.2
1Autographic Life, ch. LXXVI.
2'l'he humility of Mother tle Matel nover went so far as to completely
r eveal to the Co11rt the knowledge of the promises which she lrnd re-
ccivcd about the birth of Louis XIV. Ann e of Austria was informed of it.
In tho absence of the Foundress shc summoncd Mother Gibalin, then at
Paris, showcd hcr the little Dauphin and placed him in h er arms, and, as
our Memoirs say, "Bcggcd her to pray to God for his preservation and
·salvation. She nover spoke of this without manifesting sentiments of
cxtrnorclinary tenderness."

231. THE LAST PllJRIOD Oli., W AITING 205
On the very night of the birth of the royal child, the
night between Satnrday and Snnclay, September 5, 1638, he
was shown in a vision to lIother de lfatel. Her joy defies
description. She was radiant with hap1Jiness. llother
Frances Gravier was the first to notice it and exclaimed:
"Come and look at our lIotber. Go and tell all the Sisters.
She is beaming with joy.m
All understood that she hacl been granted some unusual
favor. The state in which they saw her, in no way resembled
that in which they had so often adrnired her after long
hours of rapture or ecstasy. If is easy to believe that she
Yas closely questioned. But the good llother, who could
not prevent her com:itenance from speaking, wished at least
to condemn her lips to silence. Her secretary said to her:
"I will ask Father Gibalin to command you to write what
. you have seen.m This was done. Mother de Matel had to
confess to her director, from whom she never concealed any-
thing, that "the Dauphin was born, and, that in order to
give her pleasnre, Our Lord had permitted her to see the
babe."3
Sorne days after, this was no longer a secret. All France
knew tlrnt precisely on September 5, was born the angust
infant whom, in Jier joy and gratitude, she called givcn by
God and who was to be Louis XIV.
YVhen in 1627, Our Lord had formally said to llother de
lfatel that He woulcl give offspring to Louis XIII, He had
also assured her, as the reader may recall, that He would
establish her Order after He had granted to the King and
the Queen, the vietories and the f ecundity which He had
promised for them. After the birth of the Dauphin, she
lovingly said to Our Divine Savior: "When will You estab-
lish Your Order? 'rhe King has alreacly won so many vic-
tories, and Yon have given him an heir. Nothing is miss-
ing to the fnlfillment of the promises which You have made,
except to establish Your Order. I am urged to return to
Paris. 'Vill our establishment at Lyons be delayed long
1Autographi c Life, ch. LXXVI.
2Jbidem.
é: lbicl e rn .

232. 206 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MA'rEL
enough to justify me in undertaking that journey? If You
send me twenty boarding pnpils, I will consider it a sign
that Yon wish me to remain here.m
Sorne days after, Mother de Matel saw the nnmber of
pupils confided to the care of her daughters, grow from
twelve to twenty, and the latter found, in the increase of
their occupat~ions, a diversion from the pains of their long
trials. ·
·This was not the moment for her to be far distant. The
hour for the realization of the divine promises was ap-
proaching. On the vigil of Sexagesima of that year, 1639,
which was to see the birth of the new Ortler, as Mother de
Matel was in the parlor with M. Bernardon, a virtuous
ecclesiastic who was prior of St. Denis, Our Lord strongly
attracted her attention to the text of the Gospel for the
next day, in which the Church recalls the parable of the
sower. He made her understand that He Himself, the Word
of God, was coming, as the adorable seed, to be sown in the
soil of her heart in a divine manner, and to make her fruit-
ful, like the earth which returns a hundredfold as the fruit
of patience. "My danghter," He said to her, "the seed which
I carne to sow in thee, is holy and divine. It is dew, snn.,
and ftarne. My Divine Father, Who is the source of origin
in our august Trinity, cornes to distill Himself, in thee, as
an admirable dew, to communicate to thee His divine pa-
ternity. vVithout going out from My source, without any
diminution of My light, I corne as a sun, to commnnicate
to thee My glories and My filiation, and the Roly Spirit,
vVhom "Ve produce, is a living flame Who, without qnitting
or diminishing the furnace from which He emanates, comes
into thec to inftame thee. And because thou canst not re-
ceive the immortality of that dew, that snn and that fiarne
and that immensity, which can be totally known and re-
ceived only by the 'l'h1·ee Divine Persons, the Roly Spirit,
vVho terminates our productions, cornes in thee, by an ad-
rni1·ablc diffusion, withont diminution of His Divine Being,
:nul wHhont lcsscning His immensity w11ich is common. to
1Autog raphic Lifc, c h. LXXVI.

233. THE, L~ST PERIOD OF YAITIXG 207
Him with the Father and :Myself, and thon receivest Our
three hypostases which are indivisible on account of Our
divine nature which is most simple."1
At the arriYal of nf. Bernardon, the daylight was .be·
ginning to grov dim. Yhen the venerable Mother found
herself invaded by the divine operation, she felt reassured,
as she thought her. visitor would soon be obliged to retire,
and would not have time to observe her. I t was other-
Yise. The Prior, being obliged to sustain the whole con-
versation, understood that God had rapt to Himself her
whom the speaker vainly attempted to retain on earth.
Perhaps this was not the first time that he had such a
happy experience in his dealings with the Foundress. He
was soon seized with fright. An aureola of light encircled
her countenance and rende1·ed it radiant. Several times,
this supernatural 1ight snrrounded her head, descencled on
her bosom, then on her knees, and finn1ly was hidden from
sight by the walls of the grille.
'Yhen :Jiother de :Jiatel had recovered her senses, .he
related to her, with great emotion, all that he hacl jnst
seen, and asked her what she had experienced. Fainting
and inflamed Yith heavenly delectation, she replied: "It
is an effusion of the Divine I...ove, the visible sign which
you have seen, makes me understancl still better the in-
visible grace which I have received. I am unable to speak
an~~ longer. Love God in Vhose love I leaye you."2
Sister
Frances Gravier had to lead her away to her cell, as she
'Yas succumbing uncler the bliss and glory with which she
was loaded by her adorable Spouse. "He made it Ris
nuptial chamber," she says, "renewing His divine nuptials
miel Ris sacred union with me.'~3
From the day of that ineffable fayor np to the estab-
lishment of the Orcler, Our Lord frequently attracted her
to sublime contemvlation of the rnysteries contained in
the YOrds of the canticle: LectIl 7us naster fl oribus, etc.4
1Autographic Life, ch. LXXVII.
2Ibidem.
3lhidem.
4Cant. 1, 15.

234. 208 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD Dlp 1IATEL
"Our bed is strewn with flowers." Then He unveilecl to
her ecstatic view the incomparable beauties and the super-
eminent advantages of holy virginity. Several times He
confirmed these interior lights by visible prodigies which
wefo sweet and gracions like the beauties which He was
revealing.
On ~rlrnrsday of the fourth week of ~..ent, 1G39, alluding
to the Gospel of the day, He ga-ve her this pres~ing and
loving invitation: "My daughter, even as I commanded
to rise from the bier the young man whom I gave back
alive to his mother 'vho was weeping over lier dead son,
I say to thee, arise, it is I Tho command thee. . Raise thy
spirit to Me. Come, M:y beloved, to the bosom of the divin-
ity which bronght thee forth upon the flower-covered bed
of thy Divine Spouse :" Lectnlus noster floribus 11 A.t these
pmye.rful and sweet words, the ever inflamed soul of the
Foundress was transported and rapt into the bosom of
Him iVho had pronounced them. There she saw how vir-
ginity has its source in the divinity itself. How, from all
eternity, the Father virginally begets His Vord of Whom
Ile wished, in time, a Virgin shonld be the Mother. She
comprehended the tenderness of J esus for the virgin
Apostle, and the happiness and loYe of which that beloved
disciple became capable by his virginity. She nnderstood
the sweet and profound reality of the divine oracles which
call J esus "The flower of the field and the lily of the valley,"
comparing virgins to lilies among the other children of
men who appear only like thorns.
All inebriated by the perfumes and graces of this
celestial virtue, Mother de Matel could only repeat: Lcctulus
noster floriùus) when she was recalled to herself by a voice
from the other side of the choir grille, near which she was
kneeling in prayer. 'l'his was the younger :M. Bernardou,
brother of the I'l'ior who, some weeks before, had witnessed
the effusion of the-Holy Ghost upoH hcr. 'l'his y01mg man
was prepal'ing to sc1·vc the llas8 which llis brother was
about to celcbl'ate in the chapel of the Incai·natc Vord.
1A utog raphic Lifc, ch. LXXVJII.

235. THE LAST PERIOD OF W AITING 209
He now assisted at the incomprehensible spectacle and ex-
claimed: '"Mother, Mother, I see a shower of white ftowers
falling upon you. For a long while I have been admiring
these marvelous flowers which have been falling in inex-
pressible beauty and resemble ha'vthorn blossoms, but I
do not see where they corne from.m They came from on
high and the young cleric would have needed the pions
Mother's seraphic wings to attain the garden from which
they emanated.
Another person whose name has not corne down to us,
was favored with the sight of the same prodigy. This time,
the venerable Foundress was in the parlor when the sacred
Spouse of virgins elevated her soul to His divine ftower-
decked couch. Yhile she was contemplating His divine
splendor and regaling herself with His sweet perfumes, the
same white, fragrant fiowers were scattered over her, to
the surprise of the person with whom she was ·conversing
and who conld not see from whence came these miraculous
blossoms.
Eviclently, the hard and long winter of anxious wait-
ing had passed. The ftowers which appear on earth, promise
the fruit for which she had so earnestly longed.
Soon other pledges are brought from Heaven to the
good Mother, who knows how to interest the saints in her
great work. One day, adclressing St. Peter, she said to
hill): "Great Saint, consider the long waiting of the daugh-
ters of the Incarnate Vord. All Lyons pities them. The
magistrates and the people have a great desire for our
establishment and I beg you to obtain for them ·the graces
of the Father of Light, as a reward for their zeal for this
Order. You are not unaware of the power which the In-
carnate Word has given you. His Eminence is your sub-
ject. Could you not inspire him to execute the Bnll which
your successor has addressed to him ?"2
She had scarcely ended this childlike prayer when, as
she relates, "this universal Pastor, taking pity on his little
lambs, appeared to me upon a i·ock and told me that he
tAutogra phic Life, ch. LXXVIII.
2Ibid e m .

236. 210 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE 1IATEL
would take care of this establishment- and would protect
all the daughters of the Incarnate vVord who are daughters
of the Clmrch.m
This promise was not void. I t was under the shadow
of the scepter of this charitable Prince of the Apostles
and at the foot of this rock whence he seemed to be watch-
ing over his domain of Avignon, that the first monastery
of the new Order.was to be erected.
After the disappearance of the holy Apostle, the Divine
~raster, as if to uphold this word of His Vicar and guarantee
its accomplislunent, said to her: "lfy daughter, always
have great confidence. I will fulfill all Uy promises.m Anù
borrowing the saying of Aggaens on His first corning, He
adds: Adhitc nnwn modicwn est) et ego· cornnwvebo coelwn
et terra1n et veniet desideratus cnnctis gentibus. "Yet a
little while, and I will move the heavens and the earth,
nnd there shnll tome the Desired of all nations.''3
As has bcen seen, it is always to the promises and
p1·ivileges of His Incarnation that this Divine 'Vord cornes
back when He speaks of His 01·der. Thus, on the vigil
of the solemnity of this g1·eat mystery, lfother de lfatel
pe1·mits herself to say to Him: "Dear Lord, Yon have
accomplished the prophecies ·which announced Your In~
carnation. lY'"hen will Yon verify the promises You have
made in favor of Yonr Order? 'Vhence cornes it that they
:uc retarded ?"4
Under this last question, the compass.ion-
ate, clear-sighted eye of the good M:aster discovered the
fears which His dear disciple's great humility inspired
in hcr. He replied to her in the following words of pro-
found wisdom: " lly danghtcr, when there is question of
prophecies that relate to a nniversal good, 1 accomplish
lhem always, becanse their effect is infallible in consequence
of the eternal det1'<~e which I have not made dependent
on the free will of neatnres. Snch was the decree of the
lncnrHation mHl Passion whieh vm·taiHeù to the glo1·y of
God and the sal vati011 of men. And when irnpm·fect di~-
1A ut ng-r:i phi c Life, c h . LXXVlTT.
:?Ibidem .
:~1 gga eus. l T, 7.
·I ... u tngra pll i c Li f c. c h . LXX 1X .

237. THE LA.ST PERIOD OF WAITING 211
positions seem to retard their execution, lIy 1mwel'ful good-
ness was not impeded by them, as I showed when, in spite
of the refusal of Achaz, I made Isaias give him a sign of
lfy Incarnation, even when he showed himself undeserv-
ing, that I shoulcl take flesh from liis race.
' ~My daugliter, thon must not fear lest, from :Jly con-
sicleration of thy many faults, I shall fail to accomplish
what I have prornised, since this Order is to extend lIy
glory and save many souls. A general good must not be
deferred on account of a private individual. And, if it seems
to be retarded, it is because lIy ProYidence so ordains pre-
cisel.,,- to humble or convert her who by covardice or levity
cloes not prepare herself to become a proper instrument
of :Jfy work. It is for this purpose and for the salyation
of the indiYiduals that the Church so often says: Ut clign i
·e.fficiamur prom issionib us Christi: ''that we may be made
worth.r of the promises of Christ.' ~ 1
Vhile lIother de :Jlatel is enraptured with loYe and
~;ratitucle from hearing these oracles of her Divine '"reacher,
garlands of sapphires and stars are sho-vn to her. These are
the c1·o"·ns she is told which Divine Goodness has preparecl
for His daughters who await, with such constanc.r and
hnmility, the establishment which has been so long deferred.
'rhere Yas then no cause for regret in these delays. :Jlore-
over, they were nearing their end, for she says: "I afte1·-
wards sa"T two trurnpets made like the horns which are
carried by hunters and united so as to form together an
oyal. These did not strike the ears of the body, _but their
notes ascended to the Divinity, and I was told to await
in hope and silence the Divine Savior Vho joins His peti-
tions to ours.m The sighs and supplications of the goocl
l[other and her daughters, united to the acceptable prayer
of J esus, mounted to the throne of Gocl, and were echoed
back from Heaven by the announcement of the proximate
inauguration of the Order of the Incarnate î7ord.
I t was Pope St. Leo who recei veù the mission to desig-
1A11tograp h ic Life, ch . LXXIX.
'.?Ibid em.

238. 212 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
nate .to lfother de Matel the place where this adorable
Vord wished to l'Cceive from her His mystic birth.
Ou April 9, 163f), two days before the feast of the great
Pontiff, as she was praying to him, with her ingenuous
piety, to interest himself in the Institute of Him Whom
he loved so much and 'Vhose Incarnation he had so worthily
expounded, he appeared to her, full of benevolence and
majesty. He kindly invited her to go to Avignon, because
it was there that the Incarnate Word wished to crown
His Order.
The worthy l1other had never cast her eyes in that
direction from which indeed no opening had been offered
her. After that vision only a few days had passed, when
Father ~John Baptist·Guesnay, rector of the J esuit college
at Avignon, came to Lyons for a provincial meeting. He
was informed by Father Gibalin, his intimate friend, of
the causes that prevented Mother de l1atel, whom he held
in high esteem, from commeucing the work for which the
Incarnate -YVord had commissioned her. T'he recital of
the Cardinal Archbishop's opposition touched him deeply.
He went to Mount Gourguillon to offer her his sympathy
and encouragement, saying to her in a tone of friendly
reproach, '•îVhen wi11 you finally hasten to establish this
Order which is so much desired ?" She recalled the secret .
confided to her by St. I..eo the Great and replied: "I do
not see that it eau be established at Lyons so soon, but if
your Reverence can procure us the means of taking the
holy religious habit at Avignon, we will be eternally obliged
to you for this favor." With a heart overflowing with zeal
and devotedness, Father Guesnay replied: "Mother, if you .
have friends who will take care of the finances there will
be no resistance which we will not surmount with the help
of God.m
l1other de Matel offered to furnish a house fully equipped,
to defray the expeuses of the Bull and of the journey,
and provide a revenue of five huudred francs for five re-
Jig-jous. Father Quesnay considered this snfficient and prom-
1A'Jtographic Life, c h . LXXX.

239. THE LAST PERIOD OF W AITING 213
ised to use his best efforts for the snccess of this holy
enterprise. He kept his word.
On his return to Avignon, he exerted all the influence
which he had from his position and from his personal worth.
He obtained from Monsignor Frederick Sforza, the Vice
Legate, the promise of a Bull of erection for the new mon-
astery, and from M. d'Alaman, the Vicar General and
Administrator of the diocese in the absence of the Arcl1-
bishop, Monsignor Philonardi, Nuncio to Poland, the author-
ization to execute the Bull, and from the City Councilors
their consent to the foundation. Father Guesnay repre-
sented to them the advantages offered by this establish-
ment, the sanctity of the new Order and the extraordinary
virtue of its Foundress, so that, as we are told by Mother
de lfatel's biographer of Avignon, "by an effect of the
· spirit of religion which has always characterized the citi-
zens of this second Rome, all who then composed the City
Council unanimously approved the project.m
When these negotiations had beeu completed, Father
Gnesnay wrote to l.Iother de :Matel: "The thne to see
the realization of the designs and promises of Divine Mercy
has arrived. Hasten to labor for tbeir accomplishment.
The principal citizens and the people of Avignon ardently
desire to welcome within their walls, the daughters of the
Incarnate 'Vord."2
It is easy to imagine the effect prodnced by this news
in the heart of the Cong1·egation. The grace which had
been so long awaited and believed to be so far ~istant, is
soon to be theirs ! Each one asks herself, "Shall I be among
the first to be clothed in the holy livery of the Incarnate
Word ?" They pray and hope and resign themselves, for
the foundation of Avignon must not make them abandon
that of Lyons for which _they have undergone such suf-
ferings and received from Heaven such favorable promises.
Moreover that of Paris must not be forgotten, a founda-
tion there might now be asked for without delay.
1Life of the venerable Mother Chezard de Matel, by a priest of the
Society of Jesus (Avignon, MDCCXLIII).
2lbidem.

240. 214 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
'l'l1e prudent lfother made no decision without consult-
ing God and her director; she was especially careful to
seek their advice in such a grave conjuncture, one of the
most decisive in her life. The most important thing was
to determine wh at to do regarding herself. Would she
slrnt herself up in the monastery which she was going to
found and clothe herself in the livery so full of mysteries
and graces, which the Incarnate 'Vord had commissioned
her to give to her danghters "? Or on the other hand, would
she continue to give the support of her presence to the
Congregation, in order to labor from this center with fuller
liberty for the foundations which would probably follow?
This second course seemed the wiser to all the learned
and pions persons who were consulted. For Mother de
1fatel it was a sacrifice. vVhat incomparable bliss she would
bave enjoyed in seeing realized in herself, the mercifnl de-
signs of the Incarnate vVord upon her Order ! But on the
other hand, what anguish for her :Mother's heart to abandon
to the bitterness of waiting, the severity of which was
known to her, those of her daughters whom she could not
destine for Avignon! As long as their Mother shares their
trial, they will hope to see its termination. But 'vill they
not yield to discouragcment if they see themselves alone
in bearing this cross?
T1
0 all of those reasons there was added another which
in the eyes of l1other de l1atel was peremptory. When she
asked her own Archbishop for his authorization to go to
Avignon to found a monastery there, he manifested his
desire that she should not remain there, but should return
to Lyons as promptly as possible. For the humble lfother,
this desire was an order. It was definitely decided that
she wouid not take the religions habit in her first couvent.
'l'he ti-ne cause of this suqwising detcm1ination came
from on high. God was its Author. As wc have seen, His
Goodness had special def-igns npon ihis p1·ivilcged creature.
Ife wished to lJe indebtcd to her, in a mystical manner,
for a birth which would be an extension of His Incai·na-
1io11. He took pleasure, in applying to her, the sac1·ed
01·aclcs hy which the lloly Spirit cc1eln·ated the preroga-

241. THE L•.ST PERIOD OF "YAITING 215
tiYes of 3Iary, as He loved to speak of this ne"'" event of
mercy, in the same terms in which the Prophets had an-
nounced His coming into this world. He had placed in
lier heart and on her lips, when He asked her consent to
this mission, the words of the Blessed Yirgin: Ecce ancilla
Domini) fiat milli secuncl1un verbwn tnum. ''Rehold the
handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto ·me according to
T'hy word.m And as He had given to Mary in His Church
a rank which is unique and a dignity which is hers alone,
He dshed Mother de llatel to belong to the Order of the
Incarnate Tord, in an altogether different way from that
of others who would ever have the happiness of being mem-
bers of it. He wished her to be its first and truest religions,
not accordiùg to the feeble judgment of men, but accord-
ing to that of God, Yhose tenderness saw in her His mvn
. ~Iother and that of His Order and His most beloved spouse.
On August ~S, 1639, feast of St. Augustine, under whose
Rule, as its standard, the 01·der of the Incarnate Yord is
enrolled, Our Lord granted her, regarding this singular
destiny, a vision whose brightness, so resplendent from a
heavenly vimvpoint still remained obscure to earthly con-
sideration. The adorable Savior said to her: ~ 'Hast thon
observed what is the robe of the Spouse in the Canticles ?"
She replies: " My Love, that is something to "Yhich I have
never gh'en any thought. I do not observe that there is
any special robe. At one time the Spouse says that she
has taken off her tunic, and again, that the guards of the
city have taken off her num tle." J esus resumed: ''jJy
dauglrter, as it is said in the Apocalypse that the Spouse
is the ne"Y J erusalem adorned by her Sponse, I vdsh to
clothe thee " 'ith lly divine brightness. I know well that
thon hast nothing of thyself, and it is by Me that thon
art ado1·ned. Daughter of the great Caleb Augustine, I
have espoused thee as another Axa, and as she receiYed,
for dowry, the eity of Cariath-Sepher, the city of letters, I ,
'Yl10 possess all the treasures of the wisdom and science
of My Father, have "Yishecl thee to have, by a divine par-
ticipation, the knoY'dedge of the IIoly Sc1·ipture which is
1Luke, I , 38.

242. 216 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
the true city of letters, and I have giyen thee also the su-
perior and the inferior waters.
"Consider with humble gratitude how I have favored
thee above so rnany others. 'I'hese gifts place thee under
obligation to lIy goodness in a manner which is incom-
prehensible to angels and men." "1Iy Love," she replies,
..I cannot th ank You in any way that is proportioned to
Yom· favors. 1Iay all the Saints with my Father St. Aug-
ustine, who is all heart like Caleb, praise You for this
through all eternity, Yon Vho are my true Othoniel, the
God of my heart. 1Iay I glorify You in Yourself alone,
and not in anything created, since You wish to clothe
me with Yourself Vho are uncreated.m
~rhe fervent Mother then comprehended how far she
would be lrnmanly stl'ipped and divinely adorned ! She
knew that it would not be with the white dress, and red
scapular and mantle destined for her danghters, that she
was to be clothed, but with the brightness and the sorrows
of the Spouse Who is Candidus et rnbicitndus) as her splen-
did robe of grace and glol'y, the wonder of HeaYen and
the enigma of earth.
'rl1e nearer the time approached for the accomplishment
of snch special designs upon her, the more sensibly did
Our Lord signify them to her.
On October 2, 163D, Mother de Matel offered herself as a
sacrifice to execute in union with the holy angels and in
their presence, all His adorable desires, and she prayed
Him to soon verify His promises. He made known to her
that her offe1·ing was accepted m1d that her request had
lleen heai'd, but that before establishing the Ortler at Avig-
non, He wished to establish it in he1· heart. ''My heart," she ·
says, '"felt disposed in an admirable manner to receive this
ineffable favor. Yon planted and engrafted in my bosom
füat ÜPe of Yom· complaceuty and showed me that which
Yon plaid e(l alld grafted. T ~aw it like a llulb in bloom,
havi11g the qunlitics of lllo~~om, free, an<l fruit. T'hen Yon
:-;ai<l to me : 'lfy ùa'ugh te1·, behold what I promised thee
whcu f said t11at T wou1<1 O'Jve thee the trerm of David.b .__,
1Autographi c L ife, ch. LXXX.

243. 'l'I-IE I"'AS'l' PEUIOD OF WAI'l'ING 217
I haYe lodged, planted, established iu thy heart, as in
the lfother of lly Order this most 11oble germ. Admire
these qualities of ineffable tlowers, frnit and germ from
a virginal and divine seed. Consider lfy love towards thee
and tmyards this Order which is lfine. Vhat thon hast
seen is a visible sign of the invisible object. 'l'he angels
admire this new sacrament which I institute by founding
this Order in thy heart before I estabUsh it at Avignon.' m
The very extraordinary vocation of the Foundress of
the Order of the Incarnate 'Yord, was depicted. She was
to belong to His Order, not in tbe same way as others
who would be called to it, but to bear it in her bosom, and
to receive in herself snpereminently, all the graces which
were destined for it. She was to be its lfother as the
Incarnate îVord wished to be its Father. Now tbat the
. divine plan had reacbed its completion, its prodigions beauty
was ravisbing to contemplate. But when the band of Provi-
dence was tracing its mysterious outlines with the cross,
it was not humanly possible to appreciate its admirable
proportions. Its crucifying dispositions could only be snc-
cessively accepted. This is what was being accomplished
when it was decided that llother de lfatel would not take
the habit of the Order in its :fi.rst monastery.
. 'Vhen this important decision had been fixed, it was
. thought llother llargaret Gibalin would be the rnost capa-
ble to take the place of the lfother Foundress in the direc-
tion of the new couvent. The sacrifices which she hac.1
made, especially in taking off the religious habit to respond
to the call of the Incarnate 'Vord, demanded that she should
be among the first to be clothed in His holy livery. She
was noti:fi.ed by a letter to corne with Sister lIalacher
without delay to Lyons. Great was the surprise at first
and the dissatisfaction fotcr on, when neither the first
missive nor the reiterated and even severe commands which
followed, received any response.
'Vhile this misunderstanding was giving cause for of-,
fence at. Lyons, the poor exiles of Paris were finding it
1A utographic Life, ch. LXXXI.

244. 218 Llli'IG OF .JEANNE CHEZ.ARD DE l1ATEL
ùifficnlt to brar the in·ivation whieh they believcd had
been imposed npon thern hy a silence of threc rnonths. 'ro
remedy this situation, they had three lfasses celebrated
at the tlrnrch of Our Lady of Glad ':l"'idings, and, after-
wards they th011ght of going to the post office to inquü~e
if some letters had anived for them. 'l"'hey then learned
that lette1·s for them had been accumulating on the arriva!
of every mail, but as the agent, who had been instructed
to transmit them to the Sisters was absent from Paris,
no one knew where to forward their correspondence.
As soon as lfother lfargaret became aware of the orders
enjoined, she hastened her departure to compensate, as
far as possible, for her involuntary delay. lfother Fleurin
was left to promote the Paris foundation which was still
in a tangled condition.
During the journey, the irreconcilable enemy of the
Incarnate VTord, after having already done so mnch to
hinder the establishment of His Order, tried to destroy
the life of her who ""'as to be its first daughter. 'l"'he car-
dage in which she traveled was overturned upon lfother
Margaret. Its wejght was sufficient to have killed her. She
'vas believed to be dead, but to everyone's astonishment when
she was removed from under the wreck, it was found that
she had not been in the least hurt. "Something," she says,
"'like an invisible hand held up the vehicle to prevent it
from crushing me.m 'rhcy finally arrived safely at Lyons·
where they were cagerly awaited.
After 80me days devoted to rcceiving the final instruc-
tions of l1othe1· de lfatel and ber unclc, Father Gibalin,
lIother 11argarct depnrtcd for Avignon, with Sisters 'feresa
Gibalin, Jeanne Fiot, and lfm·y lfalacher. 'l"'hey arrived
on the fcast of A11 Saints, Novcmber 1, 163D, not 'vithout
incurring new dangers. 'rhey fonnd everybody so well dis-
posed towards them füat, after a few negotiations, the last
dif'ficulties wc1·c rcmovcd. 'l'hc Hcvercnd lfother Foundress
was thcn summoncd to conclndc the arrangements.
Far from wishi11g to p1·ofit by the ways opencd ,to her
by Providence to wi thdl'aw hcrself from the jurisdiction
lllis tory of the origin of th e Or<ler of the Incarnate "'ord.

245. THE LAST PERIOD OF W AITING 219
of her own Prelate, Mother de Matel, as we have seen, had
asked his permission to go to Avignon to found a monastery
there. She wished also to receive his blessing before under-
taking the journey but was obliged to renounce this de-
sire. Father Gibalin had engaged places on the boat which
was to leave the next day. It was necessary to embark.
She says in he~ Autographie Life (Chapter LXXXI), "See-
ing that it was Your will that I should go to Avignon,
I begged Father Gibalin to learn whether that journey
was pleasing to His Eminence. ~rhat Father having in-
formed me of the permission of His Eminence, I desired
to receive his blessing, also before leaving Lyons, but the
persàb wllo had been asked to arrange an audience brought
me no reply. That same day, Fathers Mazet and Gibalin
were passing by the wharf near the bridge, when they
met an agent who was looking for travelers to Avignon.
·They agreed on the price and immediately came to tell
me that I must leave the next day at eight o'clock in the
morning. They thus deprived me of the blessing which
I greatly desire_d from His Eminence. They said that I
must be content with the permission received and promptly
depart to establish my Order. "vVe left Lyons," she writes,
"on November 17, 1G39, Prior Bernardon,1 Sisters Mary
Nallard, Frances Gravier and myself-although I was quite
ill, for I did not wish to resist obedience to Your inspira-
tions, _I had great confidence in St. Gregory, the Wonder
YVorker, whose feast it was. I hoped he wonld remove the
mountains of opposition which would be raised against this
establishment. He did so.m
1 The veneration inspired by Mother de Mat el in M. Bernàrdon, Prior
of St. Denis, made him her faithful companion in all her journeys dur-
ing which he celebrated Mass and gave her Holy Communion every day.
He was the confessor of the bouse of Lyons for forty years, serving gratis
in spiritual and temporal matters.
2Autographic Life, ch. LXXXI.

246. CHAPTER XIII
Foundation of the First Monastery of the Order of the
Incarnate Word
1639
On Montlay, November 21, 1639, feast of the Presenta-
tion of the Blessed Virgin, l1other de l1atel landed at
Avignon. The city was in festal array for the accomplish-
ment .of a vow. A salute of artillery welcomed her arrival.
Her ingennous piety caused her to exclaim: "Love, this
eity has no thought of the entry Yon are making into it
at the present moment. But I be.g Yon to accept these re-
joicings in honor of Your new establishment.m She en-
tered the city by the gate which leads to Our Lady of
the Domes. The first spectacle which presented itself to
her sight was the rock on whose side there rises, with the
imposing palace of the Popes, the ancient metropolis of
Our Lady. She immediately recognized this rock as that
on which St. Peter appeared in a standing posture some
months before, when he promised her to take care of the
found_ation of the Order of the Incarnate Word and to pro-
te.et all its daughters. This view filled her soul with con-
fidence and joy. Mother de l1atel thanked her adorable
Guide, for baving led ber into the territory of the Prince
of the Apostles to place her infant Institute under his pro-
tection. She wended her way towards Our Lady's sanctuary
wherc she had a Mass said in thanksgiving and commended
i o the divine lfother the great work which she had corne
to accomplish, begging Mary to present hei· to the Lord
with the virginal offering which she had made of herself
on that day. After lrnving adored in spirit her Beloved
in all the tabe1·llaelcs of the city, having salnted the guard-
üm angels of earh one of its sanctnnries and its inhabitants,
:-dtc commcnded hcrsclf to their p1·otPetion, and then pro-
<·<·P<lcd to join hel' daugliten·L
1A utogruphic Lifc, ch. LXXXI.
220

247. FOUNDATION OF THE FŒST lIONAS'.rERY 221
The news of her arrival spread quickly. The most dis-
tinguished personages of the city soon came to visit her,
offering their services with such zeal and veneration that
the good lfother was abashed. Her grateful soul poured
itself out in ardent supplications to Our Lord begging Him
to recompense the piety of these people. Severa} years
afterw·ards she described the welcome which had been given
ber and she again cried ont: '"Dearest Love, reward them
a hundredfold, because of their love for Your glory. Yon
'Yho are the magnificent rewarder, give them all eternal
life in Heaven after a long life on earth. I hope for this
from Yon, 0 my Divine Love.m
11
he devotedness of the lfarchioness of Veclene was the
most remarkable. She presented the Foundress to the Vice-
Legate who expressed the greatest benevolence and granted
her the Bull for the establishment of the new monastery.
·she exerted herself in interesting in the pious enterprise,
all the authorities on whom its execution depended. rrhe
City Council ancl the Vicar General, who was the admin-
istrator of the diocese, had already been won over to favor
the work. lfr. de Salvador, the City Treasurer, was alone
in making any opposition. He considered that the affair
was being conclucled too rapidly and came to see lIother
de lfatel, asking a delay of tbree months. She replied:
"If this delay had been deemed necessary, I should have
been noti:fied of it in writing while I was at Lyons where
I could have waited."2
When ber visitor retired, she had recourse to prayer
ponring out the pain in her soul, into the heal't of her Be-
loved. After so many successive delays, she sRv a new
one arise at the moment wh.en she believed they had ended.
Her Spouse so full of love replied to ber: "lfy daughter,
courage: lllulicr CllJn varU) tristitia m lrnbet) quia venit
hora ejus: cum aute11i peperit puenun, jam non mcminit
pressurae propter gaudiwn quia natus est homo in mundnm.
''A woman when ~he is in labor hath sorrow, becanse her
time i~ corne: bnt whcn she hath lJI'onght fortlt the child,
1Autographic Life, ch. LXXXII.
2Ibidem.

248. 222 LIFE Üli, ,JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
shc remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a mau
is born into the world.m My daughter, the time has corne
for thee to give l1e to the world. In a little while, thou
shalt be joyous at having brought Me forth anew.m
While Our Lord was thus consoling His spouse, l1r.
de Salvador returned to his home, but feeling uneasy in
his conscience knelt down at the feet of his crucifix, to
consult God on the course he should take in this con-
juncture.
Interiorly reproved for the obstacles which he had at-
tempted to place in the way of the accomplishment of a
design which was dear to Our Lord, he arose from his
prayer, resolved henceforth to favor the project with all
his power. The urging of Madame de Salvador who had
seen Mother de lfatel only once, but had been penetrated
with veneration for her, added a stimulus to his zeal. The
next day, he called a meeting, in the College of the J esuits,
for the purpose of deciding the question of this establish-
ment. The assembly was composed of the Vicar General,
the City Council, lfr. de Salvador, doctors of theology,
Fathers Guesnay and Donyol. Their suffrages were unani-
mously favorable; llr. de Salvador himself sent lfother de
l1atel the announcement that the establishment had been
approved.
The Constitutions which were to be observed by the
Heligious of the I ncaruate Vord, had been lengthily and
pionsly drawn up by the Foundress. She had drafted their
fll·st sketch cven before leaving the home of her pm·ents.3
'l'hc Yicar General, M. œAlaman, named as its censors, a
1John, XVI, 21.
2Autographic Life, ch. LXXXII.
3Mother de Bély inserted in her 1Vritings and signed the following
important declaration :
"The Statutes obscrved hy the Order of the Incarnate 'Vord and
BlessNl Sacrament, were drawn up lJy our Reverend llfother Jeanne
Ch czard de Matel, accon1ing to the first c1raft. which she herself had
made before she left h er hom e. But her c1irector, who was the guardian
of l10r pious intentions, and th e othcr persons who wcre cleputc<1 to have
U1is work printed, forgot to mention, with regard to the Stntutcs and also
the cu s tom -lJooJ( and the ceremonial, details which arc so important and
<·onsoling for all the Hcligious of om· Ordcr, who, for the most part arc
ig·norant of thorn, that I have clccmcd it my duty to repair this over-
8ight. r_rho approval of the above said Statutcs is also due to the care of
the nevcrend Mother Foundrcss, who obtained it five days before the
establishment of the Monastcry of Avignon.-Sister Jane de Bély.

249. I•'OUNDA1'ION Oli~ TITE FŒS'J~ llONASTERY 223
committee of theologians who declared: ''The said rnles and
constitutions coutain nothing coutrary to the dec1·ees of
the sacred Council of ~rrent, the holy Canons 01· the Apos-
tolic ordinances, and shonld be a1Jproved and nntho1·ized.m
In consequence of this testimonial, the diocesan author-
ity of Avignon approved the said Rules and Çonstitutions
on December 1, 1639, while waiting for the Roly See to
confirm this approval by its snpreme authority, which took
place five years later, under the pontificate of Innocent
X, November 16, 164-4.2
Therefore there was nothing left to be done but to
put the final touches to the work. Monsignor Philonardi,
the Archbishop of Avignon, was absent from his diocese,
. as legate to the Court of Poland. The Foundress wished
that the hands of Monsignor Cohon, Bishop of Nîmes, should
consecrate the first stones of the temple which she was
· going to build to the glory of the Incarnate 'Vord. This
prelate had known lfother .de lfatel during her sojourn
at Paris, when he was filling the office of Preacher before
the King, as l1other de l)ély relates: "From his first in-
terviews with her, he Lad become very devout to the mys-
tery of the Incarnation." 'l'he veneration which she had
inspired in him, made him desirous of rendering her service.3
'l'lrns, when he received her message informing him of
her early future establishment at Avignon and of the satis-
faction which would be afforded her by his giving the veil
1Approbation of the Most Reverend and Illustrious Arcl1bishop of
Avignon: Pièces justificatives. Note C.
2Confirmation of the Constitutions, Pièces justificatives~ Note D.
3The following letter addressed by the Bishop of Nîmes to Father
Gibalin, on June l, 1637, shows his sentiments towards Mother de Matel:
"Those who are thwarting the zeal of your holy daughter, who is also
mine, by covering themselves with my name to attack her virtues, are
making a wicked snare out of their own .malice and calumniation.
I have never spoken of her except in the spirit that every one should
reap fruit from her intelligence and piety. If I have shown some of her
Ietten.; to others to whom tlley were not adclressed, my only purpose has
been to draw all to admire her and to make even her enemies confess
that in her there is nothing human or earthly, since in all that she says
and does, it is easy to recognize the g-uirlan<'e of H('aven. Vha t more can
I say to you? I have seen h er only at moments, and I remember her
every day of my life, as a creature in whom God has made me see the
qualities which are so rare and so worthy of Himself, that, in my judg-
ment, He alone can be worthy of her. Assure her that I esteem and love
her dearly and that I will persevere in the exertion of all my efforts for
the success of her work and that wherever· she is, I will be ber advocate.
At an early date I will give ber this assurance under mY own hand, which
will not be bclicd by my heart."

250. 224 LIFE OF JEANNE CH:EZARD DE l'IATEL
to her fhst fivc daughters, he immediately accedecl to her
wishes.
':rhe day after he1· arrival at Avignon, Monsignor Cohon
came to sec her, in the company of the principal magis-
trates of the city, and said to her: "My daughter, I have
corne immecliately, with the intention of being of service
for this establishment. But I have learned from these
gentlemen, that yon have obtained all that you desire.
T am very glad of this, and I thank these gentlemen and
all the city that I see wholly inclined in your favor. See,
my child, how the Incarnate vVord verified what He prom-
ised you. I assure you that I will not leave this city
until this Order has been established.m
During the search for a suitable dwelling, an incident,.
simple of itself, was an occasion for Our Lord to make
known to Mother lfargaret Gibalin His divine predilection
for the venerable Foundress, and the entire submission
which she owed her. Several places had been indicated
to them as possibly suitable for the uses of a commnnity.
'Vhen 1'fother de Matel and lfother lfargaret visited those
sites, it happened that their appreciations did not ag1·ee.
'l1his diversity of opinion did not occasion any act that
was reprehensible. 'l1he daughter used terms of sincere
respect, in expressing to her lfother the reasons which she
believed her experience furnished and which did not agree
with the supernatural views of the latter. But the Divine
1faster wished the :first religions of the Order to be, more
than any other, penetrated witl;t esteem for the dignity
and snpereminent privileges of the venerable Foundress.
'Vhen 1fother Margaret was at prayer, she felt her-
~clf elevated to God,. in a manner which she acknowledged
to be inexpressible. In this state He showed her that
she must never oppose the least desire of her whom He
had chosen from among all, to be the l.fother of His Order,
but that she must dcfer to her and obey her at all times.
Sister Margaret in her humility and fidelity immediately
1Autographic Life, ch. LXXXII.-It was on December 4, that the
Bishop of N imcs addrcssed these olJliging words to Mother de Matel,
and although th e housc which was to shelter the new R eligious was able
to rec0ive them only eleven days later, he kept his promise.

251. f'OU2'D_'..Tl0;' OF' 'l'HE F'InST MONASTEUY 225
"·ent and cast herself at the feet of lfother de Matel say-
iug how she regretted having shmYn any opinion contrary
to bers and how, for the future, she was i;esol ved to sac-
1·ifice all her own vimys and desires to those of her :lothc·1-.
~rhe goodness of the Blessed Virgin took care to recom-
pense this generous lrnrnility. The following day, between
three and four o'clock, in the morning, she appeared to
Sister Jlargaret. Her features were divinely beautiful and
majestic. She looked tenderly at her and said: "My daugh-
ter, it is I "·ho am the true :Mother of the Order of the
Incarnate Vord, and I have hastened its establishment
through pure charity and for love of you.m llother Mar-
garet was transported witb joy, and threw herself at the
feet of the Queen of Heaven to thank her. But at the same
instant the vision disappeared. Sister Mary Nallard was
s.leeping next to her. She heard her companion speak, and
then saw her on her knees, while she felt her own ·soul im-
bued with the most extraordinary perfume of grace, and
,she asked what had occurred. Sister Margaret replied:
"The most Blessed Yirgin is the true Mother of our Order.
_It is she who is advancing its establishment out of love
for it. Could we not testify our gratitude to her by some
special practices in her bonor?"2
For that puq)Qse they
agreed to recite every day three Aves and three Glorias,
to which on Saturdays and feast days of the Blessed ::lother
they would add the 'Pe Dozwi.3
Not until December 13, could the modest d"Telling "·hich
was to be the first monastery of the Order of the Incarnate
'Yord, be vacated by those who occupied it. After a thor-
ough search, no other place was found better suited to be
transformed into an humble chape], than that 'd1ich had
heen nsed as a stable and even this had to be divided and
subdivid.ed. One part was set aside for a sanctuary and
an exterior chapel; the other, separated from the former
1Biography of Motller Margaret of Jesus Gibalin.
2Ibidem.
3All the Order of the Incarnate Word has joined in the pious grati-
tllCle of the two venerable lIothers. The custom of reciting after Tierce
th e above prayers has been perpetuated, in tl1anksgiving for the part
taken by the Blessed Virgin in its establishment and for the benefits
which her materna! goodness never ceases to heap upon it.

252. 22G LIFE OF .JEANNE CHEZ.AUD DE lI ATEL
by a grille, was divided into two pal'ts of which the upper
hecame the Siste1·s' choir, and the lower, also eut in two
hy a partition, ·would be used as vestibule and parlor. 'r11e
w01·thy lIothers would have been haJPPY to offer to Our
Lord coming to dwell with them, an abode corresponding
to their love and His greatness. :Cut, another joy, all super-
natural, dilated their hearts when they saw that for this
new'" birth which He wished to have by His Order, the In-
carnate "iVord chose a stable as when He was born at
Bethlehem. ~rhe exultation of that joy is felt in the ex-
pressions in which the memoirs of the Order relate the
circurnstances.
Later on, when a similar abode will also be the first
foothold for the Foundation of Paris, Mother de Matel will
relate it in words which are a song of thanks and love. If,
at the base of all the Institutions with which Our Lord
has endowed His Church, He has wished to place poverty,
that reversa! of human procedures, which marked the be-
ginnings of the great work of the Incarnation, nothing of
all that could be lacking to the origin of the Order which
He destined to be a reproduction of that ineffable mystery.
To place the daughters of the Incarnate Word nnder the
necessity of practicing humility and mortification, was to
establish them in the exercise of the special duties of their
vocation. It was to make them breathe the air which is
to sustain in them that lifé of God made man, the air on
which they are called to live.
Two days and two nights were taken np in the final
preparations, for it had be.en decided that December 15,
the Octave of the Immacnlate Conception, should be the day
of the establishment of the Order of the Incarnate Word,
which makes a special profession of honol'Îng that signal
pdvilege of the Blessed l'fotber.
With the extel'ior preparations, they also made those
which were interio1·. Heaven manifested its interest in
the latter. Sister Margaret Gilmli11, overcome by exhaus-
tion, had thrown herself on a bed for a few minutes of
rest. She was awakened by a sweet voice biclding her to
invite n p;odf'athe1· mHl n grnlmothe.r fol' her enfry into re·

253. lj,OUNDATION OF THE FIRST l10NAS'l'ERY 227
ligion. It said to her: "The Roly S1Jirit is very rich. He
will give you a dowry. The Blessed Mother will take it
on herself to clothe you and furnish you with everything
that is necessary.m She gratefully thanked the Spirit of
I~ove and the divine lfother for the protection which they
deigned to promise her and, going to her cornpanions, she
suggested to them to choose in Heaven a godfather and
a godmother to protect them in the career on which they
were entering. This each one eagerly did, according to her
own devotion.
-Vhen morning had corne, Our Lord, before accomplish-
ing the work of ineffable mercy of which He had wished
her to be the instrument, placed the soul of the pions
Foundress in a disposition of rnost holy detachment. I t
was a kind of ecstasy which took her out of herself, to
place her in the bosom of Immortal Truth, and made her
a witness of the great things which God was 'about to
perform. "I felt myself," she relates, "in a state of inex-
p1icable indifference. I was astonished at the small part
which I was taking in the solemnity. But I admired the
disposition in which You placed my soul which took no
complacency in ail that was being done.
"Your Majesty had sus~pended in me ail feelings of na-
ture and self-love. I had no v.anity and, 0 Incarnate 'Vord,
although I should have been most joyful in seeing Your
promises accomplished, I was without feeling, and said :
'Dear I..iord, it is You Who have done these wonders while
nrnking use of me, the unworthy instrument of Y01ir good-
ness to which I give thanks for all that lrns been doùe. Your
holy Mother had told me, twenty years ago, that Yon would
do these wonders ail by Yonrself and that I should offer
myself _only for Your will. I have not been as faithful
as I shonld have been, but l thank Yon for having done
what Yon promised.' " rith ihe Hoyal Pi·ophet l say to Yon :2
, '11
estùn Oil ia tua credibilio fo cta snnt u imis Dom um tuam
dccct S(tnctitudo Domine in lu11git udincm dicrum . '"l'hy
1Biog rnphies of the first H cligio us of tll e Incarna te Yord a t Avignon.
2Autograpliic Life, ch. L XXXII. .

254. 228 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD llE lIATEL
testimonies are become exceedingly credible. Holiness be-
cometh Thy bouse, 0 Lord, unto length of days.m
'Yhen the most solernn moment of the Roly Sacrifice has
arrived, the personality of the priest who offers -it, is ef-
faced, so that only ~Jesus is seen. He says through the
priest: "This is My Body, this is My Blood," as He is the
only true Pontiff of His mvn divine oblation and of every
victim acceptable to God. Thus it was at that moment,
'vhen the hour arrived for the accomplishment of His de-
signs, the Incarnate Word intervened and the pious 1fother
""'as lost in the happiness and the loving power which oper-
ated the wonders that she beheld.
A great number of persons were eager to witness the
rare and solemn spectacle of the establishment of a religious
Ortler and the simultaneous clothing of five novices. But
only a select few comprising the City Oouncil and the
most distinguished personages of the city, could be accom-
modated in that sma11 space. The Bishop of Nîmes, assisted
by the Vicar Geperal, blessed the chapel. A large number
of the clergy, among whom was the devoted Father Gibalin,
hacl the joy of being pres~nt. lfass was celebrated by the
llishop. The venerable lIother .assisted at the Roly Sac-
rifice, buried in ber own nothingness and praying the In-
carnate. -nTord to bless and to receive in His five loving
wouncls, the five daughters who were to be clothed with
His livery.
The J esuit, Father J_.ejeune, preached the sermon. The
cloqner~t preacher had been informed of the merit of 1fothcr
de lIatel and of the extraordinary prerogatives with which
Our Lord had enclmved her to rencler her capable of estab-
lishing an Order which was an extension of the Incarnation.
He had been fascinated by these wonders. Ile expounded
thern in glowing terms w01·thy of thesc prodigics of the di-
vine me1·cy, but pah1fnl to the modeRty of the humble
1fother. mnshes ~m ff11sed hcr fn~e a11d sadness filled her
11eai·t . Rhe nbn8P<l nrnl mrnihilate<l hen~;plf in -·her sonl.
Pinally shc conld bear it no 1011gc1·. She prostrated her·- ·
~elf ~li- the foot of the altar, to li ide her~elf from the gaze
1 P s, X ClT, 7.

255. FOUNDATION OF THE FIRST MONAS'l'ERY 229
of the audience which was fixed intently on her whom
Our Lord had so highly favored. 'Yhen relating the pain
she then suffered, she cries out: "0 God, who is there that
having any common sense left, would not fe.el covered with
sfiarne. I was exposed to the gaze Of a multitude and I
had to listen to. such extraordinary praise of myself that
my sadness became insupportable. · I threw myself on the
ff oor beside the altar, in order to hide myself from the
view of the assembly that took pity on me and wanted to
call out to the Father to spare me.m
The sermon ended, the Vicar General read the Bull
of the establishment. The Bishop then proceeded to the
ceremony of investiture. He wished lfother de lfatel to
aid him in clothing her daughters with the religious habit.
He said : "lfoses was not a priest, yet he consecrated
priests by the power which was conferrecl upon him by
the ~pecial mission which he received from God."2
The novices received first the tunic of white serge, which
was to recall to thern the purity and innocence of their
adorable Spouse, and also the white garment with which He
was clothed in derision and which His love bequeathed
to them.3
They were girdecl with a cincture of red leather,
in memory of the cords which bound the divine Lamb and
were tinged with His Blood at the pillar. The cincture
is also a symbol of the love which must closely unite them
to Him. . The large recl scapular was then placecl over their
shoulders. I t reaches to the hem of the clress and has,
over the bosom, a crown of thorns, in the middle of which
is marked the Name of J esus above a heart pierced ·by three
nails and containing the words: Amor meus. The whole
is embroidered with blue silk, in honor of the Blessed
lfother. This scapular, as the Incarnate vVord informed
His confidaute, should recall to the gratitude and gener-
osity of His daughters, His bloocly cross. The crown of
thorns placed ove1· thejr heai·t, should rernind them of His
1Autographic Life, ch. LXXXII.
2Biographies of tl1e first Religious of the Monastery of Avignon.
3The assembly was charmed with the beauty of this new religious
costume and after the ceremony, ·begged Mother de Matel to explain Hs
symbolism. We here give the summary of her explanation.

256. 230 Lrn,E OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
dolorous diadem and also the jealous care with which they
must seal up in themselves, the treasure of tbeir suffer-
h1gs. The Name of J esus is placed like a seal upon their
heart, to guard it for Him. The heart pierced with nails,
in whose center are inscribed the "~ords, Amor mens) re-
minds them of the sacrifice which thev ·shonld make of.., .
their own hearts, hy mol'ti.ficatiou, in order to render them
the worthy abode of their Divine Sponse.
The betrothed of the Incarnate ''rord 1mt on red shoes,
to recall His transpierced feet and to accept the invitation
to tread with Him the wine press of His holy love. The
guimpe, the bandeau, and the
Escutcheon of the 8capular
of the Sisters of the
Incarnate :Vord.
,~eil completed the religious
habit.
At their profession, they
we1·e to replace, by the black
veil, the white veil of the no~­
ices and to receivc the red man-
tle, the memorial of the deris-
ory purple of their Royal
Spouse and His all-powerful
protection with which He had
promised to cover them. That
the transformation of their
whole selves into Jesus might
he the more complcte, thcir
rnlrne~ in the wm·ld were changed into religions names.
..Hargaret Gibalin becnmc Sister Mm·gnret of ~Jesus; Mm·y
Nallard, Sister l'Im·.r of the Roly Ghost; Teresa Gibalin,
8istel' 'l'eresa of .Jesus; Jane J1.,iot, Sister Jane of the ras-
si on; Mary Malacher, Sister Mary of St..Joseph.
'l'his exte1·i01· ti-a11sfo1·mation of the five happy novices
was lrnt a Rymhol of 011c more impo1-tnnt- lmt more difficnlt
whi<'.h wm~ fo he w1·ouµ;ht- in the iJif-p1·io1· of' tlteir souls mH]
w:t~ 1o 11·;rn~ f'm·rn (]H'm ~o pc1·f'<·<·i ly in 1o .J <:-;u~ i ha t they
wo11 l<l het:ornc h<·t P helow 11 i~ ('lrn-i<'l"( ~opieR, so tha t the
Etem:tl F«dlH~1· e0111<1 ~«ty in hles:--;ing them: "'r11is i~, iI1dce<l~
My l>elü'ed Son iu 'Vhom I am · wcll pleased."

257. FOUNDATIO"N" OF THE FIRST ~IO~ASTERY 231
Such was the ·Îlleal to be attainecl. 'l'he means of reach-
ing i't were clefinecl in the Corn;;titntious which the Vicar
General hacl lately approved, after the excellent testimonial
giyen by the commis~ion which had exam inecl it. ~rhe cere-
mony being oyer, he returned it to the ne'Y 1·eligious and
recommendecl its exact observance. After having blessed
them again, he declared that the cloister was henceforth in
force.
The first monastery of the Order of the Incarnate 'Yord
was founded.
-n"'"hat must haYe been the joy of these fervent novices
when the gate of the cloister was closed upon them, and
they saw themselYes in the peaceful possession of the hap-
piness which they had so ardently longed for and so long
awaited ! 'Yith what gratitude and loy·e their heart must
have over11mYe-d tmYards that 'Vord of God macle man -nr110
had clothed them the very first with His holy liYer~~ ! 'Vhat
manifestations of gratitude and sympathy they must have
given to the venerable "llother, who, after receiYing from
the hand and heart of her Divine Spouse this blessed livery,
had made a gift of it to them, "~ithout herself being clothed
in it. She macle this great sacrifice with the humility and
submission of a saint. ''You are now clothed," she said,
"in the habit of the Order of the Incarnate -nTord, but as
for me, I am deprived of it in spite of my ardent longing.
It is no small mortification for me; but God well knows
that it is for His glory that I must suffer. His will be
done.m
At the moment when this sacrifice was consummated,
Our Lord took care to rcveal the secret of His extraordinary
conduct towards her. Tt was to the eyes of the seraphic
j[other Elizabeth Grasseteau that He raised the veil of
the mystery. She also shared the privation of the Foundress,
renouncing the happiness of receiving the religions habit,
and had rernained at Lyons to govern the Congregation.
At the moment of the investiture of the five first Mothers,
Jfother Elizabeth Grasseteau had a raptnre in which all
Lutogr aphic Life, ch. LXXXII.

258. 232 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE l1ATEL
that was being accomplisbcd at Avignon, was shown her.
She knew what joy was given to Heaven by this admii·able
exterisiou -of the Incarnation. She saw with what love the
august Trinity blessed the humble Foundress who had borne
in her heart for twenty years the sacred Order, to which
she gave. birth on that day. The Incarnate Word said to
ber: ~~My daughter, thy Mother is 1fy well-beloved. I de-
light in her humiliations, which later will raise her to the
glory to which I have destined her. She is My elect and
chosen one." "Dear I...ord," asked the pions Sister, "when
Vill she become a religions?" J esus replied: "I have not ex-
hausted the plenitude of the graces and blessings of My good-
ness which is immense. When I clothe her in liy livery, I
will pour out My graces on her in profusion. In the mean-
while, I cover her with the mantle of 1fy protection as My
cherished spouse. But up to that day, I will pierce her
with a sword, by making her a sharer in My sufferings.m
The entire life of the Foundress was sketched in these
words, and, like the sword foretold by the aged Simeon, the
sword, which was announced to the venerable Sister on that
day of a new Presentation, was to cause unspeakable pain.
l:Iother de Matel considered them only in the light of Heav-
en, where the sufferings of the present life are seen to bear
no proportion to the glory which is prepared to recompense
them. 'Ve shall follow the favorite of the Incarnate vVord
on her way of the cross, but we shall love to bear in mind
that she walked in that way after Him and by His express
desire.
All the care of announcing at Lyops what had been
accomplished at Avignon was not left to Heaven alone. 'I1
he
following are the humble and pions terms in which lIother
de Matel speaks of it to the daughters of the Congregation.
"My most dear Sisters and danghters in J esus Christ:
I embrace yon all in the divine Reart ü1 which St. 'l"homa~
found his faith, his happiness, and his life. Have I not
reason to confcss with that great A postle, that the Incar-
nate Vord is our faitlt for has He uot accomplished His
promises? Have I not an obligation to p1·oclaim · that He
1Biography of Mother Elizabeth Grasseteau.

259. FOUXDATIOX OF THE FIRST ~IOXA.STERY ~33
is our life? The Son and the :.lother of fair lo-rn have
"Wrought these "-onclers alone, in spite of my numerous in-
fidelities, for which I beg their pardon and "Which I desire
to expiate with the aid of their gTace. I hae afren to ID~ e ~
BeloT'ed. dth all my affection,. :ffre daughters, as the :first
fiTe portions of His heritage. Indeed the Incarnate ~ord
desires us to be His heritage as He Himself wishes to be
ours. This ineffable fayor obliges us all to a hio·h deoTee
of perfection "-hich He alone c~n gie. He "Will ~ot refuse
it. if "-e corresr>ond to His f~n-ors and to our Ocation. I t
is to this that I exhort you. Aboe all,. pray that I myself,
by His mercy. may be such as He comrnancls me to be, ail
for Him as He is all for me. :.ly most clear daughters, this
is the desire of :-our most affectionate :.lother,
JEA.XXE DE :JI.HEL.
:ATignon. December 21, 1639.~'
The following is Yhat she "-rote to the Abbé of Saint-
Just:
.;I most humbly salute you in the Heart of the Incarnate
Yord. -ho rnakes me exclaim with the great St. Paul : '0
the depth of the riches of the ~isclom and of the knowledge
of Gocl '. Ho"- incomprehensible are His juclgrnents, and how
unsearchable His ways :· To Hirn all honor and glory. I
am in a state of joy and sharne. after seeing "-hat the right
hancl of the Almighty has wished to do at A-dgnon, after
inT'iting me, through the Prince of the Apostles, to found
there the first rnonastery of His Order. To triumph in this
second Rome. He has chosen the least of His daugh_ters. He
has erectecl His throne on the lowness of my in:firmities,. in
order to sho"- that He uses the weak to confouncl the strong.
and that He reYeals to the lmdy what He hides from the
great. It is for this that the Incarnate ~ord thanks His
Father, becau~e such has been Hi~ pleasure.
"To satisfy His desires. I haYe consented to be cleprh·ed
of the holy habit. 'd1ich fü-e of my daughters recefred on the
Octa-e of the Immaculate Conception to the unfrersal joy
of the citizens of that city which shows us inexplicable cor-
diality. Since I am lm,Yorthy of the faor which has been

260. 234 LIFE OF JE..:NNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
granted to my daughters, I shall suffer this humiliation as
long as it shall be the pleasure of the goodness of Him in
Vhose hands is my lot, as was that of David. Pray that
He may reign over our hearts, since He i"S their King and
their Spouse. In His love, I am n1y Father Director's
Most humble and obedient servant,
· JEANNE DE MATEL/'
Vhen granting the Bull for the establishment of the mon-
astery of Avignon, the Vice Legate had said to lIother de
:Matel, that as he himself could not stay in that city, he
clesired her to rernain there long enough to train her novices
in the sphit and duties of their vocation. This task was
already far advanced. God and herself had labored at it
for many years. Nevertheless, she set about obeying and
devoted herself especia1Jy to frying Sister Margaret of
J esus, on whom all the success of the foundation was to
depend. She had lived with her only a short time and
wished to assure herself if the soliclity of her virtue e,qualled
her talents and natural and supernatural eildowments. She
soon had the consolation of seeing that her high reputation
for humility, self-denial, and obedience was far below the
reality. From that tiiile, she had a glimpse of the fruits
of sanctity which would be borne by this first branch spring-
ing from the sacred germ whicli had been planted in her
own heart by Our Lord.
The four companious of llother lIargaret of J esus were
likewise eminent religions. Sister lfary of the Roly Ghost
Nallard, a native of Lyons, had been one of the first sub-
jccts admitted into the Gongregation. She was de.stined
to render disti ngn iRhed se1·vices to her Order, especially
in the fonndation of the monaste1·y of Paris, of which she
was the first Snpcl'Ïoress. At an early age~ she had made
a vow always to do wha t she bel ieved to he most pcrfect.
Her charac1e1·ii·dic vil'tlle was profonnd and si11cere hnmil-
it-y, which 11rn<le her alway~ t-ake for hci·self what was low-
liest aIHl most painfnl, flll(l to ren<ler to others all the serv-
ices i11 her powel'. Thence she was oftcn known by the
11ames of : tlt c yood 1lfot7HT) lh c lwly ltl othcr.

261. FOUNDATION OF THE FIRST lIONASTERY 235
Sister Teresa of Jesns Gibalin had imitated the heroism
of her cousin, lfother lfargaret of J esus, in responding
to the call of the Incarnate 'Yord. She was later selected
by Mother de lIatel to 'York for the foundation of the
monastery of Grenoble. After remaining there seven years,
she retnrned to the honse of her profession where she edi-
fied all during thirty years of her angelic life. Monsignor
Suarez, who had long been ber director, assures us that
she had preserved ber baptismal innocence, and he called
fier " a soul who was all grace."
Sister Jeanne of the Passion Fiot, was a daughter of the
Procnrator of Villefranche, near Lyons. From her early
childhood, she hacl shown a strong inclination for the relig-
ions life, and had aspired to enter an Order in which she
would be clothed in white and red. She had been assured
by an intuition of grace that this Order was to exist and
that she would find it some day. She had been led by
Divine Providence to an acqnaintance with the lfother
Fonndress, and had bonnd herself to her irrevocably.
Neither the strong objections of her father who wished to
settle ber in the world, nor the defections occasioned by
the refusals of the Cardinal, had been able to break her
resolve. She was one of those who were the most eager
to make the vow of stability in 1G35. Thus she was selectecl
to be one of the first five to take the habit of the Incarnate
Vord. She was temporarily sent from the monastery of
Avignon, to participate in the lalwrs for the fonndation
of Paris and Grenoble, lmt retnrned to the couvent of her
profession, where, for many years, she gave an example
of all virtues, especially of lrnmilit;y and charity. ·
Sister Mary of St. ~Joseph :Malaeher had followed llother
Margaret from the Ursuline Couvent of Malzieu to Lyons
and had bcen her companion in her four years of exile at
Paris, and Yas nmv her. companion in happiness. After-
wards, she was called, by her office of Mistress of Novices,
to co-operate in he1· ·work hy haini ng in the religious life
and the spirit of the Incarnate 'Yord, the souls Vhom that
Divine lfoster destined for the monastery of Avignon. This
fe1·vent religions labored with snch zeal and success that

262. 23G LIU'E OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE l:IATFJL
she peopled the couvent with saints. She died there in
the odor of sanctity, after a career which was completed
too soon for the desires of those who were deprived, by her
death, of the edification afforded by her heroic virtues and
'vho, in the history of her life, loved to call her their
scraphfo Sister.
One of the aims of the nascent Institute was the educa-
tion of young girls, and especially of those whom a pre-
mature call inclined to the religions life. When ardent
love for the Incarnate vVord urges some among them to
consecrate themselves to that divine King, at an age which
is too tender to make it possible to accede to their aspira-
tions, the Constitutions permit them to receive the little
Habit of Sisters of the Child Jesits. This favor, without
depriving them of their liberty, disposes them to make use
of it in conformity with the designs of God upon them.
The most Christian and influential families hastened
to confide the education of their daughters to these relig-
ions who inspired them wHh such sympathy. These young
souls, after their entry into the monastery, were often so
impregnated with the atmosphere of sanctity which they
breathed, that they were impelled with the desire to vie
with their venerated mistresses in their generosity and
their love for J esus. We see tears of tenderness in the
too short recital of their ingenious fervor by the Annalist
of the beginnings of the monastery of Avignon.
One example must sufûce to illustrate the spontaneous-
ness, energy, and divine inspiration in those desires of per-
fection and of the religions life, which would be deemed
premature if the future did not demonstrate that they were
the effect of an abundance of extraordinary graces.
Laura de Serviere, only daughter of the first Consul of
Avignon, was only eight years old at the time of the founda-
tion of the monastery. One month after, she was received
as a boarder by Motber de lfatel herself.
~"'here is no doubt that the saintly lfother called down
on that child the spccial blcssings of the Incarnate Word,
in rcturn foi· the protection given to lier work by her noble
parents. The spiritcd and charming li ttle girl had passed

263. FOUNDATION OF THE FIRST llONASTERY 23'7
only a few days in the convent when she spoke of nothing
but her desire of becoming a sponse of the Incarnate -nTord,
and of receiYing the habit of the little Sisters of the Child
J esus. This favor could be· granted her only with the con-
sent of her parents. Madame de Serviere, although very
pious, was unwilling to consent, for any consideration.
Laura was her only daughter.
In vain the child renewed her supplications, until one
clay she got an idea that she would not be detained in the
world if she were disfigured. She climbed up stairs and,
taking a pair of scissors, she eut off her blonde loclΠwhose
w·a-ving curls added a great charm to her remarkable beauty.
As was to be e:x:pected, this e:s:pedient of the poor little
one had for resnlt, a still more e:s:plicit assurance that
she woulcl. ne,Ter be given the permission which she had
tried to take by force. But reprimands coulcl not shake
ber resolution, and delays failed to wear out . her con-
stancy. After two years of waiting, she thought of obtain-
ing from Heaven what had been refused her on earth.
W'ïth this end in view, she made three novenas : one to
Jesus suffering; another to the Blessed Sacrament; the
third to the Blessed Mother. "'Yhen they were encled her
parents agreed to grant her desires. They hoped that once
in possession of the object of her pra:rers, her ardor would
cool. But this was not true in her case.
This little Sister ~Iaria Teresa of Calvar:y, who was
only ten years old, ~fter being clothed with the religions
habit, yearned with the heroism of a saint, for all that
is most difficult in the practice of virtne. She was ingenious
in taking advantage of every opportunity to modify her-
self, and insisted on being permitted to perform,.. in public,
acts of penance and humility. ·yvhen a fault had been com-
mitted without its author being discovered she adroitly
presented herself to be benefited by its punishment. One
day she found a branch broken from a vine, and she took
it to her room to make others believe that she was the cul-
prit. She was confronted by one of her companions who
wished to know if she had really committed that fault
and hmv she would accept the reprimand. She replied :

264. 238 LJFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE MA.TEL
"Our Lord has filled my soul with such great consolation
that I would love to share it with all my Sisters, to encour-
age them more and more in the practice of humility."
'l'he Incarnate "'Vord recompensed the generosity of His
little lover with a gift of prayer which was extraordinary
for her age. The happiest recreations of the fervent child
were those in whi_çh she could inspire its relish and teach
its method to some one of ber companions. Love for God
and contempt for the world increased every day in thnt
child of g1·ace, and decided her to make in secret the vnw
of chastity and the vow to live and die in the Order of the
Incarnate Word. Her parents were still opposed to thi8.
Nothing less than a miracle was needed to obtain tbeir con-
sent. J esus did not refuse it to this innocent and generons
soul, and to the confiding intervention of the .Foundress.
Among the pe.rsons who reaped blessings from Mother
de lfatel's presence and her work Mr. de Bély and bis family
held the first rank. This noble gentleman lived careless
of his religious duties and followed no rules of life except
the laws of honor and the maxims of the world. After his
conversations with lfother de lfatel, his mind became so
illumined and his· heart so touched with the truths of faith,
thnt he was changed into another man. His conversion
was as solid as it had been sudden. He devoted himself
thenceforward to the practice of all Cliristian virtues and
especially of prayer, of which he received an eininent gift.
He also acquired a love for the virtue of penance, and
practiced severe austerities. He often fasted on bread
and water, especially during Lent and Advent. This
fervent couvert became so avid of suffering that bis most
vehement desire was to find an opportunity to suffer some
great trial in the service of God. He took as his device:
lncrease of crossc8; and to signify this, he replaced the
dolphins on his coat of arms by crosses and added a crescent. -
'Vhen he ë·ame to visit the religions of the Incarnate Word,
he entertained them only with discourses on the happiness
of their vocation and on the love of J esus and His cross.
He spoke with such zeal and conviction tbat his words
were said by them to be as profitable to theil' souls as

265. FOUXDATIOX OF THE FIRST ~IOXASTERY 23D
conferences of a enerable spiritual father. On solemn
feasts, he took down the tapestries from the walls of his
apartments and sent them with all that he most prized to
the chapel of the little monastery, which he delighted in
adorning with his own hands.
")fr. de Bély had his si:s:: daughters educatecl at this con-
Yent. Three of them, and more than twenty of his relatives,
ernbraced the religions life in the sarne Institute. The first
postulant to be enrolled under the standard of the Incar-
nate ""ord, was presented by hirn, shortly after the foun-
dation.
Miss Catherine d'Andre du Yisan, was a niece of the
President of Orange and a godchild of ")fr. cle Bély. She
was twenty-fiT"e years of age. Her nobility, goocl judgrnent,
and distinguishecl intelligence caused her to be sought after
by the best society. She graciously accepted these urgent
ÏnT"itations. But in the miclst of worldly pleasures of. Yhich
she was fond, she felt herself secretly attracted to the re-
ligious life. Then she heard of the Order of the Incarnate
Yord, her heart was On by it, and her decision was taken
irreyocably. This une:s::pected resolution raisecl rnom1tains
of opposition. She Oercarne them with the· energy which
charactcrized her and, after hRving earnestly solicited ad-
mission, she was recefred in the new rnonastery, which.
cluring forty years, she was to serT"e in the rnost important
offices and edify by her solid virtues.
At the same time that the Incai·nate ""orcl was pour-
ing out with laT"ish hands the blessings of His tenclerness
on His farnily, He continued to work, in the soul of His
dear spouse, that masterpiece of grace and perfection Yhieh
had been planned by Ris lo-ve.
On the vigil of Christmas, all the little commnnity haY·
ing joined their earnest petitions that the good ")fother.
whose health was cau~ing them anxie(c shoulcl take ~orne
i·est before the office of the nigh t, ~be yielded. but did not
8leep. Scarcely had she laid herself on her bed. Yhen the
Incarnate Yord, to ""hom :-:he had just gfren a new bi rth.
wished to entertain her delightfnlly ,dth the following con-
soling mystery. He said to her:

266. 240 LI FE O:F' JEANNE CI-IEZAilD DE lIATEL
"Thou art My Ruth and I am thy Booz: Thou hast
given Me pleasure by following the counsels of the Virgin,
lly l_fother by nature and thine by adoption. She is the
fair and prudent N oemi to whom thou hast said that thon
~Tilt follow her whithersoever she goeth, that her land shall
be thy land, her people, thy people, and her God, thy God.
'rl10u art corne to Avignon which may also be called Bethle-
hem, because I have corne there to be born anew, by the
institution of lfy Order. As Noemi, on seeing the gifts
that Booz gave to Ruth, knew that he would also giye him-
~elf to her in marriage, and exhorted her to persevere and
hope, lfy holy Mother kneT from the f avors I bestowed
on thee, that I would gi ve Myself to thee and to My Order,
and this is why she said to thee, that He vVho alone
·works wonders, would establish His Order, and that thou
shouldst offer thyself entirely to Him. She counseled
thee to corne to find Me in the Sacrament of the
altar, in which are contained the bread of the elect and
the ·wine germinating virgins, and to say to Me, through
her, that I am thy neighbor, having united lfyself to hurnan
nature which I assumed in her virginal womb. Thou didst
cast thyself a't My foet, with humility equal to thy con-
fidence in My incomparable goodness, and thon didst beg
Me to spread My mantle over thee. My dear daughter, I
have done this. The red mantle which I have, given thee,
in )fy loving protection, shows that thou art lfy beloved
spouse. lt is a royal and divine mantle, it is the royal
purple. My daughter, by thus placing thyself under My
blood, thon hast given lfe pleasure and, if I could, 1ike
Booz, say to thee that this confidence is a second mercy,
I wonld say it to thee, for thon hast left all the established
01·ders, to receive from lIe the commission to establish
this one, and thon hast remained constant and faithful in
promoting the accomplishmeut of My good pleasnre.
"Seeing him who rcfnscd to establish thee in his· diocese,
take off his shoes, that is to say, the claims and affections
wh ich he should have had for Hnth, I have called angels
and men, not to the gate of the city, bnt to Avignon which
is ~Iy ~r('ond nethlehem, i11 order that they may be witllesses

267. FOUNDATION OF THE FIRST ~IONASTERY 241
that I haî'e espoused thee and I haî'e said to them: ros
inquam cujus rci testes estis. ''Yon are witnesses of this
"thing.m Be assured, J!y daughter, that they say to thee also:
Nos testes sumus: .Faciat Domillus hanc muliereni quae
ingreclitur domum tuani) sic-ut Rachel,. 6t Liam,. quae aedi-
.ficavenrnt dommn Isra el: -Ct sit e:rcmplllm ,;irtutis in
Ephrata et lwbeat celebre nomcn in Bethlehem. "Ye are
witnesses. Jlay the Lord make this woman Yho cometh
into thy house, like .Rachel and Lia. "~ho built the house
of Israel: that she may be an e:xample of vil-tue in Ephrata
::md rnay haYe a famous name in Bethlehem.''2
"My daughter, Jly spouse, our Order, our Houses W'ill
be more a<lmirable than those of Israel. Thou art Rachel
and Lia, thou hast contemplation and action, beauty and
fecundity. Thou owest these fa-vors to Jiy charity and
.to the cares of J!y holy Jiother, the diYine Noemi. It is
I, the Incarnate Yord, her Son, W'"hom thou bringest forth
again in the world. Dost thou not think that J!y Father
has cornmanded all the angels to adore J!e in this second
introduction, in which there bas been made an extension
of Jly Incarnation ?m
At this ne"? manifestation of the loye of the Yord for
the Order and for he1 self~ the soul of J!other de :uatel
melted with happiness and gratitude. ·~Jiay all the Blessed
wbo are in the Clrnrch triumphant/' she exclaims, "bless
You, 0 most dear Spouse, because, in Your Church militant
a chilcl bas been born to N oemi. an Order has been insti-
tuted which bears the name of Emmanuel. of Incarnate
Yord, of Son of the incomparable one in beauty a~ a daugh-
ter, mother, and spouse of Gocl. I thank thee, 0 diYine :Xoemi,
·who art all fair and spotless. This Order has been born
to honor thy Incarnate Son, and to giYe thee glory. It
professes to honor affectionately thy Immaculate Conce1J-
tion. ReceiYe it on thy bosom, nourish it with thy Yirginal
milk, carry it in thy arms, present it to thy Divine Father,
by thy most sacrecl bands. Jfay all the daughters of this
Huth Ty, 10.
R11th IY. 11.
. Autographie Life, ch. LXXXIII anc1 ·w'ritings, Yol. II, p. !13S.

268. 242 LŒ'E OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE 1IATEL
Orcler be faithfnl se1·vants of thy majesty. 0 Qneen of
angels and men, make them rnost humble before God and
in the presence of the Angels and for the edification of
n1en.''1
These joys at the foundation of the Order and at the
happiness of having given to her adorable Booz and to her
divine Noemi, the child that was the object of so many
prayers, were followed in Mother de Matel, by suffering
and desolation. A state of interior dryness and darkness,
which was singnlarly painful after the consolations with
which she had been favored, was accompanied by a disease
of the eyes which cansed all to fear for her sight. She
well knew the heart of ber Divine Master and said to Him:
"'Vliat, 0 J__.orcl, do Yon hide Yonrself from me? Have
I not enough in this disease that Yon are inflicting on
my eyes? May I dare to make my cornplaints with the
loving liberty which Yon have always given me? After
You have, by Your grace, established this first monastery
of Your Order in this second Rome, I am afflicted with
blindness. After having seen this establishment, shall I
never see anything else on earth ?" But soon she adds:
"Dearest Love, Your will be done in all things, I subrnit
entirely.m
J esus could not resist these groaus of the soul which
He cherished. From that moment the ophthahnic pains of
_the good Mother ceased and, as she said, ''if the sweet de-
votion which she had had before the establishment of the
Orrler, was not resto1·ed to her," the tenderness of her SpouRe
revealed to her the reason for this. He said to her: ''.My
claughter, hast thon forgotten, that mmrna no longei· fell,
when the people of Israel were in the P1·ornised Land, bc-
cause they enjoyed its fruits? Now that thon art i11 the
land of My 1n·omise~, thon art snted with the fruits of My
Order.m
'Yhe11 0111· l.01·<1 uUered the~c worùs, she wns a8sisting
nt ~Tn~R. Vhe11 IIe had corne to her sacrmnentnlly by Holy
L u tn g ra pliic Li fc , c h. LXXXIl 1.
~ Ihi<l e m .
3Il>icl e m.

269. FOUNDATION OF THE FIRST MONASTERY 243
Comnrnnion, He showed her how, in the midst of what
seemed to her to be distress, she was incomparably rich.
Yon eleyated my spirit to Your most angnst Trinity, and
said that Yon wished me to see hmv- the "Thole Trinity was
in my soul in an admirable manner. You told me that these
Three Divine Persons were, beyond comparison, more
precious than all that is in Heaven or on earth. "To thee.
My danghter, it is given to know and to receive the divine
kingdom. The Three Divine Persons corne into thy soul,
because God lo-ves those who keep His word. And I am
the Father's ...ord 'Vhom thon keepest in thy mind, in t h:y
heart, and in lly Order, wllich is Mine, because it has
been declicated and consecrated to lIe:'1
News received by Mother de Matel from Lyons, did not
permit her to sta:r at Avignon as long as she vould have
clesired. Her departure was fixed for April 23, 1640. On
'April 22, she ga,Te the habit to ~liss Catherine d'Andre.
who ardently desirecl to receive it from her hands. She
herself was happy at being able, before her departure, to
offer to the Incarnate Tord the first fruits of the harvest
of saly·ation and sanctity which He was to reap so abun-
dantly in this first monastery of His Order, and this garden
enclosed which belonged to Him alone. In return, the
Divine Master made her, on that day, a gift {)f one of
the fairest flowers of Avignon.
The eldest daughter of lfr. de Bély, little Lucretia.
was then only seven years old. Having learned that
the Foundress was to depart the next day, she could
not be reconciled to being separated from her. She begged
her father so earnestly to be allowed to go with ·her, that
the pious gentleman, 'vhose faith and veneration for llother
de Matel strongly pleaded in favor of that desire, consented
to its realization. The fnture prm...ed that, in this sudden
resolution, there was much more than a childish fancy.
The venerable llother, ten years later, after having rescued
her from death b3T three days of prayers and tears, gave
ber the habit of her Order of which she was one of the
most eminent religions. In pages full of sympathy, she
L u tograph ic L ife, ch. L XXX III.

270. 244 LU'E OF JEA~NE CHEZ.A.RD DE lUATEL
was to leave a recital of the virtues and deeds and espe-
cially of the final trial of the Foundress, from which we
shall have to borrow many precious details.
During her sojourn of five months at Avignon, Mother
de :Matel had receivecl numerous testimonials of devoted-
ness. 'Ve know how sensitive to kindness was her noble
and generous nature. This inspired her with one of those
gratefnl returns by which only saints are able to pay their
debts.
The hospitab1e city was invaded by terror. The awful
scourge of the pestilence which had raged for several years
in the southern provinces, was spreading in the places
around the city. With the faith and confidence which, so
to say, subdue the love and power of God, lfother de lfatel
besought Him to preserve the city from the contagion, in
recompense for its devotedness to His work. She knew
the heart of her Spouse: "That she was assured," she said,
"that out of consideration for the joy which had been
given Him by the welcome extended by the people of Avig-
non to His Ortler and its daughters, He would save it frorn
this sconrge.m She adds, that she felt her prayer had been
heard. In fact, the scourge, which was at the gates of the
eity throwing it into terror, did not enter within its walls.
Reassu.red on this point and confiding in the love of
the Incarnate Tord for all that concerned the interest of
her little community, the good lIother tore herself away
from the tears and embraces of her daughters, whom she
left to the wise guidance of lfother Margaret of J esus.
1Autographic Life, ch. LXXXIII.

271. CHAP'l'ER XIV
Sojourn at Lyons.-Trials.-Consolations
lGJO-lGJl
Having left Lyons 'Yith little Lucretia de Bély, Sister
Frances Gravier, and Prior Bernardon, lfother de liatel
stoppecl at Vienne at the home of ~fadame de Lauzun. She
had counted on making only a brief stay in the house of
her noble friend, but the latter, too happy to harbor a saint
under her roof, wishecl to cletain her as long as possible.
'J'herefore she sent back to Avignon the vehicle which had
brought her guests, and promised to take them to Lyons
in her own carl'iage. I t was only after three days of inti-
mate conversation, that she consented to restore the Mother
'to her daughters.
In spite of the longing of the venerable Foundress to
press those dear daughters to her heart as soon as possible,
she obeyed an inspiration of her heroic virtue and begged
lfadame de Lauzun's permission to go into the courtyard
of the Archbishop's palace. She wished to present the
homage of her humble submission, to the inflexible Prelate,
whom nothing could prevent her from revering as her Pastor.
Vhen achnitted into his presence, she thus addressed him:
"Monsignor, although by the mercy of the Incarnate
Vord, I have succeeded in making religions, you see that
I am not one. No matter what yearning I felt to possess
a happiness so long desired, I have deprived myself of it
in conformity with the intentions of Your Eminerice.m The
Archbishop showed bimself greatly pleased with this defer-
ence, and listened with interest to the recital of the bless-
ings which accompanied the establishment of the first mon-
astery of the Order of the Incarnate Tord. In presence
of the numerous witnesses surrounding her, he e:xpressed
his perfect satisfaction with the conduct of lIother de
Matel, and insisted that she should use his own carriage
lA u tographic Life, ch. LXXXIV.
245

272. 24G LIFE OF JE .NNB CHEZARD DE lIATEL
to make the short triv from his palace to the house of the
Gongregation.
YVe cannot hel p noting how the rigor of the Cardinal
towards l1otlle1· de lIatel, was not di1·ected at herself per-
sonally. ~rhe lnunility, submission and sanctity of the
Foundress appeared to subdue him. At a distance he could
say, as we shall soon see: ''No lIother de Matel for me!"
And yet in her presence he was all kindness and veneration.
The joy of lIother de Matel on embracing her daughters,
was mingled with sadness. Her keen eyes saw th'at during
her absence cockle had been sown in the field. "I found,"
she says, "some of my daughters very far from the fervor,
humility, and mortification which distinguished them be-
fore my departure from Lyons, and this was a deep afflic-
tion to me.m 'Vhat then had happened? This we can
only surmise because of the discreet and reserved charity
of the humble lfother. Although those who lived in the
Congregation, were not authorized to make the vows of
religion, yet the venerable Mother had urged them, by her
words and example, to live with as much perfection as if
they had bound themselves by the strictest obligations. She
wished thus to render them more worthy of the choice which
the Incarnate 'Vord had made of them, to tr:ansform them
into His living models, in whom one day would shine forth
His name, His livery, and especially His virtues. The
regularity and fervor of the little comnnmity wonld have
been an honor to the best established monasteries. Sur-
prising and sad though it may seem, it was a religions who,
instead of using his influence over these souls to encourage
them in the way in which they were advancing with fervor,
had labored to slacken their steps, by showing them that
they were not obliged to i he perfectio11 asked of them, and
that they would do bctter to go elscwhcrc.
'l'hc pions Moi hc1· exc1·tcd hcrself to eheck this evil. "'l
di<l what the A postle c01mscls 'J'imothy," she writes, '~when
he says to ldm : Argue) obsccro) increpa) in omni vaticntia
et <loctrina. " Reprove, entreat, rebnke, in all patience and
J. 11 tog-rn phi c Life, ch . I_jXXXlV.

273. SO.JOURN ~~T LYO~S.-TRIALS.-CO~SOLATIONS 2J7
doctrine.m But if the descent which leads to laxity is easy,
it is difficult to climb up again, especially when nature
can support its resistance on the authority of a doctrine.
The zeal of )fother de Matel was powerless before such
an obstacle. " Seeing." she adds, '·that they wished to
follo"T only their desires whirh were not desires for per-
fection, and that they had lost all relish for piety, allmv-
ing themselves to be canied mn1y by the discourses of
an individual who tnrned a"Tay from Yonr Majesty, souls
'Yl10 had not sufficient constancy to remain faithful to the
promises they had made You, I let them go where they
"Tished.m
:;Iother de )Jatel 1oved her daughters with an affection
so strong and teuder that she could not bear to be sepa-
rated from them. In the sequel it will be noted that not
one of them died in a munaster~T "There she lived. As soon
as she sa"T one of them in danger of death, she conjured
and iute1Tened with so nrnch ardor, that the good )!aster
was constrained to surrernler to her supplications. On this
occasion we see her resigned. Her heart could not regard
as her mvn, those in "·hom the love of the Incarnate Vord
did not reigu. HmYever. this love dictated to her some
exceptions; those who had fortunes she pe1·mitted to follmY
their own will, but she made efforts to retain those "Yho
were without means.
''I left nothing nndone/' she says, ''to keep them. Be-
cause You have called the poor, I take pleasnre in keep-
ing them in the Congregation. In this. charity is prac-
ticed. proving that it is You Yho giYe suecess fo Yonr
designs, when the means so nrnch esteemed by· men, are
lacking.''3
In orcler to reanimate he1· own broken spfrit and to im-
plore by more continuons supplications the graces needed
hy lier religions family which had again been decimated
ùy the storm, the poor :.fother passed. in retreat, the ten
ùays ùetween ...-._sceusion and Pentecost. '•I resolYed.'' she
says, "to make the Exercises, begging Yon to send me Yom·
1IITim. IY, 2.
2.- u t ogra phic Li fe, ch . L XXXlT.
,. 3Jbidem.

274. 248 LIFE OF .JEANNE CHEZARD DE MATEI1
Holy Spfrit.m At the beginning of her retirement, she is
in a state of aridity which only aggravates her pain, bnt
her Divine Spouse is watching over her. By a s'veet vision,
He makes her understand how He can, at the same time,
love her tenderly and try her rigorously. "You carried
my heart," she says, "in Your hands, and, while protect-
ing it against its enemies, You were pressing it lovingly.
It seemed to me like a flower that You wére keeping so that
it would not fade. I admire these two contraries, which
made it a pressed ,flower, and, at the same time, a flower
prescrved in its beauty.
"On the day ·when I was meditating on death, You said
to me : ~fy danghter, have no fear of death. Thy heart
is in the bands of Life. Justorwn animae frl manu De·i
sunt) et non tanget illos tor1ncntitni mortis. wrhe souls of
i.he just are in the hands of God, and they shall not be
tonched by the torrnent of death."2
Death being only a
privation, the soul does not suffer from it, when it receives
a more excellent life than the one it leaves. It even desires
that privation 'ivhich makes it capable of uniting itself
entirely to God 1Vho is its all and the Ocean of all being,
1Mernnl Life is Sovereign Being.m
After this visit from the 'Vell-beloved, the holy retreatant
can say with the Sponse of the sacred Canticles: "I have
found Him lVhom my soul loves. I will not let Him
µ;o." 'I'he remaining days of solitude arc a chain of favm·R
and glory. 'Vhen she mcditates on judgment, her merciful
Ravior, through the offe1·ing of Himself and His infinite
rnerits, makes her win her cause with so many advantnges,
ihni Divine J11stiee declnres it is more than satisfied and
iha t it possesscs, after being rigo1·onsly paid, sufficient
i1·easm·es i:o savc a thonsand worlds.
.Auother da.v, ~Tesns makcs her undershmd that He
t omes down to raise her np to Himself. She e:xclahns:
'" I )car Love, teneh me how to express Your descent and
Ill.Y 0levat ion. 'Yilhont Jenving the Fnther's bosom, in which
1, utograpliic L ifc, ch . LXXXlV.
2 Vis <l o m , JJ I. 1.
:1Au tographic Lifc, ch . LXXXIV.

275. SOJOURX .à.T LYO.XS.-TRULS.-CO~SOL.à.TIO.XS 2-19
is beg:otten the Person on whom Yom· H nmanit~- is :-:up-
ported in snd1 a Y~1.,- that t'Yo natures make (Jne °'fon-
Gocl 110 is Yonrself. You came to me with as much meek-
ness as rnajest,'. accompaniecl by a multitude of ange]~
and saints,. and You elen1ted 111.' spirit b~- Yonr splendo1·s
Yhich were like a lnminons chain. to ele,ate me delight-
fu11y to Yourself. as if I had "-ishec1 to meet Him ~ho
descended to me. The angels and saints "-ho accompaniecl
You said to one another: ·This is she who is passing through
great tribulations and who often washes her robe in the
blond of the Savior. onr Diine King~ b,' her repeatecl con-
fessions and claily Communions. I t is this blood that makes
her so -white.'
"I' then saw a multitude of fiowers of dfrers colors: sprnng
from the precious bloocl of my Spouse. from which fio-wers
.He made His triumphal chariot. and. coming to me_. He
took me up to Himself upon this same glorions chariot.
to share in His triumph: He formed the steps of b1ossom-
ing pnrple and He made me m01rnt to the sanctuary b,' tlle
fayor of His precious blood.:··1
The happiness poured into her soul beamed on her
countenance. I t became so brilliant that a person who
had to speak to her. could not hicle the amazement causecl
by the di"ine lustre manifested in her features. ~hen
the deout :Jiother returned to her prayers: in the grace
and tenderness of her biblical phrases: she said to her Be-
lo,ed: "Dear LO"rn. clo You wish me to say that the beauty
of the fields is with me'? You are .Jesns of Sazareth, the
Sponse that blooms and takes m.' heart away wi_th Y011.:·2
In fact, J esus took her and canied her away more and
more into His °''n heart. '·:Jiount higher,',. He says to her.
and from the contemplation of the merits of His Hnmanity.
He raises her to the splendors of His Di·inity. "I takc
deligh t,:: He says. "in comm1rnicating :Jiy lights to thee.
I wish to make in thy spirit a ne"- Hea,en, and in thy
body a new earth.'~ 3
-n-hne Heayeu is being made in he1·
L-utographic Life, ch. Lxxxn-.
:!Ibidem.
3lbidem.

276. 250 LIU'E OF .JE..~NE CHE7.:4.fm DE lIA'l'EL
soul facing almost withont veil the rays of the divine Sun,
her body also is now11ed and transfignred by a celestial
light. One of the Sisters is obliged to enter twice on that
blessed morning ipto her room. At first she is stridœn
with tenor. But she ü-ies to subdue her feelings ~ so as
not to let them be perceived and she sees that light take
different forms. Stm·s and then a crescent moon crown the
saintly lfother. Finally a globe, brilliant as the sun, in-
undates her with its rays.
'fhe privileged visitor who witnessed these wonders, did
not dare to let the Foundress know that she had noticed
them, but she told all to Father Gibalin and also to another
Father. These well understood the deep humility of the
good lfother, and they knew that the knowledge of these
favors would only make her more grateful and humble, so
they jndged it best that the Sister should inform her of
what she had seen. ~rhey were right in their opinion. ~~he
following is what the M:other wrotê on this matter: "Dea1·
Love, I make little account of what my daughters say when
they claim to have seen lustres or J)erceived odors which.
seem to them to be supernatural. I consider not these
visible signs but the invisible mysteries which You operate
while these things ar~ observed by those whom Yon make
witnesses of Your goodness to rnyself who am unworthy
of it. By these exterior lights and sensible odors, Yon
wish to attract these souls to interior love, in order that
according to the words of the Apostle, by these visible and
sensible things they may mount to those whirh are insensi-
ble and invisible.m
In the life of the disciples of Jesus and in that of their
:faster, the honrs of üansfignration m·c slwrt and rare.
'rhP,Y have scarcely desccnded from the heights of 'rliabor,
wheu tliey face snfferings and. crosses. 'rhe venernble
lfother did not have loug to wai t for these. Dm·ing two
rn011ths shc was a prcy to the pains of the gravel. Our
Lord nided he1· to bear these sufferings wi th g1·eat courage.
'"Yon did uot wisli," ~lie says, ''to dcp1·iye me of Yom· heav-
1..: ut ogra ph ic l ,ife. c h. LXXXI V.

277. SOJOUilX A.T LYOXS.- TilI.ALS.- COXSOLA.TIOXS 231
enly consolations) because it is Your delight to be with
those who are in tribulation."1
Another joy 'Yas also gien to her heart at this time. A
second son -was born to J_.ouis XIII and she was super-
naturally informed of this. as she had been of the birth
of Louis XIY. An idea can be formecl of the greatness
of this joy to her "-ho was so sensitie to all that eoncerned
her country.
The end of the year of :Xoitiate of the first fiYe Sisters
of the Incarnate ...orcl -was approaching. The nearer it
came, the more was the soul of the Foundress inYaded by
clesolation. The words of holy Simeon to the Blessecl
)fother: Tuam ipsius animam. pertransibit glaclius. "Thy
own soul a sword shall pierce~:' were almost constantly
present to her mincl. One day. Our Lord Himself said to
her: ")Iy claughter, I am He ...ho is set for the fall and
the resurrection of 'many and for a sign to be contradicted.
Thy soul shall be piercecl with a s"Tord of sorro"T· But
hae courage'." The worthy 1Iother. after writing these
crucifying and prophetic worcls. adds: ;. Strengthen me
uncler the crosses which You -will permit to corne to me.:~:2
The Incarnate ...ord will hear this humble and generous
prayer -which does not recoil from immolation but only
asks for strength to bear it.
On December 6, lôJO. a ray of sunshine pierces the som-
ber clouds -which eil the hol'izou of the enerable )lother.
She sees St. Peter, crmn1ed 'dth the tiara~ assisting at the
canonical examination of the :first :Xovices of the Order
of the Incarnate ...ord: before they are permittec} to take
the Ows of Religion. This uniersal Pastor of the Chu1·ch
hacl eer shown to )Iother de )Iatel, great zeal for the Otcler
which his :Jiaster wished to establish through her. ...e• Le
hae seen how he hacl procurecl its institution in his own
domains. The interest which lie took in the atlmissinn of
her fhst dùughte1·s. wa~ a consolation to lier.
She i·eceiYed still g1·eater j oy from the sati~fne tion mani-
festecl to her by Our L01·cl. Sorne years after her i·etnru
1Autograph ic Life, ch. LXXXIY.
~I bidem, ch. LXXXY.

278. 252 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lf ATEL
from Paris., He had shown ·her a tiara in which was miss-
ing a jewel that remained suspended above, and He had said
to her: "My daughter, the precious stone which is lacking
in this crown, is Uy Ortler which is not yet established,
the Bulls not being executed and remaining, as it were,
suspended.m
On that day, the a<lornment of the tiara was complete,
and, with His divine tenderness, Jesus made her under-
stand, that she had added to the ci·own of the Church,
the jewel with which He desired it to be enriched.
At last the day arrived when the first religions of the
Incarnate Vord were to be solemnly consecrated to Him by
the religions profession. I t was December 16, 1640. From
midnight, the soul of the Foundress was a prey to inex-
pressible distress. She believed that nothing would be
able to deliver her from it. To overcome it, she exerted
herself during the lfass to make acts of faith, hope, and
love, when J esns said to her: "It is I Tho have wished
You to be in these desolations, so that I might free You
gloriously from them: Do11iinus morUficat et vivificat,
cleclucit ad inferos et reducit. Dominus paupcre11i facit et
clitat). hn11iiliat et sublevat. "'l,he Lord killeth and maketh
alive, He casteth down to hell and bringeth back again.
The T..iord maketh poor and maketh rich, He humbleth and
He exalteth."2
My daughter, thy time has corne. This
morning, thou givest an Ortler to the Church. Then the
queen brings forth, she weeps and suffers from her labors,
while the king and all the ki11gdom are 1·ejoicing. After
she has brought forth, she has more joy than all, bccausc
she has had more suffering than an, and she has given
to the world a royal child. My daughter, rejoice. At this
moment, whilc I am speaking to thee, thy daughtel's have
made their profession. Thou art borne and rcceived, not
onJy into the bosom of the Pati-iarchs of whose privileges
thon dost padakc, but also into the bosom or ,.,ly Bternal
J1..,afüc1·. Rejoicc in thanksgiving to lfc thal it has pleased
Me~ from all cteniity, to choose thec to p1·odncc, in the
1A1it ogTapll i<'. Life, c h. LXXXV.
2Kings, II, 6, 7.

279. SO.JOUilX A.T LYOXS.-TRIALS.-CO:XSOLA.TIO:XS 253
Ohurch, an Order Yhich is an extension of Jly Incarnation.
Through thee, I am again introduced into the worlcl: Et
cum iterum introducit primogenitum in orbem terrac dicit:
Et adorent eurn omncs angcli Dei. Consolamini. con-
solamini) papule meus. '·And again: when he bringeth in
the first begotten into the world, he saith: And let all the
angels of God adore him.1
Be consoled: be consoled. rny
peopleY2
The humble jJother adcls: "Yon told me many
other things while dfrinely caressing and praising me. But
I well know that this "as an efrect of Your pure goodness,
to which I rightly attribntecl all the things which had been
clone. Of myself I ha-ve nothing to glory in except rny
infirmities, so that Your Tirtue may clwell in rne.:'3
As had been tolcl her by her adorable Spouse, the King
and his kingdom were in jubilation. On the rnorning of
that blessed day, the Eternal Father had shown Himself to
irother Jlargaret of tÎesus. and had said to her: ·'To-day,
I shall gi·rn thee birth, I shall share ith thee Jiy filiation.
to make thee "orthy to be the spouse of Jiy Son and to
labor for the ~ork of His holy Order.:H He then makes
her understand that He wished to pour out on the members
of this Ortler, more graces than eTer before: without asking
anything in return~ except fidelity and self-annihilation.
Sorne hours later, J esus presented Himself to her, in com-
pany "~ith His Blessed Jlother. and permitted her to recline
upon His heart. He then iuebriated her with so much hap-
piness, that when she came out of the ecstasy into which
she had been thro"n by this faTOl'. she exclaimecl: ';0 my
God, my Lo-ve, and m~ Life. may it no longer be T that lfre.
but Yon in me. :Xo longer myse1f but only You. my All :·~
In these dispositions: jfother jJargaret 6f J esus and her
four companions adancecl to pronounce the sacred prom-
ises which were to make thern the spouses of .Jesus. The
Yicar General, who was adrninishator of the diocese, per-
formecl the ceremony. The hest ~o ciPty of AYignon~ whose
1Hebrews, I, 6.
~ I saias, XL, 1.
3_-utographic L ife, ch. LXX X:Y.
-!T his fact and t he fo1loing Yhich refer to the beginning of the
fir:-: t monaster~- of the Order of the Incarnate ' ord are ta ken from
the biographies of the first ::Iothers.

280. 254 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lfATEL
Mother Margaret. of Jesus Gibalin, First Superioress of the First
Convent of the Order of the Incarna te Yord.
Nympathy for the ne'v monastery was al ways on the in-
crease, wished to assist at it.
All went away edifiecl aHd imlrned with the celestial
pei·fnrne diffusecl by the f.lnndity of the new Heligions.
'Vo1·d~ Cêrn11ot exp1·ess the llappi11e~~ of the p1·ivileged souls
who h:l<l 11ow ~ne1·ificed êl 11 1lwt 1hf' wodd t'OYCts, for the
l':•vo1· of he(·oming daughLe1·N of tlie lnrnrnate Vo]'(l. 'rhey
we1·e p11111gr-d i1do ocemlN of joy a11d lhnnk~giving, at seeing
i·ealizcd j H i 11 emf.lelves i he promises so lo11g before made
to this Ül'dcl', by wlticlt the "'orù made mau wishcd to

281. SOJOUHX _T LYOXS.-1'IlLLS.-COXSOLATIOXS 255
make practical use of a means, before nnknown, of grnng
Himself to sonls and of transforming them into Himself.
This Dfrine SaYior seemed to share the jubilation of His
spouses and to be unable to withhold from them the effusions
of His tenderness. He was lavish of these towarcls all, but
especi ally tmYards Mother ~Iargaret of J esus.
One day, as, in silence and recollection, she was climb-
ing the staircase of the monastery, "The all beautiful, and
all lavable Child J esus," as the Memoirs say, "sho-ws Him-
self to her, throws Himself on her neck, and embraces her
so tenderly that she does not kno-w hmv to express the con-
solation with which He left her filled." On another occasion,
when she was obliged to take a little rest on account of
the weakness from which she has been suffering for several
years, the Incarnate Yord appears to 4er, ernbraces her
t.enderly, ~nd says to her three tirnes: "Ah, )ly daughter.
Ilow I loYe thee~ how I loYe thee, hmY I loYe thee !" After
this embrace she 'yas entirel~~ freed from that weakness.
This sensible mark of the reality of the supernatural
graces with which she was fayorecl. was not the only one
'Yhich slie received. She has to make a considerable pay-
ment. She takes to· the parlor all the money in the house,
to count it in the presence of the notary. The sum is in-
sufficient. Vishing still to hope. she sends one of the Sisters
to look again and see if there is not some more rnoney
in the chest. The Sister soon returns and affirms that
the chest is empty. )lother )largaret nmY arrns herself
with faith and confidence, takes this religions with her.
returns to the chest, and finds in it the precise sum needed
to cornplete the payment, to the great wonder of ·her 'Yho
only some minutes before had seen ~dth her own eyes, the
emptiness of the chest.
The desire of the heart of the Incarnate 1'.,.ord was to
repay withont limits, to the souls of His clear daughters~
that confidence in His loYe and in the care that He took
of them. For instance, one day, after hadng considered
the srnall quantity of wheat which was all that the com-
munity vrns provicled ·with, Mother )largaret was astonished
that this small amount cost so much money, and she became

282. 25G LII.m OF JEANNE CI-IEZAUD DE lIATEL
very pensive. Iler Divine FathPr appears to lier, embraccs
her tenderly and says to lier: •'I would change stones
into b1·ead, rather than that a11ything ~ho11ld be lacking
to thee."
These. delightfnl incidents abonnd in the Memoirs and
Biog1·aphies of the first · lfothers. But we must do our-
selves the violence necessary to tear ourselves away from
the charm of these recitals. However, we cannot refrain
from making two citations which will give us some idea
of the solicitude of the Divine Master, to train His dear
little family in the spirit of His Order and in the fnnda-
mental virtues of the religions state. One day, as lfother
lfargaret is earnestly begging the spirit of His Order, He
manifests Himself and says to her: "lfy daughter, lfy life
is thy Rule and without ceasing thou must aspire to lfy
crucifixion." Another time, during the evening medita-
tion, He appears to her and says with great -sweetness:
''lIy daughter, love thy Sisters as I have loved thee, and
often think of My humility." It is easy to conceive what
cffects must have been produced in souls already so per-
fect, by words of gold falling immediately from the lips
of the Word, with the grace which accompanies every syl-
lable which He pronounces !
vVhile the Divine lfaster is so lavish of tenderness to-
wards His daughters, He speaks to their lfother only of
the cross and the sword, but these He presents all stream-
ing with light and glory. On the evening of May 2, 1641,
Mother de lfatel was preparing to solenmize the Finding
of the Roly Cr0$1S, by praying her Divine I.ove to pacify
all in her, throngh the blood of His cross, as by this ador-
able blood He pacifies an that is ip Ileaven and on earth.
He then shows her an anow admirably composed of fire,
flmhe1·, and ftowers. "'rhese three elements," she says~ ~'were
there so well represented that I saw them all fire, all amber,
and all flowers. And, althongh they soou disappeared,
they filleù me with great delight. Yon made me under-
~i aiHl that Yonr c1·oss is for me a thorn of love all ardent
to intlame me; that it is amber to atfract me like straw
<livinrly prcscrvcd in this sncrcd fü·c; and that it is n

283. SO.JOUHX AT LY0XS.-TP.L.LS.-COXSOL..TIOXS 257
ftmye1· 'Yhich these füunes eannot wither. These maryelons
1e~~orn;;; athaeted me to lonl Yon, diYine Loy·e1· of the cross.
1 smY ah(ffe rny hen<l. thi:-; lnminons Cl'OSS whieh protects
me in an inexplknble num11er. nnd Yon tanght me that
its I'èl_'~ of light al'e the s1Jle11tlor and glory which Yon
com11rnnieate to me, in yfrtne of Yonr precions blood, for
Yonr glo1·y and foi· tlie eonfounding of Yonr enernies.''1
llllic JJJ'Oducam conut Datid. parari luccrnam Christo mco.
111i111icos ejus i1illlwni confusionc. suprr ip8um autrm
efflorcbit sanctificatio mca. '"There will I bring forth a
horn to DaYid: I haYe prepared a lamp for ::Iy anointed.
His enernies I will clothe with confusion. but npon him shall
)fy sanctification fionl'ish...~
. One day, in the Oct::l.Ye of Corpus Christi, the w,.orthy
)fother had knelt before the altar to adm·e J esns .,.ho Yas
exposed npon it, and she said with the tender familiarity
of her 1oYe : ..I offer myself as a target for Yonr diYine
shafts:~ She hnd scarcely nttered these words when the
sncred Host shot forth on ber a fiery dart 'Ybich threw·
he1· into an ccsta~~T· :JI. Bernardon, the chaplain, entered
the clrnreh to giYe benediction. He was dazzled by this
lnminons anow. ".,îshü1g to see if it were an effect of
the snn 's rays or of the light of the candles, he placed him-
self in the direction which he sa'y it take. It was evident
that the light conld not corne from the sun or the candles.
He looked in the choir and saw the -venerable ::Iother in
ber ecstatic state: he in-vestigated no farther, understand-
ing that this was an occurrence of the supernatnral order.
·•'1iat I saw," he 1·elateR, "had the form of an arTo-w larger
than a torch and so well fo1·med that the end which reached
)fother de :Jlatel was a pointed finme, Yhile the other end
which proceeded from the Blessed Sacl'ament, was larger
than the lm.se of the paschal candle."3
..:.fter this fiaming aiTow, still other signR of fribnlation
m·e giYen to the saintly ::Iother. One day dnring her medi-
tation, she sees a h01·de of fe1·ocions bcnstf', lions, tigel'f',
1Autog-raphic Life. ch. LXXX~.
2Psalms. CXX:XI. 17, 18.
:1.A utograpllic Life. ch. LXX:XY.

284. 258 LIFE OF .JE..:.'KE CHEZ~nD DE lI.ATEL
leo1m1·d~, whieh a1)pear full of rage agai11st her, but can-
not do he1· any lrnnn, a~ they are helcl lrnl'k lJy a snpel'iol'
power. 'J'he fig·m·c is soon sncceeded lJ,... the realitY. Pei·-.._ . .
sons whom Bhe fayo1·ecl by i·eceiving them into the C011-
gregntion, respond to be1· kindness lJy i11g1·atitucle and in-
constnncy. Her motherly heart is torn to }Jieces hy this.
Her charity does not permit her to relate the wTongs they
did ber. She only says: •·I was deliverecl from persons
who were not giving glory to Your name. 'l'heir loss af-
flieted me, but Your goodness dried my tears, by making
me see that it draws good out of evil. Pardon the excesses
of sadness that I felt for them. Detach me from all that
is imperfect, and, as Your angels are without anxiety in
their care for my salvation, grant that I may take care
of the salvation of my neighbor in the same manner, to
please You and to _make myself agreeable to Your ·Divine
lfajesty.m
This trial, supported wHh such Christian fortitude, is
succeeded by another which procures the perfection even of
her lmmility. Mother de ~fatel had such a clear insight
into her own nothingness and miseries, tlrnt it was not
possible for ber to esteem herself, on account of the favors
which God lavisbed upon her. Rhe could see in them
only the effects of infinite love which was the more admir-
able in being dfrected to a creature who was the more
unworthy of it. 'J2hence sbe spoke of these graces as things
to which she was a stranger, and the knowledge of which
was to sei·ve only to make her admire the divine mercy.
'Vith the Blessed Virgin she could sny ".,.ithout attribnting
these favors to herself: ''The Almighty, He W'hose namc
is holy, hath regnrcled the lowliness of His harnlrnaid mHl
bath donc great things in me.''2
Such humil1ty is the p1·ivilege of consummatc virtnc.
'fhe1·e ai·e few who are capable of prncticing it, or even
1.t- utographi c Life. c h. LXXXVI.
2It is relate c1 of St. Chantal that in the firnt years of her founda-
tions. that smll whose virtue s w e r e so masculin e and generous. could
not HU pport tlie rn:i rks of ven e ra tion wh ich wcre poured 011 t on h c r
from every Hi<l e, without hhrnhing for shame ; but when she was
r eachin g th e e nd of her caree r, she w:is so cletached from hers elf th_at.
no t a scribin g th ese h omages to h erself. sh e s eemed not to 11erce1ve
U1em ;111<1 fiornctirn efi cven invite d th ern.

285. SOJOUHX AT LYOXS.-THLLS.-COXSOLATIOXS 25!)
understnncling it in others, on account of the ~huggles
which they expe1·ience in thernselves. Thus it sometimes
happened that the need which )Iother de )Iatel felt of
glorifying Gocl and causing others to bless Hü~ excessiYe
bounty toward~ her, was taken for yainglory. At the stage
of her history at which ·we are now arrfred, one e:x:ample
clemonstrates this most eYidently.
•·Yhat happened fo me on the feast of SS. Simon
and ~Tude," she relates, "·when I spoke with too much sirn-
plici(v of the lights and great fa-vors which Your goodness
communicates to me, makes me see that I had not con-
sidered what is said b~T the Apostle: ·That the da~Ts are
eyjl and that men abonnd in their mn1 opinions.' But
Yom· goodness shows me clearly that Your ProYidence
Yatches OYer me as Your child. and that from my fanlts it
draws good b~... humiliating me for my imprudences. )[ost
deàr Loye, since I clo not know how to use lrnman pru-
dence. gfre me in abundance of that which is dfrine. Sinee
I knmY not how to conYerse with earth, grant tha t lll.'
conYersation rnay be in HeaYen. After the deparhu·f~ of
the persons with Yhom I had conYersed too frankly. I
wanted to rebuke myself for my im1Jrndence. lmt Yon did
not wish this, and m...erwhelming me Yith Your sacrec1 sweet-
ness, You said to me ·that " ...here there had been no fanlt
of mine. I ought not to distress myself with fnij Ue~s re-
g1·ets: that Your ""·isdom had 1Je1·mitted the~e confül13ucef5
and that if they had been deemed follies hy those Yho
hem·d them, I shonlcl not lose my veace.·
··)Iy danghte1·," You said to me, ..bles~ed are th~y that
do not take scandal from thy frankness and from the
fanlts ,d1ich thon callest fol1ies. )ly ~-.postle :-:aid: PcrdaJ11
sapicntiam sapicntium et pr11dcntiaJ11 prudcntium repmùaùo.
~Yonn e stultam freit Dclls -'WJJÎcntiu111 llllj1ts nlllndi! Quia
quod stultu11l est !fri sapicnti11:s ('.<;;f lun11iniùus. et quod
infirn111111 est J)ei. furtius ('8t lioJJ1iniù11s. etc. "[ wi11 destroy
the wi~dom of the wise and the 1n·rnlenee of the prudent
1 will rejed. Hath not God made foolish the wi:-:dom of
thi~ wol'ld "? For füe fooli~llne:--:~ of God i~ wi~er than men,

286. 2GO Lll<'E 011~ JEAN NE CHEZARD DE :lIA'l'EL
and the weakness of God is strongel' than me1L"1
)ly dangh-
te1·, Go(_l does uot often choose those who ;U'e g1·eat and
wi:..;e acem·ding to the ftesh. Seek not the glol'y of men. All
ü., thirn thon m·t Christ's, and Christ is God's. He wlw
has God has all. He w"l10 has all, onght indeecl to 1·ejoice.
'"By telling me to rejoice, Yon gave me what Yon com-
manded. ~Jy soul saw itself plunged and transportecl into
an extraordinary joy, and, as I 'Yalked up and down in
my room, I said: ·Dear Lo1·d, how happy I woulcl be to
be cousidered a fool by men, without these fo11ies offcncl
ing You.~ 'l'hen I saw an altar, above which the1·e were
many persons who were beheaded and to yfl10m a super·
natnral power resto1·ed their heafü: with as mnch 1n-ompt
ncss as clexterit;v. 'l"hey appeared more beantiful than be-
fo1·e, and retained no m<nk on their necks whe1·e they e'ren
lrnd an increase, of beanty and splendor.
··Yon said to me: ")Jy dangbter, this is the vision which
was seen by St. J olrn and -...vhieh is noted in the Apocalypse.
Hast thou enongh ecrnrage to he beheaded for ~Iy snke ?'
I said to Yon, that, animated by the spirit yon gave to
Your marty1·s, I wonld incleed rejoice to have the blessed
lot of being beheaded for Yon, 0 my most amiable Incar-
nate 'Yo1·d. ·~Jy d:rnghte1·,' Yon i·epliecl, 'sinee thon art will-
ing t o give füy head foi· ~Ie, I tell thee that there ai·e per-
sons who have beheaded thee, not physically but morally,
hy deeming thy visions follies. But I Yill vcrify the sa.r-
ing of 1~y Apostle, and I will make thcm see that lIy folly
i~ -wiser than the wisdom of the world. I will give thee
hack thy head, throngh th ose saine iudividuals who haYe
:-;ai<l ihat füis is folly, aud T place ihee with )[y mm·tyrs
who gave thefr he<Hl mHl fücil' life for ')fe. Rejoice with
th ose to whom T sny: !Jcati <'1'ifis cwn vos oder int ho111i11cs,
et r·11111 8<'JJ<tJ'<t V<'ri11t l' os , et <'.rproba vcriut et cj cceriut
JIOJJICJI V<' slr111u tu11q 11<1JJ1 JJW711111 , 7n·o1>tcr ~i
1
ilium lwJJ1in.ïs.
(/<111<f<'l e ÏJI il/a die, f' f <'.l'lfl/((/f': 11<'('<' c 11i111 W<' J'C<'S l' <'slnt
IJJl!lto <'S l i11 f'Odo. ·· Bl<·:..;:-:pd :-1l1all yon 1)(• wh<·n llH'll ~hall
hat e yon êlJHl " ·lien they ~hall f-;<' pa1·at e yo11, a])(l :-;hall i·e-
l)]"Oêt th yon, a11 d <·,1:-; t out yom· 1rnme a~ e'"Ï 1, fol' the ~ou
ICo r. r. B. 20. 45.

287. ~O.JOCHX ~T LYOXS.-'l'HULS.-CO~SOLTIO~S :!Gl
of HWH's f.:ake. Be glad in that day aud rejoke, for be-
, hoI<l ym.11· i·e"·m·d is great in Heaven.' ~n
Yhat a pel'fume of truth and humilitY is exhaled in
this simple aJH1 admirable recital ! How the.., humble Found-
1·e8s accuses herself and wishes to rebuke herself fot what
she calls ber impnH1ences, and how she exalts the goocl-
ness of her clearest LoYe, Yn10 dra'Ys good from edl, by
hnmiliating her foi· her faults. But also how Our Lord,
the infallible .Jndge of the rectitude of her intentions and
of the nature of ber ads, hastens to reassure her and to
change her ~01-row into a joy which is so supernatural and
eleYated that the tribulations of this nether earth, far froni
troubling he1·, increase her felicity. This is evidenced in
a Ietter in 'Yhich the venerable Mother renders an account
of her interior dispositions. It is datecl November 18, lG±l,
three weeks after the incrnent of the feast of the Roly
."postles RR. Simon and Jude. This proves that. her joy
in humiliation, was not mere passing entlrnsiasm. The
letter is addressed to Father Gibalin. Among other things
she says to hi m :
''For seYeral months I have felt great indifference for
eYerything that is not God. I am astonished at seeing
myself so long in this state. I say this from the bottom
of m~- soul. For its inferior part is not always in this in-
difference towards all that is not God, but the snperior
part lives in peace. I t is annoyed when I hem· myself
1n-aised and to keep it extraordinarily joyous, I need to
hem·· tlint 1 am despisecl. This jo~- cornes to me not from
i·eason or from humilit~-, but from a gift which is bestowed
upon me gratnitously from on high, without my cü"ntribut-
ing tn it by any pel"fert act of virtue."
This most excellent gift was well timed by the tender
JH'Ovidence of lier Divine Spouse. The hour had corne for
n severe trial whieh Yas to consec1·ate foreYer the anthen-
ticity arnl 01·tlw(loxy of ber writing~. hy placing on them
the seal of the most rigi<-1 and anthm·itatiYe eensorship nrnl
av1n·ova1.
1Luk e YI. ~2 . 23.

288. CHAP'l'BU XV
Seizure of the Writings of Mother de Matel by Monsignor
Alphonse de Richelieu, Archbishop of Lyons
1641
~Iother de ~Iatel had left at Paris devoted friends whom
veneration foi· her. sanctity i·endered desirous of aiding
in her admirable mission. Sorne of these, wishing to pro-
cure foi· her w01·k the protection of Richelien, had con-
versed with the ~Jinister ou the merit of the Foundress,
and the celestial favors whieh had ·been accorded her. As
proof of the extraorclinary Ughts wh ich had been iufused
iuto her, they hauded hirn some treatises which she had
"Titten and 'vhith had remaiHed in the possession of her
directors. This permits ns to conjecture that, perhaps,
Pathei·s .Jacquinot and de Lingendes, using the influence
possesscd by the former, as prodncial, and, by the latter
as m1 eloqnent JH'eacher, songht to gain for her the snp-
port of the C:u<1inal. It is more probable that Father
Cané, the Domjnican, who in the year 1G:_14, had written
to ~Iothei· de ~fa tel to pray for the Cardinal and to com-
rnm1icate to i ha t Fai her auything rn ade lrnown to her
l>y God cm1terni ng the ~I inister, may haYe used ~hese
didne <·011rnn111icati0Hs, to wii1 for her the attention and
beuevolente of the all-pmverfnl P1·emie1·. •
. No rnatte1· who the penmns we1·e that laborcd nt con-
cil~~1ti11g, towm·ds .Mother de ~fatel, the mi11d of the Cm·-
<1i11al 1)nke, élS he wns c:1l1e<1, to <listingnish him from hi~
ln·other, the ...1·el1bi:·d10p of Lyo11s, they snceeeded. Learn-
ing thnt s11eh a fnnm:d pe1·so11 wn~ Jivh1g nrnlel' his bl'oth-
p1·'s j11ris(lid ion, he w1·ote io ihP lattp1· l'.<>lllplninillg' that
lie ha<l 1lP'e1· spokP11 io hirn of thl' frpa~m·e he po~sesse<l
01· of the ('111i11Pn1 ~oul wl1om J.tp h:1<l ili his ~1·chiepis<'opal
(·ity. ""I n111 hnd,'' ht' nd(lP(l, "nt hn'Îllg' fü·st k110w11 of
.'lotl1<·1· (le )l:lte] f'l'Olll 01Jip1·~ ht·~i<lP~ yom·~ell', :rnd m; a
prnof' tlwi 1 n111 we1l iuforme<l of wlwt pasNe~ in the interior
2ü2

289. SEIZUnE OF THE VIU'rIXGS OF ~IOTirnn DE :.IATEL 2G:3
of tlwt servant of Gocl, I 8enc1 you some of her w1·itingR,
which I lrnYe i·encl with ndmi1·a tion. I am 8m·e thnt yon
will not be le~s n8t~mi8hec1 nfie1· 1·enc1iug them, nnd l wi~h
to know yom· 01)inion of them.''
:Mother de B8ly contiuues: ··1 do not kumv hy whom
the cletails of this episode have been ünnsmitted to u~. I
do not know what writings the Cardinal sent his brother.
But I do knmv that as soon a:s the latter Prelate i·eceiyecl
his brother's missive, he rend with g1·eat attention the
books wl'Ïtten by our worthy Jlother, and that ex1n·essing
his astonishment, he commnnieated them to his Yil'.aI' Gen-
eral, 31. Deville. ·r do not believe,' he ~miel, •fünt a Yoman
is capable of wdting so perfeetly on matte1·s so profouncl.
Mother de ~latel must have coviecl the w01·ks of some of
her directors. Such writings on the mysteries of faith are
too far above the powers of her sex.' "1
After thus exp1·essiug himself, he summoned .her con-
fessor Fnther Gibalin, to lenrn his opinion on the mntter.
Yith cha.rneteristic im1mrtiality, Fathe1· Gibalin deelarecl
thnt Mother de ~Intel wns one of the most enlightened
souls he had ever known, and that she lenrned thm~e things
from God.
rrhe Prelate is not COIH'ÎBC'ecl by thiR positiYe affirma-
tion. He becomes more obstinate in believing that this
work is above the lights of a ""oman. In this he was ùot
mistnken. He forbicls Fnther Gibalin to see Jiother de
~Intel until neY orders. He is resolved to elem· up the
whole nffnir by a decisive trial.
On December 1, lGJl, at four o'clock in the afternoon,
the Cnrdinal presents himself at the cloor of the monaste1·y.
He is aecompanied by his Yicm· Genernl and his chnplai11.
Kever was a visit so nnexpected. Jlothe1· de ~Iatel, at the
head of the commnnity cornes prornptly to rneet the Arch-
hiRhop, kneelR nt hiR feet and hegR his ble~Rillg. He bid;-;
lier 1·ise nncl R<l,YR: •·)fy da11ghte1·, I wiRh to Ree you a
moment in yom· room." ~he lefül~ hirn thither, nccorn-
Jmnied by SiRter Elizabeth G1·nRRetenn nnd hy her Rcc1·e-
tnl'y, SiRtcir Franc-es G1·nviei·.
11'Ianuf.>cript Mernoir b y lfoth er de BélY.

290. 2G4 LIF'E OF' .JE.X~E C'I-IE?:.nD DE ~I .TEL
As soon m-l they enter, the A1·chbishop declares to llother
de ~fatpl the 1Hll1)0SC of his visit. He lrns n great <lesire
to see lH_·1· w1·itings, mid hegs hei· to gi,Tc them tq him. She
hnrnbly 1·eplieN : "lIon~i g1101·, yon m·c my Pnsi ol' nnd
~faste1-. r hnve no objection to mnke to yonr command.
He1·e m·e the keys of the place in which they m·e enclosed."1
'1'he Cardinal ttn·ns to the Yicar Gene1·al, gives him the
keys, and snys to him : '•Yon know my pm·pose, act accord-
ing to my 01·cle1·s." 'l"'hen everything in the 1·oom, whether
in the Une of chests or wardrobes, is opened. All w1·itings,
and even all notes are removed.
~l1he Siste1·s who are witnesses of this scene cmmot re-
sign themselves to Jose such precions tl'ea:-mres. 'rl1ey
try to save Romething. 'fhey slip some note books here
and the1·e. 8i:-;ter Frances Graviel' tears up some writings
and tln-ows them into the eo1·ne1·s as papers of no impor-
tance. She hopeR lnter to put these pieces together and
recornT them. 'rhis expedü?nt is nNeless. It mnkes the offi-
cials of the Cnrdillal only the mol'e €ager to gather them
up. ~rhey pick U]J even the smnllest fragments and cm·e-
fnlly enclose them in the box in whicb they have placed
the rest.
'Vhile the Vicar Gene1·al and the chaplain are proceed-
iug in th is sei ~ure, the Cm·dinal is eonversiug with lfother
de lIatel on the matte1·s treated in the writings which
he ha:-; ali·eady pen1:-;ed: 'Plie ugrccmc11t of the grnce of
aod 1r:ith t" c frcr Will of Jll au: The lifc (/ wl rcpose of Goll
in Himself: The Cnion of the soul with Goll) etc. He tried
to cmlm1Tnss he1· by qnestionR which we1·e nnmerons,
enpti011N. and wi thon t 01·de1·. 'rhe lurn1ble ~Iothel' replies with
the calm nnd simplkity of n sonl that frnsts only in God.
'J'he Siste1·:-; who ai·c p1·esent note the change in the ex-
JH·e~sioll of the P1·elnie'~ eonntennnte. His cold distrn~t
of' tltP fhst monw1ltR, gave way to a kiml of benevolente,
as he 1·e('eived the simple nud lnmillous respollses of the
l;ionll <11·es~. A<lmi1·ation was depicted on li i s featm·cs ns
he ~<tw tlint :-;he wns fnr from Rltm·iHg the fccfü1g~ of he1·
<lm1gh i p1·s, aiHl withon t miy eYi<leHce of <listm·bmiec, J>er-
lllanuscri1it Mcmoi1· h y 1'Iothcr <le D(•ly.
~

291. SEIZUUE OF THE WnI'l'I~GS OF ::.lO'l'HEil DE ::.L.'rEL 2()5
mitted the carrying away of her Titings which hithei·to
had remained hidden from all but her diredors. He began
to question her with visible intei·est on the graees which
she had received from God, when the Vicar General ap-
proached and announced to His Emi11ence that the collect-
ing of the papers was eompleted.
~rhe Ai·chbishop then said to her: •·)fy daughter, I
am now satisfied on one point. But yon mnst complete
my satisfaction by rewriting what is contained in these
books which I am cnnying avrny to examine. I command
this, and I rnean that ybn must send me the books, from
time to time, aN you fill them with the details of your life.
It is not my vdsh that you mention your sins. Keep these
for the tribunal of confession. I gfre you my wonl that
I Yill return to you all these manuseript~. I forbid you
to speak to .Yonr S}Jiritual Father until I haYe ordered other-
wise. Perhaps you will uot be dü.;1Jlease<1 at bei.ng under
my own direction for some time.'' ~Iother de ~latel ob-
jected: '')fonsignor, how YÎll it be possible foi~ me to
obey such a eommand. wheu you leaYe me no memoran-
dum '?" The Cardinal replies: "It i~ true that I take HYay
yom· papei·s, but I have not depriYed you of the Spirit who
inspil'ed yon. Yon will pray Him to enlighten yon a second
time and donbtless, He will not i·efnse, since He has gfren
yon so many graces."
''On heai·ing thi:-.;~ '' says )lother de Bély. •·om· Ri~ters
from whom I leai·necl it later, "Yere commled as mneh as
um· )fother snffei·ed in her rnodesty, foi· they were Yei·y
sul'e tbat ueither her hnmility nor he1· i·epngnm1œ would
prevail OYer her submis~ion, pers1rn<1ed a~ they Yel'e, by
their long experience, that these Yirtne:-; were equally dem·
on account of the pl'ice pnt npon them by the Tncarnate
'"onl and her pl'adice of them until hel' dPath.
·'~_ftei· the Cardinal left the i oom of om· wm·thy )Jother.- .
he ei1tered the choir whith faced it. He thel'e fonnd the
com11nmity and the hoan1ing pnpiJf. of whom I Yfü~ one.
He consi<1ered, from the qne~tions he asked ns, that Ye wel'e
Yery well insh·nete<l, altlwngh om· irnmbe1· W<lR co11Ri<1ei·-
able, and as he went away he <1ecla1·ed that he wa~ mneh

292. LIFJ<:J OU' .rn.~~E CHEZ.HW DE :L'rEL
eclified by the 1·egnlarity and was mnch pleased with the
Ol'<ler which reigned in the hon~e." 1
Tt is easy to fo1·m an iclea of the afflictiou and i·egrets
of the daughte1·s of l1other de Jlatel, when, afte1· the de-
pal'tm·e of the Arehbishop they learned, from those who
had becn present, of the seiznl'e of the writings of the Fonnd-
l'es~. A11 1·e1n·oached thernse]yes with haYing been so baek-
ward, and not having taken adYantage of the occasions when
their :Mother's room was 01)en, to gain n knowledge of those
wTitings. In yain clid she tell them tlwt by aeting thns,
füey 'YOU}d haYe been clÎSObedient. rrhey l'e})}Ïed: """Te
1uwe not macle a vow of obedienee. Om· curiosity would
not lrnYe been cl'iminaJ, and it wonld have spared us the
affliction cnm~ed by om· dü~e1·eetne~s, now that these
precious nunrnse1·i1Jts haYe been taken away without 0111·
haviug had the consolation of refüling them."2
rru appease the Sisters, jfother de ~Intel reminded them
that His- Eminence had }JI'Omised to l'etu1·n the papers.
..Jlonsiguor did not say when he Ki11 retnl'n them. He
has had om· Bnll for seven yem·~ and always refuses to
exeeute it. His heart has no tenderness for us.'' rn1ey
even went ~o far as to be frl'itated at seeing their Jiother
so indifl'erent to a loss whid1 afflieted them al]: ""You
hn ve. in you the source of these lights, but your continua]
inffrmities depI'ÏYe us of any ho1Je of en)r partak]ng of "~hat
i he Spi1 it of G0<1 inspired for the welfare of the Order.·"
••)Iy danghtel's, my danghte1·s. the Iuearnate ·yrm·d is the
Book of Life '. HP will be able to iusünct yon by Himself
or by so many other versons who m·e rnol'e enpnble than 1.
Do like ....-..ln·nham. Hope agaiust the nvvearnnces of hove-
les~11e~f.I, that yon will I'Cl'eÏYe 1ig·ht in youl' spfrit. I>o
uot yield to yon1· afttietion. rrhe Inem·nate W'"ord has cm·e
of yon mul of Ili~ Order. Ollly j)1''1Y tlwt I may l'.01·1·<-1
d
rnysclf, for my f.IÏ11~ êll'C the eanse of yom· tedion~ "~aiti11g.
l ton~olP<l 1hern :t~ hes1- 1 ktH'Y how, ~«•Y~ thP good :lothc1-.''8
Bnt in this ~hP luul little ~1wcess, <t~ iR evi<lcut frorn
whnt 1ws heell p1·ese1·yed to 11~ 1'1·om thi~ ~eeHe. Ri~ter
1 1T:t n u :-; l'i' i pt .:J(, m oi r n r l1ntl H' J' <.1 c B é l y. l' h. Y.
2 11togTn phic L ifc, c!J . LXXXVI.
:n bide m .

293. s:mrnunE OU' THE wrœrINGS OI;"' ~IOTHEil DE lLTEL 267
Frauees Gnrder, the ~eel'ctary, was the most distressed
of <ll1. ~hc rep1·oaehc<l he1·~(_~l f f01· noi 11 a ving fol'estall ed
this evil, h,Y <-·opyi11g the ~Iothtii·'N wri ling~. Rhc hlametl
St. ~Joseph, whom she had ~o em·nestly prayed to ol>tain
for her the 0 Taee of bei1w able to do this w01·k fm· the O'ood<"'.'l b b
of the Order. After snch a Joss she ]H'aye<l to die. "")lother,"
she said, "at least IJray God to deliver yon from yonr mala-
dies, so that yon may be ahle to necomvfo.;h the eommand
of His Eminence.m
If thefr eomplaints and desolations we1·e profonnd, the
loss which they feared was great. AH said that their most
precions posses~ion after God, and their ~lothe1·, had been
taken away from them. The trial to which the Cardinal
snbjected the Fonndre~s wns severe. To take mvay nnex-
pectedly, hy the exercise of his authority, her most pe1·sonal
prope1·ty, "'hich ~he bad kept_ from the eyes of all, to obli-
. gate her to make, all at once, a recital of the ~rnmberless
graces and lights which she had neve1· w1·itten exeept im-
mediately afte1· she had received them, when he1· soul was
still illmnined hy the divine splendors; to lenn? he1' not
even the least note to recommence snch a labor: thiN was,
in a ce1·tain way, to ask the impossible. But what is im-
possible to man alone, is possible with the aid of graces
which are given to obeclient souls who know hmv to sa:y
to. themselnN, when their snbmission is snbjected to the
test: Since Hod wishes this, I can do it. rro wm·k ·:thrn !
This is what vas donc by Mother de Matel.
'J'he extreme difficnlty from the nature of this labor,
was not the only obstacle to be sm·monnted by the worthy
~fother in olJeying the eommand of her .A.Tchbishop·, She had
to accomplish it in the midst of the thonsand solicitucles
of the government of her commnnity. Rhe was constantly
inteITnpted hy an exe1·cise at whieh she had to preside, a
connsel to he given, a practieal mensure to be taken, or a
visit to be 1·eceived; this latter was the most lrnnlensome.
Not to speak of the relations necessitatecl hy the needs of
the house, many persons songht e<lifieation arnl consola-
L-utogrnphic Life, c h. LXXXVI.

294. 268 LIFE OF' .JEAN~E CHEZ.AUD DE ::'II.A.TEL
tion from the goocl ~lother, and her eharity did not pennit
her to rejeet their impol'tunings.
l>oulJtless for the pul'pose of renclering her submission
the more mel'Ïtorious, Om· Lord permitted he1·, nt that_time,
to be violently tortured by the grayel and other infirmities.
But neither snfferings nor insonmia hindered her from work-
ing at her painful task. Divine aids were given her for
this. After suffering for sevcral days from such a head-
ache •·füat she scarcely saw what she was writing," she
says: "'Dear Lord, I do not dare to say that among the
graces You give me, the grace of writing with sucb violent
pains in my head, is the least, I am astonished at remem-
bering what I am here putting down, for I am able to say
it only on paper, on which Yon make me talk by my peu
which You gnide, making of it a winged pen to express
the woncle1·s of Yom· goodness."1
In order not to inteITnpt her work, the Fonndress 'vent
so far as to refuse the earnest petition of certain noble
benefaetors whose zeal urged her to go as soon as possible
to a neighlwring city, where they desired to fonnd a mou-
astery of the Incarnate 'Vord. '"Before undertaking any-
thing else," she repliecl, "I must execute the orders of the
Prelate.''2
'ro sueeeed in this, she relied solely on God.
She well knew that His sovereign will was the initial cause
of he1· trial, and that His goodness would not be fonnd
wanting. The fü·st lines which she tracecl were a prayer
in which she pmns forth the humble and holy confidence
of ber ~wnl, with ~nch nnction that we feel ourselves imbned
with it. "Te cmmot pass it over in silence. In it she
giYes ns the keynote in which the whole work is com-
posed.
"Aclornble Tl'inity, my God and my a11, Incarnate 7
ord,
my denr Spom~e alld love of my hcart, in all hnmility I be-
SPed1 Yon to sc11d me Yom· divine and frnthfnl Spirit, "~hich
i:-.; not like that of men, whieh depal'ts and does not retnl'n.
Yom· Hpi1·it iH p1·esp1lf- in eYe1'.ything h.v its irnmem·dty. Tt
impm·t:-.; ltf-; 1igltts when m1d to whom It pleases. Yon
1 J u tographi c Lifc, ch . T~XXI.
2I1Jidem.

295. SEIZUHE OF THE 'YnITIXGS OF ~IOTHER DE ~L.TEL 2GD
promised the Apostles to send them the Spirit of trnth
who 'vould teach them all things, recalling· nnd snggesting
to them what You had snicl to tbem. Yon k]l(nY the Y0ak-
ness of my bocly, the t<_mtim10ns pains thnt r f.mffer aml
the difficnlty I haYe in remembering wlrnt I ''Tote bYenty
years ago, if Yon do not strengthen my memory and bring
back, by a singular gra<-:e, the things which Yon made me
"Tite by the commands of Fathers Yi11ars, Cotton, Jac-
quinot de :Jleaux. etc.. and which I thought I woulcl not
have to "Tite again. 0 m.r s"...eet Love, I ask Yonr pardon
for the great repngnance which I then had and still feel.
But since this is the command of the most Eminent Car-
dinal of I_jyons, my most dear and angust Prelate, I wish
to obey "Tithout protest. And since it is his pleasure that
I shall not write my sins while n·iting my life, and he
~ms expressly forbiclclen this, I adore Yonr Providence and
beseech it to place me in the nnmber of those whose hap-
piness is praised by David: Ecati quorum rcmissac 8unt
in iquitatcs: et quonnn f('cfa 8ll 7l t pcecata. ..Blessed are
they whose iniquities have been remitted and "Those sins
have been coered up."1
I can say YÏth the prophet .Jeremias:
Jii8criorcliae Domini quia non 8llmll8 consumpti quia non
rlc.fccenwt mi8erntionc8 cjl{8. "lt is due to the mercy of the
Lord that ".,.e have not been consnmed becanse His mercies
have not failed.m Jliscrir-ordias Domi7li in aetenwm call-
tab0. ·"r shall sing the mercies of the Lord forever.''3 4
The confidence and generosity of the pions :Jiother Vere
blessed. This Spirit of truth, whose help she besonght to
recall the graces which had been bestmved upon .her. was
given in abundance. Her peu which she rightly called ~'the
winged pen'' flew so rapidly that her dnnghters who tran-
scribecl what she put clmYn on paper, hacl difficulty in keep-
ing up with ber~ althongh they often prolonged their labors
to midnight.
I...et us hear :JIother cle :JIatel herself tell of the divine
assistance which wn~ granted her: '':Jfost dear LoYe, Y011
1Ps. XXXI. 1.
2Lamen ta ti ons. J e r .. III. 22.
~ Ps . T~XXXYIII.
-tAu togra phic Life. ch . LXXI.

296. 270 LWE OF JEANNE CHEZAilD DE lIATEL
know how mortifying to me was this command and what
force and violence I had to use against myself to snrmonnt
my repngnances. If Yom· Spirit, by Ris goodness~ had
taken me by the hand, and with His accustomed caresses led
me back to the ideas of the graces which the Father and
Yon had commnnicated to me, and if this Spirit had raised
me up to the source of divine lights in the secret archives
where I ~mw the original of the extracts which had been
communicated to me, I could not have written with the
order and sequence with which I have been inspired by
that Spirit, as wise as Re is good, Yho pas always solaced
me during this great toil, making me follow the ways by
'd1ich He had gnided me.m
In this wol'l:, undertaken and accomplished under the
direction of the Roly Spirit, the zealous Mother labored
in the company of the Incarnate lVord. It is to Him, he1·
dear Love, as she ordinarily calls Him, that she makes
the recital of her pains and joys and of the graces which
she has received. It is to Him that she addresses all the
reflections inspired by the events which she relates. This
may be seen in the facts which we have borrowed from
those precious pages from which m·e takeu almost all of
our citations.
Thus divinely aided, the venerable Foundress was able
to acquit herself of her difficult ta~k in a very short time.
The work made a great quarto volume of more than six
lnmdred pages, which are divided into ninety chapters.
Sister Frances Gravier, the Recretary, took it to the Car-
dinal. He was astonished to sce his orders executed so
pr01Îlptly. He wm~ mlwh more astonif;;hed when he com-
pared the writings now handed to him, w·ith those which
he had taken away, and found sueh close eonforrnity be-
tween them. In both there were the same facts, the same
wo1«1s so full of nndion and dearness, the same sublirnity
of lights. Tt was impossible to de11y that both wel'e ti1e
work of the smne anthor.
f t hnd become evidellt to the Prclate that Mother de
1fate1 was inspil'Cd by the Roly Rpirit and that her work
1A 11tog-rnphi c Life, ch . LXXXVIII.

297. SJi}J7,URE 011' 'l'HE WRI'J'INGS OU' llO'l'HEil. DE lIATEL 271
was willed by Him. Wrill he at last permit the foundation
of the monastery which she desires in his diocese? No,
he will not draw from these proofs their practical conse-
quences. He revoked his prohibition to Father Gibalin to
speak to the Jtioundress, but his detel'mination not to exccute
the Bull remained unshaken. I t is only when he is facing
his grave, when he is a prey to the disease from which
Mother de lfatel hacl foretold to him that he would die,
that bis resolution changes.
If the seizure and examination of the writings of lIother
de lIatel, by Cardinal Richelieu, did not immedintely pro-
cure the advantages which ought to have resulted, thü;
eTent, so painful in itself, remains as one of the g1·eatest
favors done by the Providence of the Incarnate 'yord to
His deai· spouse. 1t stamprd the authenticity and 01·tlto-
doxy of her w1·itings with a seal to 'vhich no exception
èan be taken.
The· doubt which took hold of the Archbishop of Lyons,
when he first saw these astonishi11g pages, could have ariscn
in more than one mind which 'yould have suspectcd that
the writings atüilmted to llother de lIatel, were only re-
p1·odnctions from those of some theologians. But the trial
by whid1 the Cardinal assured himself of their authenticity,
refutes in advnnce every objection 'vhich could cast the
least suspicion on the humble and sincere soul of the ven-
erable Fonndre~s, if she arrogated to herself, by lmse
plagiarism, the authorship of what had not corne from her
ow1~ heart and pen.
As to the qne~tion of orthodoxy, if the competent and
more than impartial examination of the Cardinal; had not
found it inepronehable he would not hmTe failed to cen-
~mre the w1·iting:-; of ~Iother de ~Intel and deRtroy thoRe
whieh be had iu hiR possession, and dispe1·se the Cong1·e-
gation so as not to nllow in his diocese the existente of
such a fonut of errors.
He aeted othendse. After he hnd tested, with nll his
prejudices, this teaching so pm·e and ~nblime, he did not
wish to d1·y 11p it~ ~omTe. lle e·en COllllllHIHled the Fonnd-
l'es~ to continue tu write dowu the g1·aces nnd lights which

298. 272 LlFE OF .JEANNE CHEZ~HD DE ~IATEL
God gave her. ~Ioreover, he freated her manuscripts with
üue respett. He retained them up to his death. As lfother
de BMy writes: ""This may have been because he wished
to examine them at his leisure, or because he wished to re-
turn them only to lfother de M:atel herself, who sho1·tly afte1·
Ren<ling them to him, left Lyons to found new monasteries
and eame batk only in 1653, that is, ten years late1·.m
Tn his lnst moments the Cardinal confided these writ-
ings to his Yicar Gene1·al, as a sacred deposit, and exacted
n promise from him that he would return them to Mother
de llatel, as soon as ~he returned to Lyons, which promise
he faithfully fulfilled.
To sweeten the trial of 1Iother de lIatel and recom-
pense the generm;ity with which she submitted to it, her
ado1·nble Spouse multiplied evidences of His love for her.
'"Dm·ing the whole of A_dvent," she says, ··Yom· goodness
gave me continual caresses and did not allow me to feel
any 1·e~entment against His Eminence for taking awa~r my
writingR...~
W'1th the festivities of Christmas, these divine liberal-
jties increased still more. On J anuary 1, 1G42, while she
waR JH'eparing for Roly Communion, lier good lIaster made
her feel that He was urged, by great love, to give Himself
to her. At the moment when the priest was taking the
ciborium out of the tabernacle, she heard the words: rcn i
8JJOJ1sa nrna,. vrni dr LilJ<lno. r·oro1rnù cris. '"Come, lly s1,ouse,
<·mue from Liùmrns to he c1·owned."3
~Jesrn~ inv"ited hcr to
His Circumeision, to crown her with the blood dtich He
~hed in it. Ile wishcd her fü·Rt to offcr her 11omage to His
Virgin ~Iothe1·, nlRo cl'owned with Ilis i·oyal pnl'ple, and
to say to he1·: Salve sancta 1wrc11s cni:ra, pucrpcrn Rcgcm.
'"Hail, 110ly ~fotlie1·, wlio i11 ehil(füi1·th did:-;t ln·ing f'01·th the
Ki11g.'' lie nw<le 11t}1• f<'el ~o keenly 1.h<} appreheHNiom.; arnl
~11ffp1·i11gN «:n1~P<l io füat lioly lIothe1·, to her 'Ï1·gi11al
NJ><rnse an<l to HimRelf. hy the lrnife cntting- 11is fl<'~h, that
)O' Ïllg" Ü}:11'R flowe<l f1·om lier eyeR lll a tol'l'Cllt. rl'hen the
1]l;tnll S ('J'ip t Jl e m o i1· I>· M oll H' l' <]p l ~é ] y, c ll. V , p . 43.
~, ut ogTapld c Life, c il. L XXXV].
:.:Cant. 1V, !> .

299. SEIZUUE OF THE WUI'rINGS OF lIOTI-IEJU DE lIATEL 273
- ùivine. Infant uniting these tears with those caused to
the angnst farnily of Bethlehem, by that rigorous circnm-
cision said to her: ~'T'hon art also My Mother. 'l'hon hast
ngain bronght Me forth to the world.m
He wished the Immaculate Yirgin, the first to be ado1·ned
and crowned by the Circmncision while she was weeping
before her Son whom she adored, to give her a share of
the same happiness. He said to her: ""Bow down thy
body and thy spirit. Adore all these mysteries and receive
that adorable i·ain which will make thee fe1·tile in grace
and alnmdant in glory. Receive this Precious Blood, as
the crown of the kingdom of love which I give thee and
which 1Iy Mother places on thy head. I t is in the joy
of lfy heart that I crown thee with this diadem which is
lfy own substnnce. )ly Blood is snstained by the divine
hnwstasis. l t is the Blood of a God. -My veins are to
thee, veins of life divine, of ways of salvation. I take
thee as ~fy wel1-beloved sponêe, .as My sponse of blood. I
will consnmmate the nuptials on the cross "~here thon shalt
be nnited to ~'le and perfectly empnrpled with MJ Blood.''2
'I'he Incm·nate "Tord meant that these sacred gifts shonld
be shared by the w01·thy ~Iother with her danghters. He
said to her: "'l have reserved to lIy sponse the mantle
of the qneen and the crown of royalty. Thon hast given
Me a great pleasnre by following My inspirations and giv-
iug to lIy daughters and thine, at their first clothing, the
red sca1mlar beal'Ïng My name of Jesns. This scapnlar,
which recalls ~ly blood-stained cross, is the childlike œp1·e-
sentation of My Cil'cumcision. 1Iy well-beloved, admi1"~
the divine IJlan, which has made thee <lelay g1ving them
the pnrple mantle until the profession, which is the day
of their death to the world and of their life in God, ~o
as to _follow the order 01Jse1·yed in lly birth nnd in ~Iy
death. At Bethlt·hem, in the stable, I Jrnd the l'Cd baud,
and at .Jcrnsalem, on Calvary, I was covered with a pnrple
mantle throngh dc1·isio11, and with lIy own Hlood by the
crnelty of men, but in·imarily by the love with which "'fy
1Au tograpllic Life. c h. L....~xxvn.
~Ibidem.

300. 274 LIFE OI1~ JEANNE CHEZAP.D DE ~IATEL
DiYine I~ather, the Holy SJJirit and I love thee. 'rhis love
waR the motive, principle and tenn of all lfy snfferings.
Sin is itR ocea~ion and object. Death is only a privation,
and is only a falling away. Love is eRsential, uncreated~
subsistent. · Love is God. Love is goodness, which, in itself,
is diffnsive. God alone knows and comprehends it per-
fectly.m
Our Lord added: '·~Iy daughter, remember that I com-
manded llofes to cause the vestments of Aaron and hi~
sons to be made. I 1·evealed to him their material, for·m
and color, in which dorninated Iinen and purple, to honor
)fy hnmauity, ~ly innoceuce and ~fy love. r:rhe scapular,
which covers ~Iy daughters, represents the ephod and the
pectoral. But the name which is there inscribed sur-
rouncled with thorns, above a heart JJierced by three nail~
and induding the words: Am or meus, is more august and
significant than the pectoral of the High Priest which bo1·e
the names of the children of Israel. For men are not save<l
and angels are not glorified by the~e names. And all the
embroidery and p1·ecions ~tones worn by Am·on, are :wt
so precimm as My crown of t horrrn and My nails. A heal't
filled with love is more agreeable to Me than all these
ador11ments. I am the only love of lly danghter·s. I con-
tain eminently docfrine and truth, the good and the bennti-
ful. If they keep lfe on their heart with true love, I wi11
be the trne pro1Jitü1tory and the IIoly of Holies. I will
offer l1yself as a spotless victim, and they will appeaBe ily
complaints. I will 110 longer say that the foxes have their
dells and the bil'ds tltefr nests, but the Son of llan hatlt
not whereon to r·eRt IUs head, lJeeanse I will rest in their
heart. Being their love, I will be their tl'easur·e <'eiestial
and divine.
"'fhon canst say to thy danghtci·s that I draw thcm
witlt bom1~ of eharity, and that the eindnre whiCh tliey
wen r is mol'c p1·ecion~ to lfe tlrnn 1·u1Jies and dinmomls,
rnm·e ]H'<.}ei on~ thaI1 füc hmI<ls wifü whi<'h I was iicd and
whith wt•1·e tiHged with lIy hlood. .Aud hecanse these cords
m·c Hot fou ud nrnong the other· iw·dTnrncntR of My Passion
1.11lographic Life. c h . LXXXVII.

301. SEIZUilE OF THE WilITIXGS OF ::.IOTHEil DE ::.I.ATE1_, 275
snch as the nails, the thorns, the lance, Proyide11 ce has
desired thee to repl'esent them by cinctm·es of red leather,
Lecause the e01·d~ we1·c cm·c1·ed "·ith Jly Blood and Jfy
Flesh. By "·eai·ing this red cincture to honol' Jfy bonds
and recall My captivity, My danghters ,,·ill atford Jfe
pleasnre. And if they present themselYes to Jle, gil'dled
with pnrity and inflamed with My love, they Yill enter
iJlto ]Jy glory, where they will enjoy the eternal libe1·ty
Yhich divine love will give them.''1
A few days after shmdng to the saintly Fonndress the
riches of the presents which He donated to her danghters,
the Incarnate ...ord made knüYll to her in what measnl'e
He wonld vermit other souls to share in these sacred
treasnres.
The day after the E1)i1)hany, Jannary 7, lGJ-2, Yhcn
Jlother de ]latel had gone, in the evening, before the Blessed
Saerament, the DiYine )faster r<~pt her spirit by a sublime
elen1tion and saicl to her: ""Jly danghtcr, I 'Î~h to give
thee the wherewith to found and endow fiye mona~te1·ies
for Jfe.''.:! ~-Uthongh the voice of .J esus wns so well known
to her, the yenerable ·)lother hearing promises which so
far snrpassed any of her hopes, feared lest she might be
the victim of an illusion. As she relates : ""Dear Love, I
lrnow not if I feared lest Your trnth might be a temerity
proposed to JI~· spirit by him Yho ~ransforms himself into
an angel of light, or if I did not dare to accept propositions
which were so magnificent, or if I wished to testify that
I was too well satisfied with haYing; founded ·the monastel'y
of A Yignon, throngh Yonr beneficence and by the fnlfill-
rnent of Your preyions promises. Rut I pra~·ed Y on to
be pleased to confirm and favor it by Yonr graces. In this
I imitated the sentiment of Abraham, who thonght himself
so obligcd to Yonr goodncss for giYing. him Ismael, that
he clid not darc to hope for an Isaac and he said to Yon :
Ptinam 1'i rnt lsmarl coram te. '•1Jay Ismael lfre before
Thee.m ..Dcar Lord,'' 8he added, ""1 offer yon the fü·~t fiye
1Yritings Vol. II. p. 1069.
2Autog raphic Life, ch. LXXXVIII.
3Gen, XVII, 18.
...

302. 27G LIU'E OF JEANNE CI-IEZ.IlD DE :.TATEL
danghters whom I have founded and veiled. Place them
in Yonr sacred wouIHls." "lIy danghter, it -j~ beennRe of
thi~ gift whfrh thon ha~t made to lly five wounds, that I
wil l gi ve thee the menus to found five houses and thon slrnlt
:-;ay that it is I Vho have enriched thee with spiritual and
i flmpm·al goods."1
As if she could not yet convi11ce herself that there would
he question of a promise whiG)1 was to have a material and
a fm·mal realization, the :Mother objected: "Dear Lord,
imH_:h will be needed to founci: fiye monasteries.·· "'~fy
<laughter, He 'Yho has given thee rneans to found the mon-
astery of Avignon, will give them also to found the others.
[ haYe ordered )Jy angels to tnke care of providing for
the execution of all My de8igns whieh I have manifested
to thee.·~:!
She then smy a ladder made of douds extending from
the East to the South. Each round was artisticallf fash-
ioned and adjnsted. After it the1·e came ships also made of
elonds and magnifitently equipped. As she relates: ""They
rtew befo1·e a favorable wi11d which was spirit and life, and
Y on said to me that they we1·e angels who ve1·e arming
themselves for me, and we1·e bringing to me, from Heaven~
Yom· divine favors. Your blessed ~fother commanded them
to take care of the establishment of Your Order and to
weaken the power of those who were strong by their dignity
aml anthority."3
At this cqmmand of their divine Qneen, an angel strnck
a blow· on a high tower, from which there then fell a frag-
ment 1·om1d hi shape and of the size of the eoin which is
ealle<l a tc.i;;fon, which was minted under Louis XII a11d had
the vnluc of ten or twelve cents. The DiYine ~Inster then
sn id to he1·: ""~r.v danghter, he who cnn luwm thee is only
cbty. His m·m shall he weakened. Behold the :fignre of
the wonml whi('li I will se11d to lrn1nble him who relies on
li i~ mli hori ty «lll <1 i·p~i Rh~ My 01·de1·.'~4
'l'h is p1·oplwcy was
soon to have a strikillg fnl:fillmcnt.
l ~utogTnphi c Life. c h. LXXXVIII.
2Thicl e m .
- :i t hi<l e m .
4lbidcm.

303. 8EIZUilE OF 'l'IIE YnITIXGS OF )JOTHER DE MA'l'EL 277
W'"hat the Yorthy :Mother had now seen and heard~ ww;
to be echoed in the world and in hel' life. That lofty
tower smitte11 hy au augel was the great 3Iinister, whosc
genius was then· the bulwark of France and the tenol' of
her enemies. Eight months late1 Riehelieu who nccom-
panierl Louis XIII to the conquest of Roussillon, was con-
strained by the pain caused by an abscess in his l'ight m·m,
to rcturn from Xarbonne to Lyons and three months later
lie was dead. Thus was verified to the letter the Yord
spoken by the soyereign Master of life and death to his
humble handmaid. The arm of hirn who could harm her,
wns weakeneù. ...nd thnt fragment of the f01·m and size of a
teston was a perfect figure of the abscess with which he
was smitten.
As to the promise to giYe her the means to found fiYe
.monasteries from her mn1 resources, the Inearnate Yord
Yas to keep it fnithfully. As we have seen, already in the
year 1635, ~he Se1·aphs had assured her that He, Yho in
clothing Hürn.:elf with a bod~T' hnd wished only the sub-
stance of a Yil'gin, also Yished he1· to be the sole Foundress
of His Order, in temporals as Yell as in s1)irituals, and that
they undel'took to procure for her the necessal'ies for its
establishment. rrhey had executed their promise and pro-
Yided for the establishment of the fil'st monastery. N ow,
wafted on by the Spfrit of life, they were flying in search
of a new cargo of benefits. He1l is enraged by the knowl-
edge of the merciful designs of .Jesus, and will make its
last supreme efforts to hinder the Yenerable 3Iother from
accomplishing them. She will sustain its repeated assaults.
Yith the constancy of a saint, and will süuggle ·until her
death to remain faithful.
A fter these prophetic visions, Our Lord favored the
worthy )fother, on that same da~r of Jnnual'y 7, 1GJ:3, with
precious lights on the mystery of the Epiphany, by show-
ing her a tabernacle of cr:rstal which "·as most beautiful
and enehased with gold. It opened neither on the side nor
at the bottom but only on the top, and was destined to
receive the divine Sun of Justice. As the vene1·able )fother
~ays: "W'hen I contemvlated this tabel'nacle in which Your

304. 278 LŒ'E OF .JEAN~E CHEZARD DE lIATEL
lfajeRty wisl1ed to dwell, my spirit was snspended and Yon
Raid to me: ·:My danghte1·, lIy sponse, it is thon who art
thi~ tabe1·nacle of crystal, i11to which it is lfy pleasnre to
e11tc1· a11d to dwell in it and to make My glories i·esplendent.
1
I1hy Ronl, which is üansparent, receives the Divine Spouse,
W'ho is a Sun that enters the nuptial chamber. 'fabernacles
of wood, silYer, or gold are not suited to the Sun like this
one, for they are opaque bodies which light does not pene-
tra te. Sorne souls frnctify like wood, othei·s ring like silver,
and others again stand trials like gold, but these are not
transpareut and do not make lfe clearly known. I have
shown thee that thon art crystal, but remember that thon
m·t fragile like glass. ~rl10n makest Me known, beeause
thy childlike simplicity renders thee transparent. I cause
lIyself to be seen in thee, as in a mirror, and the loYe I
have for thee, makes lfe do in thee and with thee alone all
1 do through others. I lovingly enchase thee in the gold
of lfy love, and I ring, by thy pen and tongue, like silver.
'"I wish that this tabernacle which I sho",. 'thee, shall be
exposed to the 'vorld, that it may see My light which ren-
derR it more benntifnl than all the tabernacles of Jacob.
If the obsti11atc will not let themselves be vanqnished
hy lJy good ness, they shall be exterminated h~r lly
justiee. My daughter, fear nothing. I will deliver thee
from all evils. I "'i11 lower the hills of the em·th, the
g1·cat of the world, to lfy feet, to the path of lly eternity.
'Yait yet a little while, and I will be Yictorions in thee.
Reeeive :My blood in the tabernacle thon hast seen. It is a
vessel of eleetion for that pnrpose. Em·ieh thyRelf with
My hlood; I have placed thee npon the altar, as a crystal
vase, to reeeive it. In this blood, thon shalt waRh thyself
and thon Rhalt hleach t11y robe and thy soul shall fh1d its
agreeable bath.'
""'J1he wm·d~ Yon f-ipoke to me were efficacion~. In spi1·it,
r Rnw mysclf ernbelfo·.;hed and em·icl1ed with Yonr pnrity,
heauiy, and J·ichcs. As fa1· as it pleased Yon to revcal it,
1 lrnew that Yon li:we, in Yom·self, all the tremm1·es of
wiR<lmn a11d Jrnowle<lge, and füat Yon :we fnll of grace and
glo1·y m1<l <liviuity. l ~t<lrn·e<l Yon, ])]'ORfrated m spil·ii- and

305. SEJZURE m~ 'rHE WillTlXGS OB~ ~lOTHER DE :L-.TEL 279
bmYed down at Your feet, with all the angels, "Yith the
four animnls, nnd the twenty-four ancients, and I offered
to Yon all that Yon had g;iven me, saying to you :1
Dignlls
est Agnll8 qlli occislls est accipcre virtute111 et divinitatrrn
et sapicutiam et fortitudi11c111 rt honornlll et gloriarn et ùene-
dieti?JM' JJI. · "'r11e Lamb thnt waN slnin is wo1·th~,. to i·eeeive
power and divinity and wisdom and strength and honor and
glm·y nnd benediction."~
'fhis ci-.n;tal tabernade destined to receive the Sun of
Justice and to contnin the divine blood, was a faithfnl
irnnge of the graees to which the Foundress and her Order
were specially called. Yhat is the vocation of a Daughte1·
of the Incarnate Yord bnt the election to beeome the spouse,
C'OI)_Y, and abode of Him Yho, being the Yord, is ~ub ­
stantinl light, and Yho took flesh in order to lrnYe blood to
·shed for the honor of God and the salYation of men. If
this Inearnate n,..ord is desirons of enriching nll souls "·ith
the treasm·es of His lights and 'vith the mel'Îts of His blood,
it was to make ne"· and more abuudant diffusions ()f them
thnt He wished to institnte an Orde1· which ~ears His "Xmne,
aud in which all details, even to the white or red in its
habit, won-Id bP testimonials of this ~ac1·ed appanage of
light and of the divine blood. llother de Jlatel was to
receiYe~ in herself, the plenitude of the graces whose stremns
would flow over ber Order.
W..e have seen how manifold were these graces during
the sweet festivities of the NatiYity. But they did not eease
wHh this hlessed time. On the feast of Rt. 1Intthia~.
Febnrnry 24, lG-.!2, this divine Sun macle . His e1·y~­
tal tabe1·naele resplendent with one of the most radiant
mauifeRtations of His beauties and ardors, and filled it
with waves of His adorable b1oocl. "On that daY,'' ~nYs
~fother de l1atel, ~'You placed me in the portion .of Y0~11·
saints, in Your lig·hts ! lIy soul, full of loye and knowl-
edge, looked on Yon, with admiration and respect. kno"~­
ing that Yon are a volnntary llirror, and that, at times.
it pleases Yon to manifest Yourself to inflame the spouse
1.Autogrnphic Life, en, LXXXVIII.
2.Apoc:- v , 12, -

306. 280 LIFE Oli~ JEAN~I~ CHEZ.AUD DE lU.TEL
"'hom You deign to love.ni The worthy )lother lrns at-
tempted to sketeh some of the grnces which she then re-
eeived. Iler words are fiery darts. 'Yhilst reading them,
'n~ -feel that her soul ·was in a raIJtnre 'd1en she wTote them.
'Ye shall cite only some lJassages. Seeing St. ~latthias eom-
pensate for the treason of .Judas, by fidelity to his vocation,
she is seized "'ith an intern;;;e desfre of also satisfying ùy lie1·
love~ foi· the ingn:ltitude of the .Jews to J esns. She says
to Him: "'Dear Spouse, find in my soul that reciprocity
of love whieh Yonr own people refm~ed You. 'This is rny
dcsire,~ sccundu111 dispcnsatioJZem Dei,. quac data est niilti
in vos, ut implram T'er7J1t111 Dei. ""aecording to the clispensa-
tion of God, which is given to me towards Yon, that I nrny
fulfill the word of Goc1."3
She woulcl have wished to trimnph over the indifferenee
of those who despise the boundless charity of their Savio1·.
~he crieN ont: "'lIay they no longer receive Yom· g1·aces
in vain; may they "derive pl'ofit from Yonr dfrine work;
mny they reeognize, with all Yom· saints,- the riehes of Yom·
glory ~ the length, height, depth and breadth of Yum· chm·-
ity."4 Rhe see~ thnt, m·ged by the ardor which inflames
her, her desÏl'es pass all bounds: --~Tost dear Love, pal'clon
my excesses and permit me to sny that they imitate Your
own. 'Yhy do You surpass by Yom· goodness, a11 om·
lllH lire "!n5
And she is again rapt in ecstnsy in presence of the
prndignlities whieh He makes of His love and Hi~ ùlood.
••Vhat can I sav"?" she continues, ''l striYe to smrc mn;elf'-' "
by SYimming away from the 1·i vulet~ of Yom· wisdorn, nncl
J ~ee myself snnonnded hy toneut~ of a sea of blood. If
love did no1 ~ail hn1>pily over that sea, I wonld say to Yon :
Ub ent me de sa1t,<jniuiù1ts) Deus) Deus. salntis JJl<'ac. "De-
l ivp1· m(~ fl'orn hlood, 0 Oocl. thon God of m~? ~alvation."G
B111 ~irn·e Yon (lesil'e to wm~h arnl nonrish mr with thi~
Pl'el'.ion!-; Hlood (hil'ing my lit'<~, and h) hm·y me in it after
1Autog-raphic Life, c l! . LXXXVllT.
2 fbiclem.
::Col. J, 2fi.
1,utogravllic Lifc, cl1 . LXXX'T ll .
!i l hi<l em.
<iPs. L, 15.

307. SEIZURI~ OF THE WIUTI::'"GS OF ~UOTHER DE :U.TEL 281
death, I "~]sh to 1fre and die on that sea of flames and
there to chant the himnph of Your loYe. If I put into
port on earth, it will be to announce to men who inhabit
it, that by the blood of Your cross Yon have pacified Heaven
aml em·th. It wi1l he to say to them that they lllllRt no
longer despise the Precious Blood, which is the price of
their redemption, and that they must no longer remain
shackled by the chains of sin, from whose slavery füis
diYine Blood lrns delivered them. It is for them alone
to decide to live in the libe1·ty which Yon have achieyed for
them; liberty in which Your Spirit shall lead, guide, and
elevate them, from glo1·y to glory, until they are transformed
into the glory of this Spirit of love. Vhere there is love,
there is no pain~ or if there be any, it is loved and s'veet-
ened.m
1Autographic Life, ch. LXXXVIII.

308. CH...'-prrER XVI
The Cardinal Minister and the Royal Court at Lyons
1G42
In that divine light, the voluntnry :Mirror, in which the
venerable Mother contemplated the mysteries of glory and
love which transportecl ber soul, she knew also some buman
events of the greatest interest: the conspiracy at that time
formecl by the imprudent Cinq-Mars, and also the death
of the great ~fin ister. rrhese circumstances were comnrnni-
eated to her, with such definiteness that, on the vei·y day
she reeeiyed thern, she advisecl the J esuit, Father Rerthand,
to warn his brother against all association with Mr. de
'rhou with whom he had been very intimate, in order not
to be ens1rnred in bis disgrace. Let us listen to her as she
relates these IJrOphetic revelations:
''Sometimes You deign to mauifest to Your spouse, not
only mysteries which i·egard salvation and eternal glory,
but also secrets which touch the temp01·al life of those
who are still pilgrims on the way, and th~ care Yon take
of earthly monarchies and of Ministers of State. You
revealed to me that You would frustrate all of his designs
(she speaks of the conspiracy), and that You wonld pro-
teet Ca1·di11al Richelieu who, on that ve1·y day, was lenv-
i11g Lyo11s, with the King, to go into Catalonia. You snid
to me: •lfy danghter, the Cardinal will go no further tlrnn
Narbonne. F1·om there he will return victm·ions, but siek ·
from the blow which you saw My angel strike him when
hc smote the wall, on the seventh of Jannary. 'rlie Cardinal
will die, after having retired to his own home. Narbonne
is the limit of his jom·neying. He must kn°'v t1rnt he is
<>al'ih like other men.' m
Histm·y 1'Ct01'ds the accomplishment of Pach detail of
ihis 1n·ophecy.
~orne n~eks afte1·wm·<h~, the mails 1>1·onglit nlarming
news about the Cm'(lirntl"s lic<llth. I1l11es~ stopped him at
L11tngT:iphic Life , ch. LXXXVIII.
282

309. C~UWI.NAL :;.llNISTER A~D UOLU_, COURT }~.T LYOXS 283
~arb01me. 1fany thought that he .wonld die there. Im-
mecliately the good :Iother hacl reeourse to in·ayer. She
says: '•I made tln·ee novenas, one to St. 3lichael, another
to the Blessed Yirgin, and a third to the Incarnate 1'.,..ord,
for the cure of the arm of His Ducal Eminence 'Yho was
reported to be Yery ill. I know, 0 my Divine Savior, that
the Yise )fan teaches that there is no evil in the city which
Your most equitable justice cloes not ordain or at least
permit. You 'Yo1md to cure. I beg of Yon that he 'Yhom
Yon have "...ounded may not die so soon, but may return
from Narbmrne, aecorcling to Yom· 'yord."1
Xot only was he to return, but all his snfferings we1·e
not to weaken his genius. Yith his eagle glance, he pierced
the secret of the plot made against him. He gained pos-
session of a copy of the treaty concluded with the enemy
b;v the conspirators, and, some time afterwarcls, reclining
in a kind of wooden couch borne by twenty-four of his
guards, he arrived at Lyons, dragging behind hirn Cinq-
-:fm·s and de 'rhou, to conduct their trial in the second
city of the realm.
At the first news of the arrest, several clays before
the entry of Richelieu into Lyons, :Madame de Pontat, the
sister of )fr. de Thou, had hurried to follow the trial and
use._ eYery means to save her brother whom she greatly
loved. She came to the Incarnate w·01·d monastery to
recommencl the suecess of his case to the prayers of the
Foundress. Her manner wa~ so earnest that her so1Tow
and desires touched the heart of the good ~Iother who
JH'Oceeded with all confidence to conjure her dear Love to
~:we the life of the unfo1·tunate accusecl. 'fhe Sovereign
~ra~ter said to ber: lta statutwn rst srmrl 111ori. '"It bas
been thus decreed to die onee.··2
She l'e}Jlies: "'l )enr Lord,
1 knmv well that it hn~ been deereed that men die on('e."-
•. ~fy danghter,'' 1·e1Jlie<l .J e~n~, ""thu~e who m·l1
dc1
a<l and
die a ~econd deafü, die twiee. 'l'hat OllCC which I exp1·essecl
to thee is to denote that de 'rl10u will not die the second
1Autograpllic Life, ch. LXXXVIII.
2Heb. IX, 2'7.

310. 284
den th whid1 is the death of the wicked. He will ùie only
onee and the blessed momeut. of his ete1·nal happiness is
nigli."'1
Snch a definite answer left no room for donbt. On Sep-
tember 7, l 64:2, ::Iother de lIatel made it knoYn to Father
Gibalin and urged him not to allow lladame de Pontat
suspect it. " yith all he.r friends and the majority of her
jndges, she hoped that, as he had not taken part in the
i)Iot and W'"as gnilty only of having known and not revealed
it, de 'rhou would not be condemned to death.
On _Septembe1· S, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed
V-frgin, lIadame de Pontat came to communicate her hopes
to the Founchess. She was accompanied by lfr. de Boissac.
He believed that he could assuœ her that the death sen-
teuce would not be pronounced. ~rhe w01·thy Mother, beiug
unwilling to increase the sonow of her unfortunate friend,
di d not reveal her sec1·et, but her sincerity permi tted her
to repl,v onl.r evasively to the ~xposition of all of these
grounds for hope.
Four days later, on September 1:2, all these illmüons
we1·e followed by monrning. Cinq-~Iars and de 'J1hon died
on the seaffold, in sentiments of faith and repentance, which
filled all hearts with sympntlty. for them.
lfother de llatel i·eceived special assurances of thefr
salyation. As we read in her life: '"From their tempoi·al
shame Yon have caused to be born thefr eternal gl01·y. 'l1he
G1·eat One (Cinq-lIars was tlrns called at the Conl't by
an allusion to his office of Grnnd-Master of the Hor1-1e),
11ot having h01101·cd Yon in ltis greatness, when he liad oc-
('mdon, 1·ecognized Yon in his abasement when he wns nem·
the end. Ynnity and pleasm·e had blimkd him during his
life, hnt Yom· tl-111-h enliglttelled him Ht the honr of denth.'~2
..s to ]1,1·n11cii-; <le 'rlwn, the FomHhesi-; k~m·ned that, ns
in 11i:-; yonili ltc• h«Hl n tewler devot-ion to the Blpi-;~e<l Yirgi11,
ihHt ~'lothe1· of ~IP1'(:y, Jrnowillg' ilint hc wonl<l lof'e Jlenn•Jl
il' hc livPd 1011µ,-<·1·, Jwd 1n·o<·1n·<'d for him thi:-; denfü, in
wh ich the Jw1·oi c Hdi-; of lrnmility, i·esigll«liion, m1d panlou
1 1 ulo graphic Lifc, c ll. XCI.
:!llJitlcm.

311. C.RDI~.L llINISTim AND UOYAL COUR'l' A'l' LYONS 285
of bis enemies, which he was to perform, would not only
rissm·e his salvation, lrnt also place him in the possession
of a high degree of beatitnde. As a pledge of the reality
of this promise, the good Mother received a participation
of llis felicity. Her soul was overflmYing 'Yith it when,
on the day afte1· the execution, Septembe1· 1:1, lIadnme de
Pontat, crushecl "~ifü grief, came to visit hèr and said : ""Üh
lfothe1·, you kne"~ my hrother "YHS . to die and yon hid it
from me. Pnther Gibalin has told me that you announced
it already on September 7.m
1'he same clwrity whieh had decide<l :Iothe1· de :.Matel
to let none of these revelations be known before the sen-
tence for the execntion had been received, now demanded
of her to reveal all and she did so. I t is easy to undei·-
staud what a balm to the wonnd of that heart so cruelly
torn, were the "~ords of a soul all infiarned and melting with
'the happiness with whid1 he whose loss "~as mou.rned, was
eterna11y blessed. In the company of the Foundress,
~Iadmne de Pontat eanght a glimpse of the diville glories
nnder the ray~~ of which, sorrow assumes to oui· eyes its
real fo1·m, that of a benefit of the divine mercy. :Iother
de )fatcl spared nothiug to sweeten the bitterness of that
great affliction. She gaYe )fadame de Pontat hospitality
in her home cluring the first clays of monrning. There she
received the heart of he1· regretted brother, and fnrnished
the money foi· the fine which she had to pny for him, m; is
prove<l b~r the mensures taken for the reimbursement of
that sum by Peter Séguier.
· 'Ye have just mentioned the Chancellor of France. By
assembling at Lyons the commission elw1·gecl w-ith insti-
tuting the process against the conspirato1·s. Providence had
wishecl, as the Incarnate 'Yord revealed, to make )fother
<le ·Mate] enter into relations with him who wonld favor
the eRtabliRluuent of His monasterics.
111 1n:1~ wheu the )fm·ehioness de la Lande hall exhanste<l
hcr sh m·e of eonstm1ey mHl almuclonecl her projed of co-
opernting by he1· wenl th with the fouuding of tlie mouns-
tery of Paris, she had corne to annouuee to Mother de
1Autographic Life, ch. XCI.

312. 2SG LIFID OF .J !DANNE CIIE~.um DE lIA'l'EL
lfatel, that ~fr. de Chateauneuf, then Keeper of the Seals,
had i·esolYed to refuse tlrn Bull of the Order of the Incar-
nate Yord when it would be presented to him for_ the
lette1·s patent of the King. The Foundress had gone to
pour the bHterness of this opposition into the heart of her
only Protector. ~Jesus replied to her: ''My daughter, he
will be no longer in that office when I ~hall establish My
01·der.m A shol't time. after, He declared to her that He
ealled Peter Séguier to the ·diguity of Chancellor of France,
and she saw Our J_,ord band him the seah; with Hi~
sovereign hand. "'Sorne days after,'' she says, ''You showed
me how You had chosen Mr. Séguier to whom You Yourself
gaye the ~eals. I saw them attached to a blue c01·d or
ribbon.''~
.A.Jter her rctnru to Lyons, Mother de Matel had con-
fided thjs prediction to Father Gibalin who said to her:
'"'rl1e Uhantellor is not dead and those ofüces are for life."
She replied: ""l know nothing abçmt those thi11gs, but that
is what ''Tas made known to me by Our Lord.''3
Sorne time
after that, the Father came to her to announce that Peter
~égnier was Kcepe1· of tlte Reals, but he added: ""He is not
Chanc-ellor, thoRe two ofïiees are. distinct from each other.''
··Father, T have see11 tliem nnited in him. Om· Lord has al-
ways aceompli~hed what He told me. Yon shall see the
effett of His w<.ml~. " 4
rrwo yems Inter, Pete1· Séguier was Keeper of the Seals
and Chm1cello1· of Frauce.
l >ul'ing the sojom·n of the high ~iagisüal'y at Lyous, au
attndié of the Chm1eery, M. Germain _Hahe1·t, Abhot of
C()ri~y, one of the fir~t meml>ers of the Frend1 Acndemy
aud one of the gl·ent wits of his day, beearne ncquainted
with ]1-,afüer Oihali11. From him the .Ahhot l<)m·ned what
lrnd hee11 i·eve;tled to the Fom1d1'e~s of the <hde1· of the
I11cm·11ate 'Yûl'(l :ih011t ~Il'. ~()g11ie1·. Rt1·11l'k hy ihi~ ]ffC-
<lidi011, hc <le:-;il·ed to k11ow i1-~ nnthm·, arnl, 011 ~epternber
R, lie we11t h> tlie hou~e of t'llC ( ~011g1·egnt-i01i. At hi~
1,utogT:1pl1!« f,ife. c il. LIX.
:dlii<lern.
:n l>i<krn .
.1Jbhfom.

313. C.HDIXAL ~I IXISTEn _XD noY.L counT Xl' LYOXS 287
arriva] lfother de )fatel was in the pal'lor with Father
Gibalin ~ to wh0111 ~he wns giving an aceonnt of the favors
whieh Our Lm·•l had hestowed npon her that yery day and
in "'hich Ile lwd gh·en to he1· soul ~orne gli111)1~eN of the
ineom1rnrnble glm·.'' of the Blessed Yirgin.
On the entry of the Abbot of Cérisy, natm·ally this pions
converi;mtion was interruptecl. 'J'he Fom1dress did not cheam
of contürning it in presence of the ne"' Yisitor, when Father
Gibalin, '""hom the words of the worthy 3Iother had pene-
trated with admiration, and who kne".,. the pedection of
her obedience and hnmility, commmHled her to repeat wha t
she had jnst said. She submitted 'vith simplicity.
'Yhile she was explaining in 'vords which we1·e not of
earth, the excellencies of the diYine )lother, the light in
which she contemplated them beamed on her conntenance
Yhich became resplendent. The Father and the Abbot lis-
tened, g·azed, and were thrilled with resped and admira-
tion. On this Thabor where they met, the:·r we1·e bound
b~.,. an affection whieh hl.steel with their lives, and the link
of which was their veneration for this priYileged son] whom
both wëre destined to protect and guide.
As was to be expected, the Abbot did not limit hünself
to one visit. The more he saw of the Foundress, the more
he recognizecl in her, supernatnral lights and experiences
in the ways of God, joined with a candor and hnmility
which ravished him. Soon the Academitian and Doct01·
'becmne the disciple and spiritual son of her whom hence-
forth he will consider the ~Iother of bis soul. He spoke
to the f~liancellor of the predictions she had made about
him and of the wonders that he had discovered in her.
Peter Ségnier clothed with the highest magistrac~.,. of
France, under the severe exterior of the Chief Jnstiee, con-
cealed a heart which was fervently Christian and incor-
ruptible, incapable of accepting any doctrine whose ortho-
- doxy was not evident. He belonged to a race of magis-
trates that "joined kü1g and eonuti-y in one smne love,

314. 288 LIF'E 011' .JFUNXE CIIEZ~.llD DE MATEI..i
lrnt lon~d al>ove al 1. aboye king and country, Ood, and
-Tnstice and T1·11th which corne from God.m
'rhe repented aRSlll«1nces of his p1·omotion to the im-
pol'iaut oflkes wli ieh he tillcd, m<lfle so long hefore by
~Iothc1· de lfatel, m·onscd his interest, and what the Abbot
of Cél-isy had told him of the virtnes and graees Yhieh
he admfred in her, made him resolve to jndge the case
hi1rn~elf.
The first time Peter Ségnier came to see her, his looks
cause~ her such fear that she had great difficulty in reply-
ing to him, althongh, as she 1·elates, ''the w01·ds he spoke
to me were replete with gentleness, sincerity and chariiy.
After his departm·e, this fear did not leave me nntil I had
made my complaints to Your charity which dissipated them
hy saying: •)ly daughter, the exterior of the Chancellor is
like the hnll of the walnut. ·It is, at first, stern and diffi-
cnlt of access. But bis inte1·ior is mild, anointed with
the oil of ~Jy graee and mercy, which are strong in him,
'Yhell he retm·ns to see thee, thon wilt not fear him. l
desfre that he alld thon shall be like the tvrn Che1·ubs
rho were above the Ark of the Covenant, and that yon
two shall pe1·petually regard :Me with a pure intention. IIe
jndges things which are exterior and thon jndgest those
which are interior, according to the ordailling and election
which I lrnYe nia<le for you both. I t is I who cansed the
Seals to be given to his keeping, and W,.ho made him Chan-
cellor. In this, men have been only the instrument:-; of
My will. Rest aRsnred, ~Iy daughter, that he will promote
the eF-ïtablishment of lIy Order in France. He wil1 make
thee go to rm·is and accompfo.;11 the vision whkli thon
had~t nt Romme miel in which thon sawest tl1e ai·m:-; of
P1·mH·e joinecl to i hose of thP IIoly See, for thr exeention
of .'ly design~: "2
The fe:u· whi<"h hacl overcome llother de lfatel hnd
11ot J>l'evenkd the Chancellor from i·ecognij',ing hp1· erni11e11t
virtnc 01· from l'c<}l ing the atfraction which i~ exe1·cised
llntrocluet ion t(l tl10 l'f e rnoir~ n f Matth ew lIol t> l> y Count Mol é.
Volnm9 V of tll e M e moir~ . p . l ::L
2Autogrnp1Jic Lifc, ch. XCI.

315. CAUDIN.L ~lI~ISTFm .KD TIOLL counT AT LYON8 28!)
by Ranctity. Thenceforwanl he manifested an attacJnnent
fu11 of devote<lnesR aml veneration fo1· the pions ~lothel'
and she v1·ofessed for him a respeetful and filial affection.
She called him her father and lfadmue Séguier he1· mothe1·.
as is seen in thei1· eon·esponden<:e which haR eornc down
to llS.
Among the great personages a~f'em hlecl at Lyom; for
the trial which had been held, the Chaneellor and h]s hom~e­
hold were not the only ones who made the aequai111-a11ee
of lfother de Matel and remained her friends. Ye shall
mention two others who becmne most devoted to her, ~lesRrs.
de Pl'Îezac and de Rossignol. 'rl1e former was a Conncilor
of Rtate. He was a wit and a distingnished w1·ite1·, but
a poor Christian, being eareless about the things of his
soul. His interviews with the Fonnd1·ess produced ill him,
results similm· to those wrought in )fr. de Bély, and trans-
formed him into another man. lfr. de Priezac always re-
garded )lother de ~Intel as being, aftei· God, the author
of his conversion. He ealled her tlle lncomparaùle. His
attachment to her was a kind of worship, in "Yhich he never
wave1·ed. He wished to be her spiritual son, and by fol-
lowing her conrn;eJs became a great servant of God. She
persuade<l him to eo_n~êerate to the glury of ~lary, the
talents "Yhich he had received from Heaven, and he wrote
a pions and lenrned wm·k on the privileges of the Blessed
Yirgin.
1Ir. de Rossignol did not need conversion. His thor-
oughly Christian soul had eYen a supernatural intuition to
discern what came from God. Ail that he saw in lIother
de )'fntel appeared to him so evidently diYine .that he
wished to bind himself to the "York whieh the Incarnate
'Yord had confided to her, by a kind of vow of devotion,
to which his heart and piety remained eve1· faithfnl. In a
letter whieh he wrote to the Foundress twelve yeai·s later,
w0 ~ee him renewing hi8 promise whose obligation, he said,
he wished to carry into the next ''Orld. He also wished
to be the spiritual son of the Yene1·able )Jother.
The following letter will giYe some idea of the disposi-
tions of that pions llaster of the Acconnts, tmyards lIother

316. 290 LIFI·~ OF .1KNNE crrnZAHD DE l1ATEL
de ]fatel. It was wriHen in the parlor of her monastery
of Pm·i:-.;, :-.;orne days after :-.;he had left it to estahlish tlwt
of Lyons.
"'Being· he1·e f'm· the affair whith the Hev. lfother will
explain to you, I shall not lose this chance of doing myself
the honor of w1·iting, to nsk you a thousand pardons for
my lazines~, and to assure you, here in your own holy
house, or rather that of the Incarnate Wonl, and in His
presence, tliat I am ever the most zealous servant of His
and your Order: '0 Lord, I have lovecl the beant.v of Th~y
house and the place where Thy glory dwelleth.' I am ever
the most humble son of rny most dear lfother. 'Because I am
'I'hy se1-vant and the son of 'l"hy bandmaid,' and I am ever
religimrnly observant of the command of which I s1wke to yon
on a former occasion. I here gladly renew to you my pro-
fession, twelv~ years after my first vow, in conspectn totius
JJOJW li: ""in the sight of all the people," sinee I am so far
f1·om wishing a dispensation from it, that I wish to carry
its obligation into the next worlcl, on acconnt of the grati-
tude whieh I owe you for so many beautiful and holy things
imparted to me by the blessing of your conversation and
foi· so many good praye1·s for which I am obliged to your
generous charity. lIy ve1·y good and Revere11d Uother, I
heseerh yon to i·edouble those prayers while I am depl'ived
of yonr other aids nnd be assnred, that of all yonr spiritua1
chil<lren, yon have not one who che1·ishes more zeal or re-
spect for yon or who is more foi thfnl than myself.
Yonr rnm;t humble, faithfnl and obedient servant,
Pm·is, at the C011Yent of the THem·nate Yord,
Xovembel' 1:3, l HGJ."
-IloSSIGNOL.
'rhe ne(}d felt by tltose who eame ncm· to l[other de
MaiPl of' pl:wing ihPmNclves nndc1· hp1· guidance and of
lwcornÏ11g he1· <liNciples arnl spi1·itnal d1ildre11, is fonnd
i11 the llÏ~t01·y of all the ~ai11t~. _._econling as they were
the m01·e i11 tPll igent, lem·1wd, flll(l pions, they showed them-
selves the rno1·c e:unest and co11~t:rnt Îll this desire. We

317. CARDINAL lIINISTER AKD ROL_L COUR'!' .AT LYO~S 2!)1
have just named the Abùot of Cérisy, Mr. de Priezac aud
llr. de Rossignol. But they were not the only ones. Be-
sides those whom the sequel of this history will oblige
us to mention, the correspondence of the Foundress reveals
a surprisiug nnmber of priests, religions, and distingnished
1Je1·sonages who begged or gratefnlly acknowledged the
favor of being her spiritual sons. If )lother de niatel
had been one of those domineering characters, "~ho sub-
jngate and fo1·ce others to follow them, this influence could
be explained natnrally. But the cause of her influeuce was
quite different. Vith her elevated spfrit, her generous and
noble heart, and her soul replete 'v-ith candor and humility,
the venerable llother never stooped, but ever rose to the
principle of all the graces which she received. In them
she regarded only the effects of the infinite goodness in
which she lost both herself and those 'v-hom she admitted
to her intimacy. 1-"'his Yrns the only secret of the asceud-
ancy which she exercised over select souls. She so disap-
peared that those who approached her, felt themselves in
imrnediate contact Ydth God and bathed in His light. The
need of coming nearer to God and of walking in His divine
light, engende1·ed the need of 1)Iacing their souls in the
hands of that )lother whose personality was fused with
the splendors in which Our Lonl enveloped her and the
graces which He imparted to her in such abundance.
The good Mothe1· used the ascendancy which she pos-
sessed over lier S})iritnal children, to cause them to love
one another and also to ai<l oue another like brothers in
their need. Sorne fragments of two letters "Titteu by
her to the Abbot of Cél-isy, dated February 4, and G, of
the year 1GJ5, cornmending to hirn the younger ~fr. Bernar-
don, will give an insight into her maternal solicitude.
'"'l1he departnre of M1·. Bernm·don carn~es me to inforrn
i he Onlinm·y. You knmy that he i~ a son of yonr mothe1·,
and that lie is de~irons of growing in Chl'istinn vil'tne and
mm·nlity before God and men. His father and motlH._•1·
desfre that he shonld go away foi· sume time to yonr grent
city of Paris, where there i~ a UniYersity for divine and
human sciences. He is all'eady a Doctor of 1'heology and

318. LH'E O.F' JE~.NNE CI-IEZ~TID DE 1L'.rEL
of civil and canon law, lrnt he will c01rnidei· himself blessed
and obliged to your goodness, if you teach him how to
live in a place whei·e all ,Till be so new. 'l'he glory of God,
ln·banity, and duty to your mother are powerful motives
fcw you to be an e1de1· b1·other to him. Yon know mv. .,
franlrness which hides nothing that I think I ought to say
to my childi·en for the gloi·y of Gocl, foi· thefr perfection, oi·
foi· the edification of our neighbor.
T beg you to aid, by yom· counsels, yom· brother who
is yonng and has nevei· been in society. In this he is al-
together nntutored. I fear lest he may gl'ow cold in the
}H'adice of vü·tue and go from one extreme to the other.
T wonld like to see him devout and cultm·ed as he ought
to be, Chdstianly and morally.
A.JI that you do for my child, your br·other, you will
do fol' her wl10 is devotedly,
'fhe sojom·n at Lyons of the Hoyal Com·t, made fol' the
Fonndress infiuential and deYoted friends, bnt did not
obtain for her the favor of the great :linister who, Jess
than a year previons, had eommended ber with admira-
tion to the attention of his brother. A fortuitous circum-
stance 1·evealed the eause of this.
On the feast of St. Fi·ancis, October 4, lf>4:2, the Abbot
of Cérif-1.Y delivered, in the diapel of the Congregation, an
exhol'tation "'hiclt "'as attended bv the Chancellor and 11ia11v. . .
of the -'Iagh.;trntes "·ho wel'e stil 1 in Lyon~. Among thü;
number was ~fr. de Laubardemont, a Connselor of Rtate
ancl a devoted agent of the Cardinal lfillister. After hem·-
ing the se1·mon, he went to pay a visit to the A1·chbishop
who a~ked "'here he had been. '"'ro hem· a sen11on of the
Abbot of C<-rb.;y," he replie<l. .''"'lie1·e'?" ""At the 111cm·1rnte
",.m·d.,' ··~o lrn·m·1wtP 'Ym·d f01· lllP," waN the qniek l'Pply
ol' ihe P1·p]ate. l11·. de Lanhm·dt)rnm~t, wislii11g to eX]>]'(~~s
lt j 1ll~e1f ]li 01·e p1·et:i ~(_)1y (]} SWCJ'('(l : .. At thp liOllNC 0r ~I othe1·
clP ~l«dPl.'' ' ·~o )lotltp1· <l<' ~latel 1'01· 111e!'' 'l'he Com1s<~l01·
ilie11 i·e;llizt)<1 1l1•tt tltis wn:-; a disngl'cenblc snbjed aud
tnr11e<l the to11venmtio11 to rn10t11e1· topie.

319. CAJWIX~~L :lI~ISTlfü AND UOYAL counrr AT LYONS 293
That evening, when the Fonndre~~ begins he1· watch
hefore the Dles~ed Sac1·ament, her spirit is i·aised to God
by <l strong suspension, and she hears a formidable voiee
saying: Quorc frcm1lerH1lt gelltcs et pop11li mrditati snnt
iHa11 ·a? •·lY"h~' have the Hntions raged and the people medi-
tntc(l vain things ?''1
She is stnpefied and says: '"Dear Lord, who bas aronsed
Yom· just ange1·?'' '•rt is he," replies the Rovereign lfas-
ter, ""who oppo~es ~fy Order. No longer hold lrnck ~Iy m·m
by your pl'ayers. No longel' pray to lie to keep Gm·dinal
Hiehelien on earth. It is lJy 'dll tlrnt he shall die to
lowe1· the world's hills in the path of ~Iy etel'nity. Tt is
~Ty wm to In·eak the enl'then Yase, and to laugh at those
who 1·ely on his anth01·ity.''~
From m~tonishment, the good :Jfother passes to affliction.
.She cmmot resigu herself to the death of him whom the
good lIaster told her He had d10sen to guide France, as
fm·merly He hntl d10seu ?lfo~es to guide the people of Ts1·ael.
.Jesns looked with tendel'ness on this afflidion caused by
the uoble sentiments which He had inspired in the heart
of His sponse. He seemed to wish, at the same time to
assuage and to foster, her pain. ""l eau no longer bear
his making thee :-mffer. rrhon al't afflieted at what is
for thy advautnge." ""Dem· Love,'' she •replies. '•I am not
afflided at Your will in removing the obstacle which re-
tal'ds Yonr glory in this Order. But a particnlar good
does not appeal to me as much as a good which is general.
Pardon me, dear Love, but it seems to me that France wilJ
lose nrnch and that Yonr Clrnrch w·ill not gain. This Car-
dinal contributes to the glory of both. But, dear Lo1·d,
how have I dnred to i·eply to Yon, I who am but dust
and ashes ! Not my will be doue, but Yours, which You
8how me with so much Rweetness." "My danghter," said
the :Jfaste1· of life, <leeicledly, ""that has been decreed in
01·der to crnsh the individnah; who have plotted to hindel'
the establishment of lIy Order. His Eminence h as been here
1Ps. II, 1.
!!Autographie Life. ch. XCII.

320. 294 LW I~ 01~, .JEANNE CIIEZATID DE 1IATEL
incognito to 8ec thee. lt wm; hc who l'.allecl himself the
eonfes~m· of Cardinal Hichel ieu.m
'rhiR wns the secret of the change which liaù corne over
the mirnl of the "lfinü~ter with regard to lIother_ de Matel.
'Yhen the cxecution of tlle conspirators had closed his labors
in the emu·ts, he hacl leisure to converse with his brother.
The latter tolcl him of the stratagem which he had employed
to assm·e himself of the anthenticity of her writings, and
showecl liim those ·which had bcen seized and the others
which had been composecl by ll is orders. The interest and
cnriosity of the ~liniste1· we1·e aroused. He wished to
converse with the p1·ivileged person who contemplated in a
light so pure, myste1·ies so profound. In order not to op-
pose the poliey of his brother by a solemn visit, he resolved
to present himself incognito.
:Mother de lfatel never sought to make a display of spfr-
itnnlity. Hsnally she tnrned füe conversation on things of
God, but this wns only becanse H e alone filled her whole
heart nnd from the fnlhwss of the heart the moutlt speak-
eth. Sometimes ber eo11versatio11 even soared to such sub-
limity, thnt it wns easy to see she knew the things she spoke
of on ly from divine revelation, and then the light which
innndnted ber wns so strong thnt it was ÎlllJ)()SSible to pre-
vent it from visibly beaming fo1·th. But when the YVord,
that volunüu·y ~I inor, as she ofteu called Him, hid His
splendo1·s frorn her, she contentedly wrapped herself np in
the veil of l1e1· hnmility, and ingem10nsly confesscd that she
hnd no lights on matters coneerniug which she was ques-
t ione(l. 'rhe sonl of the venerahle lIother ha<l a moment of
snd1 p1·ivati011, whe11 it waN mrnom1ced thnt the con-fessor
of the Ca1·<li11nl -:1 i11iN1-e1· aNked to speak to he1· in the pal'lor.
'rlie p1·eh•1HlP<l <·0 11fes~01· W<11 t sfraig·ht to the point.
J1"1·orn tlie vp1·y h<gi1mi11g· h<' tm·m•<l the c011vt•1·Nntio11 to the
1110:-·d <lPIÎ<'«liP Nllh.ke1N 011 whid1 thP Fo1111<h·<•N:-.; ha<l evrr
NpokP11 m· w1·ii i<•11. 811<' WêlN h«tppy «lt fit1<li11g he1·Nelf' power-
lrn~N to PX}>l'<'NN ]ipn~PI r Oil i IH'NP th ingN, and gave Nem·cely êlllY
answe1·s to tJie q11estio11N oJ th ÎN Abbé whose exadingness
11uto g raphic LiCe, c h . XCU.

321. CAfWINAL ~1I~IS1'ER ..:KD IWYAL COURT AT LYO~S 295
Rhe conside1·ec1 very indi~cl'eet, and slte t:onld only eonfes:...;
her ignor·ance.
Richelieu had not fonrnl out what he bad corne io seek
alld, tlierefo1·e, wcnt away clissatisfiecl. nut he was not tlis-
conragecl. rrhe Arehhishop, after this deception by bis
brother, ordered Mothe1· de 3Iatel, withont giving her his
reasons for the command, to give him in writing wbnt sbe
knew on the mattel's of which she had appeared to be ig-
norant, and on w·hich he himself had conferred with hel'.
At that timc, October, Hi4~, the Cardinal of Lyons hacl
in his posses~don the writing whieb he had ordered on l >e-
cember 1, lGJl. HoweYel', there is fonnd among ~fother de
Matel's nrnnuscripts a tl'eatise bearing the fo1lowing note:
TVrittcn by the ordrr of tlzr Arr-hbislrnp of Lyon8, Octoùrr.
16.42. It bears the title: Trials by u;lzich the Divinr
Spouse makcs known to Hcavcn and earth the fidclity of His
· spouscs. and the dcli,qllfs of tlrnir sucrcd marriage wldch is
admirable in the 1mrity and 111ar11clous in the fccundit y
1chich it produccs in His virginal spouses. rn1is is the docu-
ment wbich was h~1nded to the Cal'din al )Iinister.
T1
he Fonnch'ess hnd comnnmicn ted to Fatber Gibalin nnd
to the Chancello1· "~lrnt she hacl been tnnght, hy ber divine
Oracle, concernü1g the decree agninst Richelieu, and sbe bacl
SpOkCll to füpm alSO Of his YÎSÏt to ber. rrbe COnfü·mation Of
her words wns pI'ompt. 'l"he ~Iinister, after his retnrn to
Paris, spoke to hi~ famiUar friends of the displeasnre caused
him by lIother de lfatel, saying to tbem that sbe hacl feigned
ig11orance of things in which she had been insfrncted, as he
now knew from proofs which he held in his bands. .. rrhis
aroused terror at the Chancery. 'l"he Abbot of ·cérisy re-
ported the situation in a letter to the Fonndress. On No-
vember 17, lG-1~. she replies to him in tel'lns in which it is
hard to decicle whetber her logic or her lrnmility is the more
interesting. re extl'act from it the follmying passages:
"After hnving prayed to the Inspirer of holy thougbts, I
heard: Ego co.r;ito cogitationes pacis uon afflictioni8. Xolitc
timere. pusillus gre:r) quia complacuit patri ve8tro dare vobis
re.r;n wn. 8 i De"s pro nobis qnis contra 110s. "'I think
tlioughts of peace and not of affliction. Fear not, little

322. 296 L1 FI~ OF ,fE _~NE Cf-ŒZAilD DE ::IATEL
tlock, because it has pleased your Father to give yon the
Kingflom. If God is fm· ns, who is against nR ?''1
"YY'ïth the
Apostle, let us say that we wish to love Him, in sweetness
in the Holy Spfrit, in ~inee1·e elrnrity, and in the wol'd of
ti-nth. ff the reasons whid1 I allege are not valid, let them
be rejede<l.~ 1t seem~ to me tlrnt they m·e self-evident. Ras
she, who knows nothing about the 'Yord, lied by saying she
did not kno'" at the time when ·she was qnestioned and when
tltere YHS no door opened for her to speak '? rrhe DiYine
~Ia~ter· ~mi d of the Precnrsor of the 'Vord : ·-n.,.hom went
ye ont to see '? A Prophet? Yea, I tell you, and more than
n P rophet.' And Zachary said: 'And thon, 0 ehild, slrnlt
be called the Prophet of the Most High.' Did the Precursor
tell a lie 'vhen he replied that he Yas not a P1·ophet? As
the "rord did not then instruct me, had I an~,. J)()Wer to reply
to a man who~.e name was unknown to me and who did not
inform me of the authority which he thought he had to
qncstion me'?
""0nly a ~dHnt whilc brfore~ His Eminence, my Prelate, had
not ap1woved of my imprudent simplicity in answering tvo
Abbés whom I had never ùefore seen, but whose narnes were
Jrnown to me, and also in arn~wering a Gapuchin Father
whom I had known for four years. 'rl1is fault shonld have
rendered me prudent, humanly speaking, towm·ds a man
who asked rne thin~~s which I should not have told him the
firf't moment I saw him, even if the light on them h.ad been
actnally i·e-p1·odneed by H im who had commmlieated them
in prnyer and dictnted them when I wrote. He esteems the
Titings. He has good reason for this, because they are not
from men, bnt from Him who is the llan-God. He is a vol-
nnt:n·,,. ~f in·or and n free 01·acle. It did not please Him to
m1sw<>1· the King who qnestioncd Him orit of cnrio~ity."2
~Io!lie1· de ::Intel lind g·oo<l 1·eason not to he fronhlctl. As
the IJH·m·uatc ".,.01·d had said to her, the powe1· of him who
('0111<1 lntrm her, was llem·ing its e1Hl, and that ilH..'.i<lent wa~
110t- to hHve m1y eonSCflllCIH'C~. A~ füo~e who we1·e nenrest
1Je r e rn XJ X. 11 ; Luk e XIT . 32. Jh rn . Vlll. 31.
:! Lette r <lated N ov, 17, 16 42, frorn Motlwr d e Mn tel to the .Abbot
o f Cé risy.

323. C.AHDlX.AL ~lINISTEH A~D HOL-U .. COUUT ~~T LYO~S 297
to Richelieu coulcl not belieYe that his end was nigh, and
as in the miclst of his suffe1·ings his intellect remained pene-
trating' and w-ell-balanced, the friends of the Foundress
"-.-ished her to make an a ttempt to regain his favor. But
she repliecl that she did not need it.
On the vigil of the fenst of St. Andrew, November :rn,
1G42, Our Lord informs her that the condition of the Ca1·-
dinal is grmving wo1·~e. ""From that day till December -!,
when he died,'' she says, ··r begged and besought You to
comfort his soul. Yon clicl not reject my praye1·s. I again
sup1>licate You for this, my Divine Love.m
In fact, Riehelieu received the last sacraments on De
cember 2, and expired on December 4, impassible and colrl
in the face of death, as he had been in the presence of all
the clifficulties of Jife.
Yhen the venerahle :Iother receivecl the news of his
decease, her hem·t, which overflowed with the chal'ity of
the ~aints, was filled with inexpressible compassion for her
Archbishop, Cardinal Alphonse Richelieu, brother of the
ùeeeased, as she avows in a letter dated December 9, to the
Abbot of Cérisy. ·
About that time ~fother de ~Iatel recefred from Pal'Ïs
mo~t pressing solicitations to intercede, before God, for
the Chancellor'~ eontinuation in his office. Her grateful
soul needed no urging to plead this cause. Her correspond-
ence of that epod1 shows her deep interest in it. Our Lo1·d,
<1o'l1btless, seeing that it 'vas salutary for those for whom she
prayed, to suffer for a time the apprehensions to "-.-hich they
were a prey, did not ~ay to her, in an explicit mrinner, that
He ha<l grantecl her request. But He directly gave her to
um1erstand it, by the tenderness whiC'h He manifested to-
Y.-m·ds herself.
On .January 5. 1GJ:~, she wrote to the Abbot of Cérisy :
··,Yere it not for all the talk about ehanges of offices, your
mother woulcl have a paradise on earth, for the Incarnate
'Yord overwhelms he1· with delights which are inexpressi-
ble. But she eannot enjoy them fully, while she has so
1Au tographic Life, c h . XCII.

324. 2DS L H'E OF' J E.XXI<J CHEZ..AIW DE lL'l'EL
nrnch eom1)assion for those whom men threaten to divide,
and "·hose kingdom they wonld desolate withont any fanlt
of theil-s. I haYe redonbled my praye1·s for my fnther and
my rnother. and sweetness increases and OYe1·whelms me.
'l"'o calm my fears, the newlJOrn Tnfant entertains me with
Hi~ most <lelü·ate attention.
"Yhat I try to tell Him alJOnt the discomfo1·t of those
1 loYe, He doe~ not 01· at least seems not to heed. He docs
not want tem·s or fnsts in this season of nuptial joys. ~rears
are not changed into balsam and orange-blossom water, by
Him Yho came to change water of affliction into wine of
consolation. He say~ that He is the King of Love, anointed
with the oil of joy. I tell Him: '"Bnt Yon are the little
Pontiff going np to the sanctum·.r by Yonr blood. for the
crfü is now'" the altar on Yhich there is a bloody victim,
sinœ Yon have the wound from Yom· Circumcision.'' He
is mpte, but to His love1· prostrate nt His feet, He says:
"l nm Aaron and thon a1·t the friuge of ::fy Yestment, to
which there descend~ and tiow~ the sacred nnction from
the Head that :My Fathe1· has cou~ecrated." 1
In default of positive assm·ance, thè smiles and teuder-
nesses by which the divine Infant responded to the snppli-
cations of the good ::Iother, seemed to prove that He wfü.;
pleased with them. On .Tannary 18, feast of the Chair of
8t. Peter at Rome. she received another sign which was as
delightfnl as it was extraordinnry. At first, Onr L01·ù gaye
he1· :-;ueh keen pain from the sig:ht of her miseries and sins,
ilwi it seerned it wonld ea n~e her death. He theu gave her
II is pm·don f01· t hern, with so mnch ]oye, thnt, aR she relates,
"he1· soul wnN as 11em· being sepm·ated from hel' body by
ilte CX('CNN of j oy a8 it luul heen 'from excess of Naduess.''
.At ihnt 1110H1eut ~lie felt a strong inspfration to heg that
the ~<_•al:-; ~hcrnl<l hP n }tai11e<l hy the Chau(:el101·. She ap-
pe«tl<}<l i o Hi. Pde1·. who:-;e 11arne hc ho1·e mHl to Rt. ~fkhael,
the p1·otPc101· of Ft·:rneP, iliat they miµ;ht support he1· i·eqnest.
' iillPll :-;]1e ]"(}l'PÏ'e<l (Ill :tl-'l-'ll1'êlllC.:P ihnt the lIH'êll'llHte Vord
l1a<l takcH the :1lfai1· nu<h}1• Hi::-; protection.
i Letl l~ 1 · o f lTnt!J e r 11ü lla tel to tl1c• . lilwt of Cé risy da t ell Jan. 5.
1G43.

325. CARDIX~-lL ~IIXIS1'Eil .c.ND ROLU.1 COURT AT LYOXS 299
The fayor so gi·aciously granted was long presei·yecl. At
his death, in 1G7:2, Peter Séguie1· was still Keeper of the
Seals. Feeling that he was coming to t he end of his cm·eer.
he sent them to t he King, with his thanks, for the long
confidence with "Yhich he hacl been honorecl. Louis XIY,
with the kingly c0111·tesy with whith it "'"as his wont to
recognize distinguished seYvices renderecl to t he State. sent
them back and said that as long as t he Chancellor was alive.
no one else should keep the Seals:
At the time of the aboT"e describecl di ine fayors, 3Iother
de ) fatel felt ünbuecl "Yith a heayenl.''" perfnme. whose mirac-
ulous emanations filled her i·oom and eYen e'"ery place
to which she happened to go. This was not t he first time
her daughters IJercefred such a "Y01Hle1·. but on that day
the sweetness "'"as so abnndant and delightfnl t hat the Sis-
ters and tlie bom·de1·s at first timiflly one b, on e. and after-
wards all together. Yied "Yith each other in S<Woring that
wonderful perfume with which her soul " '"as f'aturatecl.
'Yhile 3Iother de 3Iatel was pleading befo1·e Gocl the case
of the Chancellor, the latter was taking to hem·t the estab-
lishment of the monastery of Pai·is. From the 111-st stepf'
taken by the Founchess, dm·ing her sojourn in the capital.
' one opposition or delay hacl sncceecled another and no one
eould yet see when these wonld ern]. E Yen t he influen ce of
the Chancellor and the zeal of the Abbat of Cé1·is, met
rnany special obstacles. Ye find traces of these in the let-
ters adche~sed to thern by the pions :Jfother at thnt time.
She is acenstomecl to ado1·ing. in untmym·d eYents, the hand
of he1· niYine Sponse, which is ç-e1·tainly sweet and loYing,
but she seems to be tlisfressed at the pain exp.e1·ienced by
those "·ho are showing prn ctical inte1·est in her affairs.
On J anuary 2:1, 16-!:i , she writes t o t he Abbot of Cérisy:
"For my_ pm·t these refu sals a1·e i·ose~. But I feel them
like thorns when I think of lll.''" fat her and my mother, as
for my son, he must receiYe his snffe1·ings like St..Joseph.
The Inca1·nate Yonl g·ives t o the latter H is Kingdom as
to His .Father~ by snfferings whieh will change into joy
after crosses which will always be small to great loYe. The
Incarnate "~ord Yill fmally fnlfill ee1·ything. The time of

326. 300 LIFE OP .JEANNE CHEZAilD DE lIA'l'EL
waiting ~eems short to me, but long to yon. Yonr zeal urge:-;
me on, and my OYll apathy holch~ me back." Ou .J auuary 2D,
or ~ix days later, shc wrote: .. no uot, on my accouut,
feel disfressed at these refn~als whieh are permitted by
Goù. That news does uot t1·onble me. If l did uot adore
His will in all eyents, l would be distressed at the pain
caused to my father and my mother, by these refnsals. They
are most mortifyiug to me. I would like to suffer mnch
myself and see them spared these refnsals. But I am con-
soled by th e certainty that the Incarnate W'"ord will abun-
dau t~ Jy 1 ecompense them in His own good time. He is the
only faithful and trne one, the King of kings and Lord
of lords. He is all powerfnl to do in Heaven and on earth
all that He ~ees good for the welfare of His elect and
for His owu greater glory.m
Althongh the effm·ts of the powerfnl friends of the
Fonndress were not crowned with success, in the ereetion
of the monm.;tery of Paris, as promptl;v as they would lu1Ye
desfrerl, they soon had an opportunity to giYe a practical
proof of their deYoteduess to the work of the 1ncarnatc
wrord. T'he moment had arriTed when the God of lmTe
wished to eurich a greater number of souls with the treas-
ures of the graces de~tined for His daughters. To make
~Iother de lfatel nnderstnnd the ardor of this desire, He
several times showed Himself to her, burning Tith the tire
of His divjne charity.
On Janmu·y 14, she wl'ites: "'l saw Yom· Holy Body,
that Racred 'I'emple, lmrning in such a way that I per-
eeiYed nothing in Yom· breast and sides. David, speakiug
fm· Yon, s«lid: /'1
a('f11111 c8f cor 111r' 11111. tu111qna111 erra
liqucscens 'Îil wedio vrntris mci. ilruit ta1u111a111 toda
rirt11.~ 111ca. --~fy heart, in the rnidst of my howel~, i~ b2eome
like mcltcd wax. :fy Rtrength iR dried up like day cooked
i11 t-lie fnrrnwe." ( Ps. XXI, Hi, 'Hi.) ~he c1·ie:-; out: '''Ylrnt.
'lem· Lo1·d, Yon Ji,·c in the shadoTof death, fo1· l see in
Yo11 ouly darkncs~, arnl Yon am)ear to me likc a lnnued
1Tm1k. 1 wonl<l h<)lievc th at I am d1·cami ng, and th at I
sec not the l11<'m·1wtc 'Yonl, the W'"m«l of life, if I did not
1Le tt c r s of .Jan11:1ry 2 ~ :llHÎ 2!"l tn tlH' ..hhot of Cérisy.

327. CAHDIX~U., )JI:1"ISTEn AXD noYAL COilflT AT LYOXS 301
kno"T to what, loYe and sin have redueed You. 0 God of
LoYe, 'Why do You leave a heart in my breast, since Yonr
own heart i~ (·onsumed with lmTe? Ts it that You are de-
1n·iyed of a heart, because Yon wi~h mine, 'Yhid1 is Yom·s,
should be placed therein '? Then do thi~, dear Love." ··~[y
daughter," He replies, '•zeal for the glory of the diYinity
and for the salvation of souls has thus deyoured the interior
of ~Iy body.m
Eight hours later, He showed her His side with an open-
ing resembling a breach made by fire and projectiles from
a· cannon. After this Yision she ''Tote to the Abbot of
Cérisy: '•If it were possible, I would like to express the
zeal which deYoured the entrails of the Incarnate Yord and
inftamed a conflagration in that furnace of lffYe.'' EYidently
the hreach wns opened and there wa~ nothing left to do
but to accept the conditions of the adorable Conqueror, and
to be an instrument of His merciful conquest~. In fact.
all was ready for the fmrndation of the second monastery,
that of Grenoble.
Lutographic Life, ch . XCII.

328. CHAP'rEH XVII
The Monastery of Grenoble-Period of Obstacles
1643
)fother de l1atel was nrged b.r Fathers Gibalin and
Arnoux, by her friends in Grenoble, and especially by zeal
fo1· her Divine Spouse, to labor for this foundation. And
yet she felt inexpressible repugnance for the task. A pain-
ful iwesentiment aggravated this state of her soul. As
Rhe wrote: ''On the day of the Purification of your Blessed
)lother, I was favored by Your bounty and I said to You:
lnvc1l'Ï quc11i diUgit anima mca) tenui ezun nec d'imittam
do1rnc introducat illum fa domum 11wtrfa 11icac.1
"I have
found Him whom my soul loveth, I hold Him and I will not
let Him go till I introduce Him into the house of my moth-
er." After Your blessed l1other and mine lias brought
You back, could I let Yon go without accompanying Yon
eve1·ywhe1·e, even though it be into Egypt, and wait with her
to be recallecl into the land of Israel"?
''On "rednesday after the feast of the Purification, Yon
reduced me to a state of unspeakable weariness. I smv
my spirit in diffe1·ent states at almost every moment. One
moment, I was myself in limbo in the shadow of death,
desiring my redemption. Afterwards, I seemed to deséend
lower into a palpable darkness in which I was tempted
to despair of my salvation. I saw myself withont an Order,
withont any support, meriting all these sufferings. :My sins
we1·e anayed against me, and all <-'l·eatures ha9. a right to
avenge their Greator offended by my crimes, more than I
eau express.
"At another rnoment, I experienced a pnrgatory from
the pains whieh I lrnew to be just, so I conld not complain
of ihe Divine .Jm·diœ, and, although I dcsired the cessation
of the~e pairns, J did not wish to l>c delive1·ed from them
mitil j1mtiee was ~atisfied nceol'_ding to its good pleasure,
1Cant. III, 4.
302

329. 'l'HE :IOXASTEilY OF GilE:NOBLE-PERIOD OF OBS'l'ACLES 303
to which I conformed muid my complaints ·against myself
and my cowardices and my other failings. At another mo-
ment, Yon plaeed my spirit mnid delights, bnt this felicity
lasted such a short time, that I rejoieed in it only in pass-
ing, and I was soon again reduced to a state of 'Yeai·iness.''1
YVhat could have been the source of these torments '!
'rhey could not have been the effect of that kind of fem·
w·hieh is often inlSpfrecl, even in the most courageous souls,
Ly the perspectiYe of a work which is great and difficult to
accomplish. Snch a sentiment could have been only in-
voluntal'y and transient in lIother de lIatel. Her own im-
potenee was too well known to her for her to take fright
from it. She placed her reliance, not on herself, but on
Him in "'hose strength her weakness became all pmYerful.
Uoreover she had no such feeling when she was about to
.found the monaster.v of Avignon. And that undertaking
hacl been far more imJ)Ol'tant. since, on it, had · depended
the very bii-th of the Order. Al as! the cause of the venerable
~lother's interior suffering, whieh was then inclefinable, is
known to us now from the events which followed the found-
ing of that monastery. From it was to l'Orne forth the in-
strument of the unspeakable sorrows in whieh the saintly
~Iother was to consnmmate her final saerifice. God theu
gave her a foretaste of the bitternesses with "'hich one
day her soul was to be saturatecl.
On February 12, the Countess de Bevel, accompanied
by )f. de Bouffin, her brother, the Prior of Croixil, and also
Ly the Pl'i01· of St. Hobert, arrived at Lyons with a letter
from the Jesnit, Father Arnoux, commanding the Countess
to bring lIother de Matel, at all costs, to Grenoble to foull(l
a monastel'y there. The Countess de Revel was the wife
of the Attorney General to whom the Foundress had lately
rendered an impo1·tant service by obtaining from the Chan-
eellor the affirmation of certain rights of his which lwd
been contestecl.
llother de )latel had written to the AlJbot of Céris~1
,
.January 5, 1G4:3: •·I n·ote to you on J anum·y 1 of thi~
1Antographic Life. ch. XCIII.

330. 304 LIFE 01~ JE..NNE Cl-IEZAUD DE -;_L.'l'EL
year, through 11. de Hevel, in whose case there was an at-
tempt to i·etrench and supprei-:s what he and his predecessm·s
have held by right for several years. 'Yhat I said to yon
in the letter which he took to you and which I gave to him
nnsealed, is my sincere feeling and belief. He and his
wife love and adore God in spirit and in truth. They
al'e of the number of the good whom others wish to op
press. ~rhey are true propagators of the faith. lIoreover,
they have a special louging to establish the glory of the
Incarnate W'"ord everywhere. 'l"'heir great desi_1·e is to 1wo-
cm·e the foundation of a com~ent of His Order at Grenoble.
'rhese are reasons more than sufficient to persuade a good
child to protect the rights of the household of the fa ith.
'I1hey have learned that the Chancellor and my child have
corne to see me, and that my prayers for them will not be
nseless. I have thought fit not to send them away wifü011t
a letter whieh will not obligate you to do anything that
emmot be done according to God, but which begs yon to
do what you can according to God, ont of love for Him
and His Blessed jfother, "Thom they serve with signal 7.eal.
'l'his serdce was a stimulus to the desire whicli hatl
long been manifested by those noble spouses to see est-ah·
lished in their city a convent of the Incarnate Y0t·d.
Madame de Revel was most active in in·eparing the w~y
for the fmrn dation. She gained over to the enn~e. a nu m-
ber of inflnential personages in that city, amo11g otlwrs
the President de Chaulnes. Rhe hoped to obtain throngh
him the con~ent of the Bishop, jf011~ignor Peter Scnnou,
who had at first shown scant fanw to the pl:in.
'rhr011gh Father Gibalin, the Conntess 1n·ocm·ed some
"Titi 11g~ of the ·Fonndress, which the President trm1~rnitted
to th 2 Bi~hop who was tolrl that the anthm·ess was spcti'llly
helon~d by the Qnee11 rt]l(l ·i he Chm1ccl101·. 'rhe P1·elate,
(l l't Pl' l'C;Hl i11g the lllallllR<'l·Î pt~, PX]>l'Cl"Sed Hll enTnef·d- deRi l'C
to :-1<'P ~lothcr de lfatel ~rnd 1n·omised heal'tily to ne<'cpt
the estahli:-1hme11t. Snth was the cornlition of nffai1·s wltc11
Fntlte1· ..1·nonx jn<lged it heNt to go withont .delay aml
b1·i ng the FomHhe8~ to Gl·e110ble.

331. 'l'HE )lû::'ASTERY OF GHE::'OBLE-PEUIOD OF OBST~"-CLES 305
~rhe immecliate execntion of this project appeared to
)fother de )!atel to he full of difficulties. 'Yhat w·onld
the Cardinal of T.iyons, then at lfarseille:-;, sny when he
heard thnt she had gone out of the dioeese Yithout his
anthorization ·? ·w·'l10 would finance the foundation of the
new monastery? and above all, giYen the steps tnken by
the Chancellor for the erection of a neY conYent in the
capital, she wonld scnrcely have arrived at Grenoble, vben
the foundation of Paris wonld reclaim ber. It seemed to
ber better to work for this first, and afterwards for that
of Grenoble. Fatber Gibalin, whose heart was set on get-
ting her away from the inflexible authority under which
her yeal's of Yigo1· were passing in interminable waiting,
was of the opinion that she should depart cost what it
might. He said to her: '"I take it on my:-;elf to see that
the fonndation of Paris dll be delayed until that of
Grenoble is completed, and to see tlwt yonr excuse~ will
be acceptable to His Eminence, after his return from )far-
seilles.m
The good )!other cunld not resist tho~e pleadings. She
had had the vision of a furnace into which others now con-
straiqed ber to enter. rrhe cold was severe. In spite of
all, on February 15, ~he depm·ted for Grenoble, with the
Priors and Madame de Revel. '•Yom· zeal," she s says to
them, ''obliges me to pnss oyer all difficulties, since I see
that the storm and bail and extreme colcl throngh whith
yon have corne, have not bèen able to freeze ~~our charity.
Then let us say YÏth St. 'I1
homas füat we wish to go and
die for the Incarnate 'Yonl."2
On the following day, Feln·nnry H>, at three o'dock, the
travelers arriYed at the home of the P1·ior of St. Robert
who, by the best of treatment, strove to show his Yenera-
tion for ~fother de )fatel. Towards eight o'clock, at night,
they made their entry into Grenoble. The Conntess de
Hoehefol't. the wife of the President de Chen·ii're, )Jadame. / .
de Simiane, and other personages of di~tiuction, came to
meet the pions Mother, in spite of the late hour and the
i.Autographic Life. ch. XCIII.
2Ibidem.

332. 306 LIFE 011' JE.NNE CHEZ.AUD DE ~LTEL
inclement weather. The wife of the ambassador to 'rurin,
~laclame de ~e1·vient, and also Mesdames de Lionne and
de Yieilleux ünmediately went to present theil' bornages
and promises of senrice. lfr. and lfadame de Chaulmes
oifered the hos1Jitality of their home. both to the goo<l
mother and to the venerable Sister Elizabeth Grasseteau,
the compa11ion of her journey. All thought it best that the
two Rhould remain incognito for some days, as they saw
the beginningR of a storm ai·ound the foundation.
Yhen ~Ionsignor Scarron learned of the anival of the
Poundi·ess, he sent wol'Cl that the President de Chaulnes
or his "Tife Rhould concluct her to hirn without delay.
He manifeRted an interest which was truly paternal. He
Raid to ber: ''I will he your confesR01· and will give
you Communion rnyself evel'y day. I lem·n that the Queen
favors you with he1· love and that the Chm1cellor hono1·s you
with his special friendship. I esteem him highly and out
of consideration for him and for my good Mistre~s, the
Queen, l have a special desil'e to establish the 01·der of
the Incarnate 'Yord.m
'rl1e foundation tlrns 'Yelcomed by the Bishop, was re-
ceirecl with no less favo1· by the municipal authorities and
seemed destined to be consummated withont opvosition.
But this was not to be. Grenoble had a convent of Frsnline~
who we1·e mn('h alm·med by the anival of the ne'v nuns,
and these fears we1·e shared by theil· i·elntiYeR nnd friernls.
~mong the nnmbc1·, there "·e1·è seye1«1.l magfati-ates who 1·e-
sol n :id to indnte the Pm·liament to i·efn~e the nutlloriza-
i ion fm· the el'ettion of this m01wste1·y. Hho)'tly afte1· hcr
anival, )lotltel' de ~Iatel w1·ote: •·The city has imitated
ih.; Pasto1· and ha~ shown its olJedie11ce to the etenwl w·ord,
Ü1l'.arnaied io clivillise tl eRh lJy His good Hlld divine will.
IÜn F'0 bru;11·y 25, Moih e r d e Mat.el wrot e 1.o th e ..rhl>ot of Cérisy:
" I él m eo11st;rntly o vc1·vh0Jm e d b y th e goodn e ~i:; e s of lV!onsig-nor of
1rPnoh1 e. l•J·e 1·y m o l'l1ing h<' se n<ls his e a1-riage :111<1 a page 1.o tnke
1ne to his pnl<t<' C', wh e r e h e h e ars 1ny c onfe ssion a.n<l giv e s me -Com-
munion e ·ery <l a y . Il e sa y s lfass <lnily, n.ltlloug!J he is Yt'I'Y infirm.
lt look s <1 s if 1.l1 e r e is nothin g on e nrth so <l c ar to him ~•s Y<H11· Mother.
1 J1;iv e le <tl'n e <I tliat the Qu ee n estee ms him highl~· . I hav e seen h e r
port.ra it. i11 his ho11 sc an<l thos c of my lor<l. 1.l1 c D<tuphin, :ind of rny
Jo]'(f qf .11jo11 , wl1ich n1·c s;1i<l tn h a v e he e n presentccl to him ùy the
(lu ce 11 . <1 s tok e n s of h e r affec t.ion ."

333. THE l10:NASTERY OF GRENOBLE-PERIOD OF OBSTACLES 307
But the Parliament is not so favorable to the -nrord as it
onght to be. A faction of those gentlenien have resolved
to 1n·en~11t onr e:-;fol>lishment if they can.m
If the vrn1·k of lIother de llatel had adversm·ü~s in the
Parliament, it had there also devoted protectors. ~fr. de
Sante1·eaux di·ew up the request and presented it to the
first Chmnber, from which he obtained an appronll. As
the second Chamber was hearing another case, the request
was passed down to the third. I t was presidecl over by
Jlr. de Saint-André. As the pions lIother says: ''He clid
not act like the great Apostle of that name, the first disciple
of the Incarnate 'Yord. He rejected the lIessias and said
he wished all the Chambers to assemble in a joint session
as he feared that llr. de Sautereaux might clominate each
ehamber separately, as he had doue in the first.m
The expedient of ~Ir. de Saint-~-'1.ndré temporarily barrecl
the conside1·ation of the acceptance of the plan. ~ro oppose
it by still more serions entanglements, the adverse faction
ngreed to exact letters patent from the King. :.Mother de
~Iatel immediately sent this information to the Abbot of
Cérjsy. She wrote to him: ''I beg you to say to rny father
that, if the affair is not too much trouble to him, I beseech
him to send me those letters."3
But the letters patent were
not obtained so quickly or easily as the influence of the
Chancellor had led to hope. ~ehe letters addressed at that
time by the Mother to the Chancery, give an idea of the
rnnrce of the obstacles, but she covers 'vith snch a discreet
veil both the persons and the actions that we eau only make
conjectures.
The two parties nrnde nse of these clelays to fortify their
positions in the city. One formed a league to resist to the
last extremity. According to them, the Parliament ought
to do at Grenoble 'vhat the Archbishop did at Lyons. Let-
tt:rs patent from the King should be exacted and indeed
shoulcl not be obeyed nnless they were mandates. The
1Letter of lfarch 15, 1643, from lfother de Matel to the Abbot of
Cérisy.
~Letter of Mother de lIatel to the Abbot of Cérisy, lTarch 15, 16-13.
3Letter datecl Feb. 18, 1643, to the Abbot of Cérisy.

334. 308 LIFE 011' .JEANNE CHEZAilD DE lIATEL
otherR eagcl'ly rallied m·onud the Fonndress, offered her
their ~crvices m1d assnred her of the snccess of he1· nnde1·-
taking. AU the ladies of the city, awl as she relates: ••Even
those of the OJJpo~ition Yisited her and told her that these
contradictions wonld soon pass, that in a Nho1-t time she
wonld sec the reverse of the medal, and that a single letter
from the Chancellor wonld change her adve1·saries into so
many lambs.'' As the good lfother wrote: ""Yon will
scarcely be able to rend my Ietters. I have to ~match mo-
ments from my pm.;sive visits, for I make none that ai·e
actiYe. But I am visited almost continnously, althongh
I am snpposed to be incognito. I ·have to. endure the civil-
ities of the pions persons who are nrged on by· holy zeal."1
No oue was so z.ealous as the Bishop. AU Grenoble was
amaz.ed. Ko one had ever seen anything similar. He de-
chued that, with the consent given by the city, he wonld
establish the monastery, in spite of the contradictions of
those who were trying to hinder the glory of the W'ord;
and tlwt he wonld give np his mitre and even his life
rather than abandon this entenn·ise; that lfotbe1· de :latel
was his danghter and the apple of bis eye. He learned
that the lTri-;ulines were constnntly fomenting the opposi-
tion, and he sent word to their Snperioress that if she con-
tinned, he would send hei· back to Lyons whence she had
corne, and that he was justly irritated tlwt she was oppos-
ing, thongh coyertly, the glory of God aIHl the works pro-
tected by the Bishop.
rn1e good lfother, IJlaced between these opposing fac-
ti01rn, maintai11ed a peace and confidence which were nn-
alterable. God made her feel that H e was for her, and
who could do her hm·m? She Wrote to the .A..bbot of Céri~y :
·· n ear child, let nothing astonish you. W'e are protected
by the all powel'f'nl " rord of the Fathel'. H e is the Sn-
p1·eme Pm·liame11t."2
~h e wonld ha'e even wi~hed the
Bishop of (ii'euohle not to mauifef;t hh.; di~pleasnre : ""Mon-
:--;ig1101· iN gJ·eatly diN~a ti~1ied with tho~c µ:entleme1i. 1
"0111<1 like him 110t to ~how thi~ . B11t he Ïf; 110t willing
1l...0tt er o f F'chr11ar y 2fi 1 () 4:1 .
:! Lc tt.c r of ft'0hnmr y 18, 16-13.

335. 'l'HE ~IOXASTifüY OF GfŒXOP.LE-PEIUOD OF OBSTACLES 300
to renudn silent and this mortifies me. I hope that, in
the end, all 'vill be favol'nble to ns. l t is the glory of the
'y·ord to snrrnonnt contrndidions and to show the power
of His nrm."1
As the iûous ~Iother obsenes, l>efore the di,Tine vowe1·
wns ·mmiifested, the powe1·s of d~l'kness were to have their
day. On :lai·ch 12, the Pm·liament refusecl, by a strong
majority, its sanction of the request presented to it for
the establishment of the monastery. ::lessrs. de Saint-André,
de Saint-Ge1·main, and de la RiYière, the most m·dent mem-
bers of the opposition, had succeeded in ""inning entirely
over to their own sicle twenty members of the rnrlinment,
and in shaking the loyalty of seventeen of those ,y}10 were
f~wornble to the foundation. The faithful friends of the
Ponndre~s nrged her to announce this i·esult to the Chan-
cery nnd to renew her efforts to obtain lettei·s patent from
the King and a letter from the Chancellor, infonning the
Parliament of his desire for the accomplishment of this
good work and of his approval of the zeal of those "Tho were
labm·ing to procure it and of his disnpp1·oval of the opposi-
tions of those who were re:;dsting what they could not pl'e-
vent without ü1justice, n~ the monastery 'vas not to be a
bnrden to the city. They eYen begged her to make knmvn
to the Chief Justice the wiles of those who had no con-
siderntion for his well-k11mn1 desires and we1 e t1·ying to
cause the failure of the pious undertnking. The chal'itnble
heart of the ::lother '"eu" painecl at having to make these
reYelations. She snid to the Abbot of Cérisy: ""I do vio-
lence to myself by asking this of yon. But thirty persons
who are zealous for this establishment, urge me to sencl
you this information. Yonr mn1 prudence must be your
gnide in the affair.''2
Rhe "Tites again, as if to excu~e them : "Tlley know
neither the Father nor the W..orrl, and they consider that
- they are making a sacrifice ag1·eeal>le to God, when they
oppose what is not accol'ding to theil' whinrn. )len abound
in their own sense.''
1 L etter of 1Tarch 15. 1643.
2L etter of llarch 23, 1643.

336. 310 LIFE OF .JEANNE CHEZ.A.RD DE lfATEL
In view of the failure oî his own efforts, the Chancellor
had i·ecourse to the mediation of the Qneen. ~rhe Bishop
of Nîmes, on acconut of his own sincere venei·ation for
the Found1·eRs, had wh;hed to gain for her the protection
of Anne of Austria, by making known to that priucess
that eleven years before the eyeut, the Dauphin, whom she
had jnst giyen to France, lrnd beeu iwomised to the pray-
ers of the w01·thy lIother. He chose. as his intermediary.
one of the Queen's ladies in waiting, the lIarchioness de la
Flotte, who knew lfother de Matel and eRteemecl her highly.
He wrote her a letter, in care of Father Gibalin, to be de-
live1·ed to her by Father Crest, her confessor. Father
Gibnlin added to thjs missive a cletailed nanative of the
promises made to lfother de Matel, on October 3, 1G27,
in favor of the feenndity of the Queeu and the victories of
the King. He had this document sigued by Father Yoisin,
who had been the first to TeceiYe the lfother's confidence
on these points. He also signed it himself, and euclosed
au explanatory letter in which he most solemnly affirmed
the veracity of these prophetic aunouncemeuts and the
eminence of the graces which he had witnessed in Mother
de lfatel. In this missive Father Gibalin said: ''After
1·eceiviug from the Bishop of Nîmes the commission to com-
mnnicate to you this letter, in which he prays you to solidt,
from her Mnjesty, the establishment of the Order of the
Incarnate Word, I would cousider myself guilty if I did
not assure yon nnder oatb that, as director of lfother de
Matel, I am oblig·ed in conscience to testify that she ob-
tailled MonRiem· the nauphin hy a signal gift from
the Incarnate 'Yo1'd 'Vho promised him to her ou October
3, 1G27, on which <lay Father Yoisin heanl her confession
and gave her Communion after she returned from that
ecstaRy, whcn he c011jnrcd her to tell him what God hnd
1·evealed to her~ nnd had promised to kccp it secret. She
Raid to him that the Incarnate 'Vonl had p1·omiRed hel' to
vi:-;i t tl1e Qncen a11<1 ·to mag11i fy llis mercies upon lier as
hc ltad do11e 11pon St. Elürnbeth, mother of St. John, His
p1·ecm·so1·, mHl tlrnt lie wonld giye hei· a Danphin, havü1g

337. 'l'HE :uoN4~STEitY AT GllENOBLID- PEitIOD OF' OBSTACLES 311
pity on her humiliations which He regarded, to make her
a Queen ~fother, and that afte1·wards He would establish
His Order. '
""Fathe1· Yoisin commmHled her to write down these
l)J'Omises and seve1·al othe1·s in favor of their :Majesties,
"'hich she did on the sixteenth day of the said October,
1G27. He told me this and, with his own hand, signed it
as being the fruth to which he vrns ready to sweai·. He
assnred me that this lady is candor itself and the most
elevated soul now living in the Church of God. As for
mysclf, ~ladame, I ingenuonsly avow tlrnt, having direeted
her conscience foi· six years and having seriously watched
all that passed in her life and prayers, I hmye admired
the lights whieh the Incarnate Yord has given he1·, and
that, after teaehing theology for eight years, I find mysel f
very far from the lights of this soul which I have found
to be as trne as they are admirable. Let us bless Him who
chooses the weak to shmY His strength. )ladame, He is
the same who p1·omises to glorify before His Father and
His augels. tho~e who shall glorify Him befo1·e men. This
js the hono1· desfred for you by yom· most humble and
obedient sm·vm1t,
JusEPH GmALIN) S. J.
Lyorn.;, August 3, 1G39."
)Jadame de la Flotte chose a favorable moment to spenk
to the Queen about these communications. Anne of Ansüia
desfred to see the documents. She felt the sweete~ ('Oll-
solatioll in he1· soul from reading worcls full of nnctiou
and trnth, ùy which Our I~ord had promised ""to visit he1·
and to magnify npon her His mercy, as He lwd doue npon
St. Elizabeth." She said to Madame de la Flotte: "")lothe1·
de Mate] must corne and make a fouudation m Pal'is.''1
'rhe ~fm·chione:'s hastened to communicate to Fathe1·
Gibalin this invitation. It was not possible to resporn1
' to it nt that time when the fonndation of the monastery
of Avignon wns being aecomplished.
J.Manuscript Memoir of Mother d e B ély.

338. 312 LIFE OF JE .N~I~ CIIEZAlrn DE llA'I'EL
W'hen lfr. Séguier went to the Queen to obtain the let-
tp1·~ patent exncted by the Parlimüent, he fonnd her dis-
po~ed to fay01· the work of the Yenerable lfother. 'l'hank~
to her high J>l'otection, the letters patent were granted.
1'hey are still in the nrchiYes of the prefecture of the de-
pm·tment of the Tsè1·e. The followiug: copy nwy he inte1·-
e~ting to the l'eadt~r:
Lcttas p atf'nt .<Jl'<tllt('Ü in the month of Jlarcll, 161,8, yiv-
iny the pern1is8io11 to the Reliyious of the Jucar1wtc 1rord_,
to cstaùlish tl1c111sclvrs ot Grenol>lc. 'Phe said lcttcrs patent
oil porch111e11t, side J.Yo. 1.
Louis, by the gracc of Oo<l, Ki,nr; of Pronce aud Xavul'l'e,
to all prescnt and to co111e, grecti11g. Among all the favors
'With lchich it lws plcascd God to ùless our reign. we ha oc
11ot ha<l any 11wrc signal or yrcat than the meaus 1chich He
lws gicen us to rccstablish in Olfr Realm tlie practicc uf the
truc reli!Jioll und to contriùutc, ùy our lare oud by our
carc, to llare it honored in all the lallds 1tndcr our o7Jedi-
CllCC. Por thcsc rcasOllS) dc8'ÎrÎllfj on all OCCOSÎOllS tu COll-
fÎJl llC such a lwlu and JJious dcsiyn and t.o fawr by all 111rnns
in om· potCcr tlwsc wlw consecratc tlwir lifc to flic scrvicr>
and pruisc of the Divine Jlujcsty. Wc lwld most agrc<'able
the s11pplicof ;'011 whirh llits bcrn made to us by Jfotlter
.Jcan11c Cllé.:rnnl de Jfatd. Pou11drcss of the Reliyious of
flic Onler of the IncaJ'llatc 1l7ord, uwlcr the rule of 8t.
Auyusliu, tlwt it 11w.1; plcasr us to pcn11it lier to lrnil<l.
fu1111d... ((nd ('8f<lblish a <'OllN'Jlf of tllc said Ord<r i n our
cit!J or fauùoury of Orc11oùlc. And 'lCC have ùe'cu all tllc
111orc 1cillingly iucli11c<l to yn111t ll<T rcqucst as zce horf'
sc,vcral advautagcou8 tcsti11wnials of ll<'r virt11c. J>Î<'t!J. and
yoo<l life, for thr c<lifi<·atio11 on<l utility of tlte public. _Por
tll<'s<' J'f'<T80ll8, wc 111ake k11own, tlwt, witll tllc adu.iœ of
oJtr (1fnu1cil <t11d lJ/} our NJU'<·ial gra<·c, full JWlr<T, au<l myal
<t1tlhoril,11. -1rc h<tV<' JW0111i.4'e<l, oeronl<'<l. 011<7 ym11tc<l, and
}JJ'o111is<', a<·<·or<l, 011<1 yn111t, l>y tllese })1'<'8<'11f8 siyned ÙJ
01tr lu111<l, to Ille said J!other .Jcaune Cllbanl de J_llatcl. 011<7
fo Ill<' ·"uid Ndiyious of tlw sai<l Or<frr uf the lnuarnatc,
'onl 1uulcr Ille ntlc of St. A lt!JHSlin ) tu cn'cf. 7rnil<l, and

339. THE ~I OXASTEilY A'l' GUEXOBLE - PEilIOD OF on~TAC'LES 313
fou1ld, zrith the consent and the lctters of permission of
Petrr IY Scarron, Bishop of GreJZoble) a con vent of the!
suid Orclcr ill th e said place zrliicll sllall be ocquired by
the/JI in our city or faubourg of Grenoble, therc to dcrnff'
tllemscl1:rs to the Sffvicr of God,. in conforJJlity zcitlz tll cir
Institutc. Rulcs. and Constitutions. zcllich site and place
1cc hore ùy our gra cc- and autlw~·ity th e sorn e as abovc.
amortlzed and do amortize as property dedicated to God
zcitlwut their bcing ll eld by reason of tlie said arn o rti~·ation
to furnisll for this to us or to our royal successors any
finance or indcrnnity of ZC'hich 'lC C lwce mode and do make
them a gift. lwzccrer zcitlwut prejudicing priuatc individ1wl8
to zchom th e 8aid places may bclong by depcndence. 1Fe
,r;"rc 111 andatr undcr our orms and seals to th e Councilors
and th e people lwlding our court of Parliamrnt. to the peo-
ple of our accounts,. presidents and general treasurers of
Fmnce. at Grcn0ble,. tlwt tll ey rcgistcr tll esc prcscJZt lettcrs
of permission and tlwir contents. and suffcr and }J("rmit to
enjoy und 11sr tl1 cm tll r said Jlotlzer J eannr Clz é~·anl de
Jlatcl and tlz c said Rcligiou8 of th e said Oi·der of th e
Incarnate 1f'ord. roiding and causing to be 1.ïoided all con-
trary troubles an d ilnzJrdime,nts. 1l'e lwre caused our seal
to be placed on t71 ese said prcseJZts, saring in otll er things
our ozcn ri.r;ld and tlwt of otlzers.
Givcn at 8aint-Germoin-cn-Layc, in th e rnontlz of JiarclL
of tlzr ycar of gracc. one tlwusand 8i.r luuulred forty-tllrce.
and of OllJ' reign the thirty-tllird.
'·LOUIS.''
rnfortunntely these letters nrriYed nt Grenoble. nt the
beginning of Huly Yeek ·when the sessions of the Pm·lin-
ment hnd been prorogned until Enster. HoweYer the Prn-
cnrator Genernl presented them to the nssembly, but there
wns no time to conclnde the nifail'. Their ratification
and i·egistrntion hnd to be lmt off until the reopening of
the Palace.
:Xeither consolations nor trials we1·e lnddng to )lother
(1e )fatel during these parlinmentnry Yacntions. As she
''Tote to the Abbot of Cérisy, on April Hl : '•SeYern1 uf

340. LIFI~ 0F .JEkNNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
thoRc who we1·e agninRt the Incarnate 'Yord in the time
of tho Pas~don , wc1·e eo11ve1·ted at EaRter, arnong others ~fr.
'1<~ Raint-Oe1·111ai11."1
Offitinl lPtterR seIIt hy the d1aucery
to severa] rnemhen~ of the Pm·l im11e11t, had powcrfnlly con-
tributed to these conve1·sions. Ur. de Saint-Germain ·who,
accorcling to the worcls of the good Mother, ''had shown
himself the most venomo11s of the ndversm·ies ou the day
when the reqnest had been rejected,'':2 sent his mother-in-
law, ~Iaclame de Lessin, to visit the FonndreRs for him,
to express the extreme regret he felt for having puhl icly
resisted he1· vions design, and to protest to her thai in
the future he wonlcl serve, her with all hiR zeal. 'The 11ext
day, he came in person to renew the expression of his re-
pentance and to offer his services.
'I1he worthy Jfother, to gain e11tirely to the In~titnte
against which he had cleclaimed so loudly, this nrngistratc
who was influential and otherwise religions, gave him an
exceptional mark of co11fidence -: ''Yon must do li ke the
f'onverted Paul," she said to him, "to whom the Iucm·na t·e
'Vord appearecl in His glory and revealed ~ecrets wh ieh He
did not tell to men.''3
Tnking a eopy of her life written
nt the command of the Arehbishop of Lyons~ she gm'e H
to him sayiug: "See and Irnow that God hm;; doue these
marvelR all alone and that it is He who gives testimony
of HirnRelf and that His testimony is true. Yonr prndeHce
will not tell this to m1y one."4
~Ioreover, she iuformed him
that the King wonld die in a few dayR, in spite of the
JH'O]Jhec,y ascribed to a devont person iu Greuohle, t-Iun he
wonld live thirteen years m01·c. 'rl1ese confidence~ 'Ye1·c
hlesRed by Rim who had i11spi1·ed them. :M1·. de Sain l--Ge1·-
main wns completely won over to he1· ca11se, nud remainecl
a rnost eonstantly devoted friend. ·
All irnpo1·tant ns were this conq11est a11d othe1·s which
f'ollowPd, iltey did 11ot vauqui~h the opposition pnl'ty, whid1,
d111·i11g ihe i1·nce rnomentarily irn1>osed on the parliamcntm·.r
sfrnggles, tm·11ed their arms agninst the FomHll'ess he1·:..;p] r.
1 Lc ttc r of 1lotlH•r d e 1Tatel to the A bhot o f Cérisy, April 19, 1G43.
2A utogT:i pl!ic L..if(>, <'h. XC1l J.
:: 1l>i<lem.
''1 bi<l em.

341. THE .ilONASTERY A'l' GRENODLE- PERIOD OF OBSTACLES 315
In almost ever.r one of hei· letters of that epoch, there
esl'.ape some sighs cansecl by the continuity of the vü;i t~
which she is obligecl to i·eceive. She writes to the Ahbot
of Cérisy, on April 5: "'l am overwhelmed by visits whieh
conhibute to my weariness. Perbaps I W'"Ould not have
fewer in Paris. I write you this to console myself for the
embarrassment in which I am placed by continua! vi~its
of the ladies of Dauphiny. I often long to be on the holy
Mount, ''There my soul found a sacred repose and enjoyecl
the hap1Jiness of contemplation. But I must live without
any one to lean on, and abandon myself to God and lose
a11 in Him."
'rlie annoyances caused to the good ~lothe1· by the cou-
tinuons visits of the ladies of Dauphiny, consisted, not only
in the loss of prfracy and of the sacrecl repose of con tern-
pl~tion, but also in reproaches and contradictions which
would have afflieted a less humble soul. But she was not
t1·oubJecl b)Tthem. She doe~ uot even mention them in her
confidences to her Pai·isiau frieuds, 'Yhom she kept informcd
of all the incidents concerning the fonndation. An allrn'ion
to them is fonnd in only one letter in which she sa.rn:
""'T"lrnteve1· worcls of coutempt are spoken against me, T feel
no bitterness against those who are trying to do disag1·ee-
able things to me. I am insensible to them. It is God
'Yl10 places me in this disposition, and not myself --who
have no virt~1e. I pray the Eternal Father to forgive them
for they know not what they do.''1
'l'he friends of the saintly ~lother clid not share hé1· in-
sensibility. A letter of Father Gibaliu to the Prior of
Croixil who had written about these trials, gfres us a
knowleclge of those attacks, ancl combats them vietorionsly.
'l'he 1engih of tlrn.t elo(p1ent plea does uot permit 11S to
rep1·odnee it in its entfrety. '"hat fol1ows Yill be :-;uftkicnt
to cleai· the repntntion of ~lothe1· de ~IatPl from the cloucl:-;
with whic·h attempts were macle to obscm·e it, and to make
~till bette1· known the gift of light and of knowledge of
1Letter of March 23. 1643, to the Abbot of Cérisy.

342. 31G LIFE Oli' JE4~NXE CHEZ.Hm DE :IATEL
thi11gs divine, and the childlike simplicity and limpidity
of ~oul whidt her ]Jl'Ofo'<-rnd hnmility l'efletted in all he1·
words.
Father Gilmlin wrote as follows: "l have never donbted
that )fothel' de lIatel wonld enconnter contl'adictions to
her pions and generous designs, and that he who has evel'
combated the Incarnate 'Vord wonld exhaust all bis wiles
to hinder the glol'y which that holy soul procures for Him.
He is all the more dangerous as be makes use of those who
onght to defend what they attack, under the specions pl'e-
text of a fnlse piety. But that enemy will be vanquished
at Grenoble as he has been everywhere else. I do not
shm·e misfrnst in lfother de l:fatel's virtne or in ber cour-
age to sustain these refusals and rebnffs, or in the singnlar
p1·otection which the Incarnate Yol'd gives to her as to
a dear danghtel' whom He has chosen to sh°'Y fo1·th in he1·
urnrveh; of His grace. He will dispel all these contradic-
tions and, perhaps, will make theil' anthors undetstand that
it is He 'Yhom they attack. rrhis point will ile cleared
up by time. -
''In res1JOnse to your letter, I will say only this, that
ihose who think to appear spiritual by taking offense at
the frankness and simplicity of ~fothe1· de Matel, and who
disap1n·ove of ber speaking with such facility about things
of God, gl'eatly deceive themselves, not only because they
wish to lead all souls by the same way and accor(ling to
tlwir fantic~, "Thich they wish to be followed by the Spirit
of God and they do not know that that Spirit, one and
simple Î11 itself, is manifold and diYersified in iis etfeds
and operations; and acting so di versely in the onle1· of
nnture :rnd ·n<ljusting it~elf to the diYel'~ity of 11ah11·al cnusr~
i~ Hot 1<1~~ :t('tÏ'e m· lef::s flivc1·sified i11 the order of g1·a<'e.
Bnt ])(•8id<·~. tliPy plaee the Rpirit of Go<l in :-:ilenee Hhout the
thÎIJ0'8 of 00<1 Îll H ])]HCC where it ÎS llOt in tnlth. ] ha'CM ,
Herc1· hee11 nhle to t'Omp1·ehend tlrnt perfedion c011~i~ü~ i11
11ere1· speaki 11g of the things of God or in heiug chary when
the1·c ii-; 11ee(l to 8peak of them, lJut, indeed, it is ii1 spcak-

343. THE ~l OXAS'l'ERY Xl' GfŒNOIJLE-·- PEUIOD OF OBSTACLES 317
ing about God, and one cannot converse about them better
ih::rn hy speaking about them with childlike simplicity) with-
ont affectation or a stUtlied manner.
''If ")lothe1· de ~fa tel SI)ûke about worldly trifles, or if
she were affected in her conversations, I would say that
ber spirituality had eyaporated, and that she has neither
interior nor true spiritualHy. But since she speaks only
of things of God and with snch simplicity that ber severest
critics are consüained to acl~nowleclge that there is not
even any appeai·ance of affectation; and since her con-
Yersations, no matter how long continued, are so far from
dissipation or from injuring recollection which those peo-
ple pretencl to look for so eagerly, that on the contrary
they foster it. Gan any one hold llis spirit more recol-
lected than by concentrating it on God and can any one
concentrate bis spirit elsewhere, if he always speaks of
Gôd, not in a studied discourse or by acquired science, but
by knowledge obtained in prayer and drawn from the lights
which undeniably are clearly seen in the conversations of
~fother de lfatel, as 'vell as in her writings, and which
are more often felt in their effects and in the production
of extraordinary changes in those who listen to her? .
"As for rnyself, I frankly confess that the most convinc-
ing sign that this soul is guided by the Holy SJJirit, has
been that this woman, who for thirty years bas been speak-
ing continually about God, has written large volumes on
spiritual subjects, has had communications with every class
of persons, has treated with the most learned and spiritual,
with critics and the most punctilions, expresses herself
with snch simplicity that she is a pure crystal in which
all the atoms are visible, and that yet no one has ever
found an enor or anything approaching an error in her
conversations or writinp;s, and that no one, has ever seen
anything but lights without elouds 01· obscnrities, and the
only i·e1n·oach that ha~ been pos~ible is that she talks too
much about God, which means that she has too many lights
and God makes too many communications to ber.
"I see clearly that what shocks these gentlemen most,
is that the fav01·s of Gocl and what He operate~ in us ought

344. 318 LIFE OF JEANNE Cl:IEZARD DE lL.TEL
to ùe concealed and that the contrary course violates humil-
ity. Hnt if the graces of Heaven must be always concealed,
we would know nothü1g about 'vhat happens in the interior
life of the saints. And if this lfother, who has never studied
and has learned all that she says in the school of the
Holy Spirit, cannot speak openly and contiunally of things
divine, without letting ns see something of the happen-
ings to her soul, must we therefore condemn her to per-
petnal silence? Ve should say the same of all the saintly
men and women who held conversations which sm·pass their
natm·al capacity. .
'"However, humility is violated less by this candor which
is blamed, than by nntimely silence which often cornes frorn
inordinate love of self. 'rl1e soul that considers the graces
it has receiYed as its own, and believes that those who
lem·n about them owe it honor for them, locks them up as
its own treasnre. On the contrary, the soul that considers
thern as favors of Heaven and claims no glory from them,
does not take eare to keep them under Iock and key. It
is possible to be silent from pride and to speak from humil-
ity. "'Vhat erime is it in those who are ever led by the
Spirit of God and receive a million graces, if here or there
they manifest a few '? 'rl1is is the case of Mother de lfatel,
foi· those deceive themselves who believe that she displays
all the i·iches of her soul. 'rhey see only a few feeble indi-
l'ations of them.
"~rherefoi·e I conclude that it is not right to blame
silence, or speaking, 01· communicativeness, or great reserve
in these matters, ùecause both courses may be good or bad.
Ye shonld Jeave the decision to God and to those who
Jrnow the hottom of the soul, who know also the manuer
in whkh God leads them. ~rhese are my sentiments which
will uot he ap1n·oyed by cel'tain spiritual critirs, but you
h:tve Hll Ol«H'le whom yon can tommlt and who is better
v<'l'N<·<l i11 tlieNe lwl1t<'l'N il1m1 T am. Yon lrnow well that
I J·efp1· Io J1i111 1
wl10111 yon haYc take11 as the g11id0 of yonl'
own life and whom T salute 1110Nt ('Ol'dially aR I <lo nl~o
.:Ia<lm11e. de Heyel. J11 all hc1· letten~, lfother de llatcl
lFath cr Arn oux, a form er confessor of Luui::; Xfll,

345. THE :JIOXASTEnY .AT GilEXOBLE- PEilIOD OF OBSL.CLES 319
"Tites me of her great obligations to :you three. I pray
the Incm·nnte Yord to reeompense you and 'vish for au
opvortunity to 1n·ove that I am your most humble and
obedjent serTnnt,
As soon as the good Prior of Croi:xil receivec1 this letter,
he circulated it all over Grenoble. 8nch a testimony, eman-
ating from a man of the world who knew Jiother de jJatel
most intimately, and whose high character was above all
suspicion of pnrtiality, producecl the desirecl effect. The
friends of the Foundress were enraptured at seeing their
own sentiments tlrns confirmed, and her aclversaries no
longer dared to indulge in declamations against her.
Hov.,ever the latter did not for all this become more
fayorable to her work. The first step taken after the re-
9pening of the Chambers to obtain the ratification of the
letters patent, was rejected by the opposing pm-ty. On
April 20, the worthy Mother wrote to the Abbot of Cérisy:
"JI. de Saint-André and ten others h<ffe lJO"'erfully resisted
us. He who came to announce this, on entering my room
said to me: 'All the demons are now unehained against
this Order !' Yes, now is the hour of the powers of dark-
ness and the demons are trying to p1·olong it. Vith our
hearts conformed to the will of God, we must sa:y with
David: 'Arise, 0 Lonl, and seatter Your enemies !~ m
Three days Inter, .on :Jiay :2, the affair was again to be
brought before the Parliament. The session promised to
be so stormy that some of the protectors of the Foundress
thought it best to clelay the matter. )fr. de la R~vière, in
particular~ had prepared for a strong strnggle against the
Attorney General, )(r. de Revel, who pleaded for the rati-
tication of the letters. That morning, during her medita-
tion: Om· Lo1·d commanded the venerable 3.Iother to len'Te
her prayers and to "Tite to )fr. de la H.idère. She clid
this. She wrote to the Abbot of Cérisy, on Jlay 10:
··W'îshing to prevent quarrels in the palace betyeen the
bvo parties, the rich race and the good race, I wrote to
1Letter of :::.fother de :::.fatel to the Abbot of Cé1·isy, April 29, 16-±3.

346. 320 LIF'E OP .JE..~NE CHEZAilD DE :lATEL
him and said that, after snffering without complaint clur-
ing Lent and the Paschal time, all that he Iwd said against
me, I came to complain to himself and to tell him of my
ast01lishment tlwt, without my having given him any eause,
he used such extreme severity towarcls me and aroused such
opposition to the establishment of the Orcler of the Incar-
nate Vord, and that, whereas he was my jndge, he seemed
to take the attitude of a partisan, a thing which I was un-
will ing to believe, for I esteemed him to be too pions to
oppose the glory of the God of piety, and too civil to reject
onr humble request."
A~ soon as ~fr. dei la Rivière received this letter he went
straight to the palace. He there showed the missive by
which he consiclered himself injured and insulted, and,
with a voice of thunder, protested that, having been accused
by Mother de ~fatel since she called him a judge and a
partisan, he would take no part in the_deliberations; he
retired followed by several councilmen of bis faction.
For a moment, the supporters of the Foundation bc-
lieved that thefr cause was lost. Several inwardly blamed
the initiative which had nmv provoked this violent seces-
~ion and asked thern~elves to what excesses the irritation
which had resultecl might go. But soon the good lfother
could write: ''You made my friends say, 0 feliœ culpa , as
the Church chants on Holy Saturday. Contrar;v to merely
hnman prudence, happy the fanlt that cmrned the absence
of those who wonld have prevented the ratification, for we
had only one vote more than was needed. If they lwd re-
1rndned, they wonlcl have incl'eased the numbel's of their
eabal and wonld liave brought over to it two or three who
wc1·c not firm.m
rrhis small majority shows that the opposition, although
depl'ivcd of its chief, did not snJTender. ':I1
he strnggle was
krng mHl the se~~ion was stormy. Among those who were
1n·esc11t awaiting the issne, was the Bishop's Vicar Gcneral,
the Abbé Man·hé. Seeing the diRcussion prolonge<l and
fea1·ing that if the affai1· wcre not eoncluded on that day,
file d~l<1y would 1w1·mit the oppoRition to wenve new webR,
1 Au togrnph ic Life, c h. X CIII.

347. THE ~IO~ASTJWY~.T GTIE::'"ORLE- PETIIOD OF OGST~.CLES 331
he got the thought of stopping the Palace clock. His ex-
pedient sncceeded. rrhe meeting broke np only after the
deci~ive Yotiug.
:Iothel' de nfatel conld then mrnounce to her friends at
Pm·is tliat theii- ('Ommon efforts had lleen c1·owned with suc-
cess: "'Praised Ile the Incarnate 'yord 'Yho, on the feast
of St. Athanasius, triumphed over the oppositions made
fo His estnblishment ;" she wrote in words full of uuction
wbich we are not weary of hearing. '"Cp to the present: 1
have not been alJle to tell yon that the Pai·liament had rati-
fied the letters patent. On tbis blessed Saturday, it bas
made its decree and giYen all the permissions required. But
our adversaries haye had the de('ree conched in such tel'ms
that I am forbidden to bny in the city of Grenoble a house
already built to lodge my daugliters, and I am permitted
only to buy a site to bnilcl. :Never was a design opposed
sb strongly 'Yith so little reason. God has shown . His all-
powerful arm by frustrating the wiles of the proud. They
are not changed, but tliey al'e not so powerful as they
imagine. Their discord is a suffering to me, for I would
wish to see all in peace. l threw myself into the sea to
quell ·the tempest of the two parties wbich are çontinually
OJJf)QSing each other in Parliament. I have not succeeded
in this and have had l~ss success in promoting peace lJe-
tween the Bishop and the Parliament of Grenollle. 2Iy
dear son, how happy is the soul that can live in solitude
and peace ! How afflicting are the embarrm.;sments caused
by earthly courts !'·'1
The note of sadness which terminates this annonncement
of the glad ne"'s, is found in all of the Mother'·s coITe-
spondence of tlrnt epoch. To the conflict and malice which
she describes, and to the mysterious presentiments from
which she bas suffe1·ed so much, there is added he1· patriot-
ism to cause desolation of soul.- At the moment when she
w·as undertaking this foundation, Our Lord had made known
to her that the days of Louis XIII were nearing their end.
T'he loss of this ~lonarch, for whose glory and happiness
she had prayed so much, and the woes which perhaps """ould
1Letter of May 6, 1643.

348. 322 LIFE OF' JEAN"XE CHEZAilD DE :;IATEL
be canse<l to France by the long minority of his sncccsRor,
lille<l her with affliction. She wrote to the Abbot of Cé1·isy:
..rl'he Ki11g's illness has made me shed tem·N, as if my eycs
we1·c the two pools described by 8olomo11. I am i11deed
the danghtcr of a multitude of SOI'l'mn~. I could be com-
pared to no other. 1-1
he Incarnate 'Yord conld co11sole me,
but He is a God hidden in dal'lrness, I prayed Him to be
the Savior. But this voluntal'y ::Iirror was veiled to me
m1d this free Oracle spoke to me never a word. In my
deep sa<lness I said: •Dear J_,ord, Yon hear my heart speak-
ing to You and my face shmvs Yon my affliction !'
"All the good news that has been published and the
ratification of the letters patent, have not been able to
draw my spirit out of•this gulf of wem·iness. This evening
I said to the Incarnate 'Vord: •You have said that she
who is in labor is sad because she suffers great pains, bnt
thnt when she has ginin a man to the world, she rejoices.'
I was not worthy to bring Yon forth, however Your good-
ness has given me this grace this very day, but it does not
produce in me the effed of joy. Dear Love, it is now four
years since Yon told me that, in the month of lfay, I wonhl
bl'ing forth the cross: I now see the verification of this
p1·ediction.m
Indeed it was her ow11 cross that .the ~Iother had brought
forth. 'rlrns, some weeks before, on the very feast of the
Incarnation, Our Lord had shmn1 her in a vision, a cross
of St. Andrew of snch dimensions that they reached to
the four cornel'S of the earth. Rhe had aceepted it, as she
says, ..by disposing herself to Rnffer all frorn all parts of
the world, if it were giYen her to bear that word of the
(
1
l'ONS wliith those who al'Ç lost regard rn~ folly, but which
for ihose who are Ravcd is the inRünment of the vower of
God.''2
1L etter o f M ay ~. 1643.
2Aut ogT:1 pllic Life, ch . XCTJ T.

349. CHAP'l'ER XVIII
Second Journey to Avignon
16-!3
Jfother de )Iatel lHffing obtained all the reqnired author-
izations, immediately began the task of executing her pions
purpose. As no one offered to supply the pecuniary means
of founding the monastery. the Bishop said to her : "I be-
lieYe that you ~·ourself are equal to the task." Confiding
in ProYidence who had promised her the where"·ith to founcl
five monastel'ies, she accepted the undertaking. On this
matter she giYes to the Abbot of Cérisy some cul'ious de-
tails on what she had to furnish. The sums were consicler-
able for those times, but vçould be absolutely insufficient
in our day. "Yhat would you say of my courage. or per- ·
haps temerity, in founding the monastery of Grenoble,
by giving JOOO lfrres in cash to purchase a house ; JOO francs
for furniture; 110 francs as an annual p€nsion for each
one of my daughters. without all of this troub1ing me'?
Is not this temerity'? :Xo, my dear son, since the Incarnate
Yord has pmyer a-ver earthly treasures as well as ffrer the
incomparable wealth of Reaven.~·1
The1·e 'Ya~ now nothing remaining to do but to bring
to Grenoble the snbjects destined for that fonndation. As
the ln"'" i·eqnired that in their journeys Sisters shoulcl be
accompanied by a prieRt ·who could hear their c onfe~sion~
and give them Communion. the Foundress wrote to Prior
Bernarclon, begging him to render this se1Tice.
On ·.Jfay 18~ she set out YÏth him and Sister Elizabeth
Grasseteau for AYignon. On the h·entieth. she was with
her daughters who wère overvd1elmed "·ith happiness at her
arrival. The~,. i·ecefred her in procession at the door of
the cloister and condneted he1· into the choir while they
chanted the T c Dculll. ~.t the sight of he1· family clothed
ILe tter of F ebrua ry 15. 164 3. f r om ::.Iot her de -:.Iatel t o the Abbi)t
of Cérisy.
323

350. 3~4
in the livery of the Incarnate 'Vord, the soul of the pious
Mother overflowed with joy which, she said, made her for-
get all her tronbles.
The nivine S1JOuse ha<l lavished His blessiugs on her
little commnnity. It now counted nine already p1·ofessed,
four novkes, two lay Sisters, and a phalanx of Sisters of
the Child Jesus, besides a great nmnber of boarding pupils.
Not only was the bouse prosperous in numbers, but every-
tbing breathed order and regularity. Almost a year be-
fore, the Sisters had been able to take possession of their
new couvent. As the memoirs tell us, "the workmen lalwred
so effieiently, tlwt their angels seemed to animate them.
~l"hey did four clays' work in one."
But the greatest consolation of the venerable Mother
was in the souls of her daughters. She conversed with each
.one in private and admired the signal graces with which
Jesns responded to the generosity of their love. The six
to whom she had given the habit of the Incarnate "Tord,
although they had been already advanced in perfection,
seemcd now, as it were, transformed into new creatures in
Christ, their Spouse. The others, who after these, had irre-
yocably consecrated themselves to the Incarnate "Tord by
their holy profession, were treading firmly in their foot-
steps.
Rister Catherine of ~Jesus Richardon had passed more
th:rn seven years in the Congregation. Rer parents had
opposed her entry into religion, but in 1641 she had won
their consent and they themselves had taken her to Avignon
to rcœive the habit of the On1er. She was tlrns well known
by the worthy Mothe1·. But hcr virtues lrnd taken ·a won-
de1·f11l gTowth which shc was rnost solieiions i11 eoncealing,
foi· ~hc h:ul n ~pedal attraction foi· lrnmility alH1 for the
life hi(lÙ('ll i11 Go<l; ~lie gave P(li1ieation to nll. IIer
:-;p1·:1pldc piety was 1·P('OlllJK1ll~Pd h,r i·m·e fav01·s. 'Phe I11-
(':tJ·11ate "Vm·d l'eve:tlPd to he1· ilte he:rnty of lli8 holy I-Iu-
rnm1ity :rn<l e~peeially of' llis divim· Py<:~. 'rhc image of
thcm wa~ :--o prnfnndly imp1·i11te<l <>ll he1· soul, that no mat-

351. SI<..:COND JOURXEY TO AVIGNON 325
ter how great the desolations with which God pleased to
try her, the mere memory of the.ir ravishing lustre filled
her with celestial joy. .
Sister Claude Seraphic de Piellat was a native of Saint-
~fam·iœ in Dauphiny, but had been brought up by the
Ursulines of Avignon. Believing herself called to th~ re-
ligions life, without the knowledge of her family she had
asked them to receive her into their novitiate. The humil-
ity, obedience, and mortification which she practiced there~
won the hearts of her mistresses. But in spite of all this,
she could not decide to stay in their house, as she felt her-
self borne towards an unknown goal Vhich attraded her
irresi8tibly. As soon as she heard of the monastery of the
Jncarnate 1'.,..ord, in which her relative, Catherine d'A1Hhé,
had jnst been received, her heart bounded with joy. ~rhat
~va~ the place to 'vhich she was called by the Divine Spouse.
She said nothing of this to any one but waited for Provi-
dence to open a path for her. Her father hearing that she
had passed from the boarding-school to the novitiate, was
greatly displeased. His desfre was to establish her in the
world where her fortune and persona} charms had caused
ber hand to be sought by several young gentlemen. He
took her out of the couvent, but coulcl not change her reso-
lution to consecra-te herself to God. Sorne time afterwards,
she crossed the threshold of the blessed home in which her
heart had dw,.elt. At the time that she received the maternal
blessing of :Mother de Matel, she had been bound to J esus
by the holy vows only a few w·eeks. She was nineteen yeai·s
of age. She was full of ]jfe and activjty, and seemed
destined to spend herself in long labors of zeal and de-
votedness.
Hovever, she was specially predestined to imitate the
:Man of Sorrows in the Incarnate 'Vord. Dnring the nine
or ten last years of hcr life, all the parts of her body were
snccessively cove1·ed with sures to which it was necessa1·y
to apply the lrnife and fil'e. " 1
hile she was snffcring this
exterior martyrdom, her soul was a prcy to snch severe in-
terior pains th at, as her confessor said, "the rocks conld
not have helped weeping if they had heard their recital."

352. 32G LIFE OF JE.NNE CHEZ.Hm DE ll.ATEL
Aided by the help of the divine lIother who was her only
consolation, so the amrnls relate, she ""as a mirror of resig-
nntion and patience. She oft<n repeated: '"My God, Yon
are my joy and my torment !'' A short while before her
end, she said: "It is frne that in m:v condition, I ought to
desire (leath ~ lrnt if God wüd1ecl me to snffer tlrns nntil the
day of jndgment, I wonld ae('ept it hpm·tily."1
Sister Claude of the ::1"atidty was scarcely nineteen year~
of age and gave JH'Omise of high sanctity. 'fhe beginning
of her religions life was marked by her fervor and her zeal
for fide1it:v to a11 i·eligions observanees. Her heart became
so inflamed with love for God, that she conld not constrain
her ardent sighs whieh bm·st fol'th day and night. For sev-
eral years she was employed in the training of the novices,
and she inflamed them with her own tire, and, by her ex-
ample, she imparted to them her own attraction for all
the virtnes. A fte1· fifty yem·s of a life filled with merits
and blessed by signal fayors, her soul took its flight to
the bosom of the Lord, leaving a uame that was held in
benediction.
Sister Pierrette of the Conception nnpny had taken
the holy habit and made her profession at the same time
as Sh~ter Claude of the ~ativity, and emulated lier virtnes.
She attenclecl with joy and fe1Tor a1l the spiritual exer-
cises and deYoted he1·self with no less ardor to mamrnl
occupations. 2lother de ~fotel seleeted her to be one of
the fmmdation stones of the rnona~te1·ies which she wa~
estnb1ishing. Hut the In('arnate W'"m·d wi1led to build them
I«tther on her patience than 011 her labors. Re sent he1·
serious and frequeut mnlaclies whieh ~he eudurt>d with re-
l igion8 courage. Hnt wlHlll she ha(l a re~pHe from lier
snffe1·iug~, shc wonld i·e~nme hc1' wol'k "with ~mch ardo1·
t1wt,'' ns the -:fe1110i1·s ohse1TP, •'she ~<-·e11wd 1ievPr to haYe
lH1
('ll jJl.''
On S('Yel'«d o<·•·md orn~ (; od 1·<1
(:0lll P<'ll~<-·<l hp1· gc11er0Ri ty b.r
p1'<Hl igi(l~. On ('C wlien she ~Perned abon t to b1·eathe ltp1·
Jast, ~lie begau n 110Ye11a 1o Om· Lady of the 8even l >olors;
1 lJiograp h y uf lll e fin;t Sbten; of .i vignon.

353. SECOXD JOU UNEY TO AYIGNON 327
at its end, a violent crisis multiplies her snfferings which
howe,Tel' are immediately followed ùy vig01·ons health. On
anothe1· occa~ion when she was nt Pal'is wiih the Mother
Fuundress who. could not bem· to see her daughtel's suffer,
she was again mfracnlously cnred ùy the prayers of the
good ~lother. But the rnost p1·eeions g1·ace " 'ith which the
lncal'nate W'"ord erowned the heroism of His spouse, was
such peace and resignation in pain that she seemed to be
insensible to it. Her final illness, which lasted ten days,
was accompanied by unspeakable inte1·ior desolation. But
her heart desired only one thing from God, namely, t lwt
His good pleasure -would be entirely aceornplished in her.
Fnde1· the "'hite veil of the IHwices, 3Iother de ~latel
found again lliss Henriet te de Beauchamp whom in the first
days of the foundation she had received among her board-
iJ1g pupils.
Aftel' a stay uf one yem· in the horn;.;e, the famlly of the
charming child took he1· away. ~he made incessant ap-
peals to reenter but withont snecess. She 'vatched for a
ehance when the portress was ab8ent, to slip in fnrtively.
Rhe succeeded. All the remonstranees of the relip;ious could
not pre,,rail on her to l'ei nrn to hei· own home. As soon
as ~ladame de Beauchamp noticed her absence, she said to
hel'self: ··~Iy daughter lrns gone and forced her way into
the convent.'' She arrives thel'e in g1·eat irritation and
demands that her danghter corne out immediately. The
littlc g'i1·l, canie(l 1·ather t han led bv the Sisters. finallv... . '-' / .
cornes to the parlor, hut snddenly she escapes, and runs and
hides under the stairway. Tln·ough the littlc grille in the
front door, ~ladame de Beauchamp is a witneAs of this
scene. She 1·ealizes that none of hel' own effort~ will SlH:-
eeed in üinmphing over sneh resolntene~~ and lJeing averse
to resisting the will of God, ~he consents for he1· danghter
to œmain in the house. '1'his ch ild was called to i·eap a
rich hane~t of rne1·it~. Rhc had mnltif)lied generons acts
of lmmility, Relf-denial, and zeal for the divine service,
when an illness of fifteen days opelled to her the gates of
a lwppy ete1·nity, only six years af1er lier profession .

354. 328 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZ.AUD DE 1INPEL
One of her companions in the novitate, Sister Magdalen
of the '11
1·inity_ de C'ln·etien, was also to fill ont a long career
in a shod time. Dnring the two years ihat she was a little
Siste1· of thé ChiId .Jcsus, she had begged with tears for
the habit of the Order. But as soon as she was clothed
with jt, she saw herself assailed by temptations against
he1· vocation. She had been thus struggling for seveu
montlu~, "Yhen the venerated Mother arrived at Avignon and
obtained for her not only deliverance from her pains, lmt
also a feeling of such great g1·atitude for the grace which
the 1ncarnate 'Yol'Cl had bestowed upon her by calling; her
to His service, that she could never speak of this subject ·
without intense joy; in thanksgivillg for it, every day she
i·ecited a Te Deum and three Glo1··ias. She devoted herself
to the practice of all the virtues '~rith such ardor that, a
year aftcr her profession, she was judged capable of filling
various offices in the monastery of Grenoble, where she re-
mained three years. Returning to Avignon, she acqui ttecl
herself, with the same zeal, of the duties thel'e confided
to her, until Our Lord, by the c1·oss, put the lnst tonch to
the beauty of her soul. After long sufferings borne with
he1·oism, she died leaving behind he1· such a svreet odor
of vfrtne that ihe pages consec1·ated to her memory are per-
fumed "vith it.
The touching fervor of the Little Sisters of the Child
.Jesns, was not the least consolation to the heart of the
good lfother. If the Incm·nate 'Yord then raised the veil
of the futm·e to her eyes, what must have been her tra11s-
po1-t of gratitude, for from this beautiful mn·sery were to
go forth great and holy religions. One of them, Angeliqne
de Guast, was to be called repeatedl.r to govern the monas-
tery of Avignon, in which her intelligeHte and vil'tne placed
her in the front rank. On the 11oble 1wtnre with whieh she
was endowcd, grace was to w01·k wonders. Her heroic rnor-
tification detached he1· from self mu1 eYerything earthy, a
sublime gift of prayer unitc<1 her intirnaiPly to God, and
l1p1· exrp1 isite charity made lH•1· the delight of her Sisters.
..~ iliP .Mrmoi1·R i·cr·01'<l: '·~he Jrnd a i·oyal hea1·t which

355. SECOND JOUU~EY 'l'O AYlG~ON 329
placed her in a state of happy pmverlessness to be soured
against any one who had gfren cause for bitterness; she
maintained regular discipline and won every heart.m
Susanne de Gnast, one of her sisters, also wore the
habit of the Little Sisters of the Child J esus, and was to
have an equally long and edifying career. She was so avid
of austerities that she was ingenious fn inventing them by
placing pebbles and boards in ber bed and covering herself
with instruments of penance. Shc was as tender for others
as she was aüstere to herself, and often repeated that she
"·ould rather suffer than carn~e pnin to any one. Hcr lrnmil-
Hy and detachment were propo1·tionate to her grcnt m01·ti-
fication. She had the most tende1· love for her angel guard-
ian. I t was revealecl to her thnt he belonged to the Choil'
of the Thrones. She also had a most special devotion to
the Roly Sacrifice of the Mass. She said she had neve1·
nsked a grace at the moment of the Elevation, without ob-
taining it. She had worn the religions habit for fifty-niue
years when she fell asleep in the Lord.
Yery different were the designs of the Incarnate Yord
011 little Sister Anne of St. Paul Dupu:r. She vas the ff1·st
ttmver of His parterre that He was pleased to transplant
into the garden of Hea,ren. He took her in ber tenderest
bloRsoming. A"·are of the Rhortness of her life, she has-
tened to accumulate a g1·ent tremmre of merits. ...-U the
age of tvelve she made a vow of chastity. She wished to
i·ise in the morning as early as the religions, to mnke the
meditation with them, because, as she said, '·in this holy
e:x:ercise her soul strengthened itself with the virtues of
a queen." She was so ingenions in practicing mortification
that it was difficult to moderate her. She i·emained kneel-
ing on stones or angular objects. If by accident she received
a slight wound she put salt in it; she punished her smallest
faults by taking the discipline even with nettles. Her chm'-
ity aud obedience Yere not less admirable.
A stomach trouble which at first appeared to be a fritle,
soon redn<.:ed her to the lnst e:x:tremity. At her repeated
1Biog-raphies of the first Sisters of the llonastery of Avignon.

356. 330 LIFE OF JEA~~E CHEZAilD DE ~IATEL
em·ne~t prayers, Rhe was grnnted the iwivi lege of rece1 vmg
the hnl>it of a novite a11d of aftenym·dR making he1· pro-
fesRiou. He1· life or rnther her rnartyrdom was eon-
Ride1·nbly prolonged. Her p1·epm·ntions for her departure
from thiR w<wld 1·esemhled 11Hwe thoRe of a betrothed to
1msR to the eom·t of n 1·oy<ll sponse, than preparntio11s for
death. Ou Reptemher 1~, lGJG, nt the age of nl>out fifteen
yem·s, she left this enrihly a bode for whn t Rhe called the
place of he1· nuptinls. As the n1111als sny: "Life and denth,
all Joye and sweet11eRs, mnke us see that God does not meas-
ure snnctity hy yean~ and thnt He cn11 l'(lise, in n moment,
to the highest <leg1·ee of pe1·fection.''
Bnt de:w litt1e Rii-.;ter Anne of St. ·Panl left to he1· i·eli-
gionR family f-.iomething hesides the edifyi11g rnemory of her
Iife and death. Before her, two of he1· sisters hnd entered
the m011aste1·y of A 'Tignon and we1·e to perfnme it with
the od01· of thefr vi1·tnes. "'"e have a h·endy mentioned the
eldest, the valinnt Hister Pienette of the Coneeption, who
will be so helpf'ul to .the 1fothe1· Fonrnhess. rrhe second
was yet amollg the mm1be1· of the HisterR of the Child Jesus.
On her a]fo;o, the heart mHl eyeR of the vene1·al>le lfother
loved to 1·eRt. ~neh g1·ne<! nud nio<lesty Rhone ont in the
eom1te11nnte of ihc l<wahh• ehihl, that the )lother enlled
her he1· m1gel. Befol'e depnl'ting, Rhe gave he1· the veil of
a 110Yi<'e and nmned he1· Rü;te1· EJizahcth of the Angels.
IIer life wn~ to jnRtify the good 1lother's expedations. Her
jndgmeut nud tnd, and espeeia11y he1· yfrtneR made her a
p1·ecionf.I help to the eornnnmity. RneceRsively ~he wns )Iis-
h ess of the LiUie ~foüe1·s of the Child JesuR, of the hoard-
ing pnpils, of the lny RiRters, and of the novkes. As the
jJemofrs r elah "i11 Hll of these ol'tiees Rhc aeqnitted he1·self
witl1 g1·cnt gP11ile11cNs mHl i)cnee, wns ever ve1·y i11te1·ior
nrnl tlosply 1rnite<1 with 00<l, nrnl wns the admiration of
i h<>Re w11o wen~ 111 t<lp1· he1· gn i<lmH·e." 1
rro :..dop a11<l ('Ollternphlie thP hkssi11µ;f. whidt the T1wm·~
n a( e 'm'{l pou1·e<l f'odh on ihP w01·k whieh Tk hn<l eon-
fi<k<l io ~loihP1· <lP IfatPl, ÎR indee<l to eontemplate herself
:rnd tlwi whi('h , nt the Ppoch in hcr Jife "C have 11ow
1rnogT<1 p h ies of tll c ti rs t Sis kn; o f t h e 1 Ionas l c 1· ~f of A.vig·no n.

357. SECOXD .JOURXEY TO J..VIGXON 331
reachecl, made her sonl overflm' with gratitude. However
w·e cannot take the time to tell all, and no matter how fas-
. einating Yere the beantiful liYes of hei· i·eligious '"ith their
,anreoles of sanetity, we cnnnot sketch them all. Althongh
each one i·etained hel' own distinct phy~iognomy, a blend
of sweetness and süength, of loYe for the c1·o~s and t he spirit
of prayel', giv"es them all a family likeness and permits
us to picture for ourselyes those whose lineaments we have
not sketchecl.
The delightful moments of intimacy during which the
venerable ~Iother conlcl converse with he1~ pious daughters,
'vere neeessarily brief. It appeared as if all Avignon wished
to see her dm·ing the twelve days of he1· visit. The person-
ages "·ho had known her from the time of hel' fhst journey
to that city, had hastened to corne to i·eeommencl themselves
to ber prayer~, and to eull some of the gnod and hol:r say-
. ings of which her heart was full. 'rhose "·ho h<~fl not pre-
viously seen ber, seemed still mol'e eager to aPJn·eciate that
:Jlothe1· Yho was ~o 1·enowned for ht;r favnrs from Gocl and
whose daugbters lfred like angels. But no one was more
desirous of conversing "·ith the worthy Found1·ess than
lIadame de Seryi(re.
Ye knmv that, by her impol'tunings and constancy, her
only daughter had obtained he1· pareui s· consent to take
the habit of the Little Sisters of the Child .Jesus, and that
she honored it by vfrtnes whicb "·ere aheady heroic.. But
the noble lad~· could not become resigned to make the sacri-
fice of her only chilcl. Hoping that perhaps the worth.r
)fother wonld be touched by her reasons and her desola-
tion, she came in teal's to relate how her little Laura had
gone so far as to eut off her hafr in the hope thnt after she
w·as thus disfigured, he1· parents would no longer think
of making hel' l'et11l'11 to the w·orld, anù slie aclded that
all hcr effo1·ts to keep hel' at home had ùeen without suc-
cess. '"Dear )lothe1·," she "·ould say, "yon do not doubt
my affection for your monastel'y, and yet I cannot give
it my daughter. 1 haYe only one and I am without hope
of having another."

358. 3~2 LIF'E OF JID~NNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
'rl1e 11..,omHhess was eqnally touchecl by the mofüer's sor-
1·ow and ùy her danghte1·'s ge11erosHy, and was unwilling
either to roù God of the yonng hem·t of which He was so .
jealous or to sencl the desolate mother awav without con-v •
solation, so with invinciùle confidence she had recourse
to the tenderness of her Spouse. After a moment of recol-
lection she saicl: '"lIadame, be consoled and hope as I
do that the Incarnate 'Vorcl will give you another daughter
to replace, by your side, her whom He has taken away
from yon to prese1·ve her and assure her salvation. "Mother,
do you assure me "of this r' inquired the virtuous lady. "Yes,"
she replies, ''because I know how good God is. Confide
in Him. Imitaté the Father ·of believers by generously
offering your daughter. By this means you will draw down
many graces on your family."
The effect of these words on tlie spirit qf that discon-
solate mothe1· was decisive. From that moment she ceased
to lament the being dep1·ived of her child, although God,
to refüler her sacrifice .more meritorious subjected her con-
fidence to a long trial. Like Abraham, whose example had
been proposed to her, she was to receive the recompense
of her faith only after seeing the knife of immolation raised
oyer the head of her child. It was only after her daughter
had made her profession, that the promise of the saiutly
Mother i·eceived its accomplishment. :Madame de Servière
had to wait four years.
'l1
hese years were for the mother a period of anxious
waiting. As for her courageous daughter, they passed by
in alternations of heroic struggles and signal victories, of
rapturcs and of desolations, by which the Divine Love con-
smnmates the ·purification of souls who have climbed to
the smnmit of perfection. Of an impetuous and sensitive
nature, ùy the power of grace she rose above herself. To
rnortify and conquer herself, and to unite he1·self with God,
was the constant oùject of her effo1·ts. 'Vlicn her vivacity
was checked, lier blood boiled, lmt shc perrnitted to escape
11eitltc1· a w01·d nor a movemcnt of impatience, and her
P111oi ion was h0i i·ayPd on1y ùy the blrn~hes on her face. ~ro
f'eel a rc1rngrnrncc for a thi11g was cnough for hcr to makc

359. SECOND JOURNEY TO AVIGNON 333
it lier dnty to do it. · She "'YOuld have liked always to
be ernployed in the most me11ial labors nnder obedience
to the Jay Sisters. Sorne would srarcely have the courage
to read all that this ehild had the courage to do in order
to rnortify lier taste.
Such generosity drew dmyn upon her abundant graces.
Often snch a fiame of loye was enkindled in her heart, that
she conld not bear its ardors, and she was obliged to apply
to her bosom a wet towel which in a moment became dry
from th~ heat. Sometimes such was the vehemence of that
love, that she was incapable of suppressing her feelings,
and she ran into the garden to call on the Sisters and
on all creatnres to love their Creator. In a transport she
said: "Dear Sisters, let us love Love! Oh! when shall we
have the blessing of seeing Increated Love!" And she prayed
for the wings of a dove to fly as soon as possible to her vVell-
. Beloyed.m
God regarded not the tenderness of her age, but had
in view the height of the perfection to which He called
her. He cansed His consolations to be succeeded by a state
of m·idity and terrible temptations. All her passions wrere
in revolt; meditation, that arsenal which before had fur-
nished her with arms for every kind of combat, became im-
possible. The courageous child had recourse to the Blessed
Virgin. Aided by her materna} protection, she sought
through mortification and perseverance in prayer, Him Who
had hidden Himself from her embrace. At times sbe ad-
dressed the plants and trees, former "'Vitnesses of her tram;-
ports; like the spouse in the Canticles, she asked thcm if
they had not seen Him Whom alone she loved more than
ever. She longed to see the end of the life in which it
is possible to lose J esus. Finally, He allowed ber to :find
Him, and hy the sweetness of His._sensible presence He
re,yarded her with the gift of tears.
By her supplications, the holy child sncceedcd in ben-d-
ing the Rule and the Superiors, and obtained the habit
of a novice six months before the age marked in the Cou-
~Jitutions. Shc had to purchase with a combat, the joys
lBiographies of the first Religious of the Monastery of Avignon.

360. 334 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE 11 ATEL
of that gi·eat day. Satan attacked her violently even on
the qne8tiou of her vocation for whicb she hnd sacrificed
all. 'Yith generons fidelity 8he slrnt her ears to hi~ lying
Yoice. The Incarnate ·Yord recornpensed he1· ùy a divine
fayor. Du1·ing the lfmŒ of the ceremony, He illumi11ed
her with a light in whicb He Himself saw ber and ~he saw
herself near the Divine King, her Spouse, like anotber
Esther, shining with beauty. Her soul was filled with so
many consolations that all her pains vanished. 'l'hat Mass
seemed to her to have lasted only a minute.
After this grace, animated by new strength, she ad-
vanced rapidly in perfection during her novitiate which
vas nownecl by the holy profession. She longed even for
this, less arclently than for Heayen where she would be
nnited to ber Sponse, not in the obscurities of faith, but
in the splendors of eternal beatitude. J esns had inspired
this desire and was inflamed with it more than she, and
He granted it promptly. On October 18, 1647, after a brief
illness: she took her ftight to the celestial country, en-
1·iched with immense treasures, although she had passed
only seventeen years on earth. lfadame de Servière, whose
maternal heart was twice immolated by separation from
her belove'l daughter, did not remain without consola-
tion. 'I'he child promisecl in compensation for her sac-
rifice, had been given to her. Sbe Yas able to thank
God for having made her the mother of a saint in Heaven
and of an -angel on earth.
'l"'he daughters of :Mother de Matel, and the people of
Avignon would have detained the Foundress for a long time.
nnt Monsignor Scarron, the Bishop of Grenoble, needed
to go to 1-'ai·is, and he dicl not wish to quit his episcopal
city lJefoœ secing the final establishment of the mouastery
of the lnearnate "Tord. From the first days after her ar-
l'ival at .Avignou, the Fouudress was consideri11g the means
to be taken for her dcpadure. 'l'he ~piritual and temporal
hlcssi11g-s witlt whidi lier first mo1rnstery had heen favored,
mulei· the wise dil'ectiou of Mother 1fargaret of ~Jesns, made
~rothei· de lfnte1 cast hcr eyes upon her as ber first choice
rm· HUJ><'l'Ïot'CHS :11~ Gre110hle. But the Vical' Gcncral beiug

361. SECOXD JOURXEY TO AYIGXOX
unwilling to co11sent to this proposal, she finally selected
Mothers Mary of the Roly Ghost, Teresa of .Jesus, .Jeanne
of the Passio11 a11d Pier1·ette of the Conception, who we1·e
joined b~r an excellent gil'l named Cecilia who woulcl fulfill
the office of portress.

362. CHAr~rER XIX
Foundation of the Monastery of Grenoble
1G43
As the good )fother, with he1· little colony, was goiug
fm·fü from the monastery of Avignon, she fel t as if ber
hcart diYided itself into two parts. ..r11
hose who stayed
l>ehind," she said, ""kept lrnlf of it.m In spite of the sor-
1·0-ws m1d tears of separation, the hearts that were pm·ted
were valiant. ~rl10se who were leaving were going awny
to lnl>m· for the extension of the glory of the Incarnate
'Vord. rrhey left Avignon on June 1, without pe1·mitting
ihemselves to l>e detained by the heavy rains which had
made the ronds almost impassable. rrhe pions canwnn
lwd not gone fa1· when it sav the entire country innndated.
The rivers had ovel'ftowcd theil· banks. Soon the roads
wcre like tonents; the travele1·s conld hardly find land
io move upon. ~rhey could scai·cely see more than the
headR of the horses, and the wate1· entered the cnniage
almost to the height of the seats. The Sisters had to stand
e1·ect. And most unfortunately, the vchicle. whieh was
hcavily loaded, was in snch a poor condition tlrnt it seerned
nhont to fall to pieces. rrhe driver and his aid came nem·
1osing their lives. Prior Bcrnanfon and the Sisters ,,~e1·e
frightcned but did not <lare to say anything, becanse the
pions ~Iother, all absorbed in God, remnined as peacefnl
m1d i·ecollected as if she had been in her orntory. rrhe
i·eligious, finally, were overcome by their incl'emüùg feal's,
and, following the example of the Apostles who nronsed
their lfaster sleeping throuµ;h the tempesi, they broke in
upon her rinietnde to urge lwr to heg the Jnem·rn1te
Vord to sm"e thcm from this pp1·i1. T'he ypu0rnble lfothc1·
wn8 then pcnefrn tell by these wm·tls of the Prnphet: / n
m uri v ia "l lfa) et sc111i1:<1 c t uac ·in oquis 11111ltis: tn es Deus
qui f acis m ira bilfo. "~rhy rO,:'d is in the ~e~•, nnd 'l'hy paths
J A11 tographic Life, ch. XCIII.
~3G

363. FOUNDA'l'ION OF THE l'IIONASTERY OF GRENOBLE 337
are in the many waters; Thon art God, nTho dost wonders.m
She felt ber soul filled with admfration and confidence, and
was contemplating the Almighty 'Yisdom which, to attain
its me1·ciful ends, knows how to make for Itself a road
through the midst of inundating waters of contradictions.
She s·ays: "Ho,yever, so as not to appear insensible, I
prayed You and Your holy lfother, to turn Your eyes of
mercy upon us, for the Prior and onr Sisters 'vere in great
fear, lest they shonld perish in this deluge."2
Humanly speaking, these fears were more than we11
founded. 1"'he water rose so high i hat the unfol'tnnate
eqnipnge ftoated. 'l"'he w01·thy Mother relates: ""Fol' n
long time onr carriage was bo1·11e along and held up hy
Yom· divine power. 'Yhen these pel'ils had ceased the
Pri01· and onr Sisters admired Yonr Providence over n~,
arnl believed that St. Raplwel and a11 Yom· angels had been
· onr mirnculous guides. 'Ye clrnnted the Tr Dcu m in thanlrn-
giving."3
'Yhat the veneni.hle lfother cloes not mention,
but was well understood by her ti-aveling companions,
was that hel' confidence and p1'aye1·s had no small pm·t in
obtaining this miral'nlons assisümce.
After l'nnning so many risks they arTiYed safe and
sonnd at Grenoble, on 'yednesday, June 3, the vigil of
Co11nu.; Cln·isti. To aceede to the desires of lfonsign01·
who wished to bless them before they were cloistered in
their l'OllYent, the~~ got out at his })alace, although it was
nh,endy eight o'clock in the evening. r:rhe goocl Prelate
could not restrain his joy. He wished the eanonical estab-
lishment to be made the next dny, and as the proximity of
his departure for Paris did not permit bim to vreside iH
pel'son, he delegated lL Bonffin to represent him. 'l"'he
pions Fonndress writes: "'l1he next day on Your holy feast,
the Prior of Croixil saicl Mass and exposed the Blessed
Sncrament, and our 1·elip;ions said the office in choir.''t
A~ there 'nts no m~tenso1·inm or ciborium, the exposition
l'onld be made only in the tabernacle in whieh wel'e plneed
1Ps. LXXVI.
~.Autographie Life, ch. X CIII.
3lbidem.
-!Autographie Life, cll. XCIII.

364. 338 LIFE OU' JE.ANNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
the large Host on the· paten and the small ones in the
chalice. In the aftel'noon, aftei· the chanting of vespers,
the celeb1·ated Father Al'nonx gaye an exhortation at which
a nurne1·ous congregation was lH'esent, for the ladies and
gentlemen of Grenoble wl10 were so eager to visit l1other
de lfatel, were not less so to wekome hel' danghters.
After the cel'emonies, Monsignor Scarron, who had not
been able, in spite of hü; great desil'e, to go to hü; new
monaster·.r, sent bis caniage to bring the lIother Foundres~
to his place. He wished to speak to her before his depm·-
tnre which was to take place the next day, at four o'clock
in the morning. He iufonned her thnt the enemy of the
Incarnate îVord had again made maehinations against His
work dnring her absence; and that he had attempted, but
in vain, to turn her Bishop against her ùy making certain
persons write to him not to trust her. He again assured
her of bis pate1·nal deYote<lness and lffomised to co-operate
with the Chancellor to procure the ln·ompt establishment
of ber monaste1·.v of Paris, and, on taking leaYe of he1·,
wished he.r conntless blessings for herself and he1· danghters.
'rl1ese blessings of the chief Shephe1·d bo1·e fruit in the
infant conunmiity, and soon enriched. with a choice harvest,
the gl'anary of the heavenly Father. The new· community
had seai·cely been installed when a beantiful and intelli-
gent gü-1 of fifteen years, came in tears to conjure lIother
de )fatel to open to her the doors of her sanctuary. She
was named )fagdalen Dupré and belonged to a Pl'otestant
fnrnily who lrnd lwought her up in theiy sect. Trnth soon
dnwned in her soul· and inspired her with sueh hwe that
i-;lte wishe<l withont <lelay to emhraee Catholicism and con-
i-;ec1·ate lte1·se1f in the 1·eligions life.
To grnnt snclt n petition w·as not only to receive a suù-
jed who wonld be a tinancial bnl'den to the monastery, as
~lagdalen would eel'tainly be diRinhel'ited, lmt was also to
take the 1·Üd: of the YPllge<tnce or the llngue11otfo;. But in
the ltcm·t of thP goo<l ~fot-he1·, tlie~e C'Olli-;ide1·atiorn; could
110(- J>l'P'êlÎl OV(~]· hPI' pity for the intei·cRting child, 01· ove1·
tJtp <lei-;il·c iHi-;pi1·e<l hy lier own zcal. She l'PeeiYed ~1er.
?liell the 1·elati'PN of )fog<lalcn 1em·11etl tlrnt shc had en-

365. FOUND~_TIOX OF THE ~IOX.iSTERY OF GREXOBLE 339
tered a cloister) they 'yere in a fnry and threatened
to se'ize her and take her ont, no matter Yhat this
might cost. Intimidations, supplications, and promises
we1·e all tried, 'Yithout making her change her resolution.
Xot 1rnving sncceeded in shaking her resolve, they took
the affair befol'e the Parliament and dernanded its author-
ization to take her out by force. The Court, after exarn-
ining the question, decided . on a course which was ery
wise. I t decreed that a commission, half-Catholic: and
half-Hugnenot, named by itself, shonld go to the rnonas-
tery, 'Yith the relatfres of the young girl, and that she should
appear before this assernbly and be interrogated on her
change of religion. After this, full liberty should be gfren
her to abjure her en·or or to perseyere in it, to become
a religions or to return to the world. This deCl'ee caused
a great commotion in Grenoble. All the windows looking
·clown on the place where the jnterrogatories were to be
taken, "Tere engaged by personages of the greatest distinc-
tion.
At the hour appointed, an enormous crowd in "Thich the
Huguenots and their ministers predominated, iiwaclecl the
avenues leading to the conYent. )lagclalen, before going
out, obtained from )lother de )latel and the cornmissioners
a promise that the door wonld remain open dm·ing all the
time of the interrogations. Strong in the blessing of the
saintl~T )lother and the prayers of her daughters, she enters
the arena. As she appears outside, her youth, beauty, and
modest self-re1ianee evoke from the crowd a murmur of
admiration. Her relatfres ru~h upon her with cries of0 .
rage and tenderness. They are helcl back by the guards
who had escorted the commission. The jndges impose
silence. have Jfagdalen placed in the. middle of the encir-
cling assembly, forbid any one to approach her, and the
interrogatory commences.
The young heroine is far from being intimidated by all
this array and, as )lother de Bély relates, "she feels in
herself sueh light and strength that she is able to defy,
not only the heretics, but also the miserable troop of in-

366. 340 LIFE OF JE.ANNE CHEZ.ARD DE ll.ATEL
fcrnal sph-its with the woi-ld and the flesh.m For every
fp1Cstio11 and objection she hm; an «111swer which is' clear
mal frimnplrnnt. She gives ·1·easons for the faith that is
ü1 her, with snch precision that she shows mauifestly that
she is assisted by divine aid. Finally, in the preseuce of
that multitude of spcctators, she solcmnly abjures the heresy
in which she w·as born, and formally declares that it is
her will to live and die in the Roman Catholic Ohurch.
Yociferous menaces reply to these words. Magdalen's
relatives swear to set fire to the couvent if she goes back
]nto it. 'l"he commission silences this tumult aud declares
to the young neophyte tliat she will have full liberty, not
only to profess the Catholic religion, but also to embrace
the vocation she may choose, and that, whether she stays
in the world or shuts hei·self ùp in a.' cloister, she will re-
main under the protectiou of the Parliament. She replies:
"I desire nothing else but the happiness of consecrating
myself to the service of the Incarnate îVord in the mon-
aste1·y fro1Ù which I have jnst corne out by obedience."2
Having said these words, she salutes the assembly and
})asses so rapidly ove1· the space which separates her from
her dear couvent, that her relatives who dart ·forward
to seize her, reach the cloister door only after i t has closed
hehincl her. She is followed by a storm of menaces, clamors~
am1 groans, but she is in the haven, returning than ks to
God who has given her victory and to the good Mother
who is 1n·essing her to her heart. ·
.After the crowd had dispersed, one of lIagdalen's uncles
came to ask to speak to her at the grille. He appeared all
sweetness and made demonsfrations of great affection for
ber and placecl in bis bat hanclfnls of gold aud silver which
lie p1·esented to her, while saying: "I know, my dear niece,
that yon have brongl~t to this house nothing but your own
dem· self. no me the favor of inking all yon need, for
l offl•1· it in pm·e love for you.'~ :l She saw this was a snare
m1<l ihauke<l him for his offer alH1 assnrcd him that she
11fonnsc ript lfe mnir hy lTnt1H'r <l e Hély, eh. :XI.
2fl>i<fom .
:l] hi df' l1l .

367. J;"'OUNDATION OF' THE ~lONASTERY OF GRE~OBLE 341
would not be pel'lnittecl to lack anything. She judged
i·ight. After the failure of this :first artifice, others we1·e
tried. Eve1·y clay brought a new wile or a new assault.
An aunt who lwcl bronght ~Iagdalen up and cherished her
niece most tendel'ly, multipliecl ber attempts in concert with
Magdalen's eldest sister. But the com·ageous girl triumphed
over all.
-nrhen she was clothed in the holy livery of the Incarnate
Torcl, the assailants began to lose hope. Two years after
she had made her profes·sion, the Divine Spouse granted
her the grace of gathering the fruits of her tears and sac-
rifices. Her sister and the aunt who had been a rnother
to ber, enlightened by grace, were the :first to recognize their
error, and embraced the Catholic religion which they had
so strongly attacked. Afterwards several other members
of the family Yere conyertecl and chose to make their ab-
.jn_ration in the monaste1·y chapel. Among the nnmber were
two young ladies who also implored the favor of being ad-
mitted as daughters of the Incarnate Word.
Their request was generously granted. In order not to
impose too great a bnrden upon the house of Grenoble
which had just been established, and likewise to take them
aw·ay from the incessant attacks which were made against
them, they Yere sent to the house of Avignon, in wbich they
had a long and edifying career. As for lIagdalen, the fervor
of her prayers and immolations soon consumed the holo-
caust which she hacl macle of herself to obtain these con-
soling i·eturns. After :five years of the religions life, she
went to receive the crown which had been merited bv her. "'
generous victories.
lIother de lIatel coulcl not long continue relishing the
joy procured to ber by the sight of this new sanctuary
erected ·for the glory of ber w·ell-beloved Incarnate Word.
'rl1e state of ber h_ealth became alarming. The heat which
was excessive, increased her suffering every day. The physi-
cians would not ai1sYer for ber life unless she immediately
Yent to Lyons, to follow a rigid treatment. On the other
hancl, her friends in Pal'is nrgecl her to corne to that city

368. 342 LIFE 011' JE.NXE CHEZAnD DE lLTEL
to fou11d he1· thil'd rnoua~tery. ~he was t1rns forced to
thill k of her <lepal'ture and of confiding that infant family
to t11e Provide11ce of her tlem· Spouse. ~rhe pain she felt
in abandonillg it ~o soon, was alleviated by the devoted-
ness of the venc1·ab1e Pri01· of C1·oixil, ::L de Bouffin, "'ho
1n·omised hcr to take i11terest in all that co11cerned the wel-
fare of the monasie1·y. He kept his word so Yell, that up
to his dcath, that i~, foi· thirty years, he was its protector,
connse]o1·, and fathe1·, Yithont eYer accepting any retribn-
ti on f01· his se1·vice~.
This virtuouR ecde:-;ia~tic, a brother of .)fodame de Revel,
was i·enowued for snnctity iu all Grenoble. As soon as he
beemne ncquainted with .Mother de llatel, he felt for her
the ine~d8tib1e attraction iusp.irecl in saints by the meeting
of souls "'ho ]ove God ardently. 'l'he heart of the de.vont
P1·ior n1s itself so inflamed with diviue lo,,e, that while
making exhortations to the Sisters on this snbject, he some-
times became speechless.
l_fother de Bé1y relates : "I was a hoarding pupil at
G1·enob1e for fi ve years, and on severa] occasions I saw
him in an ecstasy while sflying 1lass, so that his server
wns obljged to pull his alb, to make him C'Ome back to him-
~elf and finish the Holy Sacrifice. 'Ye eould not assist at
ltis Mass vithout perceiving his fe1·voi of which we spoke
with all the rno1·e admiration, as this 1'1·i01· had been most
playful with us, shortly before thus fasting God and His
Rw-eetness." Thus lIother de lIatel con1d feel great secu-
1·ity in leaving the care of her daughters to the zeal and de-
votedness of this g1·eat servaut of God. 'rhc1·efore, nftcr
hm·ing, on June RO, named Sister Tel'e;.;a of ~JeRns 8nJJe-
1·i01·e~s, and Siste1· .Jeanne of the PasRion A~~i~tant of her
monaster·y of Grenoble, she depal'tcd for Lyon~ whel'e 8he
anivNl on .Jnly ~' JG-13.
'1'11e goo<l ::lother, after her i·ch11·11 to lier fami1y on the
holy ::l omit, took the re111edies deman<led by the acntc painR
f'1·orn w1tie1t slte wn~ ~11ffe1·ing, lrnt- at the ~ame tirnc ocen-
piP<l l1e1·~p]f wit·Jt t-11e nffair of Pm·i~. J-l(ll' friend8 in the
<·êtpit:tl we1·<> ndive i11 lH·1· helialf. 'l'lto:--;c inte1·e;.;te<l i11 hcr

369. F'OUNDA'l'lON m~ 'l'HE ::.IO~AS'fERY OF GUEXOBLE 343
work counseled haste. It "'as feared that the enemies of
the Chancellor, w-ould cause the Seal8 to be taken away from
ltim nfter the deatlt of Louis XI II, which happened on
~lny 14. )fr. de Servient, the nmbnssador to rrurin, an-
nouneed that )fr. Séguier was no longer Chancellor oi-
Keeper of the Seals, and that these two offices had been
given to 1fr. de Chatemmenf. The I ncarnnte Yord im-
pressed the heart of the 'Yortliy ~fother 'dth ~neh confi-
dence in His not having rejeeted he1· supplications on
this matter, tltat slte assnred the ambassndor tltat notlt-
ing of the kind lwd taken place. "Rire, she said to him,
'".rom· son and yonr <langhter have not been asked from ·
Heaven rnm·e confidingly than T ask from it the continua-
tion of the Keeping of the Seals by )fr. Ségnier. There-
fore I hope tltat HeaYen heanl me, in spite of my own
unworthiness." rrhe ambnssad01· i·ep1ied: --~Iadnme, it is
· trne thnt I owe the health of nff chil<lren to vom· hol r. , '- ~
praye1·s, and f 1oye to believe that ~Ir. S~~:uie1· will con-
tinue to be Keeper of the Senls."1
Tn fad, )fr. de Servient.
a short while before, lrnd heen wonnded in liis most tender
affeeiion~ and had corne to the good ~lothe1· to conjure
her to take pity on him and fo beg from God the enre of
Ids two children. For thirteen days the fever had kept
them nem· death. 'rI1e tears of tlte afflicted father hnd moved
the heal't of the pions Foundress, nnd had drawn from
her one of those prnyers which her DiYine Sponse lrnew
i10t how to resist. ~rhe little patients were restm·ed tu
health.
~rhe UiYiue )faster, not only did not ln·eak _Hi~ word,
but n1Ro renew,.ed the miracnlons 1)Iedge by whieh He 1w<l
responded to he1· prayers iu favor of ~Ir. St~guier. Here is
what she Rnid of thi~: '·:Host dear Love, 'Yl10 take plemmre
in hearing Yonr lover nnd cmmot bear to see her tl'onbled,
on the next day, hy sw'eetest odors Yon con fi rmed Yom·
promise to me that )fr. Ségnier lwd ngnin re(·eiYe<l the Real~
from the little King Lonis XIY :~ Tesfi1J1011ia tua crediùiliu
I.e u tographic Life, ch. XCIII.
~Ibidem.

370. 344 LIFE OF JE..NNE CHEZARD DE JIA'l'EL
jacta 81t nt nimis. '~Your testimouies have been made ex-
ceedingly credible.''1
The event once more ve1·ifietl what the good Mother had
fo1·etold. lfr. de Se1-yient and others snw for themselves
the power of her inte1·cession and the reality of her super-
natural lights.
llother de lIatel did not have long to wait to reap the
fruit of her prayers. lfr. Séguier was continued in his offices,
and one of the first favors which he solicited from Amie
of Ausfria, who was Regent during the minority of her son,
was the aufüo1·ization to e1·ect in the capital a monastery
of the lncai·nate 'Y01·cl. He hacl no üouble in obtaining it,
as the Queen herself had alreacly manifested ber clesfre for
the Fonndrcss to corne and establish herself in Paris. 'l'here-
fore the letters patent were deliYered. Bnt this was not
the sole formality to be gone through and even the powei·
of the Chancellor had to face many ill-,Yishers. Sorne traces
of these contradictions are found in the correspondence of
the good llother at that epoch, but her charity veils them
so discreetly that not one name of her adversaries has been
handed down to us, m1d her soul oppressed by these new
frials exhales nothing but the frngrance of swcetest lrn-
mili ty.
She writes to the Abbot of Cél'Îs~r : "Since I am so im-
pe1·fect, I should not expeet anything bnt the contcmpt
which I merit and whfrh is not disagreenble to me, as I
adm·e Him who pe1·mits this with equity. :fy dear son,
if in Grenoble my danghters have enemies who are friemls
of Ood, and if in Lyons God Himself sends me bodily pnills,
doeN He do me au injustice by permitting or even pedinps
rn·deri11g tha t in Paris I be blamed as n sinfnl womau ·?
:fy selfiNhne~s which engencle1·s thonsmHlN and thonsmHls
of irn1w1-feetiollN, hm·t~ me worse tlum all the tnlk tlrnt af-
fli<'tN yon. Let thern ~ay all they plea~e. I dese1·ve t-lwt
they woul<l :-.;;1y mo1·e thm1 they <lo. A11<1 even if 1 wei-e
i111to<'ell t, thei 1· li ~u·<l ~ayi 11gN won] d be all oetw~i oll taken
1 Ps. XClI, 5.

371. FOU:ND.ATIOX OF THE ~IOX~.STEiff OF GilE~OBLI~ 34:5
"by the Divine Good11ess to fayor me and to open Ilis meek
and pitying eyes to look on rny imperfections.'n
She does not rnake known what ~he ~utfel'ed m01·e <..:leal'ly
than the pe1·so11s who caused her to snffel'. IIowever, some
passages in ber lctters, seem to indicate that hp1· adversaries,
who saw that the.r conld not prevent the fonndation, since
it had been permitted by the Queen, schemed that she wonld
he pe1·mitted to settle only in a snbm·b of Pal'is. On Jm1e
22, she wrote to the Abbot of Cérisy: "Yon are going throngh
the expe1·ience of the Blessed Mother, as described by St.
Lnke, when she was consfrained to lay her Dauphin iH
the mange1·: Et rcclinavit c1tm in praescpio quia non rrnt
cis locus in divcrsorio. ·•.And she laid Him in the manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn."2
Yon
also see verified the words of St. John: In j)ropria vcnit
.rt sui eum 1lon rcccpcrunt-. •·He came nnto His own and
His own receiyed Him not.''3
Bnt know from Him :. Quotquot
autcni receperuu_t cum. dedit cis potestatrm fil ios Dei .fl«cri.
"'Bnt as many as 1·eceived Him, to them He gaYe the power
to become the sons of God."4
All tlrnse ingratitudes cannot
snceeed in preven ting the design which Divine Love has of
making a new Incm·nation. Although the Incarnate 'Vord
was put out of the City which was troubled at His coming,
He, nevertheless, fulfilled the prophecies. It was there that
He was named the King of those who did not want Him,
aJl(l that He was recognized as the true Son of God. If
we can be established in the faubourg Saint-Germain, this
will be according to my liking. If a honse cnnnot be pur-
elwsed soon, one will have to be leased.''5
'rhis lm~t course
was decided upon. For about six months, Mothei; de lfatel
had been receiving a kind of admonition concerning the
choice of this locality. In the year 1642, during the night
of Novernber 17 and 18, in a dream she was in a fanbourg
of Paris. There she saw St. Denis arrayed in his pontifical
iLetter from Mother de l'Iatel to the Abbot of Cérisy dated Lyons.
July 28. 1643.
2Luke II, 7.
3John I, 11.
4John I, J 2.
0Letter from Mother de Matel to the Abbot of Cérisy, dated Grenoble,
June 22, 1643.

372. 3JG LIFE OF .JI~.XXE CHEZ.IlD DE ~LTEL
v0stments, followe<l hy a multitude of peovle aHd assistecl
by a g1·cat m1111he1· of saill ts. .Among these she noticed
cspecially St. Peter, ~t. Panl, and St. )bu-tin. St. Paul
was telling St. Vcnis what to do in that solcmnity, in
01·der to shmY himself the üue Hisho1) of Pm·is. St. Paul
was likewise making )lother de ~Intel nuderst:li1d that shc
should take her I)lacc mnong the attendants of tlwt Prelate
'Yl10 was giying this magniticent IJOntifical welcome to the
g101·.v of the Incanwte Vord, becanse the time for His estab-
lishment in the faubourg Saint-Germain, was near at hand.
.A..s an ancient histm·üm says: ""'l"'his sulrnrb, at that time,
was the cesspool, not only of Pai·is, but a lso of the whole
of France, and was nsed as headquarters by all the liber-
tines, atheists, and others who lived disol'Clerly lives."1
'l"'here the Protestants wc1·e 1rnmcrons and professed their
religion so pnblicly that it was nidrnamed Little Gcncva.
By locating, in the midst of this resort, the ym·k in which
eyerything rccalled His well-beloved Son .in whom He is
well please<l, God, Vho wonld have spared the fiye eities
in consicleration of ten just men, was p1·eparing foi· the
regene1·ating mission whieh He had eontided to M. Olier,
an element of success, the po,ye1· of which was known to
Jiim alone. Father Canli of the 01·der .of St. Dominic
wrote to the Foun<lress: ""l am 1·avished with joy at see-
ing, for the g101·y of fiod and for om· g1·cat consolation,
the holy and ncw Order, all heaming with light, purity and
eharity, thus honol'Ïng om· fan hom·g by its presence. I
offer you ü1 advancc all the setvices which the servants
of Gocl in this housc can reude1· you, hoth hef'ore God and
bcfore men.m
T'hrongh the iuflue1H·e of th(~ Abbot of Cp1·i:-;y, a house
sitnated in the faubourg Rai11t-Oe1·11rni11, wa~ Jpnsed i11 thP
namc of lfothe1· de lIatel. Rhe received this news in a
letter from Fat-11e1· Cané, dnted .J11ly 1G, in whid1 he wrote:
'•:fy good au<l <lc>m· <lnughte1·, l'Orne io P"1·i~ p1·ornptly. Yon
will fi])(l l)PJ'P a hom:c laq.!,·p1· mHl rn01·c hcautifnl thm1 the
1Abe lly, 1I c h. llT.
~ Lctt 0 r from F'atlwr (;nrré to Moth0r <le' lfat0l, dntecl PariR, .Tuly
11 , 1r, 4:~ .

373. FOUND_.TIOX O:E' THE lIOX.'..STEUY OF GREXQBLE 3J7
Divine 'Yord had at His Incarnation. 'r11e chapel of Loretto
ha~ not one-twentieth of the room that the Incarnate -nrord
has prepared for you in Paris. I say in Paris. since the
city will soon take into its limits our own suburb, as it
bas already doue in the case of the snbm·b of Saint-Honoré.
To-day I have seen yom· lodo·in°·s which will be ye1·y corn-._ • b b •
modions aud ·airy. 'l"hey have been well ~elected by the
Abhot of Cérisy) ·who manages your business as if it 'yere
his own.
''Yesterday I saw the Lord Chancellor. Afte1· lrnving
eonverRed with him for some time, I thanked him for hon-
ol'ing you by bis favor. He said the follmving words:
·~fothe1· de lfatel is my friend whom I cherish and will
assist ber in everything.' I then told him of the sentiment~
T had eYer had towflrds yon. I lrnow that the Lord Chancel-
. .Jor and bis esteemed ~pouse, and the Abbot of Cérisy have
great affection for yon. ~rhe Bishop of ~[etz is .overjoyed
at the prospect of your roming.•n
The eminent religions was himself especially eager foi·
her anival. He expresses this to her in terins which charm
by their humility, and shmY the measnre of the esteem in
which the worthy Foundres~ was beld by those who knew
ber the best. ''.....las, my good ehild, yon are coming here
in the time of my mn1 grent need of yon. I am on the point
of 1aying down the bnrden of Snperior. which I have been
eanying very unworthily since you left PariR, and I am
leaning on the hope that yon will help me by yonr holy
prayers and counsels to repafr the faults tbat I have eom-
mitted dnl'ing my proviucialship. I shall try not to be
troublesome to yon, so that no one will be able to ·complain.
T shall take your time only when yon have nothing else to
do. Bnt thiR will be rm·ely. I commend to yon our
Xovitiate, that it mny })len~e the Inearnate "Yorcl to givc
it His spil'itual arnl eternnl ble~sings and to grant to my
poor self the graee tu repair, ùy my penanccs, the fault~
which I luwe eommittetl b.'; m.Y negligences. I beg a favor.
On yonr way to yonr Lo1·etto, cunld you stop to salnte
1Letter of July 16. 1G43 , frnm Father Carré to lIother ùe lIatel.

374. 3:18 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
the Incarnate 'Yord in our church, and thank Him there
for the favors He has gJ·antcd ns t111·ough you? I am pained
at your recommending yom·~e]f to my fervor. I have neve1·
bceu fei·vent. I am as cold as ice. You will do a good
w01·k by praying the Incm·nate 'Yord to warm me with
the fire which He came to cast upon the earth. 'Vith all
my heart I beg you for this.1
~T. B. Ü.ARREJ ,Jacobin/)
As everything lrn.d been prepared, letters we1·e sent froni
the Chancery, urging the venerab1e ~fothcr to hasten her
de1mrtm·e from Lyons. Monsignor Scarron, who was still
at Pm·is and was zealously promoting this affair, 01·de1·ed
his i·epresentative to scnd to Lyon~~ two of the Siste1·s of
Grenoble for the fonndation of Paris.
1f. Bernardon was begged to go to Grenoble to" bring
back lfother lfary of the Roly Ghost and 1fother 1f. of
the Conception. On his arrival at the couvent, he finds
that the doors are closed and the Sisters absent. ~rhe pest
had broken out in the city and the Pri01· of Croixil had
ananged that his father, the Baron de Bouffin, would re-
ceive the litt1e commnnity in his home at Uriage, some
kilometres distant from Grenoble. 'rlrn11Ju; to this tem-
J>orar,v exile, the separation of the above nmned Sisters
was able to be made without any noise. 'rl1e 1fother Found-
ress, to replace the two Siste1·s who were called away,
sent with little Luc1·etia de Bély, Sister Elias de la
Pcpinie1·e, one of the seniors in the Congregatio11. Hcr m·-
1·ival was 1n·ovidentia1. IIcr remal'lrnble talent for teal'h-
ing was destined to be a great help.
'rhc sojom·n of the Sisters at Uriage was an irnpo1·t<rnt
cvcnt in that locality. Al1 wished to see and hem· thcrn.
'l'hc wol'thy 1fotlH•1·~ <·onshrntly spoke of things of snlvation
to ]H1 1·~on~ w1to~l1 viNii~ ihcy could not evadc, and they so011
pel'('PÎYP<l thnt iho~p ]>001' veoplc lin•d ÏH CXil'PlllC ig1101'alll:C
of 1 ·pliµ;io11~ tJ·11ih~ êllHl p1·a<'tit<•s. ..s 1fothc1· <le 13(1
1.Y re-
l:li <·~: ""rl'he1·c W<11'P ~orne nged p<'HNëlll f-:;;; who did not k11ow
the Our Villll<"r eithp1· in F1·P11l'h or in T..atin, and iherc wc1·e
1Lette r of 1~'t1lh er Carré to lIother de llatel , July 16, 1643.

375. FOUNDA'l'ION OF THE MONASTEUY OU' GRENOBLE 349
others who had not been to confession for :fiftee.n or twenty
years, and had their hearts full of vindictiveness and spoke
of little but revenge.m
~rhe Sisters organized catechism classes in a large parlo1·
of the house where the Prior said Mass. Rich and IJOOr
fiocked there from the Yillage and its vicinity, especially
on Sundays and holydays. The zeal of these pious lIothers
Yas greatly blessed. Those poor people conceivecl such con-
fidence in them that they made them the arbitrators of
their differences and abidecl by their clecisions. rrhe Sisters
induced them .to be reconciled with one another and to
make co11fessions of their whole lives. Swearing and lying
Vere their predominant vices, for which the Siste1·s üied
to inspire horror, and suceeeded so well that some cor-
rected themselves completely and persevered in their con-
version until death.
The fame of this success soon spread in Grenoble and
causecl all to long for the retnrn of the little community,
w·ho likewise were cager to be back in their dear cloister.
As soon as the community came back, the foremost families
confided to it the education of their daughters. · Lucretia
de Bély, then ten years of age, afterwards w1·ote she had
had as companions of her own First Communion in the
school at Grenoble, Misses de Hevel, de Lionne, de Saint-
Germain, de Servient, Hodieux and others whose names
w"ere mnong the greateRt in Dauphiny, and also the daugh-
ter of the First President de Pignerol, I ..ouiRe de Saurel
whom Ye will meet later on, as the Superio1·esR of the mon-
astel'ies of Paris and Grenoble.
11fanuscript Memoir by Mother de Bély, ch. XII.

376. CHAP~rEn XX
Foundation of the Monastery ~f Paris
lG-!3-1644
~rhe arrival at J_,yons of lfother lfary of the Roly Ghost,
and Uothe1· lf. of the Conception, pe1·mitted the immediate ,
departure of Mother de lfotel for Paris. "'ïth the help
of St. Anne, the worthy Foundress had recovered her health
snffieiently to sustain the fatigues of the jour1~y. On July 181
she w1·ote to the Abbot of Cérisy: BI have not been dis-
ap1>0inted in my hope of obtaining, by her intercession, the
gifts of grace for my soul and of health for my body, to
make me ready for the jonrney to Paris when her grand-
Son and great God slwll will thiR. She is too powe1·ful with
Him, tl11·ough the influence of her incomparable daughter,
to be i·efused her requests, and He loves to grant the peti-
tions presented to Him by the hands of that strong woman.''
On Augm~t 7, after having confided the care of the house
at Lyons to RiNter Helen Gibalin, she emb~wked for the cap-
ital, accornpanied by Pri01· Bernardon, Sister Elizabeth
(hasseteau, and Sister F1·a11ces Gravier, her secretary.
As we have aheady seen, w·henever lfother de lfatel had
to quit her blessed retreat where the soil had been enriched
by the blood of martyrs, and th~ dew of Heaven descended
on her in sueh abnndance, sadne~f-' invaded ber soul. This
;..;adness was now all the greater as ~he was exchnnging the
~weet veace of he1· solitude, foi· the distradion~ and Re1·vi-
hHles of the ca1)iütl. 8he said: "Dear Love, I desired that
the bloo<l whieh flowed and ·boiled on that h~)l~· lIount of
Gonl'guillon, ü1 the dnys of so many mm·tyrs, conld have fol-
lowed rne ns füe water from the i·ock is said to ltnve fol-
]owPd t-he people of fa1·a~l. Yon well snw ihat my f'onl was
;..;onowful frorn <h·erul of ilte g·1•<}at 'Ol'ld. But aN 1hêHl110
<lP:-;i1·e exl'.ept to ~êHTifü_·p myNelf fol' Yom· glol'y êll(l ilie Bêll-
rn1 i011 of 111y 11eigl1h01·, 1'"" l'e111e111hp1•<._}d wllêlt HL Pêtnl :-;êlid
to t.he l:OlllêlllN: U nu::;q111/1ue 1)('S{ J'tfln pro.1·i11w 8110 vluccut
350

377. FOUXDATIO~ OF 'J'HE ::.IOXASTEiff OF PARIS 351
in uo11 u1n ad acdificatiàIl cm) etcni 111 Cli rist Ils uoIl si7J i p7acuit.
"'Let eve1·yone please his neighbor nnto good, to edification.
I~'or Ch1·ist did not please Himself.'-'1
And 1 renounced the
pleasures I had enjoyed in solitude and the consolation of
my own soul on the holy Monnt at L.rons.''2
rrhis sacrifice of the venerable )lother reeeived an im-
mediate recompem.;e in a special protedion dm·ing he1·
travels. '')lost dear Love," she r·elates, •·my repugnance at
leaving Lyons did not stop me on the wny. I stormed the
heav~ns, the earth and the waters, and I p1·ayed Your angels
to lead ns in speed and in health, so thnt we might aITÏYC
at Paris on the day of the triumphant Assnmption of Your
glorious llother, so as to be able to cledicate to her our
enti-y and all that would follow it. )ly p1·ayer was granted
contrary to the expectations of the boatmen. 'fhe Loire
was so low that they thought we would be stopped on the
sand bars. But, to their wonder, your holy angels made the
waters rise to sueh a height that the bontmen were aston-
ished at ~eeing this increase in their depth, ·without any
rain having fallen on our course and "Yithont any sign that
it had rained elsewhere. 'Ye stopped almost t"YO days at
Orleans. The coachman who droye us from Orleans to
Paris was amazed at arriYing early in the afternoon, on the
day of the Assumption, which was on 8aturday, after having
left Orleans late on Friday. He fearecl to be reprimanded
for having driYen too fast and went ont of his i·oad to go
nem·ly all around Paris, "Yhich we entered by the gate of
Saint-Honoré. There wa~ then no bridge near the Louvre.m
As we have seen, the friends of )lother de :~latel had
lmsied themselves to fincl a dwelling, for ber, and we do
not kno"~ hy what conjunctnre the little colony, on its ar-
rjyal at Paris, could find an asylnm only in a sort of stable
which had been serving a~ temporary qnarters for animals.
'rhis occ1nTence gave to the my-stic bfrth which the Incar-
nate W'"ord then wished to receiYe from the saintly )fother,
n neY featnre of resemblance to His birth at Bethlehem,
1 Rom, XV, 2, 3.
2.--utographic Life, ch. XCIII.
3Ibidem.
f3 îllihri.5

378. L IF'E OF' .J E~..NNE CHEZ~.llD DE :JI ATEL
ml(_l tln·ew hcr soul i11to a transport of joy. She c1·ies ont:
''King of kings, Lonl of lonls, sovereign Monarch of Henven
nu<l cm·th, nlthongh several personages of great distinction
ha<l hecn eage1· to offer lodgings to Yom· daughtc1·s, Yom·
P1·m"idence <lesil'e<l that, on the evening of -our ~nrival nt
Pai·is, we should fiud no 1·oom, so that we conld say in
Rome manner: Non crnt ris locus iIl d ivcrsorio. "There was
no i·oom for them in the inn.''1 And t.r a happy necessity,
that fü·st night we laid down in a smnll room which wns
lower than the pavemellt of the street. If it hnd not had
a chinmey, it wonld have been more properly called a statle,
n~ it wns at that time the abode of seve1·al domestic animals.
l entered it with unspeakatle joy as it reminded me that
Yum· holy llother and ber dear spo-l1se St. Joseph were
v01·se lodged on the night of Your holy Nativity, and tlrnt
thiB attracted the angels of Heaven to corne and sing Yonr
friumph over the glory of the world and the vain pei·ishatle
riches of the em·th, and to praise the trne glory of Your
DiYine Father in the highest heavens. and to admire the
pence which you t1·011ght on earth to yonr holy :Iothe1·,
8t..Joseph, and all men of good will.'n
At the reqnest of Father Carré, Mother de lIatel stopped
to salute the Incm·nate 'Yord in the chnreh of the c01went
of the Dominieans. Immediately the good father had snp-
per taken to the new commnnity, and came to visit it in
its little retreat. An hour Inter, the Abbot of Cé1·isy came,
hy tm·chlight, to bl'ing them the welcomes of the Chancellor
and his wife. As it wns lnte, his stny wns brief. He enme
hack ·eal'ly the next mol'ning, accompaniell ty the 11.,ather
P1·ocnrntor of the AblJey of Saint-Germnin.
'rhe ~nlm1·t of that name, althongh sitnated in the ont-
ski 1·tR of rm·i~, WHS n11der the jm·isdiction of the Bi~hop
of -Lletr,, w·ho WHR AhlJot of Saint-Germain and I..ol'd of' the
:..:nlrn1·h. The P1·i01·f4 of the Abbey were cx-officio, Vicars
Ge11p1·n J. l 11 vi1·t11e of these powe1·s, Dom H1·achet delegated
1-l1e V,athc1· P1·ocm·at01· to ha11t1 to the~ Fom1d1·eRR the b1·evet
of 1forndg11or of ~fetr,, :md to assm·c ht1
1· of the kind re-
lLuke IT, 7.
21 11tng-r:i phic Li fr , ch. XCIV.

379. FOUXD.:TIO~ OF THE :IOXASTEilY OF PARIS 353
garcls of that Prelate, "-ho was r.r-officio the hnmediate
Snpe1·ior of the new mo11a~te1·y. The lt·iters lmtent of the
King were then likewise cleliYel'ed to her.
On a little alüu· whid1 had been pl'evai·ed, the Abbot of
Cérisy said )Jass and gaYe H oly Comnnmion to the Sisters.
'Yhi1st the saintl~T .:lother is ponring into the heart of the
Incai·nate 'Yorcl, her cleep thanks for the happy beginnings
of this fonnclation, ·this Divine Savio1· appeared to her in
the m·ms of His Blessed Jfother. " ...ith infinite. gracionsness
He hands her two golden ke~Ts and says: •·)ly clanghter,
receiYe the keys to nnlock heal'ts.· ~ 1
'rhen allncling to the
place in which the monaste1·y is established and to the Saint
whose feast fell on that day, He adcls : ~•As St. Hyacinth
canied .:ly hol~- "Jfother and "Jiyself to sm-e es from Our
enemies, saye )Je from those who perseente :le by their
malice and the torrent of their ex(:esses."~ The Incarnate
"Torcl destines the monastery and its Founclress for this
special mission of expiation and redemvtion. Snt11 works
are accomplished only through the cross.
In the afternoon, Father Carré notifiecl .:Iother de .:fatel
that the Dnehess de la Rochegnyon was sending her car-
riage to take the )Jother to the hotel of the Dnchess. She
was desirous of giYing lodging to the little community
until the completion of the repairs necessary in the house
which had been leasecl. As the reader may remember, this
noble lad3,. had supplied all the needs of )lother de )latel
cluring the years of her first sojourn in Paris, and had
offerecl to be the financial founclress of the ne'Y .eonvent.
".,.hen the time came to cletermine the elauses of the con-
tract, the Duchess had exacted conditions which the worthy
)lother could not accept. Father Carré ''Tote: ~·she gives
you onl3- fourteen thousand livres of capital "-hich yielcls,
according to the rates of ~ormandy, only one thousand
livres of income, and she wishes that yon receive in per-
petuity two girls for nothing. I told her yesterclay that
1Autograph ic Life. ch. X CIV.
2Ibide m.

380. 354 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZ..RD DE MATEL
this Slllll ÎS very }jttle. f gÏ'C yon thi:-; iufo1·matio11 Îll COll-
fidcnce, ~o that yon may sec what God ü1svire~ yon to do.
As for rnyself, I can chaw llO condn:-;ion."
Although the difticnlty was serion~, it <lül not tronl>le
the humble lfothcr. She found a "·a~· ont of it by leaviug
to lfadmne de Rocheguyon the title of I1.,oundress, and by
hei·self makillg up the deficit for the founda tion. 'rl1e
Dnchess exacted for her two subjects, distinctious to whid1
.Mother de Matel could not consent. Ah·eady on A1n·il 5,
1G4-3, she had written to the Al>bot of Cérisy from Grenoble:
•':Madame de la Rocheguyon demm1ds that _the two snbjects
whom she wishes us to receive, shall always bear the names
of Daughters of the Fonndation and shall be distingnished
from the others by a reliqnary and rosary. ~rhis wonld be
a singularity which wonld be very <langerons for the Order.
and which even for a thousand crmn1s I would neve1· grant,
on account of the envy or the contempt whid1 it wonld
arouse.'n
Mother de lfatel preferred to the sumptuous hospitality
offered by the Duchess, the incouveniences of her own more
humble abode. A residenee in the centre of Paris will b1·ing
to ber visits from which difüanee will defend her in lier ow·11
snbnrb. As she will not be cloistered, she will be forced to
retnrn many of these visits. And in the present circnm-
stances, how painful her position with regard to )[adame
de la Rocheguyon. However, recognition· for ber previons
services prevailed over every other consideration. Rhe
acqniesced in her desi rcs.
AH that the lIother had foreseen actnally hnppened.
Rhc hnù to go ont to offe1· ber thank~ to the Qneen, who
ha<l favored he1· e~tal>liRhment nnd exp1·essed a deRire to
sec her; then to the vi rtuonR Dnchess of Orleans; then to
the Chancellor m1d other personages of the highcst rm1k.
lThe two most rec ent lliogr;iph crs of Mother de lfatel, Prince
GaJ itzin a.nd C:1non Penaud, s1wnk also of a hlu e riblrnn from which
w ns t o be susp e n ded th c m e <I a ll ion or r c liqua r y vvith w 11ich the
Duchess wished to decorate the D:n1g-htC'n:i of the Fonndntion. Ve
tind no mention of this in th<' docume nts in our poss ession. But thes e
a.11thors rnay have lrnd access to others. There a1·e ex tant sorne in
th0 dep:1rtment:il n1Hl nntionnl arf'hi·c:;.; to which they were consignecl
<1111 ing· 1ll0 Grr·:-.t Re·olutinn.

381. FOUXD~.TIO~ OF THE lIO~ASTEUY OF PARIS 355
She had to -receive numerous and frequent visitors. But
above all, she had to ~mffer the pain, cluring the two months
and a half passed at the hotel de la Rochegnyon, of not
being able to induce her benefactress to swe1·ve from her
unaeceptable claims or to prevail upon her to receive in
<:ornpeusation for her benefactions the privileges of Found-
tess or some .indemnity.
1n the affliction of her grateful soul, the venerable
:Hother hacl recourse to God YVho possessed, among His
heasures, the means of paying all debts. She tlrns describes
her distress: •·She loclged and supported us with great
chm·ity. ::Iy DiYine Lffve, if it so please You, make her an
ample return for this and recognize, accordiug to Yonr
promise, all that she did for the least of Your claughte1·s.
Ye beg in all humility this favor from You.
·•Yon know what mortification my soul suffered at not
'being able to accept the conditions which she demanded.
Rhe would not accept my offer to repay "~hat she had spent
on us. ::1y Divine IJ01·d, T again beg Yon to rewai·d her
a lrnndredfold and to g'i"rn her life everlasting.m
Xbe transformation into a couvent of the place that
lwd been leased bad advanced far enough for it to be occlÎ-
pied at the end of October. The communit~? moved into it
on the vigil of All Saint:-:, and the next day, whicb vas
Xovember 1, lG-!~~, Dom Braehet, the Prior of the Abbey,
eame to bles8 the little church which had beeu built and to
say the first 3Iass in it.
At this moment, the question which was of such concern
to the venerable ::Iother, again arose. Several p~rsonages
who desfred to luwe her with themselves as long as possible
iu the monastery of Paris, urged her to take the religions
habit there. 'I'his was her own desire. 8he longed more
than anyone else, to be clothecl in the holy live1·y which the
Incarnate Yo1·d had giYen to he1·, and of which He lrnd
rPn~aled to her the full Yalue. On the othel' hnnd, the
reasons which had obliged her to depl"ive her~elf of this
eonsolation at the time of the foundiug of her first mon-
1A utographic Life, ch . X CIV.

382. 356 LIFE OF JE~.NNE CHEZ.AUD DE ~IATEL
aste1·y, still existed. She did not wiRh to follow her ow11
inclinations or to be inflnenced by an.'r lrnman considera-
tions whatsoeve1·, but only to aceomplish the will of God;
the1·efore, she addressed hel'self to hei· diYine Oracle. YVith
a heart ready to execute Hi~ 01·ders, Rhe asks Him what
He wishes her to do. He I'eplie~ to hel': "My daughter,
take no hasty step. ~rlwu canst say to those who are nrg-
ing thee, that Saul, by not haviug waited foi· ~Ty prophet
Samuel, did a thing which displeased )le. I t did not mat-
ter that he thought he "rould rende1· ~Te propitious to his
prayers lJ~r his holocanst; the prophet said to him: 8tulte
cyisti. ''thon hast acted like a fool.m 'rl1y 'throne shall be
givcn to another who will be more faithfnl and more punc-
tually obedient to the divine will. My danghter, wait for
lf,v orders and do nothing from lmman respect. Homo cniut
1iidct ca quao parent. Do111i11Hs intuctur cor. "lfan sees
appearances. God looks a t the heart."2
''0 my Savior and
my Love, replied the pions lfothe1·, I wish only Yom· g:lo1·y.
"Thnt is not Yon, is nothing. Yonr .Apostle said, •If I seek
to please men, I am not the sernu1t of J esns Christ.' I
shall do what my direetor orders, acco1·ding to Yonr will."3
. To secnre herself from ilhudon in snch a g1·ave matter,
)Iother de ~Iatel snlnnitted her ease to those who had the
mission to make known to her the will of God. 'rl1e Abbot
of Cérisy, who had jnst been appointed delegate Snperior
of the monm~te1·y, Father Carré-, hel' actnal diredor, and
several ~Jesuit Father~, who had been her former diredors
and were then in Paril4, were u11animon~ in cJetiding that
she shonld still defer binding hel'self to the relüdon~ ~tate,
e~pedally on atl'Olmt of her Congregation at Lyo11s which
had to be Rnstained and nfte1·wards endowed when the time
would corne to e1·ect it into a monaster~'.
Iu what a ~orrowfnl arnl extraordiw11·y way thi:--; decision
of God arnl men plneed tlte Fonud1·e~:--; ! lIm1y will be
êl1li:tz(_•<l :i1Hl will hlmue nrnl de1·icle lIoihc1· de l'latcl, m1d
will ~êl." 111êd ~he i:--; lik(_~ th(• hell tliêtt e«tllN to dtmTh and
11 King-s, X lfl. 13.
:n King·s. XVI, 7.
:i.A utograpl!ic Life, ch. XCY.

383. li'OUNDXl'lON 011' 'I'HE lIONAS'l'ERY OF PARIS 357
does not go there; that Rhe is like the notary who binds
others b,v contracts and does not bind himself; that she is
like those who, in the time of Noah, lmilt the Ark, but
did not go into it, etc.
These contradictions will not be only passing, but will
last for years, during Yhich the eourage of the poor lfother
will be almost exhausted. If she had been led by lrnman
motives and had not conformed to all the desires of God,
she could have easily stopped these eomplaints and satisfied
her own longings, by taking the habit for which she cher-
ished such love. But she was never 'Yilling to deprive her-
self of the diYine guidm1ee. 'Yhen angnü;h oppœssed her
soul, she went to her dear Love, to pour her sonow into
His heart, and He always responded consolingly, and
asserted His absolute wish that she would remain in that
state which was outwardly secular.
'Yhen one compares the trials by which the life of the
venerable lIother was eon smned, with the consolations by
whieh Our Lord Rustained her courage, there is seen, in an
admirable light, the magnificence of the divine plan. It
beeomes manifest that if 011r L01·d did not wish her to
appear exteriorly as a Religions of the Incarnate 'Vord,
He wished her to be one interiorly in a more excellent man-
ner than any one else. Not the vüdble sign, but the invisible
realit,v, W'"as her destined portion. ~rhe white and red habit
of the Religions of the Incarnate 'Yonl is to them a precious
reminder of the pains and humiliations of their Spouse, but
it is not a cau~e of suffering and ignominy to them as it
was to Him. The white robe recalls to them that which
Herod placed on Him in mockery, and teaches the1i1 to love
humiliation and eontempt; bnt it is a glory to them to wear
it. The rcd srapulnr recalls to them His gory cross which
they shonld ehcrish ~ lmt to them it is a yoke that is sweet.
And the mantle whieh they receiYe in memor,v of Ris deri-
s01·y lHll'ple, is to them a cloak of honor and benediction.
~Iother de llatel was ea lled to a rcsemlllance whieh was
more pe1·fect. In the eyes of men, that habit was to be
for her what it was for J esus, a cause of suffering and

384. 358 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZAHD DE iIATEL
sharne. Refore the e;yes of God, she was to put on ~Tesus
Christ in a way in which none of her danghters would ever
!Je clothed with Him. As this adorable 'Vord loved to repeat
to her, He wished to make her a mintcle of love) and indeed
a miracle Ro aRtoniRhing that men 01· even the Blessed in
HeaYen wonld not be able to comprehend it.
But let nR hear Our l.iord HimRelf assel'ting these truths.
One day nR He wns lavishing His g1·aees and tendernesses on
the good ~Iother, she a11mYed herself to tell Him confidingly
the confradictions raised against her by her being deprived
of the religions habit. He reJJliecl: '~~fy daughter, I bave
bronght thee into the world as a proverb and enigma which
me11 cannot nndeJ·stand by their weak œnson. 'They look
only at the exterio1·. 'rhey gave to J olm the Baptist, who
appem·ed ste1·Jl and mortifieù, the atfribntes of the :Messins
which were esRential1y due to ~[yself, and they considered it
blasphemy foi· Me to ean ~f.n.;elf the Ron of God; they said
that I 0111y imagined ~f.n.;elf to lJe a king and God, and that
1 save<l others lJnt could not s:we ~fyself.'' 1
On another oc·eaRion, dnl'Ïng he1· ihnnksgiYing after a
fervent Comnnmion, she was Jost in admiration at the exces-
:-:ive goodnesRes of God to he1·, when. as she relates: "You
made me know that these wornle1·s were indeed so admirable
that, in Henve11, a11 the Blessed were astonished while con-
templating thefr ]H·ofusion, and that I appeared an enigma
to them as well as to men, beenuse lJoth saw my imperfec-
tions, for whieh I always felt a~hamed i11 the p1·esenee of
Your l>iville Jfnjesty.
'· ~fy ùanghte1·,'' Yon iheu adde<l. •· f told thee many ycm·:-;
ngo, that thon n1·t the mfrae1e of ~f.r love, and I tell thee
11ow t lrn t ilion n1·t ihc book :-;(lnle<l with the scven seals, which
no 011P e:rn opPH 01· 1·e:t<l hnt the Lamh W'ho wns i-;lain for thee.
'Phi~ book i:-; "·1·itt<'ll i11tp1·iol'ly hy ::ly wi:-;<lorn, and eontnirn.;
wrnµ:ld· lnit- rny:-;te1·i< 1 ~. 11 i:-; :t mystp1·i011s ...p<wn1ypRc which
1 rn:tk<> wilh lht•P :nH1 in JIH'P. 11 i:-; w1·ith•11 extp1·i01·ly hy
iJ1y ontw;u'<l ndi011:-; w11Ïl'.h 111<.'11 t(tllltot rea<l 01· iute1·pret.
L ut ograph ic L if(', c h. C 'IIL.

385. FOUNDATIO~ OF 'l' IIJ<J ::.IONASTEUY OF PJ..RIS 35!)
I~ol' this there wonld be need of a nnuiel YÎth the spirit of
the Pathe1· all(l the Ron. )ly denr (lm1~hter, it is I Vho
(]l} the illtel'JH'ete1· or 0111· rnyste1·ies."l
A little later nN she waN sighing in he1· snnl at not being
<tble, like her danghte1·s, to lll'(~Hk eompletely with the world,
hy the i·eligions habit and ]Jl'Ofession, he1· good )[aster said
to her: ""~ly dem·est one, do uot disfress thyself. 1-"'hou art
clothed with )Iy Blood, as I have often ah·eady told thee.
'l"'hou ayt interiol'ly clothed with thy crucifiecl J esus. I wm·e
the Yhite garment only dm·ing the time when I was sent
back by Herod to Pilate, and the mantle of purple only while
appearing as the )lm1 of Sonows, 'Yl10 offered Himself to
His Eternal Father for the sa1Yation of men. 'hile the peo-
ple were c1·ying ont: •Crneify Him ! Crueify Him !' There-
fon_l, do not distress thyNelf if thon wear the white and red
}wbit only a short while, to Nhow that thon art she who, by
::fy plan, has macle )fe knmYn to the world and given )fe to
-:Iy danghters, who are also thy own, 'ho have wo1·n it in
the past, wear it at present, and will wear it in the future."2
W'"as it giyen to the vene1·able )fothe1· to compreheud full.v
how literally we1·e to be aecomplished these words of the
diYine Oracle, and how abNolnte was to he, in this, her re-
semblanee to Him '? W'"e knmv not. But this was the sweet
seci-et of the enigma whieh IIe had jnst uttered, and this
was the veil which He hnd now 1·nised before her eyes. As
we shall see f01· om·~elvcs ouly when she shall receive the
last touches of the 1·esembln11ce with the 1lan of Sorrows,
her DiYine Sponse, and, only at the moment of consumma-
ting he1· sacrifice, shall the white i·ob.e and the i·ecl mantle be
given to ber. But it is nseless to antieipate. The sequel
itself will confü·m the fruth of he1· sonowfnl Yocation. The
greater part of the consolations with whfrh she was fayorecl
at thü; epoch, were designed to alleviate its 1minfulness.
Six days after the installation in her monastery, on the
vigil of the feast of St. Martin, for whom her soul felt a
speci al deyotion, Our Lord p1·aises ber befo1·e His angels, for
having cleprived he1·se1f of His habit of honor. in order to
1A utographic Life, ch. CX.
2Ibidem CXXVIII.

386. 3()0 LIFE OF JEAN:NE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
elothe he1· dnnghters, as fo1·mel'ly :Mm·tin, still a catcehnmen,
l4ae1·ificcd half of hiR elonk to l'.OYer a poor naked beggar.
Bnt 11othi11g can replace the 1üe and undion of her own
wm'<l~. l.id nR hcar her descrihe th is gT<H_·e, wh ile ~he is still
in a trnnRport: '"Father of Light, Yon diviHely macle me
knmv that St. Martin, whose first veRpers the Church lwd
jnst said, is one of Your favorites nmong Your saints. You
slwwered dowu upon him Yonr ùenedictions and predestined
him in Yonr love to become conformed to the image of Your
goodneRs Ylio is Your well-beloved Son, the figure of Yonr
snbstanee and the splenclor of Yonr glory, into "~hich He
was transformed.
·•Yhile I was admfriug this Pontiff clothed in light, nnd
coutemplating this saint all aglow with a fire that was more
than seraphic, my soul was enraptured strongly and sweetly,
and I heard: 'Francis is the figure of the sacred lrnmanity
of the Divine Sponse, aud Martin is the figure of the divinity
of the Yord made flesh. Both 14Üi Pl)ed themselves, on earth,
for the sake of Divine Love, and both entered IIeaven, en-
1·iehed and honored by the angelic choirs, and gl01·ified by
ihe ROYereign God wrho is wondel'ful in His RaÎl1ts.' Yhile
1 waR eo118Üle1·ing this glo1·ious Pontiff clothed in the divine
light~ and flmnes, I myself was all illmuined and I partici-
pated in his glory and slrnred in his joy with all the angels.
And it pleasecl You, 0 my DiYine Spouse, to make Your
angels hear these "Yords wol'thy of Your beneficent love:
'Formerly I said to you that Martin who was yet only a
cateclrnmen hacl clothed Me with tlte half of llis cloak. Now
I tell you that this dear daugltter of lfine has clothed :Me
in all of her danghters whom she has assiNted and has made
religions, and that she dcp1·ives herself of her habit of hono1·,
for My love and glory. I glm·ify lfyself 1n her giving lfe
herself in her daughters. I glndly accept thel4e garmcnts of
lfy Order which i·epresent to lle thm;e wh ich I :Myself wore.
I gladly acccpt all the monastcries whfrh ~he iR-fonnding
for lIe. I fake plcaRm·e iI1 i·eceiviug from he1· hm1ds and
from her h('art, füc gi ftN which she presents to lfc and
1·etm·11~ to nie, :l,R havi11g hPPll gÏV('ll to he1· hy )[y lllORt Wise

387. FOUXD.A1'IOX OF THE ::.IONASTEilY OF PAilIS 361
Providence. If I prize so highly the half of a cloak giYen to
)Ie by a eateclmmen, ho"· highl.-v will I not prize all that
1Iy Spouse giYes Me? )ly daughter, liave no fear of all of
the powers of men. I am your sfrength and your rewm·d
exceeclingly great.'
"Dear Lord/' adds the 'vorth.-v ~lother, "'who would not be
overwhelmed and transported by these testimonials of loYe
of God for His creature 'vl10 is olily what Your charitable
goodness makes her '.1
ffr,·ü1e Lo,·e, i t is only from the ble~s­
ings which Yon liave gi,·en me nnd which Yon continue to
gi 'e me every day, that I nonrish and sustain Your spouses.
Your gooclness cover~ me Yith nnutterable confusion when
Yon say to me that I elothe them with gai·mellts which are
beautiful ancl good. and that I cover myself with the mean-
est that I can :find. God of my heart, 'Yl10 dvelb in the
. highest heaYens. do Yon lleign to look down on the meanest
of Your handmaids when she cuvers herself with her i·ags?
1'he prophet King assures me of this loving goodness when
he says :~ Quis sicut Dom in us Deus noster qui in altis lwbi-
tat et humilia rcspicit in coelo et ill terra? "Yho is like the
L01·d our God '...ho dYelleth on high, arnl looketh dmvn on
the low things in Heaven and on enrth ?"3
~orne dnys Inter. on :Xovemher ~7. the feast of St. Cecifia,
the goocl 1laster, alluding to the eonsecration of that Saint's
house as a chnrch. said to her: ··~ly claughter. 1ly spouse,
from thy poverty thon hast bnilt for ~le a new· church. Thy
habits ai·e frag1·ant with )[y good odor. Thou sparest
nothing su as to be able to giYe to )fe. rri10u lowerest thyself
in order to exalt )le.'' In her amazement she exclnims:
"'Dear Lord, can nothing lower itself and eau supreme gran-
deur be exalted ! Permit me to say about Yon: Deus meus
es tu quoniarn bonorum meontm llOJl egcs.4
··I haYe said to
the Lol'd, Thou art my Gocl, for rI'hou hast no need of my
goods:· RoY happy I would be, if I could liYe and die for
1Yritings of :iIother de :iIate l. Yol. II.
::?Ps. CXII, 5.
sAutographic Life, cb. XCY.
4Ps. XV, 2.

388. 362 LIFE OF JEAN~E CHEZ.AUD DE l1ATEL
You like St. Cecilia, and if Yon did me the favor, which Yon
clid for ber, of carrying in my nnde1·stancling and laying up
in my heal't Yonr gospel of light and love ~·· 1
These repeated dhTine testirnonials did not always snc-
ceed in assnaging the vain of the poor ~fother's sacrifices.
'rhe :first Sunday of Advent finds her in snch a state of dis-
ti-ess and op1H'ession tlwt she eannot bear it and goes to the
choir to seek aid from ber Beloved. On the way she meets
he1· dem· daughter, Elizabeth G1·assetean, and begs her p1·ay-
e1·s. On reaching the foot of the altar she said to Our I.01·d:
"" Dem· Love, I cmrnot stand this any longer. ~ly soul i~
oppressed with wealmess and weariness. Please snstnin me
miel p1·ay to Your Father for the feeblest of Yom· lovers. I
abandon rnysclf to Yonr chnl'Ïty. I feel that l shall give up,
if Yon do not snpp01·t me."2
At thh" c1·y of distress, .Jesus bastens to her, and, open-
ing the m·ms of His tende1·Hess, tnkes her into them with
sneh love that soon confidence, consolation, and joy innndate
her. As she relates: '"l arose from prayer like one who had
l'Orne ont of the <lm·k and had ùeen plncecl in wondrous light.
1 was able to say like AnHa, the mother of Samuel: 'It is
the Lord thnt takes away life and gives it, who tnkes down
to hell a])(} bl·ings np from it ~· T again met Sister I1Jlizabeth
Orasf'eteHn and I asked he1· if she had prayed for me. She
rcplied: ·1 <li(l so, with great compasf'iou at the begi1ming of
my 1n·ayer, and 'dth great wondt•r at its close.' m
The ve11e1·able Riste1· had sem·cely begnn to pray when in
spirit she saw the Fonndress ove1·whelmed 'Yith aHgnish.
Near her, the Tncarnate Yonl at the age of thirty-thœe
yem:"', was in the attitude of p1·aye1· n.nd waR looking npon
her with eyes of pity and love. 'Paking hc·1· in His arms and
])]'es:-;i11µ; lier to llis heal't, lie 1·ni;.;p<1 Hi:... e.n~:-; to His Father
m1<1 p1·aye<l f01· lu_•1· i11 a rnmrn e1· thnt if' Îlleffnhle, and dnring
llis ]mtyp1· shP, in hl1
1· SP<'nl<n· <11·esi-;, wns J'tti;.;e<l np on a
µ;101·io11s 1-It1·onP. 'rhis g·1·eèttly mnazed the Ri:-;te1· who ha<l
~(·en lie1· -'I otli l1
1· tnrnNpo1·kd f'1·om Cèt l'th to Ilean~n wi thout
L utograpllk Life, <:h. XCV.
:..! lliicl cm.
:i Jbiclc m .

389. FOU~DXrIO:.'" OF THE ::uo~ASTEilÏ OF P.IlIS 368
passing through any intermediate space. W'ïth the eyes of
he1· own soul she lrnd contemplated "'liat lrnd taken place in
the soul of ~lother de lIatel, ~ and hnd seen how J esus re-
sponded to her cry of pain. The pions Fonncfress says: " She
saw the Yisible sign of the iI1vüdble thing. This mystery or
sacrament of love is 1mspeakable."1
All unspeakable ns is this myste1·y, it is not absolutely
impenetrable. And if the altitude and acts of the Incarnate
Yord marked the aid which He lent to His dear spouse, the
glory to which He i·nised her in her secular dress, 'vas also
a new apin-obation given by Him, to the decision which she
had lately made according to His orde1·s. Shortly afterwards,
on Derember 1S, 1G-1-:3, feast of the Expectation of the Blessed
Yirgin, He seemecl to make, ns it were, a mystic conseq·a-
tjon of this manner of life. 'l1he ]lother sn,p~ : '•3ly spÎl'it
was elevated so high tlrnt it seemed to be more i.n Heaven
than on earth. In a way whid1 I ennnot dese1·ibe, I heard
the words: Urbs .Jcnt8u l('JJ1 bcata dicta pacis visio.2
"The
city of ~Ternsalem cnlled the blessed yif.;ion of peace.~' And
Yon let me nnderstand that Yonr goodness was making a
new dedication of Yom· new J ernsalem, and Yon made me
enjoy a peace approadiing that of the Blessed. But this was
only pnssing, because, in this valley of tears, the soul enjoys
felicity onl~,. pcr modwn transr1111tis. ""after the manner of
a transient visitor.''3
This ne"' and interio1· de<lication was to have its exterior
manifestation. 'l1he work i·eqnired for the final establish-
ment of the cloister had been eornpleted. On December 31,
1643, the P1·ior of the Abbey, in the name of the Bishop of
3Ietz, Lord of the faubourg, signed the contract, by which
Jiother de Matel, as the im1·ty of the first part, assured to
her daughtei·s of Paris one thornmnd li yi·es of incorne, a habi-
tation, and approp1·iate equipment; and the major snperiors,
as the imrty of the second pai·t, recognized hcr title and priv-
ileges as Fonndress.
1Autographic Life. ch. XCV.
20ffi ce for the declication of a clrnrch.
3Autographic Life, ch . XCV.

390. 364 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZ.AUD DE M:ATEL
'rhe next dny, .Jannary 1, J G44, Dom Brachet came with
the P1·ocurator of the Abbey, to proceed to the canonical
e1·eetion of the new m01iaste1·y. He celebrated the Roly Sac-
rifice, blessed the vroperty, planted the cross, and declared
the c_]oister to be hencefo1·th obligatory. He afterwards
tnrned to the Foundress and begged her to assume the spir-
itual and temporal administration of the monastery, and she
signified her acceptance of this ·office.
After this ceremony, at 'vhich several personages of high
rank assisted, the Abbot of Cérisy, as Superior, and Father
Cané, as director of the worthy llother, blessed a veil, a
white robe, and a red scapnlar, for her to wear under her
secular dress until the affaÏI's of the Order would permit her
to bind herself by the holy profession. She 'vas invested
with them in the sacristy, in the presence of her daughters
and some boarding pupils. This mitigation of her privations
was likewise an official approval given to her final determi-
nation.1
Rut still all this did not notaùly lessen the extent of the
venerable liother's sacrifice. T'lnu~, while the Father Prior
was placing the cross on the door of the chapel, the virtu-
ous Sister Elizabeth Grassetean saw J esus planting a cross
in the middle of the heai·t of the Fonndress to establish
the1·e, an interior monastery. Indeed that was a most pain-
fnl cross which made her, in her soul, more of a religions
than all those foi· whom she was to procure the happiness
of becoming i·eligious, and which yct, in the eyes of individ-
nals who 've1·c ignorant of these mysteries of graée, placed
her in a position which was enigmatical and censurable, and
]eft her m1del' the weight of cares and responsibilities from
whfrh shc 'vonld have been relieved by the religions profes-
sion. The worthy lfother received this cross as only the
lVe read in the clocuments 1e ft us by Mother cle Bély: "From
the foun<1ing of the Monastery of Paris. on Ja.nua.ry 1. 1644, Mother
<l e Ma1e1 wore the little habit of the Orcler, under a secular dress
w h kh consisted of a simple ma,ntle of black serge with long slee ves.
nnd a gown of the sa.me color which coverecl the white gown and red
scapulnr receive ù from the hancls of l'I. Hahert. the Abbot of C'érisy,
811r1el'ior of the monastery o f Paris. She wore a1so a coiffure which
i;;llow0<l wl1at little consi<lcration ~h<' lw<l for tll e opinions of men:
: 1 lincn co1·n0U0 anù n, white ]);111<1 which concc:11e<1 lier hair ancl even
her cyehrows, nn<l a.hove U1 esc a C'l'e1rn an<l a coif of hlnck tnffetn.
81! ~ n< ~v<> r m :ul e any c ha.ng-0 in this <l1·0ss wlH'r0v0r she went.

391. FOUNDATION OF THE ~ION~.STERY AT PAUIS 365
saints cau. She says on this matter : "'C1·oss, which I adore
in Your bauds aud vrhid1 I receiYe as a most precious gift;
cross, which cruci tied me, uot foi· a day, but for mauy years;
cross, whose pain 1 tmmot exvlaiu how ii is both painful and
delightful in unitiug me to yon !"1
Some days after, ou .Jannm·y 25, feast of the Conversion
of St. Paul, the :Jlother had a bad fall while descending the
staircase of the choir. It was thought that her skull had
been fraetnrecl. T'he repose which this accident forced ber
to take, 'yas seized by Our Lord as an opportunity to reue"~
to ber, under another form, both His will for her to remain
in this state and the assurance. of the care which He took
to clothe her, not only religiorn~I.r, but also diYinely. He
sa]cl to he1·: '':Jfy daughte1·, to giYe thee repose and keep
thee in ]Jeace, I offer tbee a bed of :Jly own blood.··~ And as
· he svoke tlrns, He shoYed her a becl richly adornecl with
cm·taius and coYerlets of cl'imson velYet. He then added:
•'This bed is also a closet in 'Yhich thon wilt learn lly secrets
and receive :JIy orde1·s which, for the in·esent, are th at thou
must not make thy religions profession, no matter what may
be said to thee about it. I enYelop tbee in :JI.r Precious
Blood, and in this way thon art clotbecl with th_e garments
"~hich I give to thee, by an excess of goodness which thou
canst not comprehend.m
The clear :Mother had great neecl of this new affirmation. é
Reproaches and eyen menaces were dealt out to her. Sorne
individuals who had taken an interest in her establishment
at Paris, signified to her that they would neer consent to
see her again until she took the habit of ber Order. After
liaving seen the above described vision, she wrote: ••:Jly Lord
and my God, how admirable is Your wisdom ~ 1f it had not
inshucted me as to its desires, coulcl I ha'Te had any rest
while so many versons were troubling me and themselves,
becanse I have not the exterior hahit of onr Order which I
giYe to Yonr daughters ! Dear Loye, this is a mortification
which I offer up for Your greater glory, while in it I find
1.Autographic Life, ch. XCV.
::!Autographie Life, ch. XCYI.
3Ibiclem.

392. 3GG LIFE OF JE~N~E CHEZARD DE M.ATEL
Nharne whid1 I aecept with rny whole heart, foi· as many
yearN ns Yon may please, sinee f.;everal pions, expel'iencecl,
and leal'necl pc1·sons m·e of the opinion that I shonld cleprive
myNelf of this f4atisfaciion. Deal' Lonl, I say to Yon with
the Sponse in the Canticles: Filii nwfl'is mcac p11g11avcnwt
contra me: posucrunt me c11stodc111 in vinris: lïncam meam
non custodivi. "'l"'he sons of rny mother have fonght against
me: they have made me the keeper of their vineyards: rny
OYll vineyarcl I have not kept."1
".,.hile I take care of lllJ7
daughters who m·e vines that Yon have planted in Your
Uhureh to bear hlossoms and fruits in it, it seems that I for-
get myself and the care of my own vineyard. )lost dear
Love, -n...ho loYe my soul, do not let me go astray or go back
""hile I make others p;o forward, ~duce in the way of life,
not to go forward is to go baekwal'd. l care for nothing but
Yon in all things, in all places, and for all."2
After the accident which hap1)ened to the good Mother,
the Divine Physician showed Ilimself full of tenderness for
her. He wfahed, above all, to convince lier that in ~pite of
all that eould be infened from her exterior condition, she
wns indeed His tendel'ly d1erishecl spouse. "Ün the feasts
of St. Agatha and St. DoI"oth~·, .February 5 and G,"· she
1·elates, '"Yon invited me to the unptials which Y ou cele-
hrated with those blessed virgins, and said that I, bei11g their
siste1· and Your spouse, conld enter Your. nuptial chamber.
And as Your w01·d does what it snys, Yon infrodnced me
into it, with snch majesty and svl"eetness, that I seemed an-
other Esther, crowned with Your glo1·y and snstained by
Yonr tender love. I was overwhelmed with the abundance
of the delights which Your Spfrit eommm1icated to me. 1Iy
soul seemed made one with Y on. 'Ye we1·e two pel'sous in
one love and one spfrit.''3
1Cant. I. 5.
2 .. u tographic Life, C"'h. XCVI.
::1 hidern.

393. CHAP'l1ER XXI
Sojourn at Paris
lGJJ-16±8
~~lthough the )lonastery of )fother de "Jiatel was situated
in the outskfrts of the suburb and was far from the cente1·
of the city, her influence with the powers of em·th and
HeaYen, he1· lights and the unetion of ber worcl~, attraete'cl a
crowcl of Yisitors. )lany came to recommend to her desper-
nte cases of their sick who had been given up by the physi-
cians. Others clesired to confer with her on things diYine,
eommlrnlC'ating to her theil' deepest secrets and receiving
from her, counsel and consolation. She regretted fo1·mer
thnes when her days glided ùy in prayer Yd1ich was almost
· nninterrupted. At this epoch, the pages of her autolJiog-
I'aphy are filled with sighs forcecl from her by this regret.
'I1hus she says: '')fy Lord and my God, what a difference in
Your treatment of me in my father's bouse and at L~·ons,
and Your 1n·esent treatment of me here ! I t seems as if ages
had passed since I tasted Your S'Yeetnesses. Your bands
formerly pourecl delights into my heart with abuudance of
joy. 'I'here was a continuons affluence of Yom· g1·aces. Yon
immdated rny soul with Yom· torrents. You inebriated me
Yith delicious water~. ..'.t present T stretch ont my hands to
You and exclaim: Dea1· L01·d, I am a soil withont raiu;
do not turn Your face away from me.·n
Again she c1·ies out: "I beg Yom· pm·clon for the repug-
nance I feel in staying away from Lyom;, and in beiug so
tirecl of Paris.'' Her Divine Svonse replies: '')ly claughter,
here thon wilt glorify )le. :No matter what aven;;;ion thon
feelest, baye com·age.'' 'l'hen He applies to her the words
of faaias. which He is to repent to her so often: "'rhou wilt
lJe ~ly glo1·ious 1·epose by not follmdng thy inclinations and
by not doiug thy "·ill. I will eleyate thee aboYe the heights
1Autographic Life. ch. XCVII.
367

394. 3G8 LIFE OF .JEAX~E CHEZARD DE ::.l.ATEL
of the earth and 1 will give thee the herifage of eTacob to
nourish thee. Tt is ~Iy month that has promised thee this
and promiRes it now agaiu.m
As füe venerab1e ~fother had to make the sacrifice of her
i·epose, she wished that lier constant communication with
externs would proem·e the glory of God and the salvation
of souls. It W'as not difficult for her to obtain this resnlt.
Prom her heart overtlowing with graees there streamed forth,
withont any effort, wonh; "...hose light and unction pene-
trated her visitors. In this way she exercised a fruitful
apostolate.
As we are told, by lIother de Bély, who lived for many
years with her in the monastery of Paris: "1"his pions
lfother's inclination to speak of God cansed the most ordi-
11ary conversations to be about things of Heaven, on which
she was RO eloqnent, that no one wearied of listening, espe-
eially when she made reference to the Holy Scriptnres. She
had the gift not only of exp1·essi11g herself well, but also of
touching hearts and infusing into them love of God, and
contempt for all that is not God, and to despise themselves.
She tried to persuade those who came to visit ber to ap-
proach the Roly Table often, and freqnently to receive the
sac1·ament of penance " ...hich purifies the soul and renders
H more capable of treating with God. As far as she conld.
she lcd them to the practice of mental prayer, morning and
evening, and said to them, in her mvn agreeable way. tliat
this gives the soul an a1)petite for heavenly things and a
(listaste for tl10se that are earthly. From the almost infi-
nite 11nrnl>er of per~ons who ronve1·secl with her, I "·in men-
tion only a fe,v whose nnmes were not less i·eve1·ed in Pm·i~
than their vil'tneR nnd dignities.''2
Ve cannot follow this faithful anBaliRt in all her recital.
'rhe detni1s whieh Rhe gives of he1· contempornrieR in tlrnt
g-1·cat ag< m·e fnll of inte1·e~t , lrnt wonlcl ]ead ns too far nway
from 0111· ~n hjetL Lpt n~, howcver, ~n.v fl·om he1· testimony,
i hat arnoug füe 1)e1·N01wge~ oYer whom the i11fh1ence of
~I othei· de lI~üel waR mo~ t l'e ma l'lrnhle, t lH_~ Chaucellor
L utogTaphic Life. e h. X CV.
~ .:la1111script ikmoir of llother de U ély, c il. X'.

395. SOJOUR~ AT PAUIS 360
Séguier holds the fi1·st place. This celeùrated magisüate
vnu; a fervent Christian. His virile soul feasted on the Holy
Scl'iptures. The conversations of that )fother to whom the
'Yord of God manifested Himself so clearly throngh the
Holy Scriptures, was full of charm for him. He was trans-
ported 'vith joy while reatling some of her writings which
had been commnnicated to him ùy the Abbot of Cé1·isy.
'Then he learned that the Cardinal of Lyons had made her
write a full report of the g1·aces with ·which she had ùeen
favored by Onr Lord, he expressed a desire to see it. Si~ter
Frances GraYier secretly lent him a co1)y. He kept it a long
time because, as he said, '·he found spednl unction in it and
it nourished his own love for the Roly St'riptures.m
'fhe pions magistrate drank in from prayer and this
studs· of the Roly Books, such a deep sense of the infinite
g-randeur of God, that, during bis repeated agonies in his
· last illness, he was often heard exclaiming: "Ü ~1byss of all
being, when shall 1 be absorbed in Yon: 0 infinity of my
God, when shall I lose myself in Yom· ùosom as the rivulet
loses itself in the sea !'' He believed that he owed many of
the grnl'es ·which he had received, to the intercession of the
venerable Foundress, and solieited her prnyers vhen he was
engaged in bearing some painful suffering or performing
some important business.
But let us mention Jfr. de la Pi,1rdi<">re, )iother de )la-
tel's spiritu a1 son by excellence. Our Lord lm d made he1·
understand the mi~~ion ~he had reœiYed with regard to him
when she stilrresided nt Lyons and did not know him either
by sight or by repntntion. She 1·elates: "You _designated
him by the name of .Jacob, which is the same as J ame~ and
you said to me: He is engnged in finances."~ I ndeed it was
the will of the Sovereign ~lw~ter that this gentleman who
was married, and the father of a famil;y and employed in ad-
ministering the goods of the State, should become, under the
direction of the lrnmhle ~Iother, a man of praye1· and finally
a holy priest.
i:.Ianuscript 1lemoil" of 1lothe1· de Bély, ch. XV.
:2Autog:rapbic Life, ch" XCVllI.

396. !170 LIFE OF JEANXE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
~fr. de la Pim·dière, from bis youth, hacl longed to meet
some person specially favored by Heaven to manifest to him
his soul and to make him its guide in the ways of the spirit.
He found in lfother de lfatel even more than he had craved
and he placed himself under her guidance. 'l"l1e gift of pray-
e1· W'"as the object of his petitions, but he had small hope of
receiving it. She enconraged him and assured him from the
deep conviction which had been given to herself about it,
that this favor would be granted him and that grace wonld
oyel"flow in his soul.
She cxperienced that Our .Lord gaye her lips a special
1Jlessing to speak to him of the things of God. On his sicle,
when he was listening to the good llother, he felt himself
far from earth and penetrated with an nnction which wns
all heavenly. 'l1
he venernble lfother i·elates: ""W'"hen he was
returning home after Yonr Holy Spirit had made me speak
to him in this manner, his carriage bore his body, but Yonr
love rnised his spirit higher than the emp:n·ean heavens. for
it raised it eyen to Yon Vho are the highest Heaven. Soon
he experiencecl what David said: Gustatc et vidcte quoniarn
:mavis est Dol1l in us. "Taste and see that the Lord is sweet.'~1
And after tasting You, he saw that Yon are must sweet and
sweetness itself. He began to recefre Holy Commnnion mo1·e
freqnently despite rnany cl'Ïticisms. Shortly nfterwards, he
i·eeeived fom· times a week. In the strength of that heavenly
Bread, he ascended to the summit of Yonr holy monnt,
my Lord and my God. B~r your sa<.'retl nnction, Yon con-
~ecrated an the pmYers of bis soul and made the ~mperior
pal"i of his spirit Yom· own Roly of Holies. In less than six
rnouihs, I saw him rise step by step to the sixth mansion
1mu·ked in the castlc of tll(' soul by Y onr dear loye1·, St.
're1·esa.~· 2
'rlte rn·og1·ess of this noble g'entlernm1 was ~o gTent tltnt
0111· Lonl wi~lw<l to 11wk<l hirn momlt still highe1·. H0 in-
f'01·rned :1otltei · <k Ma tel i 1rn t 11<} wonl<l not len Ye him
long i11 bis 1n·tl~c11t <·mulit-iou. 'Yhen she 1·evealed to M1·.
<le ln Pim·di<'·1·c ffod'~ ~pecial deNigrn~ np011 him, he wns
1 J>s. XXXII 1.
:!.utogrnpl1ic J,ife, cil. XCVIII.

397. SO.JOUHX ~T PAHIS 371
stupefied. ..:11 his süeugth gave "·ny and his whole body
trembled. The good )fothe1· theu bhtme(l hersclf and at-
cnsed herself of excessiYe fraukuess. Bnt ns soon as he
oyen·ame his speechlessness, he said to her: '·You must not
he sorry for telling me these thiugs, for before ente1·ing
the manied state, I had the deshe to be a religions. I
shall follow,. the will of Our Lord in all things. and I hope
that He will make it knmYn to me through you. since He
has selected you to lead me to Himself...1
Some days later, )fr. de la Piardière said to the Yener-
able )lother: ''Vhile I was assisting at )Intins yesterday
ev~ning in the clrnrch of the Fathers of the Oratory, Our
Lord made known to me that it is His will that I obey
you, and the power of His s'Yeetness made me take a Yow
to obey you in all matters which are permitted by my state
·of life and rny profession. Your wise prudence W'"ill be
the jndge of the limits of rn.v obedience.'' The :lother at
fil·st refnsed to accept thi:-; responsibility which was far
frorn the ordinary Yays. But finally she feared to resist
the orders of God and said: '·I snbrnitted my judgment,
in the hope that You would giye me the light to be snch
a guide, and 0 my brill iant Sun, You did this "·ith such
clearness that I saw naught but Yonrself. )lay I neYer
see aught else, if this is Yom· plea::-;u1·e. All t.hat is not
You, to me is nothing. He who loYes anything besicles Yon.
loves You less, if he does not loYe it through You and for
loYe of You. Since Yon gaye him to me as a son, as Yon
gaye Your beloved disciple to Your holy )fother, I liaye
accepted him from You and he has. has accepted me as
llis Mother."2
The Foundress admired in ~Ir. de la Piardière his
method of managing busine~s affairs. no less than the favors
which he received frorn Heaven. She says: ''God of love,
You filled his soul with sublime thoughts and You arranged
by your marvelous economy that he "·onld find and devise
expedients to manage his financial affair~. I t is wonder-
ful to see ihis man more detached from gold and silvcr
Lutogrnphic Life, ch. XCVIII.
~Ibidem.

398. 372 LIFE OF JEANNE CHE7;ARD DE lIA'rEL
thm1 many religions who have made a YOW of poverty. How
applicable to him are the words of l1~cclesiasticns: Beatus
dites qui in ventus est sin c maeu la, et qui post aurnm non
abiit,, nec spemvit in pecunia, et th csauris. Qui probatus
est in illo et pcrfcctus) crit illi gloria aeterna. '"Blessed is
the rich man that is fonnd witlwnt blemish and that hath
not gone after golcl nor put his trust in money nor in
tremmres. He who hnth been tried thereby and bcen macle
perfect, shall have glo1·y evel'lasting.m
~Ir. cle la Piardière, on his part, W'as amazed and even
djsfressed at the disinterestedness of Mother de ~fatel. He
wonld have desfred to aid her by his own generous dona-
tions to bear the heavy ünrdens which we1·e weighing npon
her. She always fonnd excuses not to accept his offers.
'" She is as ad1·oit in rmming nway from money," he said,
··as others are in imrsning it."2
Her clelicacy was so sensi-
tive that he saw hel' ehm1ge colo1· when he offerecl his help.
Finall~T he gave np opposing her on this point, but begged
her at least to entrust to him the monies she possessed
so tlrnt he might invest them advantageously. She con··
sentefl to this and ~fl·. de la Pim·dièrc became the father
of t he monastei·y in tem]J01·al affairs. Like many others,
he saw for hirnself the care which the angels, according
to theiI· promise took of the possessious of the monaste1·y.
As soon as her rnoncy was invested in any enterprise,
that business was sure to be a snccess. Any one who be-
came in terested in her affairs, was loaded with blessings.
'l'herefore he said to her : "You are nnder no obligations
to me, because it is the divine goodness that pl'ospers my
spirit nal and t emporal enterprises when I occupy my~e l1
with yom· affairs which are His . ' '~
1
rhc exüa lab01·s of lfothe1· de lfntel in her care of
cxte1·11s, did Hot rnakc hcr ncglect the cm·e of her o'vn
religions fnrnily. Af'te1· lier final installation, shc called
to l'a1·is f1·om G1·ellohle, ~fothcr 1fm·y of the PasRion and
1 Ecc l c~ in ~ ti c u ~ XXXI , 8, 1O.
:!J 11 togrnph ic L ifc, ch . XCVTTT.
~ lhi1l0m.

399. SOJOURN AT PARIS 373
Rister J1Jlias of the Cl'oss. 'l"he latter, being yet a noviee,
wns the first professed of the monaste1·y of Pm·is, whidt
soon beeame very tiom·ishing. Tts personnel 'nu;; nngmented
hy subjects from distingnished families. Its ceremonies
of clothing with the holy habit and of the holy iwofession,
attracted an extrao1·dinary attendance, amid w1dch were
seen lords of the Court and even members of the royal
fmnily. At the first taking of the habit, it was found neces-
sary to make a temporary tribune with scaffolding, to
accounnoùate the King's musicians who had been sent with
their instruments to confribnte by their syuq)hony to the
brilliancy of the solemnity. At the second, at which the
orator of the day wns the Bishop of Amiens, the Princess
of Condé wished to be the godmothe1· of the postulant who
was a daughtei· of a member of the Counci1 of State. As
.1fother de Bély relates: ""Tn less than four years, our worthy
lfother gave the veil to more than eight of her· spiritual
children, and the countesses of Fruges, Beauvais, and
Samson permitted their daughters to take the little habit
of the Order which they had beggecl with fervor.m
~tihe Chancellor had at heart the prosperity of the new
monastery, the advancemen~t of which made him think
of an expedieut that he proposed to the Foundress. This
was the suppression of the honse of Lyons, in order to
increase the personnel and resonrœs of the bouse of the
eapital.2
'l"his proposa] touchecl one of the lrnmble lfother's
dearest affections. Being unwil1ü1g to oppose the views of
a person whom she 1·espected so profoundly~ she asked him
to pe1·mit ber to consnlt God, before making a decision.
'l"he next day, which was September 14, 1644, she wrote
to the Chancellor a i·eply ·which is too long to be cited
in :îts entirety and yet too beantiful and consoling to be
passed over in complete silence. The following are its
principal passages: ·•l have had reconrse to my Divine
~pouse, with the confidenee that yon know He has inspired
1Manuscript Memoir by Mother de Bély, ch. XIII.
2As the Abbé Penaud writes, what h e did not express but hacl in
his mind was that Mother de Matel would thus lJecome a fixture in the
capital and the Chancellor would not be in constant dreacl of her
ta king herself and her lights away from himself.
The vener<l hle Jeanne cle Matel, Vol. I, bk. III. ch. IV.

400. 374 LIFE OF .TIUX~E CHEZ.Hm DE ~L'rEL
ml<l 1lc- ha:-; rna(le me hem· this a11~Ye1·: ·Tell )ly Chancello1·
tliat J HJllll"Cffll hi~ m<_Hle~t.Y, lrnmility, and zeal, but thnt
ltis thonght thnt yon ~lwnld sell )ly hon~e of Lyons is
noi )fy thonght. Jaeol> pon1·ed oil 0 11 the stone on whieh
he lrnd re~ted bis hend while he slept when the_ angels
n~1·e asecndiug and deseern.ling the mystic lnchler which
had been shown to him in his Yision, and as soon as he
nwoke he said: rcrc Domin11s est in loco isto et ego
11 escirba m. "'Trnly the Lord is in this place and I knew it
not.'.'1
Thnt honse of Lyons is )[y Bethel where thon hast
f-'ee11 ~fy seledion of it, and I h:we shoYn thee the seals
whieh T haYe hnd plaeed upon it, b~T the ministry of ::ly
fnithfnl ::Iiehnel whe1·e thon sawe~t the steps by which I
·onld i·aise it np and thon sawest hmY I wonld support
it on ::Iy Own fayo1·s and on ::lyself. JIeus c.i;;t Galaad et
u1c11s est Jf anasscs, et Ephraim s11sceptio copitis mci. "'Galaad
is )Iine and )fnnasses is J[ine nnd Ephraim the protec-
tion of ::ly head."~
'')Iy danghter, the hon~e of Lyon~ is well represented
hy Galaad. I have founded it on the blood of )ly martyrs
who are ::Iy witnesses assembled to eonfess ::ly namc there
and to seal their faith with th.eir blood shed foi· ::Ie. It is
~Innasses, forgotten by men, bnt lornd and regm·ded by
:Jle. It is )ly Ephraim whence I hm'e i·eaped fruits before
and whence I will reap nerr fruit~ in the t ime that is pre-
ordainecl. Althongh it seems desolate, al>andoned, and al-
mo~t ruined, arnl is th.r l>nrclen and sorrow, it will .ret be
thy joy. Do not feal' self-lm'e in thy loYe foi· it. 'l'his love
is not confrary to perfection. I 1oyc- thif-' gnte of Sion more
ihan all the tnbe1·11a<"les of .Tacob. Glorions things ai·c said
and sha]) be said nl>ont t his honst "·I1ich I makc )[y Oni
«ity, f01·tifieù. a1Hl ch•fc-11<.led hy )[y nng'Cls who diligently
~fo 11cl gn aJ·d o·e1· iL The Cm'(li1w1 of Lyons lias not dnrecl
to (]e~i1·0.r it, hecan~c l p1·okd it, nlihongh he is ign01·ant
of :.Iy p1'otcci-io11. ...s for :.Iy Ch nntellor and thyself, who
m·c both ill11111iH0•l hy :.fy light~. wonld yon two be nhlc to
1 C~c· 11. XX"îII. 1fi ..
:! P :-.. C'. If, S.

401. SOJOCRX .T P.nIS
0--
0 '.J
'-'
..
~
1-
a,,
-~
-Q
E
.....,
c.;
.......
J~
c •0
~·
.....
0
--.,...,..,,.
v
;....
.->
~
,._,
CJ
:::;
"-'
.--.
;....
G
T.
-0
~
v,....
::;
0
~
QI
>
~
J.

402. •
37G LIFE 011, JE.ANNE CHEZ.AUD DE lfATEI_J
desüoy it? It iR ~ly will there to reign and to i·eœive
the praü.~e and confe8sion of lfy Name which is ltoly.'"
'l"lte Chancellor bowed down before this wisdom from
on higlt and his projert was abaudoned. T'he future ratified
what the saintly lIotlter had written and proved only 'too
cleal'ly what a misfortune it would have been to sacrifice
the honse of Lyons to tltat of Paris.
'l"Jlis honse, before giving the consolations that had been
iwomised, was to cause the worthy lIother man3T anxieties
and s01·1·mys. In 1GJ5, she yielded to the 1ongings of lIother
Helen Gibalin who governed the Congregation and per-
mitted her to go to Avignon and put on the holy livery
of the Incarnate 'Y01·d w-Itich site had Ro long desired. The
Fonndress replaced her at Lyons, by lter dear daughter,
Blizabeth Grasseteau, from whose heroism she could ask
any kind of sacrifice. The latter again filled the house
of the Congregation with the odor of sanetity during one
year. Her seraphic soul took its flight to Heaveu on J nue
11, 16JG, after a bl'ief illness.
~rhe news of this death -was a thunderbolt to the poor
:Mother whose sonow was so gl'eat that it was feared site
would snccumb to it. For two ye~rs the grief of titis loss
caused her a palpitation of the heart which, at times, re-
duced her to a condition which seemed to be hopeless. She
tlrns tells us of her affliction: ··~rhe feast of St. Barnabas,
whose nmhe signifies son of consolation, was for me a day
of grent desolation. On it, Your justice took awny from
rne my dcarest danghter, Elizabeth G1·asseteau. '1"11is death
was rnost bitter to my soul, whieh ~nw it~elf dep1·ivcd of
hcr whom it esteemed as ih; faithful friend by excellence.
A11 the virtues whieh she had 1n·ndiœd front the time wheu
~he almndoned her home, hel' i·el atiYe~, and herself to follow
Yon, my divine W'"onl made tlesh, caused me great shame
hy making me fcel how far T wns from hc1· perfection. She
W(IS hnrnhle of h<}al't and illlitah_l<l Yon ns dosely as she
" ' m ..; able. l would tlPV(_ll' hnv(_l believe<l that ~he was so
<lem· io rne jf 1 had 11ot felt her lo~s to be the gTeatcst
l coul<1 ~11 ffcr i 11. i hi~ 1ife, exl'ept the lo~~ of Yom· grnce.
Saduess, with reg1·et- at hm·iHg penn i it e<l ltel' separation

403. SOJOURN A'J' PAIUS 377
from me, so filled my sonl tlrnt it seemed paralyzed in
all its powers. near Love, my I.ord and my· Go<l, I often
said tn You, w.ith the P1·ophet of SOlTOWS: ride Durn iuc
afflictioncm mc<tm. ''Lord, see my aftliction.m
'l'his üial "'fü~ all the moi-e painfnl to the afflicted
.Jlother as it was joined to a state of interior distress ana
exterior contradietion. --~ry DiYine 81Jouse," she exclaims,
"'can I live any longer in such anguish ! To me Paris is
a prison, althongh it appears to others to be rny happy
home. If I Vere at Lyons on the holy 3Ionnt which is my
.Je1·nsalem, it seems to me that I would be fnll of joy. 'l'he
bloo<l of Yonr martyrs wonlcl be to me a ehaliee of bene-
cliction, inebriating me so that I wonld not feel the tor-
tures "Thich harass me within and the annoyances which
s111·rouncl me YÏthout. And what is the most afflicting is
.that I do not Yant any consolation of any kind whatsoever:
Rcnuit consolari anirno 11lca. ".)ly soul has refusecl to be
c01rnoled.'''.! I cannot speak of my afflictions withont in-
creasing them, because I see that speaking of them is com-
plaining of what You permit for Your own goocl reasons
whieh are m1known to me. 'l'his often makes me say :3
Justw3 es Domine et rectum judicitun tuum. ""'l'hou m-t jnst,
0 Lord and 'rhy judgment is right.''±
°'Ye know that these reasons, which the venerable
llother saicl Vere nnknown to her, were the designs of
most sublime predestination. 'l'he Divine 3laster oftén in-
cnlcated this lesson in her. But in her state of sorrow,
this knowledge, so striking in its clearness and ünth, macle
only passing impressions on her soul.
For instance, Our Lord often cited to her the example
of Moses who, withont appearing to be a p1·iest, eonsecratecl
priests and pontiffs, becanse his own sacerdotal consecra-
tion given by God Himself, wns not the le~s renl or augrn~t
for not having been seen by men. One day while He
w·ns S]Jeaking of those who blamecl her for giving the re-
ligions habit and not receiving it he1·self, He said to her:
1.A.utographic Life, c h. C.
2Ps . LXXVI. 2.
:i.A.l;tograpl-:ic Life, ch. C.
.f P;:;;. CXYIII, 138.

404. :178 LIF'E OF .JE~~~E CHEZ.HW DE lI.ATEL
"Lt~t thcm Rhow Me the ma11 from whom JHm.;es received
i hP pl'ie!sthood, ")fo~e~, who rnatle Am·o11 nml his Rons priests
and dothe(l thern in the lffiestly ve8tme11ts. iIy danghter,
vd1at can they answer to t hese w01·ds '!-' nem· T.i01·d, Yon
eminentl.''" anointed, eonsC!e1·nted, and clothed him Yonrself
in Yonr tabernacle in the ])l'esence of Yom· angels, just
as Yon ha-re often tol<l me Yon did for rnYself, who am
the most unworthy of all Yom· creatures.'-Yes, lfy dangh-
ter, those ·who will knmv the mereiful 'vonders which it
has pleased Me to work in thee, will not donbt that I have
eminent1y and admfrnbly _giYen thee the Order and the
habit. I have already told thee that not all the lmys given
for others are for thee. I mn the Lord 'Ylw do what I
will, in Heaven and on earth.m
On anothe1· occasion, while ~he was rneditating on the
waves of blood which the Divine Redeemer shed for onr
salvation, He loving1y nrged her to p1nnge into them, in
01·cler that she might be clothed with His adorable royal
pnrple, and He said to ber: Quam vulcllra C8 et quam
dccora charissima in deliciis! ''Ho"'" benntifnl nrt thon, and
how comely, My dearest, in delights !''2
iIy danghter, do
not the water and b1ood thnt I ponred ont for thee, make
thee agreeable to lfy eyes? Since thon hm-;t been washed,
adorned, and covered with this Precions Blood, hm-;t thon
not been clothed wHh J esus Cln·ist, thy Spouse of Blood?
'rhy danghters m·e clotlled with it ext eriorly, hnt is this
habit the more holy becanse i_t has been reecived from Yisib1e
l1all(ls and appcars to corporal eyes? ~rliat whieh I give
i hec, is invjsible to mortal eyes, but is seen aud admired
hy immortal spirits. l'foses was clothed by God, in the
tabernacJe of His own glories, and wns cow•1·cd in a cloud
i o be hidden from men, and yct was hc not more agree-
nb1e to the cyes of the DiYinity than ...m·o11 consecrntcd
m1<1 clotltc<l wiUt the priestly yestme11ts hy the hancls of
~I osc•s who wm·e ltoi h i11ç; 1ike i hem '! llc hnd 110 mitre
made hy mol'l.al h~rn<l:-;, but ihe J·ays; heaming from hjs
r~t <:e we1·e 11101·e aug1rnt and h1·illinnt thm1 all mol'tnl nd01·11-
1. i;to .i::~Tap lli c Life, eh. C VlTT.
'.2C':i 11 t . V I 1, G.

405. SOJOUHN A'r PARIS 37!)
ments. He was a priest in the preseuce of Goù 'Yho had
chosen him, and of the m1gels who were with him in the
tabernacle. He was tlrns 1·eeognized by David sa.ring :1
JIoyses et Aaron in socerdotibus ejus. ••)foses and Aaroi1
among His priests.''2
It is easily understood, reasons as exfraordiuary as thef.1e
eould not be alleged to critics. They remained the secret
of the venerable Mother and her dil'ecto1·s, and, according
to the expression of the Apostle,3
the world contiuued to
blaspheme the t hiugs of which it was ignorant. ~Iother
de M:atel's goodness of heart made her very sensitive to the
disconteut which she eYoked, especially m11ong those whom
she cherished. These tl'ials -vere dealt out to her with
nnsparing hand. ••My friends, my relatives, and my yery
eutrails," she writes, "that is to say, my OYfll daughte1·~
of AYiguon, Grenoble, and T..3Ton~, opposed me and thought
·that I ought to advance my owu glory as 'vell as that of
my Divine Spouse while I wns multiplying m01utsteries. I
looked for help from You, foi· I could not procure it from
elsewhere. I received it to console me, but only in passing,
fm·, as it seemcd to me, my prayers were without unetion:
..I offered You my suffe1·ings and the contradictions
made by those who thought tJiey ""'"ere thus serving You,
whereas they did not know Your Father's will which is
Yours. 0 dear Lord. You said to me: 'lfy daughter, the
thonghts of men are not lfy thonghts, and their ways are
uot My ways. rrrust thyself to ~ly goodness. All the
words which I speafr to thee, are W'Ords accomvlishjng lIy
will. They will bring about what I clesire and what is
for thy advantage.' Your gooclness cousoled me like a flash
of lightning which passes in a moment, but it was followed
by the continual thunder of those who murmured or re-
proached me, bc('.anse I dicl uot take the habit.
"I passed the four years between 1644 and 1648, in
nnsveakable sadness, 1 wept whole honrs at uight and I
hnd an inex1n·essible 1·epugnance to i·emaining at P<tris.-1
T
1.Autographic Life, ch. CV.
2Ps. XCVIII, 6.
3Jud e X .
.J-AutogTapl1ic Life, ch . XCIX.

406. 380 LIF'E OF JEANNE CHEZATID DE lIATEL
wm.; sick in body and languid in rnind. All my actions
diRpleaRed me and I was alrnost insupportable to myself.
Passive visits annoyed me beyond expression and I made
none that were active, and never went out of the monas-
te1·y. 'rhe short days alleviated my sufferings, because I
then had more tirne to pour out my soul in tears. But
for this, I hid from the community who could see no rea-
sou for m~- sous and sighs, as they could not know their
source, for no one did anything to displease me. Every-
thing was supplied to me in abundance. Yithout caressing
me, Yom· lfajesty gave suceess to all my actionf5. In imi-
tati 011 of Yom· BleRsed llother at Cana, I had confidence
that Yon woul<l do a11 that I would ask, if l so desired;
l>ut l desired nothii1g, I was dnll. I """as astouished that
miyone eould bem· rne 01· eonve1·Re with me. I adored Your
wise gooduess whil'h permitted me to be in that state.m
I t was iudeed wise goodness whieh, while the saintly
lfothe1· threw inio raptm·es those who considered it a
gJ·ate to speak to hm·, caused herself to be astonished that
auy could bear her 01· e01fferRc with her, and that the dis-
ting·uished and Bmuerons vü·dtors whom she received, were
far from engende1·i11g attachments and mmoyed hei· un-
speakal>Iy, and that i hc testimo11ials of ve11eration Iavished
upon her, instead of incJiJÏ ing her to vain complacency,
left her insupportable to herself. llnt, at the smne time,
she is forced to acknowledge that God made everything
she did, sutceed, and this gave her, · not only confidence,
l>ut also proofa that He would do anything that she would
dcsi1·e mHl ai-.;lc Vhile she was mrnble to desire anything
for hCJ·self, hCJ· compa~siou for the snfferi11g1-3 of ber neigh-
bm· m1d eRpeeially of her own <1anghte1·s, used for their ad-
vm1iagc the condes«en:-.;ion of l1e1· Divine Rpouse.
Fm· i11:-.;hrn<·e, i.he good lfofüer one day saw all lier
<langlticn·-i NÎ(·k :ti ihe :-.;mne iime. lJothe1· lf:wy of the
Jloly UhoNt hëlN Io 111Hle1·go an opp1·atio11 for a ilrn1or on
tJw k11eP. lier eX<'eSNl'C rnoJ.tifi«ation CêlllRe<l hcr to hidc
i t 1'01· f'o111·tee11 yen 1·s, êlH<l 11ow H ha:-.; hrought 011 Ruch a
1.A utogTaphic Lifc, elJ. C.

407. SOJOURN A'.r PARIS 381
burniug fever and such an extraordinary swelling that
the physicians will not answer for her life. The Sister
in charge of the kitchen, has such an inflamed swelling
of her eye that she is forced to go to bed. The Sister
who shonld have taken her place, is also sick. Here Yas
a chance for devotedness "Thich vrns only too good and
the saintly :Jiother was far from missing it. She begins
by protesting against the fears of the surgeon, Dr. Prioult
and she assures him that her daughter, ~fother Mary of
the Holy Ghost, y7il1 not die, and that the other will not
lose ber eye. She then quiets the poor cook, W'ho is un-
1mtient to get back to ber work, and promises thnt she
herself will take ber place. This was incredible, as the
infirmities of :Jiother de :Jfatel made the heat so insup-
p01·table to her that she would not be able to go into the
kitcben wi thout a notable increase of suffering. The opera-
tion on the knee was so successful that even the surgeon
looked on it as miraculous. 'rl1e Sister who was ·snffering
from her eye and whom niother de ~latel found too anxious
to be cured, ùetermined to continue groaning all night to
arouse the ::fother's sympathies '"hich rnmally ",.ere so easily
moved. Her stratagem succceded. Towards four o'clock in
the morning, the good M other could resist no longer, and she
conjured St. Raphael to relieve the Sister. "'At tlrnt in-
stant," writes the biographer, "'the celestial physician
}Jierced the tumor Yith such skillfulness, that when the
surgeon came several lrnnrs after, he found the swelling
i·educed vith a much better punctu1·e in it than the one
he had intended to make.'n
~Ioreover, to the great astonishment of all who knew
how injurions heat was to the :Jlothe1· Foundress, she was
able to hear the ternperature of the kitchen. This was good
for her humility. She be1ieved she was imlebted for this
favor to the inte1·ces~don of her holy daughter, Elizabeth
Grassetean, Yho as the ::lother says, "p1·efened thi~ office
to the highest dignitie~ and to any other employment.''2
Indeed Rhe did not Yri~h to give up when the Sister cook
1.Autographic Life, ch. CIII.
2Ibidem.

408. 382 LllnD OF' .JE.AN~E CHEZ.Hm DE lIATEL
was (·m·ed, and after giYing to eminent visi tors the spi1·itual
)JOUI"ishment foi· which they were so avid, it was her happi-
ness to retnn1 to the kitchen, to JH'epare corporal nourish-
rnent foi· her daughters.
It was not only in the interior of the cloister that Our
Lord made all she did 01· said, sueceed ~ tln·ough hei·, He
granted the snme faror to pe1·sons outside of it. 'I'his was
~o well known that she was often ealled the Oracle of the
Jncanwto ff"onl. 'I'he Abbé du Bosquet, an eminent lingnist
and theologian, loved to say his lIass in· the chapel of the
monm·;tery. As the saintly ~Jother tells ns, he said it with
a tleYotion which was not ordinary. One day while he is
nt the altar, sbe sees on the paten a small cloud in which
white and blue are happily blended, and she is inspired
with an intuition that be will reeeive a dignity which he
cloes not 110Y possess. Sorne time afterwards she knows
that he is to be vromoted to the e1ûscopate, not lJy the
favor of men, lJut by a eele~tial graee presagecl by the small
c1ond. At the next visit of the AlJbé, she imparts to him
what has been revealed tu hei-. It seemed impossible, but
Gocl confirmed the wonls of His lrnndmaid. "You made
him a Bishop against the expectations of his friends and
of his enemiest writes the venei·able Mother, ""the forme.i·
despaired of it, and the latter were detei·mined to prevent
it. And all liad reason to say that every counsel is vain
which is against Yon, my Lord and my Gocl. Yonr good-
11ess macle me hear the following worcl~: '"3Iy daughter,
thon seest how I accomplish all that My Spi1·it makes thee
~ny, evell thongh thon dost not ntter it as a prcdidion,
but on1y as a thing of which thon al't confident, on account
of yom· trnst in ~le W'"ho lon:·s thee and Vho am 1111 willing,
to 1e:we thcc in shame wl1en thon hnst i·nised hopes foi·
!-'Orne g-00<1 oet.:m·e11ee.·n Ou the d<ty of the l'C<'(:pt ion of the
lmwPt of' i11 i!-' l1omi1w1 i011, ~I. de P1·i~znc Wl'OiP: ""lf. cln
Bo!-'qt1PI 1rnd Io he a BÏ!-'hop, nftp1· ihe Orncle of' the l11cnt-
11:tte 'Yonl h:t<l 1hus p1·p<lit.:led thêtt he wo11l<l."2
1. utogT;qJhic Life, ch. C l.
:.! llJiùcm.

409. SOJOURX AT P...RIS 383
'fhe new Prelate goyerned the diol'e~e of LodeYe and
nftel'wm·d~ that of "Jfontpellier. like n goo<1 :-;he] 1henl. for
he ·wa~ a man of solid and lofty yfrtue. He held :lothel'
de ~Untel in snch esteem that sometimes he gan~ her an
ateount of his couscience. She says that he did this "with
g1·eat simplicity, judging himself as n10st 1my01·thy before
GocV'1
On one J)Qint he sometimes cliffel'ed Yith the ''yorfüy
.Jiother who responded to the confidences of the Prelate
Yith her mn1. Yhen she communic:ated to him some light
Yhich she had receied, he pretended to see in it an effect
of the natm·al penetration and sn1Jerinrity of her intelli-
gence rather than of supe1·natural infusion. One day he
Yrote her a letter Yhich touched on this matter and was
painful to ber. He actecl in good faith, but Our Lord
took care to disabuse him. The next clay. while he Tras
telehl'ating the Roly Sacrifice, a Yi~ion laid open before
his eyes the celestial horizons. He sa'" the heart of "Jiother
de "Jfatel borne by the angels into the bosom of Gocl to
enjo.' there a union Yhich culminatecl in unity. He ac101·ec1
the jndgments of God which are so contrm·~~ to tlwse of
men. Sorne time aftenyarc1s he came to see the Foundress
and humbly confessed to her Yhat Om· Lord had shmn1
him. ''H!s serions grayity yielding to Yonr kindness to
me.'' she Tites, "made him relate Yhat he had seen and
he confessec1 that You do Yhat Yon will. in HeaYen and
on earth, and that the soul that receiYes Y our loYing Yords,
is nourished and fortified by them and i~ eleYated and al-
most clidnised. Yon are God Yho alone works mmTels.~
In spite of the pain of her sojourn in the capital and
the urging of her danghters at L.Yon~. the Foun clre~s was
unwilling to leaye the c01ffe1it of Pm·is before it ,,~as ~oliclly
e~tablishecl. There remained two thing~ for her to do. rr11e
first was to put tbem in possession of a suitable location.
The owners of the place which she YÎshed to acquire for
the monastery, hacl been, until then. inhactable. The sec-
ond was to obtain the confirmation of the letter~ patent.
She had already obtained a soit-montré in Yirtue of which,
1Autographic Life, ch. CI.
!?Ibidem.

410. 384 LIFE OF .JE.:NNE CHEZ~IlD DE lIATEL
a8 she was aRsnred, the exiRtence of lier mo1rnstery was
gnaranteecl at least for twent,v yenrs. rrhis provisional
secnrity was not snfficient in her eyes. She continned the
neressary procednre. In 1()48, she sncceeded in obtaining
a decree that the royal letters sl10111(l be p1·e~ented to the
Pal'liament at the reopening of the Palace, for the Christ-
maR ho1idays had begnn and the session had been snspended
nntil the l~~piJJlumy. Bnt affairs of a yer:r different nature
were now to occnpy the rnembe1·s of the royal Court.

411. UIIAP1'EB XXII
The Monastery of Paris During the Troubles of the Fronde
1GJ0-1G32
On .Jamrnr.'T G, lG-±9, unexpected ue"·s threw Pai·is into
commotion. During the night, the Com·t hacl sec1·etl.'· left
the capital. ..A.nne of Austria, wem·y of the Pal'liameufs
exaetious d1ieh made all governrneut impo~sible, hacl re-
tired to Saint-Ge1·main Yifü lier son, the king, and gfreu
ihe P1·iuce of Condé commancl of the royal armies which
hacl bm·ricadecl the tity. As soou as the news of this en~nt
had sp1·ead, the Parliameut levied troops and organized
an insnrreetiou. This "·as the epoch of the Fronde, in
w.hich wai· it was said, that there ,,,.as au expenditure of
more wit than powde1·, although blood ofteu flmvéd; and
that those d10 took pal"t in it neal'ly ahn1ys did the con-
trai·y of Yhat ,.as expected of them. In snch conjunc-·
tures, not only there was no longer any que~tiou of regis-
tering 1etters }latent, but :Jiother de :Jiatel and her daugh-
ters saw themselves constrained to abandon thefr home
and enter the city. ·'Our situation outside of the barri-
cades," says the Fonudress, "left us expose(l to outrages
from the soldiers and dep1·ived us of rneans of procm·ing
bread and other necessaries, on account of the monts which
obstrncted the l·oads.''1
It Yas a sacrifice for this religions family to tear itself
away from the solitude which pi·ocnred intimacy with its
Divine Sponse, aud to see itse1f t111·mn1 out iuto the midst
of the seditions aud insane mob. The Divine :Jfaster took
it on Himse1f to alleYiate their hial. The saintly "3Iother
i·ecognized, ''that Providence which governs all, had a
special care of harboring her daughters.'~2
Her numer-
ons friends in the capHal and especially her spiritual
sons, vied with one auother for the favor of receiving thern.
L-utographic Life, ch. CIV.
~Ibidem.
385

412. LlF'E OF .TE.XXJ•j CTIE.7,.IW Im ~LTl~L
~I 1·. ;111<l ,.,ln <1:1 rnt• tll' Jfo~~i gn ol 'H'TP a m011g lter most arden l
f1·ipnds. and pbte<._)d, nt füp (lisposnl of the eomllmuity, n
dm11P~ti(· cltapel and tive J·oorns in the lrnnse whieh they
WPl'f' o(•(·upying. 'rltis offel' "'as aceeJJted. )f. de Lm1glade,
H th eologi~m and an ol<l friend of )Jother (le )fatel, wa:--i
clta1·rned at being invited to corne every day to say )fass
<t11d give ihern the sacraments. Father :Morin of the Ora-
üwy, ga'e the exhortations and conferences. • 'rl1e religions
wel'e able to observe the cloistel' and go through their
exercise:-: as regnlm·ly as they had done in their conyent.
'rhey were antho1·iz;ed to have expositiou of the Blessed
8acramcnt ou Holy 'rlrnrsday, and all the ceremonies of
Holy Yeek. "Yonr danghters were fed on the heavenly
H1·ead," 11Tites the pions Foufühess, "as if they had been
in Yom· ow"n bouse. As for the bread that snstains the
body, I did not let them laek for anything:·1
""'Ye knew
nothing of the high cost of living," writes )Iother de Bély,
""except what we heard, although bread soared as high as
thfrty cents a pound.''2
ln order not to offeud lfr. and )ladame de la Püudière,
)fother de lfatel hel'self had to accept hospitality from
th em~ and that gJ·eat lady fonnd happiuess in aiding the
good lfother in p1·ocnring the provisions necessary foi·
her daughters.
The clwrity of the sain tly ~Iother was not eonfined
to the needs of he1· mn1 family. It was solicited 011 all
sides at once. She di~frilrnted abnndant alms to the poor
who we1·e asharned to heg and were snffel'ing from i-;t;uva-
ti on. To hnste11 the ret11n1 of peace, wltich Yas be~onght
with ü ·m·s aml pe1tances, she contrived to have the people
im1,J01·e it with mrnnirnons snpplicatious. JTrom her pe11-
11 iPs Rlte co11üibuted t0n1rds engraving aml i-;preadiug
i ma gr~ of l Ïm·y Q11ce11 of rea~e. She penmnde<l Dom
.J acq11PN, 1he P1·0<·111·ntor of the Cartlrnsians, to pl'i11t a
book in wltieh, U11·onglt val'ied praye1·s, pence was begged
f l'0111 '"'l'hc Tm·a1·n:lie 'Yonl, its Prince, by the iute1·ce:-;-
1.u t ogT <lJ>hi c Life . e h . ClV.
~ll: 111u ~c 1 · ip l l Jp111 o il' l> y llotli e r <l e H é l ~·. c h . XlV. p. 110.

413. ~IO~J..STEUY OF PARIS.-TilOlJBLES OF THE FTIO~DE 387
sion of the august :Jlothe1· w·ho gave Hün to the world for
the reconciliation of the hnman race. She eYen Rpent five
lrnndred livres on this work.m
T'he monastery of Grenoble experienced the special ef-
fects of her generosity. It had suffered great damages
from an m--e1·tlovr of the Tsere that innndated the city. She
sent them a consicle1·able snrn to spend on re1wirs. The
~npe1·io1·ess and sorne of the 8isteu;;;, seeing the altar of
thefr clnn·ch eanied away hy the 'Yate1·s, went at the
risk of their lfres to rescue the Blessecl Sacrnment from
the tabernacle. 'rhey placed H on a step of the stain:nse
ns if to oppose a clike to the torrent, and then remaine(1 ·
in 1wa3--er and aclm·ation before the Divine Yictim until
priestly hands conld replace Him on His throne.
'f'he nnfortnna te eYents 'vhich eaused the goocl :JIother
such sa('rifices and prinltions, bronght her consolations
which were highJy appreciated. -Y'hen she was i~elegated
to the outskfrts of the suburbs and had made a lmv for
herself not to go ont of the mo1rnstery, she hnd been de-
p1·ived of the connsels of her old directors. The clistance
'vhich sepan1te(1 the conyent from the house of the .J esuits.
did not permit her delicacy to solicit their visits. As she
was nmv ontside the cloister and near the .Jesnit clrnrch
she was able to confer with them and particularly with
Fathe1· de Condé who was preaching the Lenten services
in the par·üd1 of St. Eustachius, to 'vllich she then be-
1onged, with Father de Lingendes "--ho had directed ber
dnring her first sojonrn at Paris. and Father de Crest
who had gnided to the Order of the Incnnwte· W"01·d,
.J[other :Jforgm·et and her companions. The maleYulent in-
terp1·etations J)laced lJ})(iH the exte1·iol'ly secnlar state of the
Foundre~s, had corne even to theil' ears. "There was not
011ly ta1k nhont ihis among the eommon people,'' she w1·iies)
··Jmt it "--ns made the subject of conversation in the pres-
e11ce of .Jlnjt:•sties and Eminences, in orde1· that co11tem1Jt
for me frorn the great ones of the l'Hrth might make me
dl't·i de fo p]e;Jse th em ag<tiust Y 0111· order~, of which I <1i<1
L[anm;cript of lIother de Bély, ch . XIY,

414. 388 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE ~IATEL
not tell thcm. I believed I shonld not tell them, as my
candor was considered as ùoastfulnesR, by those who did
not know me and who thonght that I spoke too freely
of the lights which it pleases Yon, my adorable Benefactor,
to commnnicate to me.m
Vith the Jesuit Fnthe1·~ in whom she had entire con-
fidence, the good l[ofüer did not need to veil the lirnpidity
of her soul. She disclosed to them all that had been
manifested to her on the course she was taking. They were
unanünous in affirming that the1·e wns a manifestation of
the divine will as evident as it was cxüaordinary. "rrhey
recognized," she says, ··that those, 0 my Divine Hnler, who
had writteu them that I "·as not doing Your divine will,
were ignorant of Your will.''2
lIoreover, there Yas now
a proof that among other reasons for this exceptional
guidance of her, the Incm·nate Vord had pnrposed to se-
cure for His nascent Order a p1·ovidential aid. This struck
Father de Lingendes especially. '"If ~you had been ùound
by the religions profession,'' he said to her, '"you would
not have been able to suppo1·t your monastery of Pal'is
during this famine, and neither the m01iaRtery of Lyons
nor that of Grenoble wonld exist any longer, ùecnuse you
would have been povcrless to act and help them in their
need. lfother de Bély makes the saine rernm·k when S]Jeük-
ing of the smn sent by the good )Iother to the honse of
Grenoble to help to repair the damages snffered from·
the inundation. ~'If she had bcen a 1·cligions and dcpeud-
ent on a Superior, he would doubtless not have consented
to lier thus assisting them, especially during· wm· wlteu
Pvc1·v one was in fcm· of bcin°· Yithont bl'ca<l.m• b
At last there eamc negotiations for the peace which
hn<l heen so cm·ncRtly irnplo1·cd ùy ihe saintly Mother.
'J1l1o~e who ltn<l hcen fort(•d to lc•wc thei1· home, con]d not
1·<•tm·11 io i1. H11t f01· 11e1·, iltP fri•tl WêlS 11oi <'JHlP<l. '111te
111on:u·dl'l'Y ]1nd :·n1ll'<•1·l•<l g-1·<•ni ly. l T1·g<•11t 1·<•11nfrl-' luld t-o
h<' 111n<l<' hdo1·<· tli<· <.:0111111 111 i t.r <'Oll l<l ùc i·t>im.;ta llt•<l. l11
~ pit<' ol' hc1· O'll <lP~i1·p io :--;lrni ]i(•1·~pll' 11p in it ê:--; ~0011
1,11togT:1plik Lift'. <"h. Cl''.
~l hide111.
::: ll<111u ~ cripl .Mcmoir of l1otl1cr de Bél:-,·, cl1, XI',

415. lIONAS'l'ERY OI-1, PARIS.- 'l'lWUBLES OF THE FRONDE 3S9
as possible, the Fonndress had to remain in the city nntil
the ~scension. She ~vas detained tbere by another sad
necessity.
During more than six months, a kind of hectic fever
ltad infected the monastery of Grenoble. T'wo Sisters had
died of it and Lucrctia de Bély hacl been attacked by it.
Yhen the good Mother learned of this, she ordered the
child to be sent to Pads where she arrived on November 1.
'fhe malady was so far from yielding to the remedies
given, that it constant1y increased and, towards the end
of the siege, was complicated by dropsy and hemorrhages
of the lungs. Drs. de la Chambl'e and Felix, the physi-
cians of the king, were treating her, but lost all hope.
On 3Jay 4, after a consultation, they decl ared that she
conld not live and that her Yhole system was exhausted.m
Dr. de la Chambre met llr. de Priezac at the hotel Séguier
and announced this prognosis. This devoted frierid of tlle
:11-,oundress, knowing how much her heart had to suffer,
immediately set ont to prepare her for the bad news and
exho1·t hcr to be resigned to this sacrifice. "I am Villing
to helieve," she answered, "that, according to the rules
of Hippoc1·ates, my daughter cannot live, but I do not
give up hope that she will not die from this illness."-
" Yhat," he replies, "does the incomparable one (he often
called her by thi.s name) w·ish to oppose the order of
God who_, acco1·ding to all appearances, now Yishes to
eal1 this chil d back to Himself ?"-"I luwe promised hcr
nnd I have promised her parents that I woulcl give her
1lte habit of the Inearnate Vord," she answel's, ."I dare
to promise myself that He will not nnsay wlrnt I have
said and that He will leave her to me. I will continue
"·eeping at His feet nntil He has cured my danghter.''2
The vcnerable ~fother did as slle had said. For tllree
whole days and nights, lier pl'ayel's, teal's, and confidence
Ye1·e 1iterally inereasing. Dnring this time the sick child
had lost consciornmess and eve11 all signs of life. The
infirma1·ian, ~lothel' Jeanne of the Passion, belieYed she
11Ian uscript Memoir of Mother d e Bély, ch. XIV.
~Ibidem.

416. 3DO LIFI•} OF .JE.NN"rn CHEZAim DE ~L'l'EL
"· a~ dend and p1·epm·pd a ~ln·oud fo1· he1· bm·inl, lrnt the
patient snddenly 1·egained the nse o{ he1· senses, the fe,Ter
1eft he1·, arnl she felt J1p1·self to be 1w1·fectly cnred. ..As
2Iother de Hl>ly hp1·~elf relntf.:'s: "Al1 who had looked on
me as the prey of death and wl10 110Y :-;:tw me i·estored
to health, g·mt;e<l nt rne with an nmnzerne11t likc that of
t hc .JewR who we1·e witnesses of thP 1·e:-;111·1·edio11 of Lnzm·ns.
'rhis wns füp <':tNC' pspecinlly with J)r. de ln Chnmb1·e who
had bee11 called in :ts soon as my in·ompt cm·e hnù bee11
nssm·ed. He :rnd the fnm ily of )fr. <le Hos~ignol afte1·-
" 'al'ds a 1wayN called me the "<lead 011e res11seitated.' He
con~dde1·ed th:1 t l wonl<l soon be nlJle to hrm· the fatigue
of a ride in a caniage to the fanbo1·g Sai11t-Ge1·main and
f had snch n enwi11g to he home agnin that they took
me thcre immediately.''1
'rhre<l wePkN lntll1·, Lnc'l'etia de Bély w:ts elothed with
the hol~T li ve1·y of the I 11cm·nai e W'01·d. She clurnged he1·
iwme fo1· thnt of he1· ~·oo<l ~Iother and was ealled Siste1·
,Jemrne ol' .fesns. D1·. de la Charnln·e "·m~ i1ffited to the
teremon~·. withont h:ffi11g heen told the name of the
pof-1tnlnnt "·ho wn:-; io tnkP the 1·e]i~iom; habit. " rhen he
Rnw he1· eorne fo1·th, hiN nm:u~ement w:ts ~o g1·ent thnt he
tonld not J·efrain from Rayi11g alond to the wives of the
Chnncell01·, of the ~l:u Nlrnl (lP 'rhonssy, of the ~l:wqnis of
Hoya11, and of the P1·e~i<lr11t Cogmlnx who we1·e nenr hirn:
"'rake n p;oo<l look nt th:ti yo1rng lndy. Rhe i~ one who,
illl·re week~ ngo, wnN den<l m1d wnN i·:tised to life Ly the
p1·nyp1·~ of ~J othe1· de ~Intel." 2
Th< rnnte1·1rnl hem·t of thr YelH_--'ntble )fotlw1· l1:td :-;111'-
fp1·ed othe1· s01·1·owN <lm·ing ihe~e ('<llnmitons <lay:-;. ~hl}
J·elateR the1n i11 tp1·111~ in which he1· ow11 chal'ily and ex-
ll'Plll<l good1H1 ~~ m«l n<l111i1·:thly dPpicte<l. "One thillg which
nt fh:--;t 11101·iifi<><l rne," ~he s:1y:-;, "'w:t:-; ih:ti «l}l'f:tin pm·eniN
iook :l'<l,Y 1'1·0111 ll~ fom· ol' Olll' ho:ll«ling· )ll1pÏ]N :llld took
off tlie• 1i1 j I<' l1:1hi j 1'1·0111 1wo ot h<'l'N. And :tN Yom· ju:-;tic<'.l
ltëlN nlwnyN p<·1·111i(jp<f llwL Ill.Y NOU] Nhonld lw :tlï'lidP<l
wlt<•ll :tll,' of 111y bo:11·<li11g ]>llpÎ]N n•1·e i:tk<•JI <l':ty, ]>(•(':lllN<'
1:lé11111:-;<·ript lI P111oir of lJotller ll o Hély, C' ll. X I'.
:.!Ilii<lcm.

417. ~lOX_STEiff OF p _nJS.- THUl' BLES OF THE FUO:"lJE 301
lo,·l~cl them ~n temlel'l~· and they wel'e ~o full of g1«lti-
tnde. in ~pite Of tlie l'e~ig·nation "Yhich I fried to feel fo-
W<lJ·ds Y 0111· "YÏll, I "·n~ afflkted exeec1
cling·ly. 'rhis was
e~pecially the c:lse "·hen 1 Yas at the drnn·h foi· a sermon
of Fathel' de Condé. and was the1·e tohl tliat 011e of my
little unes frum Beanyais was dead. ..:_s she had no nnrne.
I fearecl that she hacl cliet1 withont baptism. and I kept
her two clnys "Yithont bm·inl until he1· mothel' sent me "·orcl
from Saiut-Germain-en-Laye. that she had been baptized
aud "Yas now a little ang:el in Heün~n. and that my care
had kept her on earth sinee the month of Deeember "Yhen
the hemorrhages from the 1nngs and continua] fever
threatened hel' with death. and that I hacl obliged her
exceeding:Jy by 1·eceiYing her when she Yas in that con-
clition.~ ·· 1
Yre cmmot hl1
lp <1ski11g om·selYes wlwt the charitable
~Iother mrnld han) clone. if the 1ittle one frum BeanYais
hfü1 cliecl Yithont ha]Jtisrn. ~he "Yas nnwilling to let her
be lnu·ied befo1·e she 1·ecefrecl assm·<mees on this point.
' ' 'onld ~he not haYe bee11 mrnlJle to resign herself to kno"·-
ing tllèlt the chi1<1 was clep1·in~d of the beatific Yi~ion. and
Yonld ~he not lune ve1·si~t<) cl i11 ln·a.Yi ng ancl "Yeeping a t
The feet of the Incm·11ate Yol'Cl nntil H e hacl permitted
that 1itrle soul t o corne back from death and chink in
from the '"~1te1·s of the ~ncrament of regc-ineration super-
natural ete1·nnl life '! 8he had expe1·iencecl tliat the tencler-
ue:-:s of he1· l>iYine ~pon~e wonlcl iwt i·efn~e h el' eYen such
a p1·odigy. ~ince. <lt Lyo11~ in 1'i:1:J. tlmrngh he1· 1n·aye1·s
He had i·ai~ed from <leafü a chilcl nf 11ine year~.~
At that epnch. the1·e Ye1·t• othe1· qnite cliffp1·eut re:-;nnec-
tions "Yhich he1· tem·:-; Ye1·e to ohtaiii. They "Ye1·e to ln·ing
back, not to nntm·al lift hnt to the ~ll }Jernatn!_·al religions
life othe1· Yc1
1·y <lem· chilfh·en wlwm ~ntan "YÏshecl tn steal
iAutogTaphic Life, ch. CIY.
:?This miraculous fact is recon1 e11 by ~Iot h er de Bély ( ~Ianuscript.
2n r:1 part. ch. XLYI). She asserts that she learnecl it from persans
·who were worth~· of belief. "I learnecl it in 1663. from the lips of
our worthy Founclress. and also seYeral other miraculous eyents whi c h
she diù me the honor of conficling to m e while she exhort ed me in
wo!·cls fu ll of f erYor to recognize wi th her th e grea t fa Yors wh ich th e
(1iYine Gooclne!"s hacl bestoYed upon her..,

418. 392 LIFE OF JE~.NNE CHEZAilD DE 1IA'l'EL
mnly frorn her. 'Yhile the c;omnrnnity was ont of the
monaste1-y, two postn1ants had lost 1·elish for their voca-
i ion. Tt sPemed tlrnt füerr Y:lR nothinµ: 1eft hnt to expel
them as incapable of in·ofi t-i11g from the g1·ace which had
been offered them. Bnt this seve1·ity was jmpossible for
the heart of the good lfother. She prayecl and hoped in
~pite of a11, and she obtained fol' them such lively so1:row
for their infidelities, that for forty days, with tears and
sighs, they begged for the i·eligions habit from the Fonn<1-
ress, the Mother Assistant miel the lIistress of Novices.
lfother de Matel's consolation was nnhonnded. Her own
description of their repentance and of hrr longings for
their sanctificatjon, are likc a song of ham>iness and tell-
derness. "1"hey appear to be wafted nlong by ïonr Spirit.
Plabit spiritus ejus et fluent aquae. Qui auunntiat Vc,rbnm
sitmn Jacob). justitias et judicia sua Israel. "His wind shall
blow and the vaters shall run. He declareth His word
to Jacob and His justices and judgments to Israel.m lIay
they ever remember that Your Spirit does not do for an
who resh;;t His graces and tbeir own vocatiou, the favor
which Re has donc to them and which binds them donbly
to make a good use of the double grace which they have
i·eceived. ~Ton fecit taliter omni nationi et jmlicia sua non
11wJ1ifcstavit ris. _,_ l/lc711ia! Alleluia! "He hath not donc
thns to eve1·y nation an<l He hath not manifestcd His jndg-
ments to them. A11e1nia ! Alleluia !"2
''On the day of the Octave of tlte Kings, 1650, one of
tltesc postulnnts i·eeeiYed the holy habit. 0 my l )]vine
Havi01·, I bL)seech Yon thnt she may hem· from Yonr merry
wlwt Yonr Father said to Yon in süict jm~tiee: Behold
lfy we1l-hPlored dangltter in whom lw11ceforth I will hc
well please<l ! lfoy Your Ifo1y Rpfrit lead lier into the
<le~ci1·t of ho1y religion. lIay Yom· g1·ace there so a:4sist
het· tltn t she will be victo1·ious oye1· all her enemies mid
that, at the ci1Hl of lifc which is the going ont from the
<lcse1·1-, she rnay be worthy to be <1ecornp<mied hy Y0111·
11oly «t11gels mHl io be prcscn1cd to Yon hy t-hern, elcm1sed
1 Ps. CX LYJJ , l 8- l!J.
2 lbid Pm, ~ o .

419. .lIOK~STEHY 011' PARIS.-'l'UOUBLES OF' 'l'IIE FRO~DE 393
from a11 de:filement, so that Yon wil1 receive lier as Your
well-beloved spouse and say to her: Sponsabo te mihi in
artcrn um. "I W'ill esponse thee to )lyself forever.''1
''The other postulant seeing that she had done in wil1
what the prodigal son had done in act, by asking to go
to a country far frorn Your honse where Your love brings
fo1·th a sanctity beéoming to Your daughters, made the
air J·esonnd with lier sobs and wails. She kept clinging
to my feet until love for Yon and my materual affection
for her, ~tooped down to he1·, and kiRsing her I raised
he1· np wHh tenderness. I prayed the angels to praise
You in their ang:elic w01·ds. I iirdted a11 my daughters
to corne and pm·ticipate in the joy of seeing her corne
back to the happiness she had wished to throw mvay, in
her ignorance of the precipke over which she was going
.to cast herseIf, because one abyss calls on another abyss
·when we quit the vocation to which Your Roly Spirit
has ea11ed us. She received the holy habit on the day
of the octave of Your glorious Resnrrection. Grant, 0
Lord, that she may be clothed "Tith the strength and g1·ace
which ai·e the beanty that Yon love in Yonr spouses.'~2
r:rhe Incarnate 'Yord was nmv to make use of the f-laintly
Mother to en}ighten and sustain another vocation. On
~larch 20, 1640, feast of St. Joachim, He enraptured her
in a sublime ma11ne1· m1d made known to her that the
time nrn corne to aecomplish Ris designs upon ~fr. de la
Pim·dière. He says to her: "I have selected thy son to
serye Me in the dignity of the priesthoocl. I wi11 take
off his worlclly dl·ess and clothe him in the sacerdotal
vestments. Neither Satan nor all the contradictions of
men will be able to hinder My designs upon him.m
A few days afterwards, a messenger announcecl to
?üother de )fatel that )Iaclame de la Piardière 'Yas ex-
treme1y ill, and that althongh she was still young she was
uearing the eml of lier life, and that she 'vished the soul
of a saint to eome and iwepare hers to appear before Gocl.
10see II, 19.
~A utogl'aphic Life, ch. CVI.
3Ibidem, ch. X .

420. 30-i LIFE OF .JEAXXE CHEZARD DE ~IA'l'IDL
~lthongh the g1·ent lrnmrnty of :J[ndnme de ]a Piardiè1·e
hnd kept he1· in a Rtate of eontempt fo1· he1·Relf, her virtne~
hnd 1wtdl1
he1· füp ndrninltion of a]l. She was a Yietirn
of he1· owll zenl i11 g;1tht'l1·i11g the ]lOm· of her pal'ish foi·
tht1i1· Pnselwl (·onfo:--;:-;i011 :md <~01111mmiou, and she Yns ('Oll-
sm11ed n~ n l1olocarn.;t of eo1·pond and :-;pi1·itnal merey."1
.Ak H-' lrnow, t11e Fom1<11·e~s kept the ('loi:-;te1· as if she
hnd hrPn honml to tlo RO lJy ihe religion:-; p1·ofeR:-;ion, but
he1· grntitnde fm· the affeetio11aie hospitnlity Yhich she
had 1·Peein_.d dm·i11g: the ~iege of the eity~ eonhl 11ot 1·e-
fuse thr :-;np1·c111P eonsolat-ion whith wa:-; uow songht. She
"'ns e<qn:'1·ly ;nynited hy all thnt mom·11i11g honf.:ehold. :Jfr.
de .1:1 Pini·dit.'-1·e hoped that she won ld obtai11 from He;1Yen
the cm·p of his Yi1·tllons wife, the mothe1· of hiR foui' smnl1
e hild1·eu. ~ He m·ged the sni11tly :Jfothe1· to ask thiR g1·nee
f1·orn Onr Lor<l. nnt lt was 11ot in acco1·da11ce with the
plm1 of the l >iyi1w :Jfnste1-. '!10 the eaniest petition of
the §!;ood ~lothe1·, afte1· Holy C"ommnni011, <)m· Lonl i·e-
plied: ''11,,01· a l011g· iime you have lrnown tlrnt Rhe is to
die hef01·e l1t•1· lrn:-;b:rnd. Jr sl1e does noi die, the IIo1y
Ohost will noi <lPSC('JHl lq1011 hi111, and he will Hot become
a p1·iest. 't~]] l1im that sl1e YÏ]] <lie of ihis illness."3
Rhe
i11fo1·rne<l ~fr. de 1«1 Pim·dièn· of this divine dec1·ee~ hnt
üie<l to ponr i11to hi~ wom1<kd hc•:ut the balm of the co11-
:-;olnt io11s of the faith, «rnd she 1n·orni:-;e<l the pions depm·t-
i11g· s011l who wjshed to sprnk 1-o no one hnt he1· and God,
t11~1t ~he wonld wntch oye1· lho:-;e whorn she ]pft hehill(l i11
thi s w01·ld. .t the rn0111c->11t ilwi ihis hlt•NSP<l :--;onl entered
i11to Pte1·1lity, füp gon<l Jloihp1· kur": of the wekome she
ihPI'P 1·p(·t>ive<1. " Yon l'(:'t·eivc·d ht~i· in a 111mmer which l
ea1111<>i- <lese1·ihe," shP Tit-t·s. "mHl I :-;ni<l to her fol' Yon :-1
'<'11i, <'l<'f'fa 111<'ff, <'f JJ0110111 in f<' tl1ro11u111 111c1un . "Come
.. fy ('hOS('ll ()JI( ;rnd Ïll tltP(l l wi11 pl;H'P Jly t-111·011e.''·'
1. ulogr a phi c Life . c h . X.
:.!T l1e r e Ve 1·c l hl'l'l' :-;0 11 :-;, th e e1d es l o f whnm lat e r lH' c am e a li e u -
t e nant o f tl 1e guard !'; o r lli e Kin g' s h)'(1th e r ; on e <la11 g l1te r . llari e <1 e
];1. Piard it·re, whom w e !'; )rnl) sce gTo win g 11p un(l c r tll e c are of l'lo t h e 1·
<l e lVT;tte J an d rna1Tyi n g- Mr. d e Nn rrni x <l e C ll n rnpiµ;n~· . g-ov e rno1· of
Cana d a . (No t e!:-1 o f Mo lli e r <l e B ~ ly .)
::J li t ()gTa p li i c L i f e. ('. il . (' V 1.
.q l> i<l e 1n.
;, 1tom an Drc via ry.

421. :.IOX.STElff OF' PAnlS.- TIWUBLES OF TIIE FIW~Dl~ :J95
Jiothe1· de :Jiatel was uot the 0111.r one who co11tem-
pl<liefl the gloi·y of Jladame de la Pinnliè1·e·:-; soul. Onr
Lo1·d seeme<l to take as m11d1 cm·e to rnake he1· sanctity
shine fol'th afte1· Jip1· death as !'-lhe he1·s<-•lf had taken to
hide her Yirtues and good w01·ks d111·inµ; he1· lifc. After
!'-lhe hnd cxpil'e<1, tlie FomHlress said to Siste1· Frances
(h·<ffie1·: "This i:--: <l saint." "Yon nre <1nick at cnnonizing."
answered the Siste1·. rrhe uext day, after Sh.;ter Frances
G1·avie1· lrnd received Commnnion, the venerated deceased
«lPJH:~m·ed to he1· e11veloped in sple11dor, elothed and crowned
"'ith incomparnl>le magnificence, and followed by a multi-
tude of l>le~sed spil'its. She ·was comiug from the place
whe1·e the :Jfothe1· Fonndi·ess " 'ns, to that in which the
11ions donbter wn:-; praying. rrhis lll«ll'''elons frinmph clid
not entfrely con dn('e he1'. She said to herself, ""this glo1·y
_is too g1·m1cl fol' a womnn who wns neithe1· a vi1·gin nor
n mal'tyr, but would ùefit :Jiother de :JIatel..,
'rllile making these 1·etlections she heanl the follow-
i 11 g wm·d~: ""To n<lm·H thi~ Cl'eatnn God does uot need
to exhanst the inmieasm·nble üemmres of His glory. He
has infinite l·esom·ees fo1· ~mnls whom He wiRhes to Ranetify
throngh Hi~ gooclne~s and thei 1· co1·1·esvu1Hle11ee with the
grnceR wh idi He gi 'es th<-·m.''1
Jiother de :JIatel. seeing
lier see1·etm·y proJ011ging he1· thauk:-;giving: heyond the usual
time, ai11 n·onehes aml fimls he1· looking bewildered. Sister
Frauces ask~, "Jlother, haye yon seen :Jiadmne de la Piar-
diè1·e in g101·y?"-··Yon slimv gn_)at (·m·iosity in asking
sueh a q11e~ti011 afte1· ha'i11g l>ecu so sfrenrnrnR in rcjeet-
ing the OlTlll'l'ellces of yPste1·cln.v eveniug."2
rr~1e Sister
insists as she is conYinced ihnt the trinmphal col'tege eom-
ing, as H did, from the cli1·edio11 of the Fonrnhess, must
haYe been seen by he1·. The :Jfo1 her ohse1·ves that he1·
clnughte1·'s 1ooks :ne exüaol'dirnwily 1·<-1
l'Ol lecte<l as well
as deevJy pnzzled, and slH• knows that this is a sig:n of
her haYing had frne YiRi011s. She wi~h<-1
(1 to lrnow what
hacl ean~ed her to be in thi~ state, and the Sister related
"'hnt she had see11. ··He1· soul hnd stnyed clin°·in0' to these~ e e
1Autographic Life, ch. CVI.
2lbiclem.

422. 39G LIFE OF' JEANNE CHEZARD DE l1ATEL
?ouderfnl sights," adds the :Mother, "and was like that
of ihe Apostles on Mt-. Olivet when, upou the day of Your
glo1·ious Ascension, Yon sent to withdraw them from their
Yonderment, the augels Yho said to them: Vfri Galilaei
quicl statis aspicicntcs in coelwn?1
"Ye men of Galilee, why
do you stay here lookiug up into the sky ?2
As a confirma-
tion of the reality of these visions, Sister Frances Gravier
was~ from that moment, cured of a malady which had
cansed her frequent and dangerous spells of fainting.3
For lfr. de la Piardière, the heavenly glory with which
the blessed deceased had been surronnded, wns a com-
pensation for the sacrifice which had been demanded of
him, but it was also a proof that God had imposed it
through love, in order to accomplish the designs of special
P1·ovidence upou him. ':t"hese designs were too merciful
not to arouse the fnry of the demons, and too extraordinary
not to provoke the contradictions of men. N othing of all
this was lacking. lfothe1· de Matel, who was used by
Our Lord as an insti·ument to bring this work to an end,
had her own plentiful share in these üibulatious. To
sustain ber in these combats, God strengthened her pow-
el"~ by a sel'Ïes of sigrn.tl favors. He elevatecl ·her aboYe
the miserable intrigues of earth, to inehriate her with
heavenlv beatitnde. Ye cnnnot follow her in these mar-
velons ascensions, but shall cite one.
On the feast of St. llichael, September 20, 1G50, the
Fonndress was admitteù ü1 a sublime rapture, to the con-
templation of the excellence contained in the phrase: Vho
is as Ood ! which became the nmne of this fhst of the faith-
ful. Her soul, filled with admiration, kept repeating:
Miclwcl? quis ut Deus? 1ll iclwcl) quis ut Deus? Vith inef-
f:t hle C'Oul'tesy, that magniftcent pl'Ïllce replie<l with all
lAutographic Lifr. c !J. C VI.
2Ac ts l , II.
3Mr. d'Archambaut, a broU1 e r of Madame de la Piardière and
gen tl e m a n in waiting of th e King, b e li evecl that lie s:iw a. sign ot'
the g lor y of his s ister. Vll en sh e was brea thing h er last, h e co ul<l
not h c~u to look on h e r as she w:i s dying, and, retiring to the next
room, fell as leep . SU<Jùenl y h e w:is awakenecl })y th e sight of :in
a n g-01, rohe<l in g il<l c <l yellow arnl lca <linµ; :1 worn:in.. who was <lresse<l
i n a lon g white rol>e of n.. r e ligion s . H e immecliatc>ly :irose and WPnt
tn the> ll< •<l si<fo o f l1i s s is t (' r . Sl! e h:icl jusl ex pirr<l.

423. :..IOX_ST11JRY 011, p_JUS.-THOUDLES OF rl'HE FRONIJID 397
ihe m1gels: J('8u) amor meus! .Jrsu. amor meus! and all
the Bl0ssPd and all the ec-hoeR of Heaven repeatecl: .Jesn.
flJJtor m<' ll8! the clevice of the venerable lIother, inscribed
on her he:wt and OIL that of lier clanghters. 'rhis celestial
symphony tln·ev" bel' into a raptnre growing ever more
profonnd. Her sonl, after Jrnving heard this heavenly con-
cert, wonhl have desired nen~r to corne back to earth
or to be occupied with the thought of anything but God.
She said to St. lfichael: '•For fully three 3rears I have
been cook. I conld well be relieved of the bnrclen of
this office, to be employecl only in the contemplation of
the divine mysteries. 'rhe angels seemed to be in consulta-
tion as if assembled in chapter, and concluded in harmony
wilh the Blessed that I should be kept and confirmecl in
the oftke of cook in the honse of the Incarnate rord,
.since they themselves, for fo1·ty years, had prepared and
given mmrna to the people of Israel in the desert.m The
good ~lother having corne back to herself, went to con-
tinue the humble labors which procured for her the ad-
vantages, which are here below greater than the favors
of enjoying the delights of IIeaven, of hmnbling herself
and snffering for Gocl.
'rl1e criticisms aroused by the outwardly secular state
in which the Divine ~Iaster wished her to remaiu, had not
ended. · Ce1·tain deyout persons, whm.;e lights were not
eqnal to their zeal, had strange anxieties abont her. Not
only were they troubled at her not wearing the religions
garb, but they were alarmecl at seeing so mm1J Jiaye re-
course to ber lights. What w'"ould become of he1~ recollec-
tion in the miclst of suéh a concourse, or of ber lrnmility
muid consultations by such eminent personages? It was
known that prelates and other pions and learned men
listened to her words as oracles. As many as five bishops
hacl been seen in her parlor at once,. The vocation of ~fr.
de la Piardière discoverecl a11d encouraged by her, brought
their malice to a climax.
The persons who assumed the mission of controlling
the actions of the Foundress, were remarkable for their
1A.utographic Life, ch. CVII.

424. 398 LIFE OF JE..NNE CI-IEZAnD DE J:IATEL
zPal in tlit~ 1n·Hdicc of chal'Ïty. 'l'he vencrablc lI. Olie1·
emp]oyed them èlS nsefnl m1xilim·ies in Ids wm·k for the
rege11e1·aiion of his own vast pm·ish. He had orgnnized
meetings iu whieh they eonld deliherate 011 affairs to be
accomplished. The in·ctended i·isks 'Yhich l1other de Matel
must be nmning soon became. the matter of their debates.
'1'hey asked themselv·es if it ,ye1·e not time .to stimulate tbe
zeal of theii- worthy rast01·, wjth regard to lfother de
~Uatel whose c01weiit was in his pai·ish.
Such " ' èlS the fWSs to Yhid1 things had corne when an
unfo1·eseen incident happened which strongly confirmed
their 1·e~ol re. Foi· the feast of the I mmaculate Concep-
tion, Decemùcr 8, 1t151, tlle priest who had been saying
dai1y lTnss in the monastei·y chapel and hearing the con-
fessions of the tommnnity, is asked to preach the sermon
of the d:ly. He takes as his text the "'ords: Nigra swn
srd formo8a. "I am black but beautiful."1
From this the
poor ~Iothe1· nndel'stands that he is going to speak against
the sac1·ed p1·ivilege of the divine Queen, that privilege 011
whieh God lrns communjcated to her snch vivid lights and
w-hich He has ordered her to inculcate with all the means
jn he1· pO)Yel' aud which all the religions of ber Orde1·
make a JH'Omise to honor. W"hen 8he has heard several
1imes that ~[a 1·y contraeted the stain ol' original. sin, hel'
heart lrn1·sts with sadness and her tem·s ftow in torrents.
Her daughte1·s ~hare her pain.
After the se1·mon, they came and gronped themselves
m·ound he1· in sonowfnl silence: ..rrhey J·eniained near
me speecldef:s," she says, ""like the frie11<ls of .Job when
they tfr:-;t saw liis 1wof01rnd disfre:-:s. ..A~ ~oon as I coul<l
express my sonow. I f4pükl• to tl1ern w01·ch.; which J·educed
t he111 to rny own Nta t<' of Nn fferi ug:-.;, and 1 otfp1·ed my:-.;elf f01·
a11 kinllN of to1·rnp1tf s to lllëlke Nêliisfoetion 1o om· all pntc,
ëtll 1Jea111if'n1, êlll èll1g·11st P1·incp:--·~ 'd10 eoul<l 11ot l1nYe,
êlll<l Jw~ 110t lt:Hl, èllJ<l m·,·e1· will hèl'<1 èlll,Y shliu; êl1Hl who
li èN heen èllHl wi ll Jip f01· èd 1 et<~1'll i ty, the all 1m1·e l'.1·ea tm·c
1o 1·ecein~ the J>i,'i11e "01·<1 '. 1 onle1·P<l i Jip111 èlll, in gen-

425. .IOX..STlfüY OF l'..H IS.--TTIOUBLES OF' 'J'HE FIWXDE 3!)!)
en11 and in pnrticula1·, to make with myself an net of
1·epnration to our Immaculnte :Jlother for all the insnlts
offel'ed he1· in onr ehnreh and from onr pulpit and to
i·enew the Ymn..; ·wh i«li they hnd made eYen before om·
establishment, to defend. at the eost of thefr liYes, the
honor of he1· Immacnlate Conception."1
:Jfr. de la Pim·di<~re was IJresent at the sermon. He
"·as thrown into a sfate of consternai ion and com1seled
:Jfother de )Intel to file a eomplaint against that preacher.
He atD.1·11wd that no oihe1· 1·~1igions of that p1·iest's 01·de1·
would haYe JH"es1mH~(l to :--:ay to one indiYidual in p1·ivnte
what he had dai·ed to preneh in public. The good ::Iother
preferre<l to ndmo11ish him priYately. 'l'he next day she
expressed the ]>«1i11 that h<Hl heen cansed b~· his preach-
ing. She told him tlwt. with the approyal of prudent
and lem·iled men, she mHl ht>r danghters were pleclged
to hon 01· the I rnrnaen1Me Coneeptio11 of the :Jiother of
the Inem·nate ".,.01·<1. Hrnl tlrnt they lind a dnty to hon01·
and defeml it. ~he heg:~ hirn not to make them desist from
theÏI' ohligHtion. Her "·onl~ J·aise a ,·iolent storm. T,he
Fnthe1· beeornef.i fm·ions <md ~tigmatize~ as ignorant men
those who lrnd pennitted sneh a Yow, and treats the hnm-
hle ~Iother 'dth ey·eu g1·en ter severity. Rhe feels no bitte1·-
ne~s from these ]Jer~on nl in~nlts and dnes not speak of
them. He1· 011ly paü1 i~ from the iwmlt to the priYilege
of he1· diYine Qneen.
Snch 'yas not the ecmr:-·e of the nnl'o1-tnnate pread1e1·.
He is stung by lier admoui1 innP, tnkef" n i·esolution to ruin
Mother de ~ratel, ancl gnes to lll<Ùl1
eommon cause 'Yith
the indiYiclnals " ·ho disnpp1·oye of her conduct. In the order
of affail's 0Ye1· '"hich th(•.Y haYe arrogated the right of
surveillance, the opinion of the eommnnity·s confessor is
of capital im1J01·tanee aml ~eems to jnstify all their sus-
pitions. 'l'hey p1m1 ml•nsm·ef.: to l"<--'llll'd.'· these imaginm·y
e'Ïls. "'h:lt appe<u·s to the·m of the greatest m·gen~y. i~
lo pren•Ht J[1·. ch• 1~l Pial'cliè1·e from being ordained nnle~s
he i·enomu·<>~ his i11i(•11ti011~ of placi11g his pde~thood nt
JAnto~Taph i c Life, c h. CXll.

426. 400 LIF'E 011~ JE.ANKE CHEZ.A.RD DE lIATIDL
the se1Tice of the Incarnate "'Yord. Vith his high estimate
of the lights of the Fonndress, if he ever becomes its direc-
tor, there will be no hope of making her quit -the way
in which she i s walking.
'l'hese re:Jsons 1iYith thei1· nppearances of 7.eal, could de-
ceiYe those who juclgecl the matter from hearsay, but not
ihose "~ho kne1iY those upright and holy souls. Thus the
YenerabJe lI. Olier cou1<l be :filled with clistrust for a while,
but Rf. Vincent de Paul, nncler whose direction llr. de la
Pianli&re was 1n-epai·ing for the recepti.on of IIoly Orders,
di<l not hesitate to permit him to receive them. lfother de
2Iatel relates that it was from the hands of that Saint that
2fr. de la Piarditre received the ecclesiastical habit. "It
was on the feaRt of St. "llatthias," she writes, "that he was
c1othrd 1iYith the ecdesiastical habit by the hands of St.
Yi11ceut, the wol'thy fmmder of the Mission and foundation
stone of ma11:y holy priestf.; w·ho adorn his congrcgation and
mnny dioeeses.''1
Less than a rnonih lnter, the pions aspirant was a priest
and on the feast of St. Joseph, lIarch 10, 1G53, he cele-
ln·ated h is fhst lIas~ in the chapel of the monastery, which
the Incarnate Yonl ti-arn~formecl into a paradise of de-
lights. "Dn1·ing that clelip:htfnl lIass," relates the happy
:Iother, ··r felt a peace and joy which snrpass all under-
Ntanding. I invited all the henvenly eonrt to descend with
its Pontiff nnd King "Yho deignPd to he 1weRent on the altm·
at tlte voice of that ne'y prieRt."2
God ponrecl into hi~ Ronl
!'meh liµJ it all(l happine:-;s thnt the enl'th mHl e YPll the alim·
<li~app0nred from his · enraptnred gaze. 'rhe time paf.;~e<l
too quiekly fo1· him, but the nu11w1·ons assisfant~ we1·e
êl~hmished nt the ]eugth of the l'lasf.;.8
'r11e <lnys which followecl the accomplif.;]rn1cnt or ~o mmiy
Jn·om iscs " 'lt iclt hnd appe:ne<l impoNsil>le of J·enliznt ion,
hro11gld thP goo<1 ~lothe1· Rigmll fanm·.;. )fost ol' theù1
IP1HlP<l io p1·ppare Jip1· fo1· s11lfo1·ings. J)m·ing lfoly Ye<>k,
L u t o gï'a phi<· L if<~. e h . C X r.
:!fliidern, ch. CXVI.
::, mong· tllo~<' ])}'f~~(>IJt WCl'C Uw wife or th e C ha11 cellor Séguier.
llr. :1 1Hl 11rs. <le C h :1ss01>rns; the wil'e nf tl1 c Pr<'SÎfknt '1'11ho e uf : th e
tlll'C'l' son s of ll r. <l e .la Pianli<·rc, a11ù othcr mcmlJcrs of I1i s fnmily.

427. iUONASTifüY O.I!' P ~.IlIS.-TilOUDLES _OF' THE FilONDE 401
Onr Lord associated her with the sorrowful and glorions
f4tates of His own most holy soul. "'Yhile the sorrows of
death besieged me,'' sbe says, ""and the pains of hell pur-
sned me, entering my soul and .sinking it in nrnd and mire,
the superior pm-t beeame Jike an eagle gazing on the sun.
It berame a11 b1·ightness and by reverberation cansed light
to ~hine forth in lumü10ns words declaring the mysteries
of our faith as if I lrncl read them in the book iu which all
is wri tten. ~rhe Lamb Yho was slai11 opened the seals and
spoke tln·ongh my mouth. I vrns possessed by tlrnt Gocl 'Vho
was aH foi· me to be all things to me, Re made me pnss from
death to life aud wrought in me that woncler which I ca11
eall my Pasch and which "Tas His, His loye urging Him to
J·ise again in me who was as one dead hy the participation
or comm1111icatiou of His own loving death.m
Sorne da}TR Iater the Divine ~faste1· remincled he1· that
she hacl often asked füat she might suffer contempt, pain,
and poYeriy for His love. These desires were so agreeable
to llim that Ile assnred he1· that ''even if she asked the lrnlf
of His Ki11gdom, He "Tas ready to give it to her.'' She i·e-
plied, '•T ask of Yon nothing but sufferings on en.l'fü." 'l'he
1)friue King answe1·ecl, '"they have heen lfy Kingdom dnl'ing
·~ly m01·tnl life, at the end of which I reeeiYed the crow11
whieh e11te1·ed deeply inio )Jy head. Since thon desirest
thi~ portion in this life_, I share it with thee.~''.2
Rhe did not hmTe long to 'nlit to see the confirmntiou of
the~e words. On April 21, 1G52, the thinl Hm1day after
Easter, dnring lier mo1·11iHg llH?<litntion shc heai·s: ••'J'hc
danghtee of Juda is condenmed ~.. She inqnires, ''Denr
Lord, who will be my Daniel'?'' "~Iy claughter, I llyself.''3
'rlrns fo1·ewarned she seud:-; to l>eg Fathe1· Morin of the Ora-
to1·y to (·orne to spPak to he1·.4
He is astonished at being
ealled 011 a Sunùny aHd goes irnmediately to ascertain what
1.A utog1 aphic Life, ch . CXVI 1 r.
'.2Autographic Life, ch. CXlX.
3Ibiclem.
-!The .A bbot of Cérisy wl10 was t he official 11mtecto1· uf the mun-
astery in virtue of his offic e of clel ega t e fl Supe1·inr, was not in Paris.
Tlw Abbé de la Piarcli(·re was also absent on a mission in Tourain e,
tllrough the plannings of those wllo lm.cl llad him r emoYed to a dis-
tance from l1other d e Ma tel.

428. 402 LH'E OF .TE ~.XXE C HI<JZ~.RD DE ~IATEL
nl'p;ent rnnttel' hacl fo1«:ed he1· to ~mHmon him. 'rhe lfother
imp:utR to him what she has hearcl dm·ing her meditation~
Yith011t her being able to know the Rom·ce of this condenma-
iion. fndeecl she lrns heard that cp1·1ain devotee~ had as-
semhled to devise means to hinder the servi<:es which ~1.
de ln Piardière Yishes to r ende1· to h e1· rnonaste1·y. lmt she
thinks t here (':111 be (JlleStiou OHly of this.
Father ~I01·in wns better informecl. 'l'he mea~m·e~ taken
by the conrn.rnuity 's ehaplain in conseqnence of hü~ ser-
mon, had corne to his know]edge. Ile Yas telli11g her the
facts when she received a note. from a gentleman friend.
inf01·ming lier thnt, whHe passing in front of the ehnrch
of Raiut- Rulpice~ he had learned that a pastor m1d two
Peclef.;iast ies were comiug to annonnce a cnnonic:ll Yisita-
tiou. H e beg·g:e(l her to tell him if tltnt Yisitation hnd
heen imposed 11po11 her 01· if she he1·self lrnd l"e{p1ested
it-. 'J'lte ~f oil1el' <lid not luwe tirnci to answer thi~ qnes-
tio11. The dsito1·s aniyed and clemancled nn andienre.
Rltf• f-.;1y~ to Fatltp1· )[m·in: · ·~l'his is the nccomplishment of
whnt w;1~ a11no1111 cPd to rne clnl'iug· rny meditation thi~
1ll 01 'l l i l l g'. •' l
'Phis Yns i11d<-•(l<l the < · n~e. 'rhm1k~ to the i11trig1ws of
" ·hicli 'n:· nlrendy lrnow. the y01·thy )f. Olie1-. rn·gecl to
l'PlHefly the alms<)~ exi:.;.;ti11µ: in hiN pariRh, hncl aRkecl the
Pl'ior of the ..hlH·y of Rni11i-G<-~1·11win t o 1Hstitnte the
p1·o(·eNs foi· thP em1011 kal ,~ j~itntion of thP mowt~ie1·y. Dom
Plê1cidP Ho11~~Pl had gin:n thi~ eonrnlÎRRion to "l. ...lwlly.
êl 1)oci01· o f th e R01·honne, m1<l pa~tor of Ra i11LJ o~~e . I t
wn~ l1P who 11nw prefo'ented him~Plf in e<m1pm1y with hYo
n~~n::--:01·:--:. "1 reeeiYP<l th<lm with <'ÏYiliiy :md re~ved-: '
1·<>hltP~ ll1P n -'Hc·1·nhlc Fomul1·(l~s, "Hrnl fo.;ienf'<l t o th e n11 -
1101111 cPlllP1lt of th<> Yi~it:ti ion io wh i«h I ~nhrnitte(l, 1·ecall -
i11g tliët 1- Yon , nltho11gl1 i11110«<·11I. l1ët<l wi~hefl h> 1111de1·go
i11 t(lJTog-:dio11:--: 1'1·0111 You1· P11P111ie:--:, witl1011 t h<>i11g nnde1·
<Il ly obl Ïg<l i j o 11 i o !"li ff<•1• t11<'ll l , ;l 11 <l th <l t Y 0 ll h Hd NH Î<l i O
l1illl wlio ju<lg<'d Yo11, if ii- WPI'P no(- given hirn frn111 oH
Ji jo·li ))(• wmil<l l1m·p 110 JIOWPI". 1 êlNk<1
<l 110 <lPl:l' of' ilte~ . .
l.u to gTaphi c Lif'P, l'li . C'X I X.

429. )IûXASTEilY OF' P.AilIS.- 'l'IlOCilLES OF 'l'HE FHOXL>E 403
YisitHtiou, altho11gh J had notif'ed from the 1·e(t<ling of the
conrn1ission granted. that it "·a~ to la~t- for n yem·."1
It
was agreed that the d:-;itntion :-;honld commen<·e two days
later. Tne~day, ~ pril 23.
The 1frst thonght of the saiutly --'lother '"hp11 s;he saw
herself in a manne1· ~alled to jndgment, "·as to remember
her adorable Savior cited before the tribunal of men. This
thonght nev·er left he1-. EYery moment she expeded some
new'" mni·k of her o"}n painfnl i·esembhmce to Him. She
asked he1·self if one of heT own danghters "·onld not imi-
tate the faithlessness of Rt. Peter and pel'liaps e,·en the
tl'eason of Judas. ...:las. this p1·esentiment 'n1s only too
well fonndecl. One of the Sister:-;, whose offices of sncrista11
and pol't1·ess lrnd ]Jla..·ed he1· in close ~ontad with the
chaplain, had been imbned with his in·ejndices agaim;;t the
.Fonndress. She hnd learned, in confidence. of the plot~
"·hieh were being con eoeted against her. I nstead of dis-
elosiug them; she hnd dissembled them and had taken every
opportmlit:r to enlogize that religions, for hi~ recollection
and mortification. l t "·as due to her testimony that the
good ~Iothe1· had not asked for his i·emon1l after his dis-
conrse 011 the Immacnlate Conception. The ]n·olonged con·
ve1·sations of this Fathe1· with the portress hnd heen ob-
served by some of the Sisters, who had angnred no good
1The following a re the 1.erms of this doc ument as w e fincl it pre -
served in the national archives: "To the Reverencl Fa.ther in God, IvI.
AbdlY. Doctor of the Sorbonne, and Pastor of Saint-Josse of this
city of Paris, greeting:
"In vie"v of the knowledge which we have of your probity and
of your abili ty in ecclesiastical and spiritual ma tte rs, as also in order
to satisfy the obligations of our office and knowing in par.ticular thé
needs of the monastery es tablished some years ago in the territory
unrler our jurisdiction, under the adoralJle title of the Incarnate Vord
and the Blessed Sacrament of the altar, we have commissioned you
and by these presents do commission you. to make a visitation of the
said rèligious. both in spirituals nnd in t e mporals. and to tak e the
time which shall be needecl for this during th e present year dating
from these presents. For this purpose we give you a ll th e necessary
power usual in visitors of religious women. and we revoke every con-
trary power herêtofore given by ourselves or by our predecessors.
a nd we promise to holcl all your decisions as if. in fact. they had
beèn ordered by ourselves. In virtue of holy obedience we command
the aboYe namecl Superioress and religions to receive. recognize, ancl
ob12y you in the said quality of visitor and to disclose to you every-
thing necessary for you to understand the condition of their mon-
astery and for you to order what you shall judge necessary, in justice
and in reason." (Natio·nal Archives of Saint-Germain des Prés. Spir-
itual Juriscliction. L. L. 113 8. April 3. 1652.)

430. 404 LIFE OF .JE..NNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
from them aud hac] reported them to the Founclress. Bnt
hcr own straight-forward disposition prevented ber from
sharing the suspicions of the othe1·s. She had even re-
doubled her care and affection for this poor dupe, who
had be~n smitten with dropsy from the moment when she
hacl swerred from the tidelity which she mYed to ber ven-
erable llother.
This proclamation of a visitatjon, which manifestly had
not been ordered merely as a matter of routine to conform
to the laws of the Council of 'rrent, opened the eyes of all
to the faults of that culprit. But at the same time it
showed forth with admirable brilliancy the humble Mother's
eharity. She e.ffnsively embraced her faithless danghter
and said to her: ''Too many witnesses constrain me to
belieYe what I "Yas unwilling to suspect, and they convict
you of having betrayed me. But they cannot prevent me
from p1·otecting yon and no one shall give you any pen-
ance."1
'rhe llother's heart crnshed with sadness and tende1·-
ncss, solaced Hself in abnndant tears. Tben the portress_,
wl10 had been blinded by protestations that nothing haù
been sought but the good of the honse, acknowledged and
hitterly deplored her fault.2
''She Ioudly confessed," writes
the good :Mother, '·that she had offended You by following
the couusels which that Father had given her against lI.
de la Piardière and myself, connsels against Yon, rny Lord
and my God."3
Yhile acti vely oecupying herself with preparing for
the vi~itation, the pions lover of the Incarnate TVord did
1wt Jose ~ight of her ado1·able llodel. Yhile wnsted with
fatigue she rccall(~ù that, according to St. I.,uke, "falli11g
i11to nn ago11y Ho pro]onged His prayer ;" sbe wished to
imiiate llim. Jle Himself made the resemblance more
eomplctc. F01· th1·ec hours He left her a prey to the sad
irnp1·p~~ionR whieh were natnrally caused by the mistrust-
11utographic Life . c li. CXTX.
2 Ve lia V (' l>e fon· ou r e yes the letter which tllis SistC'r wrote the
(' ]J ,1pl<li11 an<l i11 wl1icll s ll e ex p rcss ('s li e r ROlTOW a n<l r epent:ince. It
i s cl;1 te<l M :1 y !i. Jfi fi 2. V e give i t a mo n g the (locunwn ts. Note JîJ.
:1 ,11to g n1phi c l ,,if0. clJ. <1
XfX.

431. ~ION~STElff OF P~RIS.-TROUBLES OF THE :B'RONDE 405
fnl measm·es against her. ''Yon left me to my own weak-
ness, to the terrors and fem·s of the inferior irnrt, while
·You took possession of the superior and gnarded it as the
ùonjon-keep where You remained, to show Yourself to Your
angels as my Protector and my strength, although You hid
Yonrself from me in onle1· that I rnight experience in some
way what Yom· prophet said about Yon: rinun dolorum,
scicntrm infirm itatcm) et quasi abscou dit us vultus ejus et
despcctus,. pcrcussum a Deo et humiliatum. '"The Man of
Sorrows, conseions of His own infü·mity, smitten by God
and lrnmilinted, ·with His Face as it were, hidden and
deSJJised.m
Yhen the time for the visitation arrived, she had re-
gained all her peace and confidence. rrhe principal clele
gate celebrated the :Mass which she caused to be chanted
?S for solemn feasts. The visitation began by the open-
ing aud exmnination of the tabernacle.· From her rnan-
ner of describing this, we feel that the mere thought of
negligenee on this point caused a wound to he1· loYe. wrhey
wished i o begin by seeing how W'e kept You, my Dfrine
Sacrament, rny love and my · treasm·e. From there, they
ascended to the parlor where Yon were with me. On
my knees I asked him Yho presided how he wished me to
behaYe. 'd1ether from respect I should hear in silence wliat
he wished to say to me, or "'-11ether with candor and confi-
dence T shonld speak to him as I do to You. I recognized him
as my juclge and the interrogations began. I t was more de-
tailed than that of an orclinary visitation should be, even
for a person bunud by the religions lJI'Ofession. l. tried to
satisfy their minds with a peacefulness which surpassed
the pmyers of nature. rrhis calmness was Your gift, my
pacifie King. rrhe Yisitation terminated YÎth myself alone.
Those gentlemen went away withont having spoken to a
Ringle one of my Sisters."2
After this fü·st session, it is certain that the visitors
should haYe been tnred of their p1·ejudices when they had
Rom1ded the condnct and weighed the reasons of the ex-
1Isaias, L Tl I, 3, 4.
:::. utogrnphic Life, ch. CXIX.

432. JOG LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZ~ RD DE :f ~'l'EL
tc·1·iol"ly f.lp(_·nlm· lire of 1lothcr <le .Jfotel. 1i Wêl~ <1il1knlt
fm· nuy one who was witliout hias, t-o penetrnte into the
~:mctrnu·y of ilrni ~onl and not Le filled with ;1dmirntio11
in i he face of' the irnrnense tremmres of g1·ace which God
had the1·e depositecl, m1d with veueI"ation nt the sight of
her cmidor nnd incomparable lrnmility. Ho"Tevm·, the
canonieal dsitation did not stop there.
Documents found in the national archives of Saint-
Germniu-des-Prf>s, permit ns to snp1JOse that 1lother de
:latel w1·ote the p1·ecedi11g nceonnt, irnmediately after the
fü·st session. She mn8t have believed that the -visitation
wns thell ended. She snys nothing of what happened Inter,
bnt from those documents it is ce1·ütin that Reverend.
Abelly came back to the convent to continue the visitation,
and pI"ivately interviewed seyern1 of the Sisters.
.At thnt time the civil Ym_· obliged the comnmllih· to'---- <
go to Pa.ris for the sake of ~ecm·i t~T, and for this reason
the visitation "·as interrn])ted, and also because the Snpe-
r·ioress and severnl Sisters objectecl to Ileverend Abelly as
visitor. They addressed a petition to the Pri01· of the
_Abbey of Saint-Gerrnain, Dom Roussel, and complained
that Reverend Abelly had divulged depositions which some
of. the commnnity had made to him nnd they asked for
another visitor.
~rhe following is their pdition:
""8ince it has pleased youe Re,Tel'enœ in the continua-
1-ion of the }Jnte1·1ial cal'e which yon deign to tnke of our
a<lministration in tempornls and spil'it1rnls, to onler a
'Ïl-dtntion of onl' m01insh}1·,,·, mul si11ce you g:we n com-
mission l'or tltnt rrn1·prn.;e to Hev. A lJelly, the Pnstor of Rni11t-
.Jos~e, we ~mlrn1it-t<>d witlt nll ilH' l"espe<'t d11e to a pe1·son
~~11t by yom· H<>vP1·01H·e. Bn t, i lw edl tirnes l1:wi11g· fon·ed
llN io go Oll ( of Olll' lllOllH~tp1·y to 1iIH1 êl place Of Sec111·ity,
it liêlf-1 lm1>pc11e<l t-hHt, <lm·ing the inkn11pt-io11 of the visi-
1Hiion, we lrnow noi" by wlt:d: llH'êlllS, 111m1y tl1i11gs whirh
<"Oll l <l be lrnOnl 011 ly by d<>po~ii i011~ of i hrnse of 11 s who
linn~ lH'<'ll <>xarni11P<1, h:tT<~ Jwp11 din1Jg·pt} io RP'ernl pel'-
~011~ . 'rlti:-i llils mn<lc it impo~~ihle f'm· 11:--; to h<ffe illc iwcp:--;-

433. ::'IIOX~.STEUY OF PAnIS.--TROFBLES OF THE FRO~DE 407
~ary c:onfidenee in the }Je1·son of the TieL Pastor of Saint-
~T osse, althongh Ye 1 egard him in other respects as a
man of honor alld p1·ohity. In cornddeI"ation of this, my
Reverend Fathe1·, may it i1Ien:-;e you kindly to oblige us
hy making tlle Yisitation ~·onrself, or hy sending someone
else to whom we may he ëlhle to ~peak with entire liberty7
and Yith lJerfect ce1·ta inty of sec1·ecy."
'Tb nteYer happened. it i!-' eeI"tain tlrnt Dom Roussel
·as nt last disabnsed and limited that canonical visita-
tion to those two sessions.
If 'e han~ sto11Jit:d to ,·erjfy these facts, it has been
do11e to :-;hoY that thjs canonical dsitation was a conse-
quence of inexnet i·e1Jorts and false HPJ1re«iatio11s by per-
sans who, withont any i·ifdit hnd taken on themselves to
cemnn·e the conduct of the saintl.Y )fother aml had alarmed
the ecclesiastical Supel'Îol's, co1111H:•lling them to make her
nnd her daughters appem· befo1·e them to (lefeud her 1:on-
(1nct and her secular state. This Yisitatiou was m<Hle nnder
eonditions whieh -we1·e Yery different from tliose which
oniinarily r·egnlate the yif.;itntions to whid1 all i·eligious
houses of Yomen m·e snhject. Othe1·wise, Jfothe1· de Jiatel
would not lrnYe mentioned it.1
1It is regrettable that one of the latest historians of îI. Olier.
having in his bands from a friend, the manuscript and intimate an-
nals of the m onastery of the Incarnate Word at Paris, in order to
justify the indirect ·way taken b y lf. Olier for this visitation, has
though t of throwing discredi t on the exactness of the narratiYe of
the venerable annalist of the monastery of the Incarnate Yord at
Paris. lIother d e Bély. It is possible tha t some slight errors of dates
or appreciations may have slipped in•:oluntarily in to pages Vhich
were not written for publication. But as it seems to us, it is our
duty to affirm that Mother de Bély, devoted as she was to her Order
an cl to Mother de lIatel. was incapable of sacrificing tru th even to
the cause Vhich she defends with as much intrepidity as loyalty.
As we are obliged to say. the unfortunate and painful assertions of
the hi0torian of M. Olier are responsible for bringing before tl1E::
public certain very delicate circumstances which otherwise would
have rested in oblivion and would not have cast a shadow on a
venera ted memory among those who read the pages consecrated by
the author to this regrettable polemic.

434. CIIAPTER XXIII
The Monastery of Paris During the Troubles of the Fronde
1()5~-1G33
On )lay 7. 1G5~_, ~lother de Jlatel and her daughte1·s
were for the second time, foreed to leave their monaste1·y
wltich was onüüde the walls, to enter the city. ~rl1e Abbé
'1 e la Pi arcfü!œ placed his horn~e at their disposal. ~tiheir
fel'Yor soon transfol'med it into a couvent. The 01·dinary
granted them peJ·mission to establish a chapel in 'vhich
they we]·e ahle to hear lfass and receive Holy Communion,
and on the day after their installation they resnmed the
i·egnl ar or<1e1· of thefr i·eligions exercises. The little ora-
to1-y soon became a eenter of edification. Many of the
f'aithfn] came to assist at the office of the Sisters and
hear them ehant the }Jiraises of God, behind the screens
whieh weœ snbstitnted for grilles.
" ' hile they were thus enjoyü1g the sympathy of many,
ihci r friends a t ("onr-t were not inclifferent to their inte1·-
ests. Anne of Anstda said to Madame de Beauvais: '''ren
µ;ood :Mothe1· de 1fatel tlrnt she must corne and lodge in
ihe Hoyal Palace and stay here with ber Sisters until
the fronbles of the 'vnr have ceased."1
A special messenger
wns sent to deliver this invitation. But the venerable
~fother 'vonld 11ot think of accepting an offer from which
lie1· love of recollection nnd the hidden life, wonlcl luwe
11 ad to snffer. Rhe seni the Qneen her most humble thnnks
and said tli<tt it lt:td ple<H.;e•1 Divine P1·ovidence to 8helter
l1e1·self and liel' c0111m111tit,y in a hon~e which to them was
a Hoyal Palcwe, hec:rn~e füpy lia<l en~ l'.Y day the consola-
ti011 of aJlln·o<td1i11g the Kü1g of killgN, but tliat the kind-
Jl(l:;:f.; of Jlp1· ~JajeNty wonld he a11other stiurnlns to rnakc
yet- rnm·(l r)a1·11eNt tl1P praye1·s which they were oiferh1g
to <io<l tlrni- Ile 111igl1t ~aYe l1e1· and the P1·inces, !ter ~011~.
J .: Ic-1n u s (' r i p t lTe m o i l' h ~· 11o tli e r <l e B é 1y . e l 1. X ' I.
408

435. :IOX.STEffï" OF P.IlIS.--TnllCDLES OF THE FIWXDE 40!)
It 'nls not only by His <laily Yisits tlwt the Snpreme
Monarch made His pnlnce of the dwe11ing in which HiR
sponses 1·eceiYec1 hospitnlity, but He al~o there displayecl
the magnificence of His g1·nce. The pions Fonn<hess 'YHR
regally clothed with it dm·ing the whole of her sojonrn
in that place. '"On the day of Pentecost:' she wrote, "'He
seemed to lmrn and dro,,~n me unceasingly in the fire of
love and in the water of my tear8.''1
She "~as the abject
of the sympath.r and holy env-y of alI Yho were near her.
On the feast of the Blessed Trinity she was favoi·ed hy
p1·iYileges which seemed to lier so out of provortion to
her nothingness, that nt first she wished to nYoicl them.
But afterwards returning to her nsnal state of abanclon-
ment to the diviue good-pleasnre she saicl: "':Jiost August
'I'1·inity, be it done unto Thy handmaid according to ~rhy
wil], console her, glorify her.m
During the festivities of the Blessecl Sacrament, the
Divine Savior repeated to her: "~lj" dnnghte1·. I lrn.ve
plnced in thee the word of reconciliation, and since all
the earth seems to be at war, pray to ~le for sinners."-·-
".Alns ! God of mercy," she replied, ·'I will pray first for
rnyself who am the greatest of sinners. 1f a11 sinners
receiYecl the grnces which Yon gfre to me, they wonld
do the good which I do ï10t, and ~wonld not do the evil
'd1ich I do, and for which T most lrnmbly beg Yom· par-
don."3 The conti-nst bet"yeen the excessiYe liberalities of God
and her own personal umyorthiness, drew from her lips
the words of the P1·ince of rhe Apostles: "Lord, depart
from me for I am a sinful woman.'' But a fear inspired
by all that is most delirnte in tenderness, a fear of mak-
ing opposition to the inclinations of the Divine Goodness,
was a llindrance. J esns tenninated this contest by a new
mark of love: '"My danghter, when I was mortal, I said
from admiration of the Centurion: Ton incclli tautam
fide1n in Israel. "I have not fonnd snch great faith in
farael."4
To-day I .say tlrnt I do not find nny -faith like
!Autographie Life, ch. CXX.
2Ibidem.
3lbidem.
-±Matt. VIII, 10.

436. .no LIFE OF JEA~XE CHE7'~. IlD DE :.L.TEL
mdo thi11P. Tlwt l·o11fi<ll,11ce p1·psses )lp to gin.~ tltee e'ell
wlrnt il1011 <lo:--;t 11ot thi11k or asking frolll )le, while thon
lenYest to )le <111 thi11gs for tirne and fm· ete1·nity: f1011fidc
filia. 1
He of µ:ood 11em·t, dm1ghkr, I l'<lllse to go ont from
lly~elf, n tcuign d1·tne " 'hi(·h to thee i;-; im·oH11n·ehensible.":!
~rlrns u1·ged ty the rne1Ty of he1· ~IHm:-;e, she i·edontle<l
he1· prayers. On the foast of the Yisitation, .Jnly 2, 1G52,
she was pre1w1·ing to enter into the joy:-; of that g1·eat
day, when snddenly she felt he1·seH plnnge<l iuto an abys:-;
of SOlTO"'· rrhc1·e ap11ean:-<l to 11c1· tht1 BlcNsed Yü-giu
leaving Paris and canying hc1· Divine ~on wi th her. At
the sight of this scene, she p1·osh«1te~ he1·se1f on the
floor, 8heds a de1nge of tem·~, and ln·eathe~ forth snp-
plication8 t1·oke11 t:r sobs: '"Ah! rny Qneen ! Ah! my
augnst one, whither m·e you carrying awny the C'llild of
holy Love, Love itself, my J esns, my God "! If .ron
abandon Pm·is we arc lost. I will det<tin yon and Him
by my tears. He did not despise tem·s when He wm; n
morfal man. By their tem·s, the widow of Xaim and the
sisters of Lazm·ns made Him raise tlwit· dcad to life. Yon
and He, in yonr goodness, will heed the desii·es of my
heart for this i·oyal city. l ~hnll Hot f'll<tse pntying to
you both, uniil yon give me pen(:<: m1d nutil I Nee onr King
and his family back in Paris.''::: 'rlwt ·aN i:H1Ped a .time
to intci·vene mH1 l«dse to Hemrcn Sll]ipli<rnt hnn(ls which
achieYe Yicto1·y. At th<1t n~ry moment the froops of
1'm·e1rnc and those of (mcU~ ha<l rnet n11<1e1· the Ya]b;;;
of the capital nud we1·e fiµ;htinµ; the bloody h<•tile of ihe
faubourg Rt. ..nfüouy. )ili:-;s dn Jlo11tpe11sie1· had ('an~e(l
the eannun or the B<t~iille to ffrc upou the i·oyal m·my
and had opeHe<l to tlH· i·PbPls the g;<tte~ of the city whieh
they fille<l with dis01·de1· n11<1 tcno1·.
rJ'he sailli]y "Jfofoc1· aSS(~lllh]ps her (1angltü•1·i-;. exhoris
i hem io I·edon bl<» theil· ]>l'<tyer:-; f'01· pe<l~P and l'OmmmHls
thai: llO one, 1'01· :rny l'P<tsmt whnt:-;opTel', Nh:tll (1h;t11rb he1·
m 1H•1· JH"<l,Yl'l'N. ~lie U1(l11 ~lrnü.; he1·:-;<_l11' np in lw1· litt-le
1Matt. l X, 22.
21 utog ra phic Life, c il. CXX.
:i.utogTaphi e LifP, (']l. <'XX.

437. ~IO~ASTEnY OF PARIS.-TnOCBLES OF THE FIWXDE -!11
01·atory. J[other de Bély. wl10 1·elate~ thi~ faet, could
not bea l' the continuation of the )lothe1·':-; sufferings and
tried to force her to take rest and 11<rn1·ishment. But
she found her lrnconscious. She went to get help to raise
her and place her on a bed. One of the pions )[other's
knees was g1·ently swollen and caused her intense pain.
At this she rejoicecl. She had offered herself as a Yictim
to appease J>idne .Jm~tice. and this suffering lrnd been
gfren tn her as a pledge that her oLlation lrnd been ac-
eeptec1.
Our L01·c1 p1·omises he1· that pence will soon be con-
cluclecl and that the P1·ince of Condé will return to the
snhmission which he owes to his King. Xothing appeared
less probable. To a Bishop who is one of her friends
and W"hO cornes to exho1·t her to ask for the cessation
of the woes of their country. she impm·ts these assurances.
He <"am1ot belieYe them ancl says: "1
I'he1·e is no appem·-
nnl'e of peaee and a11 things point to a long war.m This
was the opinion of all. :XeYertheless the facts, as his-
t01·y shows. trn·Hecl ont as the.'· had been announcec1. "This
paeitieation/' "Tites :Iother de Bély. "fo1· whic-h there had
been no hO]Je, made eYerybocl.'· sa~· that some soul that
had special power m'"e1· the hem·t of Gnt1, must luwe done
holy Yiolence to obtnin a i·emecly which was so unexpected.
But ns for om·selYes. "·e well knoY to whom we were in-
dehtecl f01· thi:-; fcwor. "'.?
This politic<ll ~tonn hatl momentarily anestecl the
execution of the plots made agninst :Jlother de :Jfatel. bnt
the malice. which had fomented them, had not b~en clissi-
pated. Her wrltings of thnt epoch gfre us a glimpse of
what ~he still hacl to suffer on account of the exceptional
state in whieh Ood de~ired her to continue. But her good
)fn:-;ie1· lost no oppm·tnnity of 1·eas~m·] ng an cl eonsoling
her.
011 ilte <lay ·lwn ihe population of Pari~ luul n:-::-;l'lll-
Llecl to witHe:-;s thl1
frim11plwl 1·dm·11 to the ('apifal of
the same Cardilwl :hlzm·il1 foi· whose tleath it hatl dmn01·el1
Lfanuscript ~I e m o ir of ::Iot ller d e B é ly , eh. X ï l.
~Autograph ie Life. ch. XYII.

438. 41:2 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZAilD DE llATEL
so short a time before, Our Lord appeared to the saintly
Poull(hess, crowned with a diadem of thorns in tlle form
of a tim·a, and covered with a long red robe made of His
own precious blooù. He said to her: '"l am thy Cardinal.''
Then allucling to the urnterial of His admirable garment
and to that with which He hacl so often assured her that
He would cove1· her interiorly, He added: "My daughter,
thon must not feel abashed. Ench day when thon receivest
.J[e, I clothe thee with ~fyself.''-"Dear Love," she replies,
·•J know full well that I am not worthy of Your favors
01· of the habit of Yonr Order, lmt there is so much talk
al>0nt my giying the habit to rny claughters and not tak-
ing it myself, that this causes me an apprehension lest
I may be depriv"ecl of thi8 consolation on accouut of my
sins." The Sove1·eign 1Iaster replies: "To whom hast
thon to answe1· lrnt to 1le 'Ylw have commanded thee
not to bind thyself nntil I have told thee to do so? 'fhy
directo1·s are not of an opinion contrary to )ly own. Do
1rnt won.v about thi~ any mo1·e. Thou ai·t like :Ielchisidech,
withont fathe1· or mother or relatives to aid thee to estab-
lish ~ly Onler which is also thy own. "rhat astonishes
many is to see a woman without aid f1:·om any one, fonnd-
ing and establishing so many honses. It is I Vho give
i hee the ~pil'itnal and temporal means for this. Be con-
tented, lfy dearest, for l have done and will do all in
thce. I wlll complete :My work. I will lower the hills
of the wol'ld in the road of jfy eternity.m
On mi othc1· ocension Om· I~ord said to her : "Be Ilot
<lisfresse<l, ~Iy danghte1·, at not being clothed with ~ly
exterior live1-.v, <llHl he not tronbleù by tho~e wlio mm·Hrnr
nhont tl1y giving ilte habit and not wearing it; at thy
making l'Cligio11R mHl not being one ihyself. Believe in
God t he FniJip1·, ëllHl in lIysel f, l 1is Ron, m1<l His coeqnal,
i he H oly Rpi l'Î t. 111 tlte house of lly l~
1
nthc1· there m·e
111ët11y 111m1sio11N ëtJHl dive1·~ a<l01·11111eni~. HP 1fy new ~Jeru­
N:tl<>m <·lot11Pd wiih t11y ~pou~<'. 1 ëllll thy God, thy life,
111Hl tlty ink1·jo1· <.·loU1i11g. ...11 tlle h<)auty of the Kh1g's
L u t11gTa phic Li f e, cl! . CXXX.

439. lION....STEUY OF PARIS.-TROUBLES OF THE FIW~DE 413
dangllter is within. Thy danghters are the embroidery
of thy robe. Thou art an enigma to many. I t is the
p1·ivilege of Him alone Wbo knmvs and conside1·s hearts,
to know thee thoroughly.m
There "Yas always the same absolute will and the same
positive affirmation. The Incarnate Tord wished the
Foundress to be free and indepenclent because He had
determined to make use of her alone to establish spirit-
ually and temporally the Order which He destines to be
their common property. Rut the apparently secnlar state
in which proviclential dispensations obliged her to live, was
far from harming her eternal interests, and her Spouse
recornpensed in God the sacrifices which were the i·esult
of this state. He clothed her so prodigiously with Himself
that she was truly His "miracle of love," an enigma to
ffeaven and earth.
At the same tirne tliat God was giving Mother ·de ~latel
these intei-ior ·rn~sm·ances, He was p1·eparing for her an
exterior aid in foe struggle which she was sustaining far
from her cloister. :JIonsignor de Lestrade, Bishop of
Condom, had made her acqnainfance. All that he observecl
in her, filled him with admiration. He clesired to know
the opinion held of her by those who had thus far been
her direc:tors. For this purpose he iuterview,ed her former
directors among tbe J esuit Fathers and Father Carré, the
Dominican. All affirmed that she was led by the Divine
Spirit, that the. favors she received came from Gocl ~ and
that she "Vas the most enlightened soul known _to them.
He resolved to become her protector and to encleavor to
enlighten those whom appearances had deceived. wrhis
Prelate,'' writes Jiother de Bély, "who is most pions and
most zealous for Yonr glory, did for me "Yhat St. Germanus,
Ilishop of Auxerre, did for Rt. GeneYiève, when he learned
that the envy and lH'etended zeal of many had i.Teated me
unkindly, althongh they thought they were doü1g an act
of great cha1·ity. Your wise ProYülence sent him to assist
lAutographic Life, ch. CXXVIII.

440. JlJ LIFE UF' JE~X~E CHEZARD DE lIATEL
me with hi~ in·otedion, against all those who hnd nssem-
hle<l in that council of whfrh I have previously spoken.''1
The efforts of the Prelate were not without resnlts.
ReYeral who in good faith had taken sides against the
Found1·e~~, changed their opinions. T'he Pl'i01· of the Ab-
bey of 8<1illt-Ge1·mnin who had been h1duced to mistrust
her, and hnd 01·de1·e<1 the canonical Yisifation, forgot his
p1·ejndices to f-'neh an extent that he nppointed the Abbé
de la Piardière, Superior of the monastei·y of the Incarnate
Vord.2
Monsignor de Lesti·ade was, perlwps, not a stranget
to the change w1·ought in ~l. Olie1·, "'ith i·egnnl to :Mothe1·
de ~Intel. Yhateyer may be the ünth nbont his inter-
vention on which we baye no docnments, what is certain
is that the momentary divergenee hebyee11 these two great
sonls resulted in causing the humility of both to shine
forth all the more b1·miantly. The narrative of lfotber
de Bély on this matte1·, is too cdifying to be pnssed over,
nlthough it pertnins to an epoch posterior to the one at
w·hiC'h we have now arrived.
'l"'he saintly Poundress having retm·ned to Lyons, :ls
we shall soon see, ùegged )f. Gauthe1·y, a vfrtuons eccles-
iastic~ who was on his wny to Paris, to tnlœ in his com-
pauy two Siste1·s whom she was sending to her conyent
in that city. Rhe nhm a~ked him to ~ee )f. Olie1· for he1-.,
to present to him her respectful bornage, nnrl to recom-
rneud he1· to his p1·ayC1'~. As soon as the Yeucrnhle Um·é
1·t•toguized bis vi8itor, he said to him: · "'How welcome
yon a1·e ! For a long time I hnve been waiti11g to 1·eeeÏ'e
1'1·om Providence the <·011~olation whid1 I hope to re('eÏTC
il11·011gh yon. l helieve i hai Pl'oviden<'e ]end~ yon here
io <lP]Ï'Pl" HW from the pnin whid1 I 811ffe1' iu my Rou},
wi th i·t·gn 1·<1 to go<Hl lIofüe1· <le 1la i PL··_ .. 1t is by hel'
wiNh , ns w<>ll a~ rny owll, ihat I 11ow <·011H' to ~<'<' yon,"
1·ppliPd ..hl>(• Oa11ihe1·y. "'I Raw he1· ill Lyom~ êlJHl NlH•
<·01lfid<•<l 1o rn.<> hn> Ri~·dt•1·~ wl10111 ~li<> wn~ s<>rnli11µ: to ltp1·
1. u t ogTa phic Li f< ', c h . CXX.
:(: 1. 11n h <' r t. 1 l>h o t o f O u r L: 1d y o r (•é ri ~ ~·. h a <1 r e t i r e d t o Il i ~ o '" 11
, IJ !Jey. J te cli cd in 1G5 ·1.

441. "JI());"_..STEnY OF P~..nIS.-TnOCBLES OF THE FHO);"DE 4:15
conYent uf P~n·i ~. ~lie co11rn1i:-.::-.:ioned me to pre~en t t() .'-un ,
he1· rnost humble l'espect:--:. and to as~ure you that she
does not forget you jn her i 11·n.'-ers. and she heg:-.: :nm tn
kindly i·emember lier ü1 ~-oul's... ~I. Olier i·evlied: .._s
for me~ I beg you. the first time yon see her. to :-;ay to
her that I am her most humble se1·yant. and that I l>e-
seech her to forget the e:xamination to d1ich she was
~nbjected before the late war in Paris. In the condition
in "Yhich yon see me"-of paralysis from which he died-
..I luu-e all leisure to consicler the T"ariecl ays by which
Ci-ocl leads souls. I praise Him. ith all my heart. for
the opportunity hich Ile gfres me to make reparation
lo good :.llother de }latel. for whose T"irtues I haT"e the
g:reatest esteern. as I beliee them to be most solicl. and
.'-ou "Yill oblige me. Sir. by testifying to my sentiments.
on eery occasion "Yhich may be offered."1
The _-bbé clid
drnt "as re<]_uested by the enerable Curé. He again saw
the :.Jiother Foundre~s. and after that w1·ote the Curé "-ith
-hat humility she receiYed the messages he had sent her.
and how she assnred hirn that she liad neer felt resent-
ment against the Curé. for whose intentions she promised
to pray to the DiYine ~Iajesty.
The good ~faster not only arou~ecl the zeal of the Bishov
uf Condom to promore the i·ehabilitation of the Orthy
-:Iother. bnt He Himself was also busy about her repu-
tation and clea1·ly shcn,-ecl that to tonch her was to touch
the apple of Ris e;-e. }lany i-1e1·sons were made to feel
this. but ~I. cle Yille1·0L _l1bé of Saint-.Ju~t. hacl a special
e:x1H~rience of it. F01· a long while he had been acquainted
Yith :Jiother de :Jlatel and had held her in eneration.
He was a brnthe1· of the go,ernor of LOns and of the~ L -
Prelate wl10 was soon TO ~ueceecl :Jion~ignor de Richelieu
in the rn·imatial see of that cit~-. Th1·ong:h :Jiother de
~r atel's inte1·ce~sion. he hacl receiYecl signal g:races. and
on ~e,-era1 occa~ions while he "-n~ l'!>Iller~ing: with her on
the things of Gocl. he hacl :-:een lle1· illuminecl ,y] th a mi-
raculous lig:ht. She vrofe~secl tllial confidence in him and
1 :.r anu ~ cript :.rem0ir of :.rother de BélY. ch. XYI.

442. 4J () LIFE OF JE~'XXE CHEZXP.D DE ~IATEL
eal1ecl hün her Father dircctor. HoweYer, he had happenecl
to corne to ra1·is where one of hi~ fü·:..;t ,·i:..;it~ was to )J.
Oli<1
r, his i11timate friend, all(l 1wd a11owed hirn~elf to
l>eeome irnbned with in·ejndice~ again:..;t the FnnIHlres:..;. He
bel ieYed that he had to refonn his own opinion about her,
and assisted at the meetings in which the p1·ocess against
her "·as ananged. ~Il the g1·ien111ces against her '"ere
1mfolded before him. The fo1lmYing were among the
charges. 1t Yas irnpo~f'ih1e foi· her to r~cefre snch numer-
011s Yisits an<l be a soul of prayer. How cou1d she escape
from Yain g1on'" "·hile seeing her:..;elf consulted and fl])-
plnnded l>y :--o rnany eminent personages? She was too
1·eady to communicate lights said to be receiYed from God,
et<:. . . . Fina1ly the membe1·s of that council concluded
that cel"tainly she was no longer Yhat she might haye been
a t a fonner time.
For more tlum eight years the Abbé of Saint-.Jnst had
not seen "Jfother de -:Jatel and had al1owed hirnself to
be influenced l>y these reasonings, es1)ecia1ly when he 1rnd
:..;een hi~ Yene1·aùle friend ünpressecl by them. He even went
:-.;o far a~ to offer his services as one of the examiners in
the eanonieal Yisitation wbich was to be made. But this
Yas not pe1·mitted by God. On his retn1·n to his d"·elling
after thi~ offe1·, he Yas seized with a -violent feyer. All
ihe medieal ex1w1·ü:; ca11ed in to aid him we1·e unaùle
to find any i·ernedy for his malnd~'. to Yhich they dec1ared
he must succumb. Yhen he was informed of the immi-
nence of the dange1·, he wi~hed to rn·epare his soul to ap-
pear before God. He had sneh a keen feeling that in
taking sides against "J[other de "Jfate1 he had wounded
i he 11em·t of his .Jndge, tlrni he a~ked himself if hi~ .pres-
P11 t illne:-:s we1·e not a c11n~ti~e111ent foi· his fault. Ile
lw««t111<_. more and m01·e i111p1·c~:..;ed with this thought and
llla<k a ~np1·prne effort to utter a 1·pq1w~t that some one
nrnl<l go an<l beg t11e Fonmfress to eome to ~ee him.
~lie Ya~ t11en with I1e1· tornmn11ity in the hon~e of "Jf. de ]a
l >i:n·<li<'.1·P. To thf• pe1·~on who came for her, ~he ~aid: "Al-
i lto11gh wc m·e ont of oui· monaste1·y, still we observe the

443. )IO~~UffEiff OF P~.P..IS.-TTiffCBLES OF THE FIW~DE --117
doi:-;1er here. H(rn·eyer~ J sha11 g-n. foi· l camwt i·efu:-;e
tn com1JI~- ,yj th rhe request of m: Father dfreet01-. Rn t
there is no cau~e of fear for hi:-; life."1
On ber anfra1. the Found1·e~s sav~· all the hotel t1e
Tillerai in consternation. Ee1·. one she met repeated:
"He is about to ùreathe his last." The patient lrncl lost
consciousness. èould neither speak. nor hem·. In svite
of this she ap1H·oaches him. and. in a rather loud YOÜ:e
sa:·s to hirn: "ReY. Father. courage: I haYe hü}Je that
you 'Yill not die from this malady. although it bas brought
:ou r1nite lmY. P1·omise the Incarnate -orcl that :ou
YÏll in·otect His house of L:ons~ and that :ou 'Yill put
out of yom· mind "·hateYer is displeasing to His Dfrine
:Jiajesty... ~t the sound of he1· T"oice a complete i·e,·olu-
tion took Jjlace in the "·hale sy:-:tem of the sick man. He
regaü1ed conseion~ne:-:s. and rec0T"ering the power of speech.
he repliecl : ··Ye:-.;. :.fadame. if God gives me the g:race
of returning... ··I hope to see you there as Ykar General...~
answerecl :.Iother de :.Iatel. The father "·as extremel: ·eak
and had not been able to SYallow an:thing: for a long
time. She herself then g'ae him sorne nom·i~hment. and
he took it "·ith ease. The fe,er lrnd clisa]Jpeared. He
,,-as cured. onder and joy filled that hon:-:e of mourn-
ing. AH blessecl the saintl: 1Iother. The con,alescent
would not allow her to "·ithdi·a"- until he thanked her.
and reqnested a prfrate inte1··deY with her. He expressed
his regrets at lHn-ing so easi1y ac101Jted the de"·:-; of those
who blamed her and at h~n·ing taken sicle:' ag-ainst lier.
She consolecl hirn. and assured hirn that she had not hacl
any feelings of resentment again~t hirn or against hi~
friend ~I. Olier, and adYisecl hirn to think onl: of re-
establishing his health and of returning to labor for the
glory of God. in his own city of Lyons.
This incident alone might suffice to pr(rve how sensi-
tiYe J esus showecl Himself to proceedü1g:' against the dear
abject of His tenderness. There m·e imm:· other exam-
ples of this, but "·e shall cite only one ,,-hic:h happenecl
nranuscript :Jiemoir of :Jiother cle Bély. ch. XYI.
2Ibidem.

444. 418 LIFE OF JE.X~E crrnz.nD DE :LTEL
Ht that Rame time. 011 the <lay of the Cfrcnmci~ion, in
tl1e yea1· 1r.5;~, the ~.-·füdt}1· ~a('1·if.;tm1 11nd fm·gotten to 1n·o-
,.i<le wi11e 1'01· the Iloly Sne1·itiee, and we11t io heg the ~d~ter­
i11-lm,· of :JI. de la Pinn1i01·e to kirnlly gi,·e ~orne for that
d:1y. Thi~ lady 11ad · heen initntecf liee;rn:-;e )f. de Jn
Pianli<~n} 11ad co11 fided his <mly dnnghte1· to :Jiothe1· de
~Iniel inste<td of to he1·self, and she seized eve1·y occasion
to ~h°''. he1· di~plcn~m·e. She sent the answer that she
had only ~orne wine of Coudl'ienx which was not tapped
Hrn1 wn~ being ke]Jt for the fenst of the Kings. 1-'his
i·efn:-;<1l vained the heni·t of the pions )Iother, becarn;:e
1he1·e "·as qnestion of the divine ,,·01·ship. But she did
11ot permit he1· feeling~ to appenr and p1·oenrëd some wine
from another so_un·e.
On the Epiphnny, nn nttempt waf' made to <lr:rn· off
the wine destined fo~· the rejoicing~ of the nnmerouR guests
invited for that occasion. Bnt nlthongh the ca:"k "·as
pien·ed ]n ~eve1·nl place~, not a drop of "·ine ftowed.
Piunlly the cask ·was b1·oken open and it was fonnd to
he a~ dry as if it had neve1· contni11ed any liqnid. Great
wnR the sm·prise of the servants, but far grenter was thr
pain of the rnai<l who had chm·ge of the keys of the
<'ellar. rrhat good "·oman had been born in the se1·vice
of ?f. de la Pinrdière. He1· father was bis former and
Rhe hn_<l been bronght ll}J in the house of hiR urnRter. She
l1«ld the eni i1·e confidence of her mistress and she de~en·ed
it. rJ'hi~ miRadventure ROl'ely dü;;tl·essed he1·. In he1· deso-
l<ttion ~Ile kept i·epeating to he1·i;;;elf: ''I-Iow shall I nn-
110111H·e thi~ ël('C'i<lent to my l1wstp1·R'? They Ylll nccn~e
me of it. .11d ·who conld be accn~ed bnt myself as the
kPys li;1n• ht>en in my hands alone. HoweYe1·, it is none
of rny fnnlt mul I am <tb~olntely ignorant of the c;rnse.''
ThP <lm1ghiPI' of JI. <le la Pi;n<li<'-'rP, who wn~ then eighte011
y<·;11·~ of <lg'l>, s:tw the g1·ief of the rn<ti<l nnd wished io
:-;pn 1·<· 1101· illP m1µ;11ish of em·rying· the h;1d news. Dnt, M
tlie fi1·~i w01·d of' ihe mnid, ihe :-1iRh1
1·-i11-l«lw tli<>s into a
l'èlg<} ;111<1 po111·N ont imrnlti11g «l('tn~ationR aµ;ninNt Jip1·, «lnd
<·nuld be <li~:11·111<1 <l 11Piihp1· by Jn·otPst~ nm· ùy 1eai·s. 8he

445. ::.IOX~S'l'EUY Où' PARIS.-TIWUDLES OF THE FlW~DE 419
persisted in repeating in an outraged tone: "It is you
that drank the wine with yonr friends!' The poor gil'l,
who was faithful m1d prncleHt, as ~Iother de Bély relates,
'Yas so disturbed nt seeing herself tlrns ü1c1·imiuated, that
she had a sudclen attnc-k of janndice accompanied by a
lmrning fever.
I11 a little '"hile she "·a~ so ill that she had to reeeive
the lnst satrnmenis. After Holy Communion , ~he asked
to see he1· mistre~s and said to hel': .. In the condition
to whieh I am rednted, and as I mn soou to alJpear be-
fore God to be judged. yon ma~· belieYe me. I swear to
you tlrnt I am im1oee11t of eYeryfüiug of 'd1ich you accn~e
me.m These w01·ds made the lady enter into herself. She
felt i·emo1·se and thought thnt the misfortnue which had
happened might iudeefl be a pnnishment foi· her own re-
ft~sal to giYe wi11e for ~rn:~s. She ceased disquieting t he
poor maid to "·hom ]Jence i·estored henlth and who said
th nt she '"as indebted foi· hoth to ~fother de ~Intel. In
fact, the lntte1· had ofteu Yi~ited her in her illness, ex-
horting lier to lHffe confidence iu God. nnd assnl'ing hc_,r
tliat He would enre hel' and eanse her innocence to ue
i·ecognized.
In the midst of these vieissitucles, time had passed
~wiftly. Pence hacl been re-established. rrhe yonng King
hnYi11g returned to his ea]Jital be~nm to ffÏYe it a fore-L 0 0
tnRte of the uwste1· it wonld haYe. ~Jother de ~Iatel m1d hcr
dn nghterR were al'deut iu their desfres to i·etnrn to thei l'
own m01wste1·y, but ,yere detained hy the orders of thei1·
8nperior, the Abbé de ln PiardP1·e. who 'Yished. to 1·e-
inRtall them ü1 pe1·son. au cl at .that time was absent in
rroul'aiue on a mission eontided to him by the Kiug. Fiually
he snw that his mission wonld keep him myay longer tlurn
he h~ul thonght, nud he })ermitted the 8i~te1·s to lenve his
l1onse m1d i·e-e11tc·1· theil' conveiit.
According to ihe testimo11y of i ht> 't>1H·1·,l~1t· )lotl1e1·.
their joy "·as i11ex1n·e~sible aud i·l·~em hled tlwt of the
Hehrews escnping from the l)Ondage of Egypt, to plunge
LIanuscript l1emoii· of lIothe1· d e Bély, ch. Xn .

446. 420 LIF'E OF JE.AXXE CHEZ.AUD DE ~1.A'l'EL
iuto the desert, on their way to the land of Promise. 'l'hns
·ihe Divine Spirit nrged he1· to chant interiorly the psalrn
In exitu Israel de PJgypto.1
Already on the n~xt da~r, feast
of St. Joseph, the heavenly manna clescended to their soli-
tude to nonrish them and was enclosed in their tabel'lrncle
to be their strength and ronsolation clnring their pil-
grimage. All was joy in the sonl of the pions Founclress
when one of those sorrows, which the souls of saints alone
are rapable of ex1Je1·iendng, afflicted her.
Our Lord revealed to he1· that the Archbishop of Lyons
was in his agony from the dropsy from which, in spite
of all confrary appearanres, she hacl f01·etold to him that
lte was to die. He was to1·tnred becanse he lrnd i·efnsed
to execnte lier Bnlls. and he regrettecl that her absence
dicl not pe1·mit him to erect the monaster~r ranon ically
hefore he vould appear before God. T'his l·evelation, which
might have brought to many even good hearts satisfaction
and relief, fillecl with affliction that of )lother de lfatel.
She had been one of the :first to corne n nder his pastoral
anthol'ity. In her confidence inspirecl by llis long years
in the monastic life, she hacl asked Onr Lord to eonfide
to him the guidance of the Church of Lyons. He hnd
grantecl this with the warn ing th at she wonlcl be like .Jephte~s
clanghter destinecl for sac1·ifice, and a11 his sevel'ity and
resistance by which, without knowing it, he hacl accom-
plished this propl1ecy, had been incapable of climinishi11g
the sah1tly lfothel''s attachment and submission. 'l'hence,
"r1te11, on the Hight of lfarch 24-2r>, Rhe lrnew il1at lte
w:1:-; (•xpfring, the pain she felt, as shc confeR:-;eR, was
i11exp1·p:-;sible.
The 11exi day, the foast ol' the .A..i1mmciatiou, )Iornd -
g1101· (le I,asfrade cmne to viRit her for t-he :first time, nfte1·
her i·eturn fo 111e mom1:-;iery, m1d he was amazed at the
snd11ess <lepided 011 l1p1· (·onnie11ëmce. ] fe a:-;ked her, how
can yon he so :·mil ëtft<_>1· 1·<1
gai11i11µ; the loYnhle desc1·t fol'
whi ch yo n lm Y<' :-;o a J'(l<·11 tly :-;igltPd '! f4he 1·epl ied; ··H iR he-
«ët llRC rny Pnsio1· di..d lëlN( nigld.'~ 'rite P1·pJ:ite wm; 110 l011g~1·
1P:-;. 'X T11 , 1.

447. 210~.iSTERY OF P.iRIS.-TROrBLES OF THE FRO~DE -!:.:21
astonishecl at her sorro"--· a~ he kne"- how she lm--ed the
~-i·chbisho11. But 10 console her. he i·emarked that the
decea~ed Frelate could no longer pre,ent the Ortler of
the Tnea1·11 ate Yord from beinf!· e:-;tablishecl at I..:ons or
her daughters from being sanctified b: the 'o"--s of religion.
'~e cannot imagine the "-oncler of her nsitor at seeing
ber announce in such a prec:i:se and simple manner hat
she eould hwn· lean1ed 11nl~-- snpe1·nan11·all:. as the courier~
bearing this ne,,--s did not arün::> at the capital until se,eral
da:s afterwards.
H0,,--eYer. from this death. at hich the generous :Jlother
felt snch vain. there was to re:Sult for her more than one
ad,antage. Be:'icles. as ~lonsignor de I.esnacle said.
pntting an end to the opposition hich hacl retardecl the
establishment of the monaster: at L:ons. it released her
from the obligation imposed upon her. b:- the deceased
Cardinal. of writing· don a repon of all the gTaces
"-hich she "as recefring from God. Ilelie,ecl and happ:.
she laid cfo-n her pen. But fnnnnatel: her clirectors.
"-hose r1e~Îl'es on this point had alwa:s been in accord
itb the Ca1·dinal's 'dll. "-el'E.' unanimous in opposing such
silence. For ~e,en >ears more. that is. as long as heT
e:-es and hand shall allo--. she "--ill continue to sketch
the masterpieces of g:race in he1· soul. and thus enrich.
by nearl~-- tluee hunclrecl pages. the treasnr> of her "--rit--
ings. In the following· ter111s. 'ldtich retiect the purity of
intentjon dth "-hid1 she accnrn1,1lishecl thb task. she tells
ns ho"~ ~he re:'lrn1erl This labor. ..Ynur goodnes~. m>-
had e>--e:'. a111l tlle death nf Jfonsigunr the Cardinal of
L,-,on~. at " -ho:-.e command I haYe ''Titten this nanatfre
up to the p1·esent time. "--ould dispense me from continu-
ing it. But m: conÏe;":sor~ and directors. Fathers de
Lingende~. de Cre:'t. and de Condé. c1n not permit me to
discontinue. Tberefore. I ~hall not dispense m:self from
h until the: sjgnif: tn me Yonr "ill. and I will take
thi:' (·ourse in orcler to nffer H1 Yon a continual sacrifice
uf m:- c1"T1 inclination~. ~md (1f r·ec:(l~plitinn and thank:':--
giing foi· Yom· infiuite ~md mê1·êiful liber~llities t<)-ar·cls

448. 4.22 LIFE OF JE.t'..N~E CHEZ.AUD DE ~I ATEL
me, Yom· most unworthy spouse. Dear L01·d, nrnke all
C'l'eatm·eN chant in HeRven and on em·th: Hol:1/, Holy, Holy
is the Lord, strong and powe1·fn1.··1
The fi na1 settlement of the poli tic<tl houbles wllich
had agitnted Pni.nce for five years, smoothed over the
diffieultie~ wldth hacl hi11d~1·e<l Tfothe1· de 2Jatel from
g·idng ihe lnst fonch to the e~tahlüd1rne11t of lte1· monas-
tery of Pm·i~. For a long tirne she hnd been trying to
purchnse the hon~e ocenpied ùy the commm1ity, as well
ns several gnrclenN and lmil<lings ]n the ndjoining royal
orange 01·ehard, hnt h~1d lJecn mrnble to make a reasonable
bn.rgain. 'rhe dümsters ·of war and especially the burn-
ing of the Red B1·idge, had diminished the value of those
pieees of JH'ope1·ty and also had lessened the exadipgness
of the sellen.:, who of themselves i1ow offerecl their renl
estate nt JH'Ïtes mnch lower tlrnn those wltich had been
proposed to them hy the Fonnd1·ess. She ha~tene<l to con-
dmle the pm·cha~e.
The <·onfrnrt hy whieh Nhe ac<1uired these JWoperties
w·as closed on August ~n, 1G3:1, and in tlle joy of her hem·t
she was finnlly nble to offe1· to her adorable Lonl an asy-
lnm belonging to HimRe.Jf. ''Dnring the ten years of my
:-;tny in Pai-i~, .. ~he sayN to 1Iirn, ''how rna11y times l had
snid to Yon: •])em· L(we, the foxeR mid many individ-
nals more c111rni11g a11d adroit thnn I, and the birds qnick(~1·
to rwovide l'or themRelve~ than I nm, have thefr deus and
neRts a11<l lofty plm1R, and Yon, 0 Inem·nate 'Yord, to
Yhorn eve1·ytlting ht.1longs, Yon luffe in all Pm·is no plaœ
"·he1·eo11 to l'(~~t Yom· ~a<·red ltea(l.' 1>t>:11· Lon1
, i10w eeaR<..1
tlic~e <·01t1pb1i11t~. J wi~h to lrny a hou~e foi· Yon, with wliat
Yon Ji" ve µ:i vP11 111e 1hl'Crngli 1lie ('(ll·p taken of me by
Y0111· <rng·<·l~. wlt0111 Y011 h:1 n• onh•1·ed to ln·ovi de for me:':!
To 111:1kP llt<• ~l:du~ of' 11<•1· ltonN<' i11<1PpPndP11i mHl io
(U-O:~lll'(' it~ ('XÏNJ( 1
1l('('. Nit(' wi~l1<•d 110Y 011ly to (l('(jl1Ï1'(' êl
]JÏ('('(' of pl'OJl<'l'lY "·Jt Ït·lt, IJ<nH''('1', l'Oll Id 1lül be ~oJd 11ll -
lllP<lia t<~ly êllHl to l'Cl'.01'(1 ihc )p1.(l'l ~ or l'omHfotion. But
l,utngT<tp!Ji e l.il'c, C'll. <'XXXr.
2A utogra pl 1ic Lifl-', cil . CXXXYI.

449. ~IOX~STEUY OF r.uns.--TTIOtTDLES OF THE FHOXDE 423
hefore ab~enting herseH frorn the capital, she was not
to luffe the co11solation of placi11g on he1· w01·k this final
seal of f-linbility.
.Afte1· the (leath of the ..--1·chbisl1op of Lyons, the veti-
tious of the Siste1·s of the Congregation to obtain the re-
tm·n of )[other de Jlatel, became more and more pressing.
They did not confine themsehyes to solieiting her per-
sonally~ b_ut ahw acldressed themselves to JI. de la Piardière,
asking him to use his anthority of Superior, to make her
corne as soon as possible. The venerable Jiother did not
need to be m·oused to the impol'tance of this move, as
she was more desi1·ons than any one else of the canonical
e1·ection of this honse on the lrnly ~Iount in 'vllich she
had received :-;o many graces, and for which the Incarnate
Yord bad made he1· snch gTeat p1·omises. But she wonld
have liked not to leave her monasterv of Pm·is before she~ .
had completed its ]H?1·foet establishment. She fm·esaw that
as the Arehbishov named for Lyon:-; had not yet received
his own Bnlls, things would not be accomplished as qnickly·
as some thonght. Rhe eoniinned to i·l·peat: "I will l>e
nnable to do anything at I.Jyons nntil two yem·s from now.m
At that tirne the Alde1·men of Lyons were obliged to
go to the capital, and had promised one another and also
nnmerons friends of the Foundress, to bring ber back with
them. :JI. de la Pim·di<!re at that time had to make a
journey to G1·enohle. The desÎl'e to take advantage of
their company both fo1· )Jother de Jfatel and for bimself,
made him deci<le i1ot to wait a11y longer. 'Yii hont say-
ing anything about it to the wol'thy 3fother, he · :-;ecured
for her four seats in the ~tagecoach. Tn this he thonght
to do a ~en"ice to ber and lier Onler, and he had a ready
nnRwer to all her objections. 3f. de Hm~signol already hacl
the letters patent in his lrnmlR, and had nnclertaken to
lrnve them registe1·ed. 'Yith the influence of t he Chan-
cellor and other ]JOwel'fnl friencls of the Fonndress, the
ntfair seemed an easy one. Befo1·e nnclertaking to com-
1ilete this bnRiness, he askecl for time to terminate another
llVIanuscript ::.Ie mnir of lIothe r cl e Bély, ch. :XIX.

450. 424 LIFE OF JE ~NNE CHEZ.AUD DE lI.A':rEL
which concerued his fa mily and the success of which
~eemed mueh Jess ~m·e. As to the real estate which she
wished still to al'qnire, she had only to deposit with 1i.
de la Piardière the smn necessnry for rnaking the pay-
ment, and he m1de1·took to make the purchase.
He who spoke tlrns to her was the Snperior of her mon-
nstery. and in spitc of the misgiving;s which she felt at
goiHg a"'ay without seeing its existence completely as-
sm·eù. the saintly Mother snbmitted. But, alas! the fntnre
was to justify her forebodings only too well. However,
the tribulations reserved for her were a part of the plan
of Providence and, moreover, HeaYen took sides to invite
her to take her departure.
On the feast of St. :Matthew, Reptember 21, lü53, as
the Foundress was leaving the chofr to do the cooking.
Our Lord appeared to her under the figure of a lamb,
white as snow, who gracefnlly galloped over white ,clonds,
and returned invHing her to follow Him.1
'r-w-o days
nfter, the Blessed Virgin Mary repeated this invitation.
'r'owards the end of her meditation, she snw her by her
1·ight side all entrancing with youth, grace, and beauty.
Rhe appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years of
age. Her eyes more radiaut th an the . sun and her com-
plexion brighter than the dawn, :filled the Foundress with
ndmiration. 'fhe divine :Mother said: "l am the shep-
hercless of my Lamb. I am going to follow Rim to I..yons
to which He and I call thee." Rhe lwstened to 1·eply: '')[y
angnst Queen, I follow you "'ith the Joye and the delight
of my heart. I delay no loHgel' in PariR, I leave this eity
of the King to go with you1' ~on to the holy :fount. Pre-
pare for this jom·ney the thillgR mHl henrts that rnnst
aid me.m
'l1hc n e m~ of the <l ]Jproadliug <lepal'tm·e of the Fom1dre~R
spl'ead alann. 'I'hose who had experienced hcl' goodness
and th e power of lier in terce~si011, lookNl on her as thei1·
palladinm, and con] d not 1·e~ign thernsel Vl)R to loRing her.
'l'Iie.v cmne ü1 grcnt nmn ben; i o ex1n·ef'~ füeir i·pgretR all(l
lJu t ograp hi c L ife , c- IJ . CXX X VIIT.
2llii<l Prn , C' h . C XXX Yll.

451. ~IONASTERY OF PARIS.-- TROUBLES OF THE FRONDE 425
to recommend themselves to lier prayers. U. Priézac, in
particn1ar, "'as inconsolable. He w·m; now· aclvanced in
years and had grent fear of death. Re had an idea that
he 'Yonld l>e stricken as soon as the saintly Mother had
left Paris, and tbat he 'Yonld neYer be given another
opportunity of rereiving comfort for his soul from her.
He said these things to her and she felt herself inspired
b~T a movement Of confidence to assure him that he would
not die so soon, and that he wonld see her again.
Our T..iord, as eve1-, took cm·e to verify this promise of
His haudmaid. 1L Priézac hacl to make a jonrney to
Prove1H'e in the ~mite of the King, and he stopped over
for several clays at Lyons, where he was ahle to see her
again a11d confe1· with her nt lengtb on the affairs of
his soul before rende1·ing his acconnts to Gocl.
The distréss of secnl:-tr friends ·w:-ts nothing to that of
her daughters which "'as extreme. Sü;ter Jeanne of J esus
de BéJy, from pining over the Mother's departure, took
a fever which Yas BO violent that it forced her to go to
bed. 'l1he good )Iother hesought her Divine Sporn;;;e to cure
her before her clepartnre, and He dicl so. Finally, after
having hied to console and strengthen them in the spirit
of the Yii·tues of thefr vocation, she desig1rnted )Jother
.Iary of the H oly GI10st Nallarel to govern the comm1mity,
and on Odober 17, 1()5:3, she tore herself mvay from their
tenderne~s and bade them aclien.
After the 'Yorthy 1Iother had crossecl the threshold, they
followecl he1· with their gaze as long as they could per-
eeive he1· and they snY the coach which took her away,
~eized by a crmnl of persons 'vho retarcled its course. 'I'hey
wei·e a11 the neighb01·s of the monastery 'vho were accus-
tomecl to look on the good :).Jother as their patron saint,
'vhose heart was eyer open to sympathize ·with them and
"~ho~e prayers were eve1· efficacions to assist them, and
they l'mne to express the regret they felt nt seeing her
deJJn1·t and the mernory they woulcl eherish of he1· kincl-
ness. ~·Her chal'ity lrncl so often made them feel ho'Y
he1pfn1 it was," says :Jiotber de Bély on this subjed, "that

452. 4~G LIFE 011, .JE.ANNE CHEZAHD DE ~IA'l'I~L
thei1· cou fidenee j n onr w01·thy ~lother made them eorne
to he1· iu thefr afflictions. suffel'ings, and lmv-suits. 'Yhen
they had m1y siek am011g thern, they had rrcourse to her
1'athe1· than to ilte pl1ysicia11s, alHl at that time they pub-
]il-'hed eve1·ywhe1·e the g1·aces whieh they thonµ;ht they had
1·eeeived from Divine P1·ovidenee tlm.rngh he1· inte1·eession.''1
Yhile these tonching scenes we1·e being enacted out-
~ide, the Siste1·s "·ho had lost sight of her and closed
the door of thei1· eloister behiBù her, noticed that Sister
Elizabeth of the Nativity Gelée was not among them. 'flley
immediately ·went h1 search of her and fonnd her on her
knees, bathed in tears and stified hy sobs in the very place
whe1·e she had 1·eceiYed the well-beloved ~Iothe1·'s last bless-
ing. T'he Snperio1·ess and the other Sisters did a11 they
conld to assnage he1· sorrow, lmt in vain. T..Jike M:other
de Bély she owed her life to the holy Foundress, who by
her praye1·s had hl'ought her back from the gates of death.
Tt seemed to 1Hl1• that, in her absence, all evils we1·e to
ove1·whel111 he1· arnl ihat 8he wonld never see the good
)[ofüer agai11. r:I'hey did not Irnow how to console ber
and sent a messenger to tell of her state to the venerable
fravele1· who had uot yet gotten far from the monastery.
·•Tell my danghter of the Nativity," she replied, '"that
r wish her to diS('Ol1tinue her weeping. Assm·e her that
I "'ill p1·ay for her intentions, and that she will not die
llefore she ~ees me again, and that she must be very
fe1·ve11t so as one dny to be ranked among the seraphim.''2
Thcsc wo1'(]s ha<l ihe desired effeet of resto1·i11g, to the
pom· cli~tressed sonl, pcace and courage, and she arosc
i·cady to make füp sacrifice demarnled of her.
f n the rnidst of tl1is eho1·118 of i·egret and venernti011
which ae<·ompa11ic<l tlIP <lepal'tm·e of' the ~fothc1· Foundl'ess,
<lil-'<'m'(ls of e11Yy still ma(le the11n-;PlYcs hem·d. The rela-
1i'PN or jf. de la Pinr<li<1·e thonght thnt the dcpm·tm·e
of jfo1he1· <le Mnt<>l wonld be thei1· oppol'tnaity fo gain
111<> po~~p~sion of his littlc da11ghhl1•. Bnt 11H• f'nthe1· wm;
~o l'ai· from e011se1d-inµ: to this, ih:1t hc wishP<l her to go
l M ;11111se ript lkmoi1· of' llotlier (fo H é ly, ch . XIX.
:?1hillern,

453. ::Iü)J~STEUY OF PAUIS.- TnounLES OF THE FHONDE 4:?7
to Lyons, just as the Countess de Beauvais also wished
the educa6on of her own dnnghter to be continuecl under
the s11pel'visio11 of l1e1· saint1y frhind. Y'"hen they saw their
desires Jnrnünted, they accnsed ~fother de :Jlatel of im-
1wndence. For severnl yean;;, the end of antnrnn hacl been
1·ainy and cold. r:ro ex1JOse a child of four years to the
fatigues of ~mrh a long jonl'ney, in sut:h a season of the
year, "vas not this jeopardizing he1· health and life and
sacrifü:ing alJ to a fancy? rro these .reproaches the good
)fother made only one 1~esponse, a in·a~'er. Sbe besought
her inYisib]e and divine Sun to deign to .permit our visible
snn to Ught and wm·m her whole route. ~he was heard
so efficacionsly that she received a letter in the month
of Novembe1·, saying that the füie "'enther which was en-
joyed in Paris W<tS there ealled, tltc 8ll11uucr of Jlothcr de
Jlatcl. ""Tt rnight baye better been tnllecl the sun1111cr of
' the lncanwtc 1Forrl!"1
she 1·eplied.
Dm·ing: this jom·ney, the rnys of gn1ce were not less
enlightenillg or comfo1·ting to hei· soul. Yhen they ar-
1·ived at I1riare, ~I. de la Piardiè1·e exp1·essed a desfre of
going to see the canal. rrhe worthy :Iother said she would
spend the time of the halt, before the Blessed Sacrament,
near Him Yho is the s1n·i11g of lfring waters and 'YI10se
Rae1·ed wonnds po111· them ont in p1·ofu~ion over souls that
Reek on1.r His love. She was of this unmber. Scarcely
had she knelt down "·he11 ~he felt in her heart an over-
tlow of . gTfü·e, he1· Rpirit waR rapt in Goct and she hem·d
the wonls: 01·irt ur stclla e.r .]ocob) virgo }Jf'perit saJva-
torcm. '"':I1hNe shal] i·i~e a sfar from .Jacob, a virgin has
bro11ght forth the Savior."2
She then phmgecl· into the
myste1·y of the "Tord l)OJ'll of a Yi1·gin Jfother, and was
lJowing·· clmn1 profoundly in ad01·aiion, whe11 the Divine
~raster made an application of i hesc words to herNelf and
s~lid: "Yhile remaining a vi1·gin i11 imitation of :Jly in-
cornpm·able ~Iothe1 thon sha1t 1n·odncc :Ie by ~Iy Insti-
tnte. I haye ehosen thee as )fy stm·, through wlwm l
will shine, and thon wilt bring :Ie fo1·th auew.m Eaeh
1A utographic Life, ch. CXXXVI l f.
2Num. XXIV, 17.
3Autographic Life, ch. CXXXVIII.

454. LŒI<; OF .JE.ANNE CI-IEZ~IlD DE ?IATEL
mo1ia~tery fonnded hy thn t ble~seù sponse of the Incarnate
Vord, was an extension of His Incarnation. The star
finally m·ose above that dear house of Lyons, which had
so long awaited its Ravior!
The jonrne:r ltad almost ended when an incident oc-
enred which might h~we had direfnl consequences, but
Yhich only manifested more elearly the rniraculous assist-
anec with which Heaven sunounded the saintly traveler.
T'he eoachman of ~L de la Piardière did not know the
i·oads and u~nally lrnd heen following behind the stage
in whir.h the Alde'i-men were traveling. One day he thinks
his guides have made too long a halt, and goes ahead
of thcm nntil he fimls hüm.;elf in a path which is not only
impassable, but end~ ü1 a frightful pre.cipice. The situa-
tion lias not been noticed by the venerable liother or
the Abbé, Yho are absorbed in heavenly conversation,
or by their companions who are rapt in attention. Soon
the horses, frightened by the sight of the precipice, refuse
to go forward in ~pite of the b1ows of the driver's wh ip. A
lond voice is he<ud crying out: ''Stop! Stop!" T'he cur-
taim; are drawn aside, the travelers look ont and see 1·hat
the vehicle is only half a foot from the precipièe ! 1'his
wonld h~we been enough to paralyze all with fear, but
manifestly the goocl J_.ord is taking eare of thern. He is
earnc~tly called npon and while the Abbé and the coach-
man are looking for a wa.r to i·etracc this false step, a
hor:-;eman, clothed in J·ed and mounted on a superb steed,
~ncldenly appears and shows them how to extricate thern-
selves from theil' dange1-. After having gnided them
back to the plain where thei1· traveling cornpanions are
anxioui-::ly awniti11g tltem, lit• snddenly vani~hes from their
l"ight.
As ]Je1·1inps it hm; alre<ldy hePn ob~01·ved, thcre is scarcely
one of the jom·Heys mHlel't<1ken foi· the extension of the
01·der of the Tncm·naiP rord, which is not attended with
:te<"idc11ts immineutly <la11geron~, Hll(l ayoided by an extra-·
01·<liuai-.r iutp1·ypntio11 ol' P1·ovid<}uce. 'rhei·e is evcr rnnni-
f'<}st tl1 is ~pite of' hel 1 mHl th is p1·oteetio11 of HPave11.

455. lION".S'l'ERY OF PARIS.- TilOUBLES OF' THE FRONDE 429
Yben the tnweler~ wel'e ('Omiug 11cm· Hoaime, fem·ing
the hon01·s whieh might be given he1· h.v ber fellow towns-
men, the venerable Mother waR filled wifü snch pain that
lf. de ln Pim·diére noticed it from tlte dianged expression
of he1· conntenance, aud askecl . he1· its canse. She con-
'fessed it with her habitnal simplicity and proposed to him
to pass tlu·ough the city withont Rtopping, although for
nearly twenty-five yenrs she had not ~een her family. But
Our I..01·d had ])]'epm·ed for ber vil'tne a victm·y whith wns
more remal'lrnble th an this sael'Ïfice, that of i·emaining hum-
ble in •the midst of those incomparable friumphs whkh
are aeco1·ded only to sandity, and of remaini11g detaehed
muid manifestations of tende1·est affection.
At ~orne distance from the city, the1·e were seen ad·
vaneing in the company of -:fr. de G1·ima11d, Lord of B1·iselet
.and brother-in-la ". of )fothe1· de ~fa tel, her nephew ~Ir.
Dumas, the commander-iu-dtief of the army of the Duke
of Savoy, lfr. Severat, and other membe1·s of her family,
who were corning out to meet her. As soon as the news
of her arriYal was spread, everybody wanted to see her.
'rhe lowly and the g1·eat ded with one nnother in wish-
ing to speak with the vene1·able I11
omHll'ess, and to 1·ecom-
mend themselves to ber p1·aye1·~. The honse 'nu; invaded
vithin, and besieged vithout, dnrillg the three days sojonrn
vhich she was to grant to the urgent clemands of her rela-
tives, who did not know how to show her their hap1JiI1ess
and veneration.
Dnring the wliole tline, œlates Mother de Bély, her
family lœpt the bouse always open and the tabie always
prepared, ill 01·der to please the 1rnmerons visitors, and
ro rlo honm· io thefr saintly relative. 'Yl1en she }vas obliged
to go ont of the hou se to ehm·ch, shc Na w herseIf SUITOUIHled
by a crowd so irnmcrous and compact, that she was ealTiecl
along by it. Eaeh one tl'ied to ontdo the othe1·s in ap-
proachiug, addressing:, aml acclaiming hel'. In the midst
of these on1tions, the good lfothe1· remniued insensible
to honon;.; and a strange1· to ber kin. ''In the midst of
the joy ma11ift>sted hy the people•,'' ~he avows, "and tlie

456. 430 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE 11.A.TEL
gem~1·osity aml cm·diality shmn1 by my relatives, my soul
i·emaiued united to Yon aud eonl<l uot 1·elish this applause.
lt found ih~elf a shanger among those nearest to me.
Nevel'theless J exp1·essed my satjsfaction, so as uot to
rebntr auy one and uot to chill the hope they had of my
i·etm·n when Your P1·ovidence would so unler.m
I t was onl.r lJy means of these promises that she suc-
ceeded in tea ring he1·self a wa.r. All wished to keep her
mnong them. The quarte1· uf a century, w·hich had elapsed
since she left he1· untive city, liad not effaced the pro-
found impreRsion left of her sanctity. And now that she
had corne back as the Fonndress of an Order, Yhose monas-
tel'ics I>etfumed with the odor of sanctity the places whe1·e
they were fouuded, all wished to possess one of these
monasteries m1d elairned that the.r had the first rights
to it. The good )lother did not hn·n away from these
solicitations, lJut i·eminded her friends tlrnt, lJefore undertak-
ing m1y other e11te1·pri~es, she had to return to Lyons to work
at the canonical estalJlishment of the bouse of the Con-
gregation, and that, onee this w01·k was completed, she
wou1d do justice to theit- request. 'l"'herefore they were
Hepm·ated from her "'ith the hope of a i·eturn which would
lJe early fül(l p1·oductivc of fruits of grace.
Jiother de lfatel had a siucere desi.re to fonnd a con-
vent in her natiYe eity. 'l'hi~ w~1:--; YP ll Jrnown. On .June 3,
of that yenr, 1G5:~, F;1 the1· Cfrisolun of. the Society of
~J esus, who was p~•~~ing throngh Homme, "Tote to her:
"I finally anivctl at Uoanne and fonnd there, not only dü;-
positious fann·able to you, lJnt even impatience to see and
welcome yon. HowPvel', ü1 eaRe you propose to cstalJlish
yonrself then~, yon rnm~t Hot Heglcct to olJtain the sup-
port of the nnthodty of the Duke of Homrnais. I leave
you io inwgine the joy can~e<l me h.v the high esteem an<l
;tfccti011 or nll t]l(• people he1·c for you."
'l'his ~Hl· iœ io ti-.r to gaill the snpp01·t of the Duke
or Hommai~: Hecoi·deù with the vjews of Mother de lIntel.
Hli e 11rnst have made no <lei ay in so1idti Hg Ji is permissiOil
1.ntogT;1p!Ji c Life, C'h. CXXXYJlI.

457. ~IOXASTERY OF P.AilIS.--TROUBLES OF THE FRONDE 431
to found a house at Roanne. Yre haYe at hand bis act
of authorization. It will not be uninteresting to i·ead this
ùoenrnent although, as we shall see, the project was neyer
realized. 'Ye give this document in full. It is dnted
in the month of August of the same year, 1G53.
"1Ve, Arthur Gouffier, Duke of Roanne, Peer of France,
~Iarquis of Doisy, Count of .etc., etc., Lieutenant General
of the armies of His ~Iajesty, to all present and future,
greeting.
' "At the ref]nest which has been nwcle, to us, by ~Iiss
Jeanne de Matel, Founclress of the Religions of the 01·der
of the Incm·nate. W'"ord, to permit her to bnild and fonlHl
a monaste1·~7 in the city of Roanne, there to establish the
Religions of her Order, and eonsidering that this e~tab­
lishment would bring mnch utility and adornment to the
city, Ye, after having deliberated on it with our counei1,
'have permitted and grnnted and do hereby permit and
, grant by these presents to the said Miss de Matel to ae-
quire a place or house in 01·der there to build a conYent
and to establish in it the Religions of lier Order, and in
ease that the said place which shall be acquired b~T the
said Miss de Matel or by ber Religions to establish the
said couvent and its enclosures, is sitnated in onr mnnor
and 101·dship, by a special favor and to give the Religions
a motive to pray for our person and house and snccessors,
Ye, the Dukes of Roanne, have remitted and quitted and
do quit and remit by these presents to the said Indy, the
1wlf of the indemnity belonging to 0111·selves for the snicl
lands, to the amount of only four arpents, for the build-
ing~ and the surronndings of the said monastery, di h
the condition of placing our arms on the entrance of the
c01iyent and on the keystone of the arch of the clrnrch
Yhich shall be constrnctecl. 01· on the most prominent part
of the same. Ye eomrnand the officialf' of onr said Duchy
of Roanne, whoever they may be, to leave the snid ~li~s
· de :Mate1 free to enjoy the content of theRe presents, so
that neither they 1101· the inhabitant~ of the snid placr·
may 01,pose n11y i m})edi ment to it, i11 testi mouy whereuf

458. LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE :.IATEL
"~e have Rigned these presents and have made onr seCl'e-
tary co11nte1·sig11 them and plaee npon them the seal 6f
0111· arms.
Pnris, ~ ngust D, lG53.
Signed: ..... DuK1~ OF Ho..~~Es.
nr 11o~SJ<;~ou FACO~NET/)
'

459. CH.APTEH XXIY
Establishment of the Monastery of Lyons
1653-ln55
8ome of the entllu~iasrn which had welcomed ~1 other
rle :Jfatel to Homme, awaited also her entry into Lyons.
Yhen the Pm·isian ·cm·aym1 composecl of seYenteen versons
aniYed at the gate of Saint-Just, the President Chausse
and some of the trae1ers criecl ont to the guards: "This
is Jlother de :Jfatel ! This is :Jiother de :Jlntel '." AH Yied
dth one another in their haste to run and salnte her
am1 vresent her their compliments so that no one thought
of clemanding her passport. Tlle saintl,,- .:I other, who
looked at all things from thefr snpernatnral sicle. sa,,·
·in this oYersight onl~~ the homage i·enclered to the soyereign
}[aster Yho was going to establish Hirnself. th rough he1-.
in that city. "It is Yon." she sap•. "Ylw ente1· a~ abso-
lute Lon1, 'dtbont anyone interrogating _Yon or asking
Yon ycho You are.''1
8he had semTel.'- passed throngh the gn te Yllen she
fonn <1 he1·se1f in the }Jresence of a great multitude accom-
panying to hü.; la~t resting place a good Lyonnese gentle-
man who was wel1 known to the Fonndress. :Jlost of tho~e
pe1·so11s Yere he1· at·qnaintances. Thus the funeral cortege
snddenly presented a new aspect. :Jioun1ing was i·eplaced
by joy. lt Yas 110Y a rinestion of who conld be 1hst in
Yekoming tlle n?ner0ble Jfothe1· nnd in demo11~üati11g hi:--
happine:--.~ at ~eeing lier agnin. ~he remm·k:-; that' this "?a~
a great m01·tificatiun to he1·. Finally she nr1·iYec1 nt her
l1ear hou:-:e on tlie holy :J[ount. hnt befu1·e c1·ossing it~
th1·é~holc1. she in;o:"trnte<1 he1·~elf at the feet of Him Yhom
~he nd~nmded~ed H:" the on] y ~J n~ter. "l entered the ex-
te1·i01· elwpel... :;:lie ~ny~, "<md mnde the 8ü,te1·s Yhom
I hè1l1 ln·uught from Pari~ chant the l ~eni Crratr)r, in ordel'
to ente1· om· n1011nstery ns holy Simeon entered the 'Tem-
1--utogra phi c Life. ch. CXXXT11I.
-133

460. LIFE OF JEAX~E CHEZARD DE :;.lA'l'EL
ple, in Your Rpü-it. l adored You in Yonr small Taber-
nal'.le m; my g1·eat God, and submitted myself to all Your
desires. Yon said to me :1
A sccnde) tu q11 i r vangeli~·as
Sion: cxfllfa in fortit11diur voccm tu(lJu, noli timcre. ''As-
cend, thou wl10 bl'ingest good tidings to Sion: with cour-
age rai se thy voire, Fear 11ot.":2 rrhe reason for this interior
exhortation was sooH diselosed. 'l'he good Mother's fü·st
glancè at her daughte1·s, while embracing them, reYealed
that the lnnnility, sim])lfrity, and love for poverty and
mortification, ·which had formerly reigned among them,
had been replaced by worldliness and vanity. She unde1·-
stood that sbe needed to arm herself with courage and
stl'ength, to combat against dispositions which were so
nnbecoming in religions.
~rhe news of the saintly :Mothe1·'s return sprcad rapiclly
outside of the e01iyent and was wekomed as a lJlessing.
)fany eagerly hastened to visit her. Rome old men who
were nonagenm·ians, and others who were even centena-
1·ians, could not be held_ùack by friends who feared lest
the~T wonlcl faint whHe atternpting to ascend the hill, they
i·eplied that they hacl been "raiting only for the consola-
tion of seeing the good ~fother de :Matel again before dying.
~nd in fact they achieved the happy encling of their pil-
µTimage on earth shortly after this consolation had been
µyanted them.
One of the visits which afforded consolatiou to ihe
Foun(hess, was that of 2L Deville, the fol'mer Yiem· Geu-
e1·al under Monsignor de Richelieu. Ile came witlwnt
deb1y to fnlfill the 1n·omise he had foade to the dying
Prelate, of i·etm·ning to the Foundress the writings whieh
the Canlinal had taken away from ber twelve yem·8
before.
..:ftc1· all the cxarninati011~, to which these w1·iti11g8 had
hee11 :-;nhjeded hy the two Cm·di11al~ of Hichelieu, Hot a
wonl lt H(l he,·11 e1·a:-;e,1, 11ot a pa~c ha <l h(•en px fraete,1.
1 ~~'Pl',Ylhinµ; ha<l heP11 1·espt•de<l. 'rlwy w<•re en~u retm·11e<l
i11 tlw ~arne caf.;kc•t in whi<-h thPy lut<l hPen e«tnied away.
.ltl1ot1µ;lt thi~ 'Ï1·1wtl approlwiiou of the Titi11gs Y<U-i oniy
1 , utogTn pl1ic Lik, cl1. CXX:XIX.
:.! Js. X L . !I.

461. ESTABLJSHlIEN'l' 011' THE :MONASTERY OF LYONS 435
irnpJicit, yet it cmmot be denied that it was of great weight,
in vü=-w of the dispo~itions of those from whom it emanated.
!Ioreoyer, JI. Deville descl'ibed · to ~Iother de lIatel the
transfo1·mation which liad gradually taken pl ace in the
deceased Pl'elate·s Rentiments ,~·ith reganl to her, as he
watehed the progress of his disease, from which, against
all appearances, she had foretold that he would die. Yhat
lrnd been his regret at bis opposition to her, and how
he had longed .for her 1·eturn to Lyons, so that he might
he able to erect her monastery before he died. In this
there was grent encourngement for her to labo1· for this
work which was still to be opposed, but of which the
Divine Savior declared Himself to be the Protector.
~Iother de :uatel arriYed at L~'ons ou the feast of All
Saints, and, 011 the next (lay, ~ovember 2, 1G58, she bas-
. tened to send M. de la Piardière to announce ber retnrn
and to present her homage to the Abbé of Saint-Jnst, who
had become the Vicar General of his brother, Monsignor
Camille de Neuville, as she had predicted when she had
1·escued him from the ja,Ys of death scarcely a year be-
fore. M. de la Piardière was received most courteously
and all went well as long as there was question only of
himself, but as soon as he spoke of Mother de Matel, the
scene was changed. The Vicar General assnmed an in-
different attitude and showed nothing but coldness. The
Abbé de la Piardière conld not believe his eyes and, not
understanding the situation, he begged to be informed
how it was possible that he had awakened only such in-
difference by presenting the respects of a verson whom,
for so .many years, the Yicar General had l10no1·ed with
h is esteem and friendship.
'elle solution of the enigma was that the Abbé Saint-
Just felt 11111-t and believed that he sa w a lack of defer-
ence in the· eomlnrt of ~Iother de ~fatel. He considered
it w1·011g for he1· to leave rm·is and ùring Sisters from
there to Lyons without his anthorization. In vain 11.
de la Pim·diè1·e alleged that lette1·s of obedienl'e h-ad been
a~ked from ~f. Deville wl10 was acting as Ykar General

462. 43G LIFE OF .JEANNE CHEZ.AUD DE lIATEL
durü1g the iutel'l'egunm ~ and that if there was m1y fault
it onght to be imputed to himself alone who hacl hastened
her departure, RO that there was no time to advise the
Abbé of Saint-Just; that, as for the Foundress, it was
a joy fo1· her to C'Ome and thr~rnT he1·self at the feet of
he1· new Archhishop whose kindly dispositions towards
her harl been told her by his friends in Paris and were
believed by her to continue to exist, for, cluriug many
years, she had prayed for him and had asked of God
that he wonld be the snccessor of -:Ionsignor de Richelieu.
.(11 these reasonings left the Ahbé of Saint-.Tnst still cold
mul clissatisfied.
~I. de la Piai·dière, after having retnrned to lIother de
lIatel, in order not to pain he1·, trie<l to appear satisfied
with the visH. He kept i·e1)eating: •·I have been too
well receiYefl and he has clone me too rnnch honor." The
snintly :Mothei· i·emarks that ""he was too eivil and char-
itable to speak to me otherwise." But she had received
an intnition of what had taken place and said to him:
'"..:-11 goes well for yon, but the1·e is colclness for me. Yon
m·e too sincere to hide this cross from me. After the
Rcnedict us of Palm Sunclay at Hoanne, I am ready to
bear the Talle of Goocl Friday a.t Lyons! If the Lord per-
mits it 01· does it, l have nothing to say, and I conform
myself to all His designs or permissions; I will imitate
Abraham and hope agaiHst despair ! Dear Love, all this
confidenee whieh I felt in the superior part of my spirit
left the infe1·io1· part astonished and sad. Vate1;s were
:-.;epm·nted from wate1·s. I saw a solid wall of confidence
in You, and wnters of rnif4trusi in myself and I said to
Yon : 'Lm·d, I commenù to Yon my cnm;:e which is Yonr
ow1L 1 am S<Hl aml solllewhat fronble<l <tt haying dis-
plca~ed rny rasto1·.' "1
~fotl101· de ll;del ,,. ,.~ nl~o to tirnl t·oldm):-;s in other
h0m·ts, on who~c <·011ti<h)11ce all<l <le,Tot0<1n<}SR it seemed she
~honl<l lwve nlw;tys eo1111ied. 'l'he eC'ho of tlw complaints
;t1Hl rn111·m111·R <t1·ons<)d i11 Pm·iR hy h0r <}xte1·i01·ly Reenlm·
1 ~ 11 to gT: 1pllÏ f' l,ifp, eJi. CXXXTX.

463. ESTABLISH:i.IE~T OF rrHE :JIONASTERY OF LYONS 437
state, 1·ekonnded at Lyons and l>eyond it. Those ·who
did not know that she 1·e11Hlined in this state to obey the
forma] 01·de1·~ of God, were astonished at it and disap-
proved of her. E'7
en Father Gibalin ·who knew her so inti-
mately, and held in SlH·h high esteem her lights and straight-
fonyardness, hacl endecl by yielding to the influence and
sharing the sentiments of those "'Yho hacl judged her with-
ont a hem·ing. Rome months befo1·e she left Paris, the
J esuit, Father Gdsolon, had written to her from Lyons:
i.r have heard tlwt Father d'Aix and Father Gibalin do
not a1Jprove of ,rom· conduct. They express astonishment
that, dnring sueh a long sojourn at Paris, you have made
so little }Jrogress, and they sa37
that you will die 'vithout
having taken the habit."1
Fifteen days later, the same
Father w1·ote to Ristel' Eli as of the Cross, of the monfü·;tery
of Paris: "'I have '"011 over to your "Jiother, Father d'Aix,
·and he has promised me that if he can be of service to
her, he will render it henrtil.L But as for Fathe1· Gibalin,
he is so rucle, contemvtnous, and scowling, that I do not
knmv how to approach him.''2
Hmveyer, this "rude" Fathe1· Gibaliil was one of the
first to lay dmvn his al'ln~. ..:ls soon as the venerable
::lother, with her usual candor, had made knmn1 to him
the varions ways by 'vltieh God had manifested to her
His will with regard to her exterior engagement in the
religions state, he eould not resist the evidence and became
agah1, as formel'ly, her defender and upholder.
Al1 those who disap1n·oved of "Jlother de "JIatel's course,
did not always act towarcls her with the same rectitude
and frankness, bnt she met the greatest opposition to
her plans arnoug the members then composing her own
honsehold of Lyons.
After "Jiother Helen Gihalin had goue to Avignon to
take the habit of the Ch-der, and Sister Elizabeth Grasse-
tean ·who had succeeded her had departed for Heaven to re-
ceiYe the reward of her heroic sacrifices, the monastery
of Lyons harl not been governed by a superioress with
1Letter from Father Grisolon to lIother de lIatel, da tecl Lyons.
June 3. 165:1.
zLetter dated Lyons, June 19. 1653.

464. 4:38 LIFE OF .TE .~~R CHEZARD DE ifATEL
enongh anle11t zenl 01· :-;;oli<l Yil-tue to hold, to the 11m·row
path of religion~ i1erfection, souls that were bonncl to it
hy no obligation except l<we for 1)1e Incai·nate 'Yord and
the cle~ire to become His sponses at some future clay.
'Phence the motherly remonstrances "'hieh the Fonnd1·ess
feH it ber clnty to make, "·ere not understood. 'l'hey irri-
tated instead of enlightening, and those in whom the
wol'ldly spirit had made the greatest ravages, took the
<letermination to withdraw rather th an enter on a life
which wns more sfrictly religions.
'l'his 'yas a ha1·d trial for the kincl, faithful heart of
~'fother de ~Iatel, but, as always, her chm·ity came ont Yic-
to1·ions. '·~rhey departed far from the trufü and their dnty,''
she says, "and withdrew to places where they we1·e not seen
by my e.,res, but not to pJace~ where they were less loYed
by my heart which still cherishes them all and especially
he1· who had made the vow of stability. As I frlt clistressed
at these tlights in the '"inte1·, Yon said to me thnt Yonr zeal
nlso formerly chased the selle1·s ont of the Temple and that
·y om~ Ronse nnu-;t l>e a Horn~e of praye1-.''1
'l'hese sndflening defcetion~':-1 did not eliminate the eYil.
On the contrm·y, they "·en~ only the JH"elndes of pnins and
lah01·s whith the Fonndress was to spend 011 thiN estahlish-
me11t wh ich had lwen thought so easy to complcte.
I11 füis Joug üütl, the good ~Iother wa~ evcr her own
Nelf, ni-; in all that shc snffPl'ed through tlw1
malieP of others.
Her chal'ity '"as nnwi11illg to dcse1·ilJe thern. Only from
time to time somc sonOdnl sighs which lJnrNt forth on
aeeonnt of hcr i.;;11 ffe1·iHgs, heh·ny the distreNs of he1· heai·t.
'rhns, for example, in .Jnly, 1Gf>4, wc i-;ee her i11 ihe history
of he1· OYll life, <·0111pcu·iug the strnggles she ha<l to i-;nstain
to those of 8m11:..;011 flghti11g the enernies of the people of
Oo<l. '' i>m·i11g ihi~ 111011111 of .Jnly, Yon wp1·e for me the
Lion of the frihP of' .Jrnln. Yom· sfr<)ngth ~rn<l NweeilleNN
we1·e rny Nllppo1·t-, JJOt i o :..;a,r rny en igm a, whi<'h 11 o 011 e will
•·011q11·eheHcl with011t Yom· explai11iug it i11 Yom· own time,
f'o1· rny heart ('OllfÎ<leN iu Yon~ I>em· Lo,·p, 1 ~aw well tlwt
J , 11 t ogTaphi c Liff', t' h. ('XXXIX.

465. individna1s who were mH·Ïl'cnmcised in their hearts .and
who did not love Yon, lwted me and strayed away from
10111· desigrn•.:. ~fy spirit wns ~eized "·ith zeal foi· Yonr
honse, which gave me spfritnal pmyers and reasons to con-
qner them, 110t with the jawbone of an mŒ, ùnt "·ith the
mouth of Yonr little danghter npon whom Yon vonrecl forth
graces 'Yhich ('Onfonncled them for Yom· g1ory. 'l'hese Yic-
t01·ies be1ong to Yon, my ado1·able Conqnerur. Triumph
as the most ~fighty nnd the most PmYerfn1 in battle and as
the Lord of hosts. Enter aH. the King of glory into hearts
which Jiaye resisted '{on, so that they will eo-ope1·nte ,,·ith
the graces of theil· voeation.''1
'rhese a1ternating dctories 've1·e far from lleing a definite
ti-iumph. ~rlrns Rix months later she addressed Rt. Paul who
endurecl so many Jabors to conqne1· for Clu·ist those of whom
.he had heen uuule the .Apostle. "T heseet11 yon to heg Om·
I..01·c1, ~,· n·ote lIother de ~ratel, "ilwt l may do a11 that is
for His glory and the salyation of my neighbor and of my-
self, and thnt I may not lose courage ainid the versecutions
inrtided u1_1on me, by those men and iYOmen "·ho are showing:
singnhu ingratitude in the presence of God, and of certain
pe1·Rous whom I do not wi~h to 1·evort. ùecause they would
snffer mueh shmne and might be imnished acc01·ding to
their fault, fo1· whieh I. p1·ay Yom· goodness to pardon the
gnilt and to diminish the penalty, "·hile I wait for these
indfriduals and for my;;.;elf the great jnbilee, so that Yom·
diYine c1emency will absolve us entfrely miel Ye wi11 all "·aJk
in newnes~ of life."2
Fnrther on she again says: "'These troubles 'diid1 I do
not mention here, are of sneh a natm·e tlint they would have
made me die a thonsand times, if Yon, DiYine Love, hnd
not giYen me a thonsnnd liYes by continnnlly prese1Ting the
life Yon had once giyen me. Yon told me that my reign
"'<lS in snffcrings; that DaYid snfferecl from his ehildren, ·
and that I woul fl snffer from mine.''3
1Autographic L ife. ch. CXLVI.
2Ibidem, ch. CXLIX.
:nbidem.

466. 440 L 1FE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
~ longi•dde of fria lR which the go°'lne~R of God gives us
to increa~e om· recompense, His love always p1aces graces
which Rweeten tbem and mnke them meritorious. If :Mother
de :Jfatel np to this time had met "'ith extraordinary con-
stmu·y, the oppositions and contradictions with which her
em·ep1· had b1·istled, n constancy which we have so often
ndrn il·ed, this 'n1s due to these powerfnl aids. They were
not ]a('king on the ne"' sorrowfnl path in which shè was
io fren<l. rrhe pngeN in which the pions Mother desc1·ibes
the~w gyaee:-4 Pxha1e a perfnme which penetrates and in-
eh1·intes the so11l. "Te 1·cgret that we must resign om·selves
i o bonowing only :t fpw passages from them. For exmnJJle,
one day it is -:IoseR who app<.1
a1·s to her canying two stone
tabh~ts on which 110 Titing appem·s, and Onr Lord nrnkes
her mH1e1·sümd that shc mnRt 11ot despair of His designs
when evel'ything wldch nppa1·ently onght to co-operate with
them wou1d be laeking or all 'Onld refuse to receive His
t ·ommmHhuent~. beenn~e IIe ean i·e-estnb1ish all things, as
f01·mel'ly He engTaved His la"' anew on the tablets of the
Legi~lato1· of f~1·nel.
Agaill, on the feast of the Finding of the Roly C1·oss,
)fay =~, 1()54, her Divine lIodel appeared to her under the
f'm·111 of a Jamb walking nlone in a thick fo1·est in which
the1·e wns not one hlnde of gTass, and He said to her: "l1y
chrng-l1ter, ..Iy food is to do tliP will of My Father Who so
loveù men that He gnve His 0111y Son to save them by the
1l'eP of the C1·o~s. I lO'C the c1·oss because by it I appear
and "'ill <tppear n~ the King of 1ove1·s, as Love itse1f.m The
Pi,·iue L:tmh, while exp1·essing· these sentiments, app1·oached
he1· :rn<l :-lit> sni<1 to Him: •·o most gentle, most dear Lamb,
do Yon "'i~· h me to he Yom· shephp1·dess? Yon know how,
from rny ('hildhoo<l, I l1m'P 1oHge<1 to follow Yon wherever
Yon g-o. Hnt f lwµ; ..Yon to t<·ll mP, my T~amb, was it You
1hH1- gallopP<l 011 the ('loll<l~ nrnl W,.ho, ns Your blessed
.. .:lotliP1· 111ttd<· llH' 1rn<le1·~tmHl, 'Ü-dit><l Io follow me all the
':ty 1o Lyons'! . l'<' Y011 11 ow <'Olll<· i11 to thi s fo1·est to be
:1g:1i11 ~:t<·1·ifk<'<l :1~ :1 llH'<'k :rnd limnbl<' detim '! 0 my de:n·
1.ut()g rnpllic: Lire, el!. <'XLllT.

467. EST~'..BLISIDIE:.'T OF THE ~IOXASTEUY OF LYO~S 441
Lo'e, I eompreheud the my~ü_)1·y. You become all to me to
gain me all to Yon. W'"hen Yon made rne, l'.ome hinmphantly
from Pari~, which greatly mm·tified me, You gambo]e(l 011
the elonds. And i10w tlwt many are lrnmiliating me, by
resisting You mm·e than they resist me, Yon sympathize
Yith me in this forest ,~d1e1·e r am alone "Tith Yon alone.
Yes, my Savior, l knoY that T mnst suffer contradictions.
Afte1· all the co11traclictio11s wllich You suffered from sin-
ners, Yon who are innocence it~elf, why shonlcl I be exempt
from them, I who am sueh a great sinner '? I can do all in
Y ou who sfrengthen rne, no matter w hat resistance many
make to Your designs."1
Six montbs later, on the Yigil of All Saints, 1G5J, as
she was entering the ehavel to make her eYening meclitation,
she hearcl the words: "'J'hon art called to the sacrifice." r CH i
· ad victinwm. As soon as she had knelt clown, Our Lord rapt
her in spii-it to Himself, in a most snblime mam1ér, and ad-
mitted her to the contemplation of ineffable myste1·ies.
"Yon made me see on the altar a multitude of saints, among
whom I noted St. Peter. All these saints appea1·ecl to me,
with bodies as agile as spirits. 'l'hey "'e1·e nll C<UTying a
lamb that had no weight. ~:rhis lamb was a Yictim that
sacrified himself, and that they all simultaneonsly sacri-
:ficed. This sacl'ifice was not bloocly. I ts death was mystie.
lt remained entire w·hile being commnnieatecl to all in an
ineffable manner. The maryels whieh T kne'Y and nncler-
stood in the stah~ in which m ,Y sonl wa~, during nll the time
that I contemplated thef'e m:n~tmions dsions, eannot be
expressed.. I can only say with the Prophet :2
All. all, all _.
Domi1lc Deus. ecce uescio loqui. •·.AJ1, ah, ah, Lonl God, be-
hold I cannot speak."0
'l'his was one of the most cliYine spectacleR which the
secr of Patmos had witne~Red with astonishment, and at
which the good )Jother hall now assisted. I t is not sn1·pris-
ing that she came bal'k to herself from it in ecstatic bliss.
I t 'Yas in order to strengthen anâ fortify lier sonl for the
1Autographic Life, ch. CXLIII.
2Autographic Life, ch. CXLYII.
3Jer. 1, 6.

468. 442 LIFE OF' .TE.XXE CHEZ.IlD DE ~LTEL
<lolol'(rn:--; :--;;t<·1·i1it-e io wlikh he lind_uow Leen invited, tlrnt the
Larnh, i111111olaiPd frolll the hegirn1i11g· of ille "·01·1<1, hnd. for
ël rno111P1ii-, a~so<·ink<1 hp1· wiili l li11iRelf, in the joy~ of Ili~
t>le1·nêll ohlnti011.
The nex t tlny n 1WV a ml kePn iTial wnR nddcd to tl1 oRe
frorn whieh ~he wns nhe~1dy Rnffe1·ing. SPve1·a1 dnngt~rons
diReases, mnong which we1·e sma11-pox and pernicious fever,
sndden ly seized )larie de la Pianliè1·e, whose relatives on
her mothe1·'s si<le, hfül c01 1~idererl it a c1·ime on her fathe1·'R
pm·t, to lenve her ~o f'nr mvny from himself, and they wonld
not fm·g·ive him fm· li e1· denth, if she Nnccnmbed to this ill-
ness. Eve1·y aül, remedy, and cm·e wns lnvished by the good
Jlothel' on lie1· little patient. But slie knew only too well
that lnunan rnen11s lia n 1
no eftienl'y except that given to
them by Ood, and, dnring the tln·ee rnonths thnt the danger
persisted, she pn1yed mHl wept incessm1tly, and finding
herself unwol'th.r to he he:nd, she nddressed herself to all
the saints, besecching them to ohtain tlrnt cm·e which was
so earnestly dcsi1·ed. ·
Fnthe1· Gihnlil1, who lrnd enti1·ely laid aRide llis preju-
dices, sceing he1· ill tltis fronbled stnte of miml, said to her:
" ~lothe1·, you onght not to apprehend the death of this child.
'l'he Lamb that yon saw canied and offered by all the saints,
did not die. · Ile was offcred n~ n victim and rernained alive.
~rhis vhdon ernhraces severnl mystcries, and promises you
great g1·accs, intcri01· and cxtcrior. God always freats yon
as His fayol'Ïte. I have n0v0r knowu a sonl fünt reeeives
from Rim sneh ln·otecti011. He aceomplislieR nll the ]We-
di ctions Yhieli He mnkes y<rn ntte1· for IUs gl01·y and onr
achm1tagc. lf l lc hies yon. it is to rnake yon grcatcr in
i11c cy<ls of llirnself, Ili:-; m1gel~, and Ilis saints. Yon rnnst
h0 rnost g1·atcfnl foi· Ili~ gooùnesses and write thcrn nll down
with füleli ty and pen~eve1·mwc, foi· Ilis glory and the nd-
''anœmc11 Lof llis 01·dc1·. T am rno~d- aNRrn·cd of His Divil1e
~pfri t in yo11.''1
'l'h<l good ~fothe1· liad g1·cat need to be thns eo11~olP<l a11d
~m·dainP<l. 'l'IH· ])liy~icia11s who we1·e freati11g l1c1· liHlc pa-
1. u tng·1·:i ph ic Life, ch . C:XLVTT.

469. ES'l'ABLISfDIE~T OF THI<J ::IO~L.STElff OF LYO~S 4J3
tient, feared thnt she herRelf wonld snccumb nnder her vig-
ils, fatigues, and car·es of every kind, for the small-pox had
been caught by tro of her boarding pupih;;, and all the oth-
ers had been sent a"~ay to their homes.
But, at lmü, after tln·ee months of the:-;e snfferings, her
supplications and tem·s we.re heard, and the health of her
dear little Parisian ·was so th01·oughly i·estored that the good
1fother could wl'ite to JI. de la Piardiè1·e: ··Our little )Ia-
1·ie is getting along so well, 01· i·ather the wiud cm-ries her
along so fast, that '"e are all on the nm to follow lier and
to lift her up from her fall s. If God we1·e not specially pro-
tecting her in these fall~. we would be in a state of con-
tinua] alarm. Her kuees and elbows <He ofteu skinned.
As for her face, it bas not a single mark from the small-
pox.m
.Just as this paiuful frial wa:-; ove1·, a g1·eat sonow
<Mnlited the Fonndress.
On August 29, 1G55, Uothe1· ::Luy of the Holy Ghost
X<11lard, on whose wisdom she had completely relied for
gniding the monaste1·y of Paris. succmnbed, in twenty-four
hours, to an attack of cholic. She wn~ subject to accesses
of this terrible illness, but her humility and modification
had eontl"Ïlmted to this catastrophe a~ mnch as her ailment.
She was seized with a Yiolent paroxysm tünn·ds eleven
o'clock, at night, on .A.ngust 28, but she waited :the hours
before ealling for help as she did not wish to distlu·b others
in their sleep. 'Yhen the bell had nrng for 1·ising~ she
dragged heri;;;elf dying, to the cell of "Jiother de Bély, who
endeavored to avett the imminent danger, bnt withont suc-
cess. 'l~here _ "~as no remedy. In the evening of ·that day,
this saintly SJ>Onse of Christ went t o i·eceiYc the mag-
nifieent c1·own whiC'h had been prepm·ec] for lier eminent
d1·tnes by the lo'"e of he1· i·oyal Sponse.
'rhe news of th is den th cansed J[other <le "JIatel snch
dee1> so1·1..rn· that she says she i·ernernhe1·etl no othel' 1ike it,
exeept the 1oss of ~iste1· Eliz;abeth G1·asst>ü}au. ~lie ha<l,
nevertlicless7 encln1·eù very gn~at suffe1·ings. )u1ù~ yet, if
1Le tte r from lIothe r c1 e Ma t e l to th e ~- lJb é c1 e la Piardière, L yo n s,
1G55.

470. 444 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZAUD DE lIATEL
God gaye he1· any presentiment of the trials of which this
wns only the prelude for her honse at P:wis and for herself,
then the1·e 'ye1·e su fficient to bl'enk her heart !
Sü,te1· .Jeanne of J esus de Bély, while announcing thi~
painfu] eyeut, begged Mother de _lIatel to choose, from one
of her other monasteries a religions capable of governing
that of Paris and to send her as soon as possible. But such
was not the view of the lIothe1· Fonndress. She was con-
Yineed that her dear danghtér de Bély, in spite of her youth,
was the person hest suited to perform these difficult func-
tions and to promote the spiritual and temporal prosperity
of the monastery of Paris. 'l~heHce she "Tote to the Prior
of Saint-Germain laying her views before him, and begging
hirn to use his anthority to impose the bnrden of Superioress
on Sister ~reanne of .Jesns.
rrhe P1·ior, fully approying this choice, came to the mon-
astery, ealled Sister ~Jeanne of J esus Bély and showed her
the 1etter containing snch high praise of her. She was ter-
l'ified and adduced her incapacity, her lack of experience,
and he1· twenty-three :years of age, but without snccess.
Seeing this, she asked for some days to consider the mat-
te1'. This "~as g1·a11tecl. Immediately she calls in an Abbé
who is related to her and whose merit gives him much in-
flnence with ecelesiastical authorities. She succeeds in win-
ning him over to her views and sends him to persuade the
Pl'ior to impose the office of Snperioress on ~fother Jeanne
of the PaRsion Fiot, one of the first five professed of the
01·der, and al~o one of the fou11di·esReR of the monastery
of PnriR. 'rhi~ .J[othe1·, whoRe age wnR murh more advanced
than that of Sister .Jemme of .JeRnR, <lid not have the same
e11e1·gy, initiatiYe, 01· tnct, but she was vel'y virtuous and
1rnrnb1y bowed hc1· heê1d nuder the lmrden imposed by her
~11 pe1·ior.
~1 otJw1· de Bt-Iy, "1'1 Pl' hPl' füll'l'êl1 in~, i11 "'hich she hies
io lœP}) Ju~r i11eog·11ito, aR it to11iaiHN foo rnnch in 1n·aise of
]1p1'NPlr, ct~k~: "' I>id i.hi~ young· l'Pliµ:ion:-: of twenty-three
,'Pêt1·~ do 1·igld i11 êH'tiHg thn:-;'!" " I <lo 110t know,'' Rlw l'e-
pli<~f-'; "I k11ow 011ly tliêd oui· piou:-: .lotl1<)1· wa:-; 1101· Nêlfü..;fied

471. EST~.BLISI-U1E:NT OF THE ~fONASTEUY OF LYO~S 445
with ber lack of Embmission in this affair. And God, 'Vho
loves obedience better than sacrifice, was not pleased. There-
fore I relate these eircumst<rnces, not to praise this Sister,
but to say that from that time fonvard she becarne a frial
for the Yirtue of onr worthy Foundi·ess.m
This was, indeed, on the part of ~Iotber de Bély, a gi·eat
wrong which we shall haye to deplore. Rhe "'as never able
to overcome her ave1·sion foi· suve1·iol'ity. Her confidence
in the lights of her saintly :fotlter, whom she still held in
high esteem, and in the g1·aces with "rhich the Incarnate
'Vord Yould not lrnYe failed to b1ess her obedience, ought
to have been enough to outweigh the reason~ on which her
lrnmility relied to rleeline the office which Vas imposed
n1wn he1· and which she nlways sought to J·esign ns soo11 as
pûS8Ïble.
The friencls of the mmrnstery of Pai·is saw how- necessary
at that time wns the pi·esenee of the ~Iother Fonndress in
the capital, mt could not hope foi· her return until the
house of Lyons was estab1ished. 1'he1·efol'e they sought
me::rnf.: to te1·mi11ate the de1nys which were made to its
canonieal ei·edio11. At first they had beeu giveu to uuder-
stnnd that the 11ew ...rchbh.;hop was unwilling to make this
e~tablisl1111ent uutil be 'Yould be in i;os~ession of his o'yn
Bnlls. But 11ow be liad i·eceived them. He had been con-
~ecrated and still he had not made up his mind.~ Her
frien d-s recogui zed that ue'e1· had auy work been so mueh
opposed. 'rl1e ineconcilabie enemy of the I nenrnate Yord
'"as making desperate efforts to 1n·e,'e1it the expansion of
au Orcler wholly devoted to the glory of Him agnirn~t Yhom
he rose np from the beginning. Bnt the hom· o1~ God was
soon to strike and before His absolute will nll ar1m; were to
be laid clown.
1Manuscril)t llemoir of Mother de Bély, ch. XXII.
~Mother de Matel says at this epoch: "All who knew m y crosses
which were great, had pity on me, but to crucify me the more they
said: ''rhe Archbishop has so much sweetness for all but s hows non e
for you. Not long ago he gave permission to the daughters of the
Visitation to found a third monas t ery in Lyons, ancl th e Abbé of
Saint-Just is favorable to the Sisters of St. EHza.beth who h ave
establishe<l th em selves n ea r the Minim~. a nti. the Behuines of Flan-
d ers h:-t·e tli e p ermission to es1:1blis h U1em~el·l:·~. i:ut nol)utly giv es
a though t to your esta lJlishmen t.' "

472. 44G LlFE OF JEANNE CHEZ.AUD DE lIA'l'EL
Once more the Sovereign lfaster chose, as the prinl'.ipal
insümuent of His me1·cies, Peter Séguier, the Chancellor
of F1·ance, by inspiring him to write to :Monsignor de
~endlle, inquiring what was the cause of the ob~tacles to
the exeeution of a plan to which he was believed to be
favorable. r:rhis intervention had great influence.
Father Gibalin added to it his own solicitation, and the
Prelate i·esolved to offer three· )fn~ses to learn the will of
God on the affair.
':rhe more earnestly the i>ions Archbisho}J prayed, the
more inelined he felt to erect, without delay, this Order iu
his Archiepiscopal city.1
'J'he1·efore, on October 20, 1655~
he came to the monastery and told Mother de Matel that,
<1fter offering three Masses to obtaiu light to know the will
of God on the matter of the erection of her monastery, he
felt inspired to execnte it, and he now came to ask on what
funds he could count for the foundation of the temporalities.
I t is easy to imagine the ernotion of the saintly Found-
r-ess. She had never seen the Prelate with ber corporal
eyes, bnt -from her first glance at him she recognized the
Pontiff, whom in 1627, in the vision announcing the death
of Monsignor Miron, the Divine lIaster had shown, raised
up with the altar at which he was celebrating. and of whom
He said: "Here is he who will establish the monastery of
Lyons." All that she lwd seen, all that she had heard, is
uow realized to the letter-. It is in the very oblation of the
Roly Sacrifice in which twenty-eight years bcforc she had
sccn him c1evated above the earth, that this Pre1ate ''fnll
of affability, small in body, bnt g1·eat in intellect,'' is in-
spi1·e<l to establish her mouastery. 'rlie fidelity of her dem·
LO"'"e in accom1>lishing all the promises He lins made, in-
nnda tps her soul with iucxpressible lmppiue~~. ""l was
üanspm·te<l," she sny~, "nt seeiug Yom· promise vci·ified.m
1lowPv(~1·, she coll tTols ltP1· feeliug~ and givcs the <lc~i1·e<l
1i1o 11 s i g n or <'a m i 11 e <l e N e u v i 11 e w a s I> o r 11 a t R o m e. ~" 11 g; 11 s t 22,
1fillfi. :111<1 1li eLl at L y on s, .J11n e :~ . lG!);L HP IJ:1<l 1ll<' virtucs of a, Chris-
t inn :11Hl a. s tates m:i11. J[e wa.s prud e nt. ju<lidous. pions. anù g e ner-
ous. l l e <'s t a bli s h c d a t L yo ns, hesi<l e s th e monn s t e ry of th e In carnate
' or!l , se min a ri es. a hou se for r e p e ntant wom c n . and a house of th e
TI'Î nit ;1 l'ia n s.
:.!111tograpl1i c Lif(', eli. CLlV.

473. ESTABLISH:IEXT OF THE :IOX.:STEnY OF LYO~S JJ7
information to the Arehbi~hop. ~he tells him tlwt she
intends to eonsecrnte to this "-oi·k. ùe~i<le~ the i·ea1 e~fa te
oecnvied by the Cong1·eg:<ltion. six thon~a11d CTO"'l}~ for the
clowrics of six i·elig:inn~. The P1·elate t1eclm·ed this to he
satisfacto1·y~ and "-eut away shm'ing g1·eat bene,-olence <UHl
promising: to giYe soon the final Yo1·cl.
He did not make her wait long. TYelYe da~-s afte1·. he
again climbed the holy Jiount and anfred while the com-
mnnity was chanting the Yespers of All Saints. He as~istec1
at them and dedai·ed that he was great1y eclified at the
manner in ·which the se1·Yic:es "-ere conducted. Yhen the
Office had endell~ be ente1·ed the house and gracion:-:1: said
to Jiother de Jiatel. that after celebrating a fom·th Jiass
to obtain great eertainty of the didne will, be bac1 become
superabundantl;- assured of it, and nmY came to accomplish
H. She g:aye him an account of all that had been clone since
the beginning of the Cong-regation. and sho"-ed him the
different titles to the hou:-:e. lands. etc.. the T"alne of which
was more than sixty thousand lin·es. The Archbishop then
tnrned towards Father Gibalin and the Abbé of Saint-
.Just, llis brotbe1· and Yicar General, who had corne witll
him, and said to them: "This house is fnlly established.
I11 it the Blessed Sacrament re11oses and the clfrine office
is recited. I approe of "·hat was doue by Jlousignor
"Jiiron and Jionsignor JJarqnemont, and I permit the i·eli-
gious habit to be taken... He did not mention the late
Cardinal de Richelieu. "Let the minutes of the contract be
written,.. he saicl...and I "·ill sign it."1
•
2
After making the
Yisitation of the i·egulm· loealiries and giYing _a fatberl.'
exhortation to the nssernbletl community. and telling the
enerable Jiothe1· to giYe the Yeil to the Sister~ YÏtl10nt
clelay: he impartecl his hearty bles~ing and withdl·e"-·
The grace so arclentl.Y desirecl and so long refusec1 was
at last obtainecl. The Feast of All Saints on whieh all the
Blessed seemed to han~ assemb1ed. in orcler to hless the
erection of the new mo11aste1·y. Yas eYer aftenyards ob-
se1Tecl as the feast of the fonndatiou. But as to tria1s, the
1Docurnents. n ote F.
~Au t o gr a p h i e Life, ch . CLrT.

474. 448 LI FE OF JE:ANNID CIIEZ..TID DE :L.TliJL
eud hml not yPt corne. R«dnn, who lind ht~Pn nrnqnished
on onP linP, eoneenfrate<l ;t]l hiN fon'(?N npoll anothPr, to
J·etnrd, ns f«u· ns possfüle, the Pxecnti011 of thP JWOj(_}d whicli
wnl-5 the object of his fm·ions hnfo, arnl for i-;0111e yenn~ still
i he venerahle Fonndress had to con tinne to strnggle hefore
she eonld see in this honse the decüdve ti-inmph of regn-
larity and t he religions spirit, over tlw worldly spirit which
had been infrodnce<l in her absence. She does not detnil
these frials and ~trnggles, but everythi11g justifies the snp-
position that t hey ·were great and painfnl, since they hnd
the effect of preventing the Fonnd1'eRs from elothing any
of her daughters with the holy habit of her Order. Althongh,
as has been seen, the monastery was canonical ly e1·ected in
1G55, t he tirst ceremony of clothing took vlace 011 ly in lGt>l.
In the com·se of one of these ye~us, lfother de Ma tel
w1·ote in her antobiogrnphy: ··I i·eproved the fanlts Yrhich
J saw to be displeasing to Yon, as contrary to Yom· Rpirit,
whieh does not dwell in hearts that m·e double, si11ee 1
knew t hat He said through Ecclesiasticns: rar du plici
r·ordi et laùiis S('clcsfi8 et manibus 11wlcfacir11tib11s et pcc-
('(ffori tcJ'J'am i11grc<licnti duabns v iis. """ 1
oe to them that
are of a do11ble heal't and to wi cked lips, and to the hand~
that do e·i l, arnl io füe si11ne1· that goeth on the eni·th two
ways."1
"I am not astonüd1ed that St. Peter eonld not bear the
lying of Ananias and 8aphira, becau~e the~· lied to the Roly
Spfrit, by whose anth01·ity as well nf' by Yom· own, 0, Incm·-
nate ''r01·d, 'Yl10 are the 'J1rnth, he d<:_•prived them of 1ife and
had them canieù ont to thefr tornh~ hy the persons who we1'e
at the door and witnessed the lie nmeocted lJy them, an
(~ ·cnt that imqJil'Od g1·eat app1·<1 hP11~io11 arnl fear in all who
i-;nw that to lie to the Holy ~pirit is <liflknlt to he vm·donPd.
'"T conld here W1'ite of th e jm;t pn11ishrnellt by ~mddell
denth 01· ùy accidellt, of ten 01· twelYc individnals who i11 -
ve11ted mnlicions calurnnies agai11~t he1' whom Yon deign
to 111·otPd 011 H<Tomit or Your g·rnH1J1ei-;f' and not hc1· me1'its,
m-; ~he wm.; <ll l io Yon, frorn Ym1, hy Yon «rnd f01· 1011 . l

475. ESTABLISII:iTE~'l' OF 'l'I-rn ~fON1STEnY OF LYONS 449
prayed to Yon to pal'don their cternal guilt and penalty,
m;v me1·ciful Savior, as T ask this also for those who still
arc injnring me, arnl r heg- Yon to be plensed to pardon my
own sinB."1
Ve takc from a lette1· of Süüer Frances G1·avicr to
lfother de lIatel, the fo1lowing passage wh ich refers to the
tribulations of the good lfother at that same epoch:
"l passed the night of Oood Friday, in ,complaining to
the Incarnate 'Yol'<l, of His pe1·mitting he1· whom He ]oyes
to snffel' such e1·nelties. )fy most dear lIother) I protest
that T feel all those blows whicli make me complain with
.Job that while you are already afflicted with sickness and
care, thesc men and 'Yomen, irn;;tead of consoling you, seek
to beat you down on eve1·y side. However, He 'Vl10, for the
glory of His spouse, permits the enemy of the nfost High
JO prepare amlrnshes to aftiict ber, always gives her, as
is seen on every occasio11, süength to sm·momit_his attacks,
and with the rod of confidence in her Spouse to crush all her
enemies.
'•Jt is trne that there are three things that cause much
trouble and disorder on this earth: first, those who arc
destined to ohey, wish to command ~ second, an impious man
who ahounds in wealth and uses it to do evil; third, an
ungr·ateful woman with whom you have been lmrdened by
doing a favor to ber and of whom you cannot rid yourself;
but a fourth, which cmrnot be tolerated any longer, is a
presumptuons "'oman who ns1111>s the place of he1· whom it
is her dnty to honor and re~pcei. 1 praise God that, in the
midst of all the al'tifires which they emvloy foi· their base
aims, He raises np good people to defend the jnst cause
against the machinations of the malicionR.
'"I should like to see yon givc the habit to some of yonr
subjects of the honse of Lyons. 'l'his wonhl enconrage ns
a little and God wonld be ~lorified. I contimrnlly ]Jl'ay God
to strengthen and enlighten you mm·e and more.''2
Although God did not give immediatc ~ucccss to the good
~fother's efforts for this wol'k of rcfo1·111 i11 i hc Ilonse of her
1Autographic Life, cl1. CLXI.
2Letter tlaterl PnTis, 1farch 30. 1657.

476. 450 LIFE OF .JEANNE CHEZAilD DE l1ATEL
predilection, He put her on a way which was slow but sure.
As the Sisters "rho had corne with her from Paris were not
l~qnal to this task, ~he bronght some -from the monastery of
G1·enoble. 'Vhen ttw snccess of these was not proportionate
to their z;eal, she fc~lt inspired to call from Avignon, )fother
Helen of Jesns Gibaliu and Mother Louise of the Resunec-
tion de Hhodes. These incleed were the great and saintly
religions whom the Incarnate 'Yord had destined to be the
fonndation stones of His edi:fice and to see it crowned with
mo~t ahundant blessings.
He gavè an assurance ·of this to lfother Margaret of
.J csns to console her for the sacrifice imposed by this sepa-
ration. He showed Hinrnelf to her nnder the form of a
little child all joyons and eager to lead away her two dear
clanghte1·s. He said to her: ''I will be with them and I
will be glorified in them." 'l'his hove alone could mitigate
the pain in a heart like he1·s full of love and zeal for the
glory of her Divine Sponse. Hell seemed to have a pre-
sentiment of the immense good that was to be clone by these
two fonndresses and assmne(l the task of preventing it.
'ren days before the ti me decided upon for their de-
partnre, ~fother Helen of J esns, who was eminent in all
Tirtnes but espeeinlly in hnmility aud chai·ity, was going
<lown to the kitchen to prepare some food for a sick Sister,
when she felt herself pnshed invisibly with snch violence
that the noise cansed by ber fall made the Sisters belieYe
that she had ùroken all her bones. In fact, she was s:.e-
verely injm·cd, and could not move her limbs. IloweYer,
she i·ecovercd very soon.
Dm·ing the jom·uey, a11othc1· aecident which conlcl be ·
atfrilmted 01ily to the demon, came nem· costiug the lifc of
the two Mothe1·~ aud their attendants. As they were ap-
p1·onching Saint-Vallier on a very good road, a whirlwind
raises their caniage into tlte nfr and throws it into a
meadmT ten feet helow, tnr11i11g it over so completely that
it~ top is canght i11 a trce, the whccls remai11i11g i11 ihe ai1·.
1n the m idst of the disaster, thPre we11t fol'lh spontaHeonsly
from a11 li pR i hc c1·y: ''0111· La<ly of the Sevc11 I>olors, hc1 p

477. ESTADLISH.:.IEXT OF 'l'HE ::.10XASTEUY OF LYOXS 451
us.-'' This cry was so well heard by the :Jiother of :Jiercy,
füat all eame ont safe and sound from this peril. One of
their first cares Yas to inqnire ''Thether there "-as not in
the neighborhood a chapel dedicatecl to Onr Lady of Sor-
rows. And in fact there "Tas a most beantifnl one in the
chnreh of the Fathers of the Third Onler of Saint-Yallier.
They offe1·ed a eandle and had a :Jiass said in thanksgiYing.
Their Yehicle liaYing been i·e1Jaired. they resumed their jonr-
ney and arrfrecl at Lyons 'Yithont fnrther accident.
The ürn )Iothers 'Yere "Telcomecl with g1·eat joy; but
many trials and toils awaited them. Howe-ver, after many
sufferings borne in a saintly spirit, they succeeded in get-
ting J·id of the individna1s "Yho hacl made a study of th,Yart-
ing all the efforts of other~ i·egarcling religions clisci pline.
and they were soon in a position to gï-ve the religions habit.
The venerable Sü,ter Catherine Fleurin. who '.-as the fü·st
companion of the :Jiother Foundress. but had been, up to
that time, deprfrecl of the happiness of taking the habit,
on account of the mission she had been fnlfilling at Paris.
ü1 the honse of Providence. was the fü·st to be invested and
receiYed the name of Siste1· Catherine of St. Joseph. This
'n1s on ~0-ember 2. lGGl. On ~OYember 25, of the follow·-
ing year, she pronounced ber Yows.
The oblation of a victim so holy and prepared by Our
Lord by such great trials and graces, 'yas to be the starting
point for abunclant benedictions. A waYe of love for the
ado1·ahle Pe1·sonality of the Yord· macle man, spread oYer
the Lyonne~e cit~-. SeYe1·nl souls, seizecl with a 1011gü1g to
eonsecrate themselves entiI-ely to Him. Yied with one an-
other in the earnestness of their so1icitations to be aclmitted
into the monastery. For a eonsiclerable period~ there was
cYery month a re1·emon.' of the taking of the habit. The
friends of the Sisters '"en~ so enamonred of these ce1·e-
monies. whid1 art? mo:-:t bc<tntiful. that. on one occasion, as
i lie postulant ·as ente1·ing the cl ui~ter. after lmYing hem·d
the ~l ass and exhortation in the e:xte1·ior ehapel. the nrn lti-
tnde followed her so prel'ipit~msly tliat two of th~ religions
came near being c1·ushed to <-lenth.

478. /
452 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZ.AUD DE .iIA'rEL
Persous for whom it was impossible to share the lot of
these pl'ivileged ones of the 1ncaruate "Tord, wislied to he
specially aftiliated to the ürder. To respond to these aspira-
tions, in 1G6D, ~fonsiguor Camille de :Xeuville was obliged
to fonnd n confrnternity to whieh wonh1 be admitted per·
sons of hoth sexes desiI-ous of sp2cinlly COIH~ecratiug them-
selves to the W'onl W'ho becnrne mau to ~:nre us. Ou June
:_W, 1670, a Bnll of Clement X eonfhmed the erection of
this coufratenlity, nnd endowecl it with l'Îch indulgences.
'_Phose who are i·eceived into it, l)ledge themselves to houor,
in a spedal 11w1rne1·, the 'y01·d macle flesh nnd the mysteries
of the redemption, and to imitate with lodng fidelity the
virtncs of which His mortnl aucl Euchm·istic life are the
divine moclel. As a memorial of this conseeratiou mid as a
pledge of the special protection of the Incarnate 'Yord
and of the more abuudant ontpouring upou them of His
blood and merits, the members i·eceive a red scapular, on
one side of which is embroide1·ed the uame of J esns and
the erown of thorrn~, and 011 the other the initial letters
of the names of Mary and .Joseph.
The establishment of this pions association, which still
exists wns the fü·rornplishment of wlrnt Our Lo1·cl had shown
to the Ponndl·ess when in 1G~5, bvo clnys after she had
left ber father's honse, He slHnved her a mountain on
whose summit 'YH~ the Eternnl Father i·eceidng into the
bosom in 'Yhich He ·eternnlly begets His "Tord, all the
dnughiets of liiR 01·de1· cl imhing this holy hill, followed
hy a mnltitnde of person~ of hoth sexes and of every ran k,
who wc1·e chanting with füpm: IA1etot11s: 811111 in ltis quoc
di('f<I s1111t milli: iJ1 <lo1J111111 noJ11iJ1i iùi1J111,r;:. "I rejoiccd
Hi the thi11g·s ihnt w<.~1·e s«ti<l to llH': w<.~ ~lwll go i11to the
hon~<.} of ilie T..01·d.''1
Thi~ rnom1t:li11 wnR 1·el'og11ize<l by ~fotlle1· de ~l:üel on
11<>1· fi1·st visit to tlw hou:-:e in whi«h slH' W«ls 1o (•s1:lblish
111<> 111011:u·dP1·y of' Lyo11N.
But titi~ 1111tltitl](h1
or 1111k11ow11 JH'l"NOllS, who lll(ll"ëhed
i11 th<· fr~li11 of' IH•1· <lHught<.'l'S ' :llld <·li;t1d<.•<l willi thern thcil'
11's a1111 C X X J. 1.

479. ES'l.ULlSH..IEXT OF 'l'HE ~IO~~.STEUY OF LYOXS J53
Iw11pi11ess at beinp; also admittecl to dwell "With tbe W'"ord
in His adorable abocle in the paternal bosorn, Yere indeed
the fe1Te11t Christim1s who '"~re so eager to share the
signal fayors 'YÎth whid1 the "'"ord Incarnate endows His
Order.
lIother de jJatel "'"as füen }H"ÏYileged to fm·esee the
great p1·ospei·ity which was llestined foi· her com..ent of
Lyons. I t wa~ to become one of the most numerous and
ferYent eomrnunities of that religions city which possessed
so many other tlonrishing conYents. But the condition
of the monastery of Paris wns far from inspiring the same
secnrity. After the premature cleath of Jfother of the Roly
Glwst :Xallard, jfother .Jeanne of the Passion Fiot had
lrnrnbly consented to take upo11 her ~honlders the bnrden
of supe1·iorit.Y. The )fother Foundress had not been slow
to see that this load was more than she could carry, and
~oon felt the necessity of replncing her. She cnst lier eyes
upon Sister of the HoIr Ghost Cheruit, one of the pro-
fessed Sisters of Gre11oble1 whose judicious spirit and solid
Yirtue were well lrnmn1 to her, and she asked )Ionsignor
Scanon to pennit her to be sent to the monastery of
Paris 'YÏtll Sister Louise of the Assnmption de Sanrel.
'rl1is Prelate replied that lie approvecl of all that she judgecl
hest foi· the welfare of her Institute. and that she conlcl
dispose of her Sistei·s of Grenoble as she desired. HmY-
e,..er thi:--1 change was not tu take place.
}..t that time the commn11it.Y of Grenoble was goYerned
by )fothe1· Elizabeth of ~a1Yary Gerin, whose p1·esnmptuous
nature ~rnd obstinate wi1l fixed on what her snperficial
mind I'l'}n·esented as the hest thinp; to do. were to make
of ltei· the ~tee1 instnmw11t hy whith Dfrine Pr0Yide11ce
wns to e11g1·aye 011 th·e hem-t of the saintly )fofüel', the
1ikeues~ of .J e~lls crm·ified. This Snperioress, a f'ter bcing
to1d of the obl iging: di:-;po~itious of the nishop, ga,..e him
to u11de1·stand that she kue".. better the kiud of subjects

480. 454 LIFE OF JEANNE CHEZARD DE 11ATEL
needed by the ~fother FoundreRs, and begged his permü.;-
sion to take them to her. r:ro thi~ the good Prelate gave
his consent.
VHhout having give11 a11.r notice, the Supe1·ioress of
Grenoble arrived at Lyons a<:compauied by an ecclesiastir_,
a secular, and four Sisters, mnong whom Mother of the
Holy Ghost was eonspicuons h.r he1· absence. Snch usurpa-
tion of autho1·ity deserved a lesson. ''0 m.v danghter, what
have you done ?" l1other de Matel said to her. ·'I asked
for only two Sisters and he1·e yon bl'ing four. You have
doue this without waiting for the anthorization of the
Archbishop of LyonR, withon t knowiug whether I approved
your course, or whether I wouhl be willing to receive you
üito this house. You ought not to have acted thus."1
Tf the pions lfother had not listened to the promptings
of her charitable heart, she "~ould · haYe obliged Mother
Elizabeth Gel'in and her compauions to return immediately
to Grenoble. But it was night, and she was umvilling to
make he1· innocent danghters snffer for the fault of 011e,
or to inflict ou that one snch a gTeat humiliation in pl'es-
ence of her inferiors. and therefoœ she opened to them
the 0001· of the mounstery.
lIother ElizalJeth Ge1·iu alleged her good intentionR, and
~nid that she had understood that the Mother Foundress
neerled mm·r snbjects for Lyons and Paris and tlwt it
was best to take advantage of the present kindly dispo~i­
tiorn.; of the Bishop of (irenoble, ete., etc. 'f'he worthy
.loiher heanl what f-he Raid, but eleal'ly m1derstoo<l what
she di<l i10t Ray. Her real motiYe in uot lJl'inging )Iothe1·
ol' the Holy Ghost wns her ho11e to h(J ReBt to Pm·is her-
l"elf. 'Phe capitnl appem·ed to ht)l' a wider field for hcl'
zenL as she pidm·p<l it in hcr own conceit. Rhe lJelieved
tha t the llothp1· Fom1d1·c:-;R, aftp1· Reeiug and heal'Ïng her,
WOll ld fü in k of 110 Olle b11t ]1e1·~plf . for tlwt ('OllRJ>lCUOllS
post.
But the view~ of the Yenel'nble ~lo1he1· were ve1·.v differeHt.
Nhe i·cRte<l he1· ltopes for the 1woi-;perity of' her honse, not
1Man11se l'Ïpt Mpmoir of llother <le 11ély, c h . XXII .

481. ES'l'ABLISHMEN'l' OF THEJ lIONAS'l'EUY OF LYONS 455
on human combinations, but on the favoring proteetion
of the Inearnate """ord, which would be grantecl in the
proportion in which her clanghte1·s wou1d respond to His
pnrposes in fonnding His order by their greate1· hnmility,
cletachment, nnd fen'or. The1·efore she rejected the f.mg-
gestions of llothe1· Gerin and decided to impose the
office of Snpe1·io1·ess of the monaste1·y upon Sister ~J emme
of Jesns de Bély, and to reenforce her commnnity by hro
of the Sisters who had now corne from Grenoble. Mother
Gerin -vrns not disconcerted, but a.ssumed th~ self-imposed
dnty of instilling into the minds of the Sisters destined
foi· Paris, her own views about the course needed fo1· the
prosperity of that monastery, so that they might 1n·epare
the way for their nltimate execution. 'rl1eRe Siste1·s we1·e
mis1ed by her representations of her mvn eapaeity and
lost no chance of enlogizing' it. They playecl their /part
so w·ell that 1fother de Bély, who had accepted the office
reg1·etful1y and yet filled it worthily and Rnceessfully,
tinally thonght only of getting herself replaeed by )fothe1·
nerin.
Vhen her term of th1·ee yem·s was nem·ing its end,
the Abbé de la Piardière had to make a journey to Grenoble
for some of his own family affairs, and she proposed to
him to anti~ipate by some months the time for the elec-
tion, so that he might bring back wHh him Mother
Gerin, whom she highly praised and on whom Rhe was
certain the votes vrnuld be centered. The Abbé, who had
no wishes bnt for the welfare of the monaster~T' made no
difficulty in aeeeùing to an arrangement which . was he-
lieved to be so advantageous.
Unfo1·tmrntely this was all arranged without 2lother
de ·Matel Iuwing been notified. lfother de Bély informed
her of it only after the election had taken plaee. YVhen
M. de la Piardière, on passing throngh Lyons, related to
the Mother Foundress what- had been done, she said to
him: "niy daughte1· de Bély w1·ote me only when it was
too late. 'Yhy have they acted with such precipitation in
a maiter that was in no "~ay urgent? lfy. feeling is that

482. 4oG LlFE OF .TE..X~ E CI-IEZ.HD DF, .~L.TEL
thiR "jfothe1· will do uo good at Pnris. 'l1he mor·e I think
of it the les~ inclined I feel to conNent to it. 'rl1e Spirit
1e>lls 111c that if shc gocs to th;1t honNe, Nl1<:- wi11 i·nin it,
wlie1·eH~ )fot1Jp1· of the Holy fiho~t Cheniit who111 I ha<l
asked fm-, wonl<l snstain it by hp1· Yil'tne, gentleueNR, and
simplieit~'· Ri11C·e yon m·e goi11g to Grenoble, yon wonld
do well to take hcr and leave )lother Gerin bchind."1
"JI. de la Piardière IJersisted, n~ he thonght the affair
lwd gone too far for a re1rcat nmy to be possible. 'fhe
lIothcr Fonudress then. said to him: "T see thnt yon
m·e not too well satisfied with this arrangement. God
grant that ~'OU may not soon r egret it.''2
'l1hese words alas ! were pl'ophetic. If Our Lord did
uot permit the AhbP de la Pim·dil>rc, in spite of bis gœat
'reneration for the Fonndress to show de-fe1·ence for her
"·ishes, it was lJecm1se He tlrnN proposed to open to the
steps of His spouse t lrnt way of CnlYary by which, like
llimself, she wns to go to he1· painfnl and supreme im-
molation ..
Thè great ability of 3Iother Ge1·iu hnd heen so vannted
aud she expressed such zeal for the ~l(lraneement of the
honse of Pm·is that. her arriva] at fil·st raised high hopes
in the friends of the monaster.r. H owever, her eondnct
was not Rlow to nppeai· strange. Rhe ealled in w01·krnen
to mnke changes which she thonght good, and after they
had 1<1 bored for seyc1·al days, she made thern throw down
whnt they hml bn ilt and relrnild it. W'1thont anyone know··
ing why, ~lie dismi~s(•d some yonug women who hfül been
b1·ought np in the honse H1H1 had begged to consecrate
themNeln~s to Oo<l, m1d she re('PÎYed others whose families
ha<l i·efn~ed their consent. Hnt what was most snrpris-
ing was to se(• that one of her first rncasm·es was to senti
back to <j 1·e11ohle the two Rii-üe1·s who hnd procnred lier
elcd io11, to l'epl<l<'e thern hy two ot hp1·~ of hPr ow11 choiee.
"jf. <le la Pi;11'(li(I'(~ fi1ially hnd hil" Pyes ope1wd nnd he
l'Pg1·elt0(l J1ot hnYing <1•·<'l'<lP<l to 11H• wi~hes of thr snintly
..loth<·1·. If<' lllëHl<' p1·<>1>m·nt i011N f'01·. a jonr11e.'r to Lyons~
11f:tnus c l'ipt l1 f moir of 1lotlH' 1· d o 11flr. <'11. XXIII.
:dhi<l<>rn .

483. EST~.BLISH~IE~T OF THE ~IO.XASTEilY OF LYO.XS 457
to acquaint her YÎth the need her couvent in Paris had
of her presence, bnt he Yas obliged to depart for Loches~
whither he was en lled by nrntters concerning the welfare
of his ehildren. He conntecl on making only a short stay
there, bnt Gocl hacl clisposed that lie "youlcl there close his
earthly pilgrimage.
On Augnst ~. jnst after he hacl snng ~Iass, and assistecl
at a solemn pro(·ession. a messenger came to tell him
that a Sister of the rrsnline Coiffent of which he was
Supe1·ior Yas ex1Jiring. nthont allowing himself time to
take a little nom·islnnent. although he Yas exhaustecl with~ .fatigue. he lrnstenecl to the sfrk Sister, gaYe her great con-
solation and then "Withdrew Yery tirecl: bnt he had con-
tractecl the pernieious feYer from Yhich the Sister Yas
dying. For a while, expert chre seemecl to trimnph .OYer
· his malacly: soon, ho"yeYer, all hope Yanishecl. He snc-
cnmbecl a Yictim to the zeal and charity which infiamecl
his heart.
This diYine fire. before consnming this Torthy priest's
Iife, Iiacl made it resplenclent dth the radiance of his
sanctit~T· His friends had e1ffied one another the happi-
ness of conYersing YÎtl1 him on the lm-·e of Gncl Yith which
he had the secret of inflaming hem·ts. His pions generosity
was so "Tell known to the poor. that they croTded around
the doors of the honses which they kneY were to be Yisitecl
by the charitable Abbé. His se1Tants, "Tho were witnesses
of the irtnes Thich he constantly praeticecl, especially
of his meditation d1ich he prolonged -nntil micluight, and
always endecl Yith a se,·ere disci1Jline, were filled with
Yene1·ation for bim. Religions Comnnmities Yied with one
another to obtain him as Snperior or Director. He spent
himself withont measm·e for all but particnlnrly for the
Order of the Inearnate rorc1. Re often :-:aid: '·If I
kneY that there was at the end of the earth a Sister of
the Incarnate Yo1·d who had neecl of my serdees. I Yould
not hesitnte to cross the seas to assist her.''1
1~Ianuscript ~lemoir of ::lothe r d e Bél:"·. ch. XXI~.

484. 458 LIFE OF' JEANNE CHEZARD DE lIATEL
He had drnnk in frorn the venerable Mother's soul,
throngh which God had initiated him iu the spiritual life,
such love for the Yord made man that he had formed a
plan to cousecrate himself entirely to His divine service
and to gather togetber a number of priests who would
devote tbemselves to a special imitation and worship of
his Divine l1odel. ·
l1other de ~ratel, his confidante., and perhaps his in-
spfrer in this purpose, had drafted the plan of the Iu-
stitute which, according to the functions for which it was
destiped, was to reproduce the chief stages of the terrestrial
existence of the 'Vord: His hidden life at Nazareth; His
solitm·y life in the desert, and the apostolic life of His
1ast three years.
'Phe beauty of the rule which she co111posed for this
pnrpose, with the nid of the experience of the Domiuican
Fafüer Carré, cnm~ed its establishment to be desired, not
only l>y generom; prie:;.;tl~~ souls, but al~o by most zealous
bishops mICl hy the Holy See itself. However, this precious
seed has not yct frnctified in the field of Holy Church, but
it possesses snch great fecnndity that, on the day designed
by God, it wi11 yield a rnngnificent hnnrest.
'rhe death of )f. de la Pinnliè1·e, not only l)laceù an
obstacle in the way of 1·ealizing this great plan and that
whieh he had forrnecl of fonmling a monastery of the In-
carnate Vord at Loches, bnt it also cleliverecl np the mon-
aste1·y of Pm·is to the arbifrary govermnent of :Mother
Gel'in, who had fonnd a mearn~ of wimiing over to her side
the P1·ior of Rai1li -Gennai11 and now Raw no obstacle in
t he w~•.Y of h01· sehemes. She lrnd soon contracted debts,
m1d in spifo of i hP rdi<'.<)rn·e or the ~iRt·ers who, not ou1y
lll«Hfo 110 e01Hplni11ts i.o a11y 01I< lmt al:--;o tl'ied to c011vince
lhemselves th nt ihis .~fotlt<)l ' WHN doiuµ; all for the best
intc1·psis of' il1<~ <·0111mmlÏty, ihl) trne cOJ)(liti011 of ëlffain;
<'«tmc to the knowle<lge of Nottw f1·ien<ls u! the m0Hasle1·y.
'tihesc, with gootl n~<t~on, lwe«rnlt) alm·rned mHl thought thnt
lhe 011ly i·prnp<ly foi· the <)vil wonl<l he the lffese11ce of the
Mot ltc1· FomHhw.;~, wlt i<'h thPy eo11sl<lere<1 it t11eir dnty

485. ESTABLISHl1ENT OF THE lIONASTERY OF LYONS 459
i:o obtain. Alarmiug: lettel's eame tq her from every quar-
te1·, and finally became so pressing that it "ras impossible
for her to refuse wl1at vrns requested of he1-. Ro"~eve1·,
she had heen fo1·ming· plans which werc qnite different.
After seeing he1· couvent nt Lyons solidl,v strengthen-
ing itself unde1· the wise diredion of Reverend lIother
Helen of J esus Gibalin, she was taking steps to go to
Homme to found there the fifth honse of her Ortler. 'l"'he
Duchess of Hoannais, who w·ns governing the city, had
several times beggeù her to corne. As has been alreacly
mentionecl, ~Iother de ~ratel hacl obtained the Duke's per-
mission for this fonndation. ~"- certain nmnber of per-
sons there had expressecl their clesire to consecrate them-
selves to God in the new I nstitute. 'l'he cliocesan author-
ities had apprü"r·ed the proposecl fonndntion. And the
worthy :Ifother, who looked npon it as the final comple-
tion of her own task, wished to hasten its execution. Her
dear Love lrncl promised her temporal means sufficient to
enable her to found five monasteries, in honor of the five
sanduaries which He opened in His five 'vouncls, for souls
still on their earthl;v pilgrirnage.
She had seen Him keeping His 'vord to her. 'l'lrnnks
to His divine bounty, she had alreacly erected in His honor
four Ranctuaries in which souls predestinecl for them can
specially consecrate themselves to Him.· Now her heart
is set upon returning to Him, by this foundation, the
remuants of the means which He has given her and upon
shutting herself up in this new cloister where she will
solemnly receive the habit of the Order and pronounce
the vm,~s which will make her a religions of the Incarnate
YVord exteriorly. And it is at the moment when she thinks
she is reaching the goal of her clesires, thnt she is so
enrnestly urged to go to the help of her monastery of
Paris. 1'his meant to her an immense sacrifiee. However,
in spite of the pain she felt in clelaying the execntion of
a plau which was so dear to her heart, she conld not hesi-

486. 4GO Llli'E OF .JE~NX~ CHEZAilD DE lIATEL
tnte. F'or the s«tke of en~di 11g- a 11ew rn<rn astery, she conId
not abm1do11 to n1in one already fonmled at the cost of
sneh g1·eat lnbor.
'T'he1·ef01·e, .Jlotlie1· de .Jlatel made l1e1· anm1µ;erne11ts
1'01· the jom·uey. She uever nndel"took one withont <loi11g
'Ïole11ee to hen~eir, hut he1· i·epuguance waR never so great
as 011 the 1n·eNent occasion. Besides the sacri1ices which
the jom·ney entailed, Onr T.orrl made her hear in the depth
of he1· heart w01·d~ similar to tho~e which He spoke to His
dü;ciples when He mrnouneed to them:before His last juur-
ney t o .le1·n~nlem, tlwt all whith had been foretold to them
about the 8011 of man was abont to be accomplished.
He1· adorable Lo,·e ha<l wonuded he1· heart so many
time~, ,yith a longing to follow Ilirn even to Calvary and
to gi,re Him sntre1·ing for suffe1·i11g, life foi· life, that
there ha<l 1Jee11 enkindled in her sonl, a bnrning thirst
to be like Him, sntnrated with snfferings and humiliations. .
W'îth all he1· hem·t, she had J1l'ayed fol' the coming of
the lionr when slw won l<l be baptized "·ith this painful
baptism. He1· m·de11t cJ"ies bm st forth in thonsnnds of
plates in he1· w1·iting~. "O, that I may be wholly trans-
fo1·rnell iuto .Jesns Ch1·ist <_·1·u<:itied, that T may be afflicted
in body, in Nonl, in l'epntnti01i. )lay T embrace the exam-
ple of Yom· nfflieted body, rnay I lml'y my sonl in the
Jovh1g afflidions of Yom· nfflicted ~oul, may I be the
couRolation of Yom· Ntrnl so fol'inred ! )fay I attach myself
to Yom· <·1·os~, 0, my Ki11µ; ! Jlny 111y love be t·1·ncified !''
~ow she mHle1·stoo<1 thnt he1· hom· Yns at hand, and,
like he1· l >ivi11e ~f0<lel, she fclt nntm·e Nlu·inking at its ap
p1·oach. ..N ~d1<> W«lS Nayiug- goo<l-bye io her danghter~ of
the holy .Iom1t, Nhe hnihed thern with he1· kan~ :11Hl ~aid
to i h0111 : "'l :u11 µ;oi nµ; i o 111y tm·t m·e !" P1·oph t•i ic w01·ds,
füp rnc:rninµ; of whi..11 wn~. <lonhih·s~. not- 11rnh1
1·stood nntil
the fntm·e l1:Hl n~1·ifit·<l tlH1
m to tht• let-te1·.
To rnl<lPl'Nt;uul wliat l'ollowN, n~ F:dhp1· .JoNeph, the
:rnih01· of n Xotiec 011 t71c Onler of t11e lnrnrnatc l'onl.
jn<liciomdy l"Pmm·k~: ''"re 11111st- l1ot- lmw Niµ;ht of tlw frntlt
t11nt ~lotli<>1· <le ~laiel, J1:n:i11g· 1H·e11 rnlle<l ton kin<l of

487. ESTABLISIDIE~T OF THE MONASTERY OF LYO:N"S 461
ne'Y intro<l neti on of the I ncarnnte Yonl Ï11 to the world,
had to exp1·ess. in her own life, llis hnnrnn Rtages and
my:..;teï"ies. Tlnm the monastery of Paris eonl<l lrnYe a
clnim to he he1· .Jenurn1em. for it creatcd fm· her a new
Cal·n1ry. Hecanse it "·ished a }fessins glm·ious in the pos-
session of temvor·al wealth, it lost that "·ealth ...itself to-
gether '"ith the )[essias: after having throngh ignorance
erucified Hün, in the person of her throngh "·hom it had
first seen the light.'~
"And W'e ourselYes, with Canon Penaud, one of the
biographers of ~fother de )latel, after haYing accompanied
in spirit the ~aintly ~Iother to her CalYary. must say tbat
we lrnYe no de~fre to hide the truth or to dissemble it by
reticenee. ~..miel the ingratitude and perseeution of whieh
she wns the Yictim, sometimes deeds may lrnye exceedecl
the in ten tians of the cloers, and some actions may be
plared to the fü·e~onnt of ignorance, misunderstandings,
natm·al defeds of elrnracter and human weakness. We
do not deny this. <iod saw and jndged. But we wonld
consider Olnse]Yes gnilty of an outrage against the Order
of the Tneaniate Y01·d, if, for füe pnrpose of extenuating
the fanlts of some of it~ members, "'e robbed the Foundress
of the anreola of he1· Passion. The EYangelists did not
haYe recom·se to excuses, but related the facts."
The ahoYe prophecy "·a~ not romp1·ehended in its full
extent even by the Yenerable "Jlother herself. Yhen she
"'fü~ pnssing throngh Homme, and many persons expressed
their disappointment that she could not then fonncl the
monaste1·y which was so intensely desii-ed, slie said to
them that she wonld corne back and fonnd it as soon as
))OSSiùle. But, alas, she was neYer again to see the cit:y
of her birth.

488. UHAP'rER XXV
Mother de Matel's Last Sojourn at Paris
1663
I t was on ~Iay :1, 1GG:1, under the auspices of the Cross.
of which the Clrnreh was celebrating the . Finding, that
~fotlter de )fotcl set ont for Pai·is. She 'vas accompanied
hy P1·i01· Bernanlon, the faithfnl protector of all of her
jom·neys, by Siste1· Elizabeth de Saint-Amour, who had
heen b1·ought from Paris for the fonndation of Lyons, by
Sisters l~rauces Gravie1· and ~lary Chaud, who had uot
yet 1·eceived the habit of the Order, and by a little Sister
of the Child .Jesus, ~lai·y Anne du Bèt:y, aged nine years,
who was a relath'e of the Foundress.. In spite of ail the
efforts made by the gene1·ons .Mother to p1·event her com-
panions from feeling any snspil'ion of the auguish which
was torturing her soul during· the whole journey, the
change in her feat11res hetrayed he1·. She seemed to all
to be a prey to a kind of agony, arnl they were not mis-
taken. For the nearel' she came to the scene of ber pas-
sion, the nearer the angel of Gethsemani bronght to her
lips the chalice whieh she was to drain to the dregs. In-
deed the hour has nmv eome 'vhen the Divine Bridegroom,
nfter h:wing ~o long a Nsoeiated the soul of His <lem· spouse
with Himself, h1 the gHn·ieN and delights of His beautified
soul, "'ili make her. a sh:u·e1· in the snfferiug8 and agonies
of His own soul sonowfnl eveu 1111to dcath, and will make
hel' fcel~ one aftcr anothe1·, the tortures of His bitter Pas-
simi. And, whe11 by nwans of SOITOWR, he1· transforma-
tion in1o Tiims0H shall have bee11 perfecily consnmniate<l,
she will dothe lH·1·self iu the holy livery·, which is a sign
of tlwf.;c NOI'l'OW~ nnd W'hid1 Rhe has given to her danghters,
m1<l Rhe will go to sleep in the kisR of the Lord Vho, see-
ing Itc}r tlrns eo11formed to His Incarnate 'Vord~ will be
nhle to f.;H.V of' he1·: ''this is indecd my wPll-hcloved Danghter
i11 wli om l am well please(l.·''

489. )101.'HER DE ::LATEr/s L~ST SOJOGRX AT P~-RIS 463
?Iother de )foteL on reaching Paris, "·ent straight to
he1· monasten·. All that she kne"· of the üials 'vhich
the1·e awaited lier and of the need she 'Yonld have of
he1· former friends. cou1d not make her accede to their
solieitation~ to visit them, before shutting herself up in
the cloister. for it "·as not from men but from God that
slle hoped for help. She was 1·ecefred by the community.
"·ith the honors anà eerernonies due to Fonndresses. But
the rejoicings o-ver her return 'Yere of short duration.
The rond covered 'dth weeds and thorns 0Ye1· "·hich
she 'Yas nOY to wa1k. "·as soon laid open to her view.
~H the outset. she "·a:-~ sorel.v pained at seeing that the
Snperioress, insteacl of offering to I'rior Bernardon one
of the onÜÜ(le ap~wtments which she had p1·eparecl at
her o"·n expense for the chaplain, obliged him to go else-
"·here to seek for lodging:;.;. )~.Jterwartls Rhe noticed, "·ith
painfnl astonishment. that. with the exception uf the Sis-
ters "·hom she had bl'onght from L~·ons, none clai·ed to
corne near he1-. 1t "·ns on1y three dnys after her anivaJ.
tlrnt "Jiothe1· Ucrin begm1 the contest openly.
This )Jother has already gh·en us an iclea of lier char-
acte1·. W""e. have seen her ennmorecl "·ith her own plans
for the ])l'OSpel'Ïty of the monastery in -the capital, and
seeking to substitute lierse1f f_pr her "·hom the "Jiother
Fonndress requested for its government. And after the
failnre of her first attempt. Ye have seen her pur~rning
he1· sehemes indirectly throngh the meddling of the two
Siste1·s whose departnre foi· Pm·is she had procnred. :Xm,·
Ye ~hall "·itness the actiYity, tenac.:ity, and intl'i.gnes "·hieh
)fother Ge1·in uses as means to gain he1· ends.
The heai·t of the i·eade1· i~ fi11ed "·jth indip;nntion "·hile ·
1·eadil1g the reeital of nll she made "JiothPr de )fate1 snifer.
~1Hl. yet, .fother de B01.Y, "·ho reeonnts in (leini1 the
thing·s of which ~he was a ~01· 1·myfnl wih1ess, affirms, se,·-
Pral time~. that thi~ ~fother wa~ a gnod religions. Yhat
i~ the ex1Jlanntion of this stl-ange eontrnclidion '? Ye
harn alreacly had occasion to point it ont. She was blindly
'"edded to lier On1 jndgrnent and desires. Sile 'dshed

490. 4GJ LlFE OF JE.NNE CHEZARD DE MATEL
what was good. bnt in her natural presumptuousness;
in order to know what was good, she sought inspirations
mo1·e from lier owll spfrit tlrnn from the Spirit of God.
"'heu she had once fixed npon a plan, she pursued it~
execntion with an m·tfnlness nnd constancy which knew
no obstacle. 'rl1ence it m·ose tlrnt, after she hacl reasoned
he1·self into the eonvidion that the glory of God and the
welfare of the comnrnni ty depended on the realizatio11
of her pet projeds. she wns able to persuade others, and
closed her own eyes fo eYe1·y eonside1·ation opposed to
• the carrying out of her plans.
The ffrst of these vinns "~as to procure for the bouse
an increase in its i·esom·ces provo1·tionate to her OYn
vieYS i·egm·ding its in·osperity, and for this she counted
on Mother de Mntel. But, instead of humbly soliciting
from her rnothel'ly goodness whnt she helieved to be neces-
snry, she p1·epared to exact it from her by force. In the
mm·ks of lrnmility and simplicity which ":fother de ~Iatel
impl'inted upon her w01·k~, ::Iother Gerin could see only
a Jack of magnanimity and generosity, only love for tem-
poral posse~sions. Rhe said to herself that it wonld be
di ftic11 lt to get the -:Iother to do what she herseIf desil'ed.
She instilled those prejndice~ ngninst the 1~,,omHlress into
the rnincls of the P1·ior of Saint-Germain and of other
persons of nmk who were f1·iends of the monastery. 'rl1ey
hacl little kuowledge of the Fo1111dreRR, helieved the projects
of the Superioress to be advnnfageons to the conveut. nnd
füel'efo1·e promised to Recofül he1· effoi-ts by eve1·y rneans
in thei1· power~ miel, il1 fad, they did nid her u11c011-
~cionsly in 1·ep1·odueing: in the Yene1·able ~lother all tlte
featm·es of the ~fm1 of Ronow~.
Tl1e1·ef'm·e t111·ee <l ay~ nftp1· t hl~ a niva1 of lIother <lP
Mate] :11 Pm·i~, .lo11te1· CNÜ1 ('mile 1o Jtp1· io talk nt length
nn<l wi111 11111(']1 Pxag·g;e1·ntio11. :llH>n1- tlw finmH'inl <lil'tienl-
tie~ of 1hP hou~e. ~lw l'OJH'1l1<1Pd hy <lel'.lm·i11g tltat the
P1·i01· fo1111d to hP irnml'li<'ie11t the i·pve1111P~ awnrded to
lite JllOll:l~te1·y hy 1lte ('01111·:1('1 ol' f'om1daii011, Hll(l if sbe
ùi<l 1101 l'eli11<p1i~h lte1· l·igltt 1o 11omi11atc six religion~

491. ~IOTHER DE ::i.u.TEr/s LST SOJOGR~ _T p_RlS -±63
for the foumlation. tlte dissolution of the monastery "vas
decided npon. She had the audacity tn add: "Think of
it ! If this dissolution takes place) yon will answer for
it before Gocl." ~Iother de Bély wl'Ïtes: ··HmYeYer the
P1"ior had thonght of tlds only becan:-:e it had been ~mg­
gesteù by her as a means to suPl>Ort her scheme."1
The Yenei-alJ1e ~Iother felt ber heai·t dfrided bet,Yeen
amazement and sadne~s as sbe heanl these charges ··in
'Yhich the1·e was so little reason and :-:o mneh ingrati-
tude... ace01·ding to the ju<licious 1·emark of ~Iother de
Bél~y· Dut he1· perspicacity saw tlu·ough the plot. So
far all the Superim·s. 'Yi th whom ~fotller de -::latel 0
had
had business affairs conce1·ning fonndations. had shown
that tbey '"ere satisfiell "yith he1· manner of transacting
business. ~ow. this Superior. who clid not knmY her, was
dissatisfied "-üh her 'n1ys. She ~a w clearly that the only
cause of the Prior's cli~satisfaction was that -::Iother Gerin
had poisoned h is mincl. ~t a glance she took in the whole
extent of the struggles and trials which this prejudice
of the Pri01· would co~t he1·. and ~he bo,Yeù dmYn her
heart before the Dfrine -:Jfajest.'-· offering he1·self ane'Y to
suffer anytliing He 11leased in be1· body. in her soul. and
in lier reputation. ~-.ccordingly she i·eplied to -::Iothe1·
Uerin: "-::ly danghter. up tQ this time all Superio1·s baye
sho"-n that they were satisfied "-ith me and 'Yith my
"-a.'YS of doing business. I shall wnit for him of 'Yhom
:ou speak. I slrnll hem· what he hns to ~ay to me~ ancl
I shall tn? to satisf~ him in eerything that will be jnst
and i·easonable. -::Iy plan has alway~ been to .fnnw thb
c:onYent alJoye all the others which I haYe founded with
the help of God. But I cannot make to this cmffent.
donations which would iweYent me from fonnding the
corn·ent of Homme, or intel"feTe "·ith m.Y obligations tn
the conYent of L.Yons. It is m~· intl..ntion to amil.Y a11
111~y i·emaining resonrces excln~i n~1.Y lo the adYanceme11t
of this CJrder of which the DiYine Goudne~s has made me
the 1Iother."1
1=.Ianuscrip t ~l emu ir of ::i.rother cle Bély, Part II. ch. L
~ Ibi dem .

492. 4GG LIFE OF' JEANNE CHEZ.RD DE lIATEL
1
rhese wordR, whfrh manifeRted with sincerity the
worthy 2[other's good intentionN towm·ds her couvent of
Paris, shonlcl have macle lIother Gerin enter into herself.
bnt they di<l not haye this effect. She persuaded herself
that it was mYing to Rc1fishness that the Mother Fonndress
did not RUI'l'ender. nnconditionally, to her demands, and
that the glory of God and the '""elfare of the house re-
(1nired that this t·onseut sl1onld 'bei obtained ·either (by
persuasion 01· by force. She makes the conmrnnity enter
into these viewR. She again a~snres herself of the sup-
port of the Prim· of Saint-Germain. She calls in Presi-
dent of Cognenx. the C'onntess of Brienne, .~fr. Poucet, a
Councilor of State. a .Jesuit, his brother, and a Premon-
sti-atensian I~"'~lther. all of whom are devotcd to the Ronse.
She tells thcm all. that she lHlR made a final petition to
the Fonnclrcss to. obtain an intrenRe of the revenues of
the mor~astery, but that she had fonnd her so attached to
her posRe~-Rions that shc conlcl not be indncetl hy persuasion
or by fpar of God's jndg11w1ltR. to Rnnender to he1· pro·
posals. AR she ~ays, she now begR the co-operaticm of theil'
devoted effol'tR 1o obtain <t p1·ompt nrnl advanta~eons set-
tleme11t of thiR impm·tmit nifoir. f01·. H the Fonmlress hap-
pens to die .a ~Pcnlnr, her posse~sious will be 1ost to the
House, becam~e her i·elntiYes wiJI not fail to tnke them.
'l'hese i·easons uppcai·ed deeiRi Ye. .....11 weie eqna11.r edi-
ftcd by the zeal of ~fothcr Gerin arnl amazed at the dis-
positions of :Iothe1· de :Jlatel. Fathe1· Polltct had knôwn
hel' befo1·e ]i]s departm·e fo1· füp f ndies, WhPllte he Jwd
1·etnrnecl afkr liaving spent twenty yem·N füere and snf-
fel'ed mnch f'o1· the foith, and he was rn01·c N1ll']ll'iRe<1 m1d
Sêt<l(lene<l ilt:111 the ot]1p1·N nt ]pa1·11iI1g ilwt · ~li<> lta<l fallc·n~
from füe pp1·fp('1 ion whieh liP ltn<l fo1·mcl'ly :ulmi1·<)d in
11<1
1·. Fi11êtlly it Wêl~ de•:Ï•l<><l 11wt nll ~honld ad Ïll <·on -
('CJ·t Îll :1ppc•:lli11µ: 1o 11H· J>1·io1· Io µ;ivP th(' Nll})]>OI't or hiN
:rn 11tol'i1y 1o tlw <'.l;ii111N of' tlw Rnp<•rio1·pss.
011 the <lêl,Y êtgn•<•d npon~ iJ1e~c 1'1·ie]l(ls of' the rnonaNte1·y
111<.'I in tli<' ...hb<'y of' Rai1it--nerrnai11. Dom lgnatinN Pltili-
IH·1·L wlto 'i l~ full or nffedion fol' 1ltc eshtblisl1me11Ü'3

493. lIOrrHER DE lIA'l'.IDL'S LAST SOJOURN AT PAIUS 467
plaeed nucle1· ltis jm·isdiction, was enchanted at seeing per-
f.;Ons of ~nch nwri t take snch interest in the ·welfare of his
co11vent of the I ucnrnate Yord.
Yith the prejnclices 'with which he hacl had already
been imbued, he heai·tily actepted their counsels, the chief
of which Yas, at ail costs to keep at the head of the
communit.r ~lother Gerin whose tenu of three years was
about to expire: she vas so zealous and capable. lIore-
oyer, 'yas it proper for ifothei· de Matel who was not a
i·eligious, to govern religious? r_n1e Prior agreed to all
that was suggested to him. The ne,Ys of the success of
this mission was immediately carried to the Superioress
a_nd raised her hopes high.
'Vhile these measn1·es were being thus pushed, the
saintly ~lother was in·aying and anuihilating he1·self be-
. fore God to obtain the lrnowledge of His good pleasnre
with regm·d to Yhat those parties wished to ·exact from
ber. She decided to send the venerable :~I. Bernardon,
her confessor, to lH'esent her homage to the Pl'ior of Saint-
Germain and to beg the honor of a visit from him. Dom
Ignatius Philibert carne without delay. He had never
~een ~fother de Matel and had no knowledge of her merits,
except from those who Yere deploring her f all from her
former sanetity. But, when he fonnd himself in the pres-
ence of this venerable woman, whose natural nobility was
enhanced by the n10clesty and dignity which were im-
printed upon her vhole personality by the profound sense
of the presenre of God with ·which she was penetrated, he
was filled with respect. As she proceeds in expressing with
her ordinary frankness and prudence, what she thinks
about the ueeds of the monastery and what she counts
npon doing to meet its '"'ants, he is consoled by discover-
ing that the principles of her conclnct are not the narrow
calcnlations which are attribnted to her, but the enlight-
ened and impartial solieitudes of the common Mother who
thinks of the interests of all her children, and that ac-
connt must be taken of her observations. 'rherefore he
apprm'"es of all he1· proposals, and begs ber only to de-

494. 468 LIFE OF' JE.ANSE CHliJZARD DE ~IATEL
l'lm e lier gooù i11tentiorn" hy a publie net of whieh she
will send hirn the rni1rnte:--; W'.'i soon as shc hns formnlaü1
<l
it. Ile i·eti1·e~ e<lified arnl ple:u•.:ed, :llthong-h Oll Olle poi11t
t 11efr opillio11s diffe1·e<l. ~foiher de )fatcl jndgcd it best
to i·clieYe the mom1skr.r of a lmnle11 hy sending the Sn-
pe1·i01·ess and he1· two l'Ompnnions lrnl'k to the honse of
thefr p1·ofe~sio11 a t ihe ex]JÏl'atiou of her three years of
offke. Bnt the P1·ior .thonght it best to kcep her at the
lwaù of the comrent of Pai·is.
J[other de :latel wns quiek in fnlfilling the promise
whicll she haù made, aud, ns soon ns the draft of the
contrnct had heen completed, she sent it to Dom Ignatius
Philibe1-t hy her faithful messe11ge1·, ~U. Hernardon. ~rhe
Prior was vleased at the 1n·ompt11ess and generosity ev-
idenced by this act by which she assured to the monnstery
two thonsand livres of inC'orne nnd the ow11e1·ship of all
t he immovable p1·operty which she had acquireù at Paris.
He asked that the (locnmeut be Jeft with him, to be exnm-
iued at his leisure~ and that the )fother would send him
an i hc title deeùs of the hon~e, 1n·omising to retnrn them
prornptly nfter he haù looked over them. )fother de ~Intel
:1gnin snbrnitted. Bnlls, lette1·~ pntent of the King. con-
frnds of fonrnlntion, neqnisi tion, etc., wen~ entrnsted to
~I. Berunrdon to be cnn·ied to the Abbey.
Mother Ge1·in, who hnd foll(nYed :dl this with atten-
tiv·e eyes, qnickly saw tlrnt the P1·ior's di~positiorn; townrds
the Fonnch·ess l1n(l ehange<l, nrnl fem·i11g thnt he, like his
p1·edeeesso1·s, would ernl hy t111·Hi11g nll the bnsiness of
the rnmwstery OY('l' to he1·, again stine<l np the zeal of
he1· friends to 1n·eve1it an ontcome thnt wonld i·nin all
he1· plans.
Dom J>hilibei·t had iwt pellefrnted ihe ùepths of the
soul of lI other <le lfntel. Ho hnd sec11 ollly n i·efleetiou
of hel' snuctity. IIe does Hot lrnow that if she do~s not
wem· the Jinhit of he1· Ü1'<k1· ontwar<lly, this is the fo1·mnl
'dll of hci· Divine SponsP, 'YllO makes up fo1· this ont-
Wtll'<l <h·0ss hy <'loihillg hc1· Jlimself all(l make~ h01· mo1·e of
~l l'Pligiou~ ili:lll HllY or hPl' <la11µ:1Jtp1·~ will <1T(l]' br. T'herc-

495. :IOTHER DE :IATELJS LAST SO.JOURX AT PARIS 4G9
fo1·e those friends of :Jiothe1· Ge1·in again süessed l>efoi·e
him the exte1·iorly sec·nlar state of the Fonndress. and
the ability of the local Snpe1·ioress, and made him i·elin-
(}ll i:-:h his in·e,Tions Jiue of eondnd. He eYPH :--;ent to
Jlother Gerju the <haft of the e<mti-act and all the other
deecls 'd1ith he had on1y recefred from :Jlother de J_Iatel.
hy positively binding himself to i·etnrn them to her. This
snitecl the purpose of the Superioress. As soon as she has
seen these documents, she calls in the Councilor Poncet
to help her to make another draft of the act of donation,
because the one that she has in her hands, cloes not ans"Ter
he1· Yiews. The "Jfother Foundress does not renonnce her
i·ight to nominate six Sisters. According to all appem·-
ances, she wishes, by this means, to be able to giYe the
habit to some of her first claughters who ha-'fe not made
their profession, and 'd10 are nmv old and without re-
sonrces, as she had clone at Lyons in the case of :Jiother
Catherine Fleurin. Ras she not the same purpose now
in bringing to raJ"ÎS the Yene1·able Sister :Jüny Chaud'?
"Jiother Gerin cloes not like this clause ancl annuls it.
On this matter, :Jiother de Bély exclaims: '·Oh God, what
injustice, what barefaced ingratitude! Yhen she is in-
ereasing our revenues by new benefactions to which she is
not obliged, instead of giYing her greater marks of our
gratitude, at that Yery moment they try to tear away
from her a i·ight "Thich she had legitimately acquired b;'f
the eontract of fonndation, and "Thich the Superiors had
allowed her withont any difficulty, out of the deference
the.Y haà for all her requests.''1
~l'his is not all. The Sn1Je1·ioress wishes it to be stipu-
lated in this clocnment that it i~ to rclicve her conscience
that :Jfother de :Jfatel makes a gift to "the conYent of Paris
of the houf.;e~. gardens, and other properties in question.
in order that, as the 8upe1·iore~s :--;ays, the famil,Y of the
Foundress may neyer be able to daim them.
This article 'Yas essentially fah~e and injuJ"ions. How
conld ~fother Gerin haYe ever hoped to nrnke the Fonndre~~
i::fanuscript lIemoir of ~rother de Bély. Part II. ch. II.

496. 470 I1lFE OF JEANNE CI-IEZAUD DE MATEL
whose truthfulness was beyond question, make thi~ ad-
mission? llotlier Gerin will not trouble hei·self al>out
it, 01·, at least, she will not see in it an insurmomitable
obstade. She "vill look on the mensure as necessm·y, shc
will adopt it, and nothing will be able to stop her from
pursuing it. 'rhe saintly ~Iother will refuse, will JHO-
test, ùut she will be constrained. God will show her what
evils this injustice will cause to fall on this Ronse. She
'Yill warn them, but it wi11 he in Yain. No account will
l>e taken of he1· words. But, as she will predict, Divine
.Tnstice will take terril>le vengeance, and such vengeance
that those who have blinded themselves the most, will l>e
forced to say: "The finger of God is here !"
A new contract is drafted in accord with the fancies
of Mother Gerin, and is sent to the P1·ior of Saint-Germain
to whom they amplify with emphasis the pretended ad-
vantages .of this last draft, so as to induce him to approve
it in the :first instance, and secondly to take it on himself
to make the donor accept and sign i t. In this they snc-
ceeded, although this commission was not without its <lif-
ficulties for him. On the one hand, the Yisdom and high
Yirtue which he has recognized in the venerable llother.
make him understand that consideration is due to bel
and yet on the other hand the friends of lfother Gerin han~
inftuenced him so strongl.r in favor of her that he has prom-
ised to second her effol'ts.
Such were the confücting emotions which swayed Dom
Philibert when he again came to speak to lfother de Matel.
He eommenee<l by saying that she wonld do well to take
n mneh needed i·est and leave the govcrnment of the mon-
aste1·y eniÏI'ely to the C'êlre of 1fother Gerin, who is _a per-
son of intelligence !md zeal; but, as it is timely for her
to rnakc mi au füell tit ennmcration of the properties which
~hc wishes 1o <101ia te to hel' danghte1·s, he has corne to
~rnhrnit io he1· ~orne modificnti011s which he thinks should
he 111ade in i he ch·al't wh ich she had sent him. He draws
f1·om hif.i f-ilePve the doe11111cllt whkh has l>ecn sent him
hy -:lothc1· Gerin m1d rea<h5 it to her. The lfother Fmm<l-

497. ~lOTHElt DE lIATEL"S L~_ST SOJOURX AT PARIS 471
i·ess }jstens with patience. Yhen he has finished, she
says to him: •·Jiy Father, there are in that document
some articles which are false and ·which I cannot and must
not let pass. I am ready to sign the paper which I sent
you. But it is impossible for me to sign this paper by
whkh they wish to rep1·esent me as a pe1·son who has
the property of another. This is not only unju.st to myself
but also injm·jons to the whole Orcler. As far as I know~
no one has eve1· aceused me of such a thing, and never
will any one conyict me of it.m
'The P1·ior felt that she ''Tas i·ight. However his hem·t
wns set on fulfilling the mission he had undertaken, and
he made eye1·y kind of effort to overcome her... oppositjon,
lmt without. snccess. The worthy Jiother coulcl not be
shakel) frorn her determinatjon that justice and trnth
· shoulcl not be ontragecl by· this document. Dom Philibert
finally gave up a11 ho1Je of winning her over fo his views
and retired to inform the Su11erioress of his faDnre. The
latter begged hirn to deign to wait until she hacl tried
anothe1· expedient, and she ran to make a new attack upon
the goocl ~Iother. She made use of caresses, flatteries, sup-
plications, rensonings, but these Vere of no use, and she
came back to sny to the Prim· that the Foundress is not
entirely decü1ed. that they must not give up all hope, and
that with a little time and some nmY efforts, they will
üiumph OYer her repugnances.
1-1
he final struggle had begun. From that moment the
situatjon of the venerable Jiother was ·similar. to that of
a citaclel whieh was to be captured by assault. Yhile
they were making repeatecl nttacks and tr~Ting to tm·n
heavcn and eai·th against lier. they isolatecl her from all
that they belie,Ted helpfnl to sustain lier, and snrrouncled
her with nll that they ton~idered eapable of weakening
her resolution. 'rhe 8npel'io1·ess. who wns chafing under
the defeat which she had suffe1·ecl, made an urgent nppenl
to all who shared he1· mn1 yjews, ai_l.d begged them to
JlIanuscript 1Iemoir of l'.Iother de Rély, Part II, ch. IIL

498. 4,..9
·- LIF'E OF JE..X~E CHEZAilD DE lIATEL
eorne one nftel' the other to si rnggle against the l'esistance
of the Fonndress, while on he1· side she would combat it
withont eeasing.
'rhe challenge was acl'epted and each one flattei·ed him-
self tlwt he "·onld be the one to succeed. Some aITogated
io themselYes tl1e mission of preaching detnchment to her.
Othe1·s üie<l to eom·i11ee hel' that the P1·io1· wonld snppress
the m01rn:--;te1·y if she di(l not snnender to his desires.
Othe1·s agnin üied to win he1· o,·el'- by flnttery, and this
kind of a ttnd~ Yns the most pn infnl to her soul which
was so strnightforwm·d. But none were able to obtain
from he1· an.'· answe1· exeept thnt whid1 she had made to
the Pl'i01-, namely, that she was ready to do for her daugh-
te1·s all the good in he1· powe1·, bnt that she. would never
sign a dol·m11e11 t eontcdn ing falschoods.
'Yhile the pool' )Jothe1· "·as m1dergoing these assaults,
the Rnpe1·iol'ei-;s took ca1·e to nhsent herself under the pre-
text of heing cn1lecl awny hy hnf-liness, hnt she commanded
the pm·fre~s not to pel'mit nnyone who conld interrupt
t hef-le disen~·sion~ to ente1· the val'lol'. Yhen any of the
friends of )fothe1· de )fntel nsked to ,speak to her, they
Yere told that it wn:--; impossible to see he1·, or if. their
rm1k did not nllow to tnrn thern mYny the Superiores~
·went with hel' to the pal'lol', nud remaiued the1e to the
end, heean~e, a~ she sai(1, her ~olicitnde mfüle it impera-
tive that ~lie shonld l>e nem· the )fother Founch·e~s, so
that she "·onl(l he nhle to l'ende1· her a]] the senrices ~he
111ip;ht need.
'l'he velltii·ahle .:lothe1· wns far frmn heillg tlw (lllpt' of
i h Ïf- OURCC]lll01181leR~ fl-0111 Yhfrh she snffe1·ed extrernely. .
Bnt ]Ip1· imiaiP Jip1·oi~111 µ::n'l' hrr sfre11gth to <·onfrol her-
s<>l f ~ RllP l'PlllHÏlW(l sih•11i :llHl <lR~ClliPd to the })l'ÏJllHl'Y
<·:rnsp ol' thl'Re tl·i;1ls, hy <1<l01·i11µ; i11h·1·iorly Ood's e1·11cify-
i11g dP~igns ll]H>ll l1e1-. "()lJJ' wod.l1y .:[oihp1· smY th1·011gh
:dl lhes<' 111m1o('ll'Pl'~." w1·ite~ )lotlie1· (lP- H(•ly~ "mHl snf-
l'Pl'('<l :tll lhe 11101'(' p<IÏll êlR she ('OllSÏ(lel'e<l thP111 ('OllÜ'<ll',Y
Io 1l1<ll silllpli('ity wlii<"h W•ts lie1· own d1nrade1·istic yiJ·tne,
; 1(. (. ()) '(] iIl~· j () j lH' j ll(l g111 eIl t ()r a11 wl10 lme"' ltel'. . '1'Iley

499. ~IOTHEU DE llATELJS LAST SOJOUU:N AT PAnIS 473
knew that she could not_ stoop to any memmess, or use
any C()Uivocation, because, as she said, God is simple, and
dupÎicity and clis~imnlaticm m·e conüm·y to Him. She
knew that the intentio11:-; of the ~upe1·i01·ef.:s we1·e the op-
posite of what :-;he exp1·es:--;ed, lrnt ont of he1· mYn g1·eat
vil'tue and goodness, she did not show l10w disagreeable
to her was that way of acting~ and "·hi1e the Superiore:--;s
was talking i lrns, the 3Iother "·as adoring God in the hm·d
roacl He "·as asking her to trend.''
.Among the pe1·son:-; whom 31othe1· Gerin had induced
to help her, there wn:-; a i·el ig;ions who was a man of in-
telligence and so i·esonrcefnl and eloquent that "he was
capable of persuading all actonling as he desired,., Tites
Jfother de Bély. The Sn11erioress called him in, and told
him that he must take it on himself to end this affair
. in which no one had been able to succeed. She gives him
all the necessary infonuation, and he accepts· the task.
He is introdnced to the Yenerable ~lother and first speaks
of certain persons among her acquaintances, of some points-
of spiritna1ity, and g1·adually leads the conversation to
the temp01·al affairs of the monastery and to the famous
eontraet. Then w·ith all the resources of his eloquence,
he exi)oses to ber the 1·easons which so many others had
nnsuccessfully addu('ed to ]Jersnade her to sign the con-
tract without delay. Rut she cannot be shaken and says:
"Not I, but those Yho are unYilling to correct the arti-
cles which I cannot accept, are the canse of the affair
not being settled.•n
He spend~ tYO hom·s in trying to break düYn her op
position, and finalJy sees himself fo1·ced to i·etire. He
repm·ts to the Su11eriores8 that the business has aclvaneed
no further than it Yas the fü·st dny, and that no one should
hope to obtain .the consent of the Foundress to the eon-
tract. Mother Ge1·in replies: "Fnther, there ean be no
question of lying down to sleep 01· refreating afte1· all
the exertions which luwc been made. You nrnst bring this
business to a close by one wa.r or another. Hay·e the good-
1:Ianuscript Mernoir of Mother de Bély, Part II. ch. Y.

500. 474 LU'E OI'' .JEANXUJ CHEZ.A.HD DE ~IATEL
ne:ss to sveak to our Mother Fonndress a second time. If
she is still obstinate, say notlüng more about the conüact,
but in·opose to hcr, as from yom·self, to givc you a vape1·
:--1ig11ed 1winltely, hy whieh she gives ns the houses and
garden~ and two thons:rnd livres of income in 01·der to
show to the Snpc1·ioress her .good "Till towarcls her mon-
astery of Paris.m
This fact alone shows lIother Ge1·in in her tl'ue colors.
Neither the impossibility recognized, nor the resistance
Pxperienced lJy all whom she emp1oys, are reasons for he1·
to yie1d, any more thau the reproaehes and remonstrances
of the saintly ~Iother. Diffkulties on1y increased her ob-
:--;tinacy. '•Hetreat is out of question; by one. means or
hy another, she must get 'hat she wants,''2
and all must
bend before he1· own inflexible will. ~l"his priest is like
1he others in bowing clown before her, promises to corne
back, and exho1·ts her to have the commlmity, in the mean-
w11ile, redouble their })l'ayers.
In faet, a fe"T days afterward~, thïs religions came to
speak to the lfother Fonndress. 'rhis time, the motiYe
of his visit not heing doubtfnl, the preamble was not long.
~s ~Iother de Bély says: "For three hours he exerteù
n11 his eloquence to pe1·suade her to sign the eontract which
had been prcsented by the Prior. He ftattrrs ber, tries
to piqne her on _her genero~Hy, and to arouse conscientious
scrnples. He say~: '''The honor of God, your own honor,
i he consolation of yonr <langhters, the edification of all
the persons inte1·ested in your monastery, oblige yon to
htke tllis step. Foi· all m·e ast01iished, and even scandal-
ized, at seeing yom· diflicn1ty in making np yonr mind
1-0 do this, because they belieYe it cornes from yonr in-
m·dinate attachment to the goods of earth."3
The venc1·able ~Ioth er i·eplies with great dignity:
'' I?ather~ all the reftsons whieh yon give are not strong
Pnongh to c01wii1f·r me that T onght to sign a docmnent
whirh c011taim;; falsehoods. 'rhc more I thi11k of it, the
1Mnnuscript lfrmoir of lTotlH~ r ù0 Dél y , Pa.r t II, c h. V.
:! l bi<km .
~:I hid e m.

501. lIOTHER DE lIATEL'S LAST SOJOURN AT PARIS 475
less I avprove of it. Yhen I consider the matter before
God, l see that, as I never have had in my hands the
propel'ty of others, I am not bonnd to restitution. I have
neve1· tonched the dowries of m.r danghte1·s, and they
know that since I established them, I have given them
lodging, fm·nitnre and food, and lw.ve snpported tbem in
health and in sickness, in peace nnd in 'yar, 'vhether I
'vas 1n·e~ent or absent. I received for them only t'vo
thonsand livres from the Chancellor, and this snm was
spent in building the clrnn·h and I have gfren them an
account of it.
''I am not sony foi· having done them good, but} on
the conüary, I am most willing to do more for them. I
sny these things only to show you that as I have nothing
that helongs to them or to any one else, my conscience
· is not burdened with the property of others, and conse-
qnently I cannot be obliged to any restitution~ and that
the ai·ticle in the contract which says that T cede things
to my daughters to ·rclfove my S'OJl.(cirncr. is ·an injul'Ïons
ierm which I cannot aclopt, becanse it ""onld be prejndicial
to the i·eligious of the monastery, who conlcl be afterwards
i·eproached with having been founded by funcls which had
been ill-gotten. 1."'his reason alone ought to make you
admit that I would do wrong in making this contract in
the