If we’re fortunate enough to become parents, we get a greater glimpse into God’s love for us than we ever had before. When our children are born, we find ourselves constantly yearning to be with them. They might not be able to walk or talk yet. All they can do is eat, and sleep, and need their diapers changed. But we love being with them.

We love our children so much it's crazy. As we begin to think about our great love for our children, the love of God takes on a whole new meaning. Because if we can love our children as much as we do, and we are broken and wounded and flawed and limited, imagine how much God loves us. 

The same goes for God's mercy. His mercy is beautiful and beyond comprehension. 

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal knew that, and she was able to receive God’s mercy and pass it on to others. 

Jane, like so many other saints, was born into a rich and influential family. She lived in Dijon, France, and when she was 20 years old, she married Baron de Chantal and had four children.

Jane’s life was dramatically altered when her husband died in a hunting accident in 1601, leaving her a widow with young children. In this period of deep sorrow, she turned even more fervently towards God, praying for mercy in her dire situation. It was during this time that she encountered Saint Francis de Sales, whose spiritual direction helped reshape her understanding of divine mercy and compassion.

With the help of Francis de Sales, Jane founded the Congregation of the Visitation of Holy Mary in 1610. The order was known for its radical charism of showing mercy: it brought in women who were rejected by other orders due to age or poor health. Together, they cared for the sick and outcast. 

This was Jane Frances de Chantal’s vision of mercy: every human being was of infinite value. It is God’s vision of mercy as well. 

It’s time to rediscover true mercy. Invite the mercy of God to transform your life, because in the end it’s all about God’s mercy. And don’t stop there. Be the hands and feet of God, the living embodiment of his mercy to those all around you.



Feast Day: August 12

Feast Day Shared By: Blessed Innocent XI

Patron Saint of: Forgotten People, In-Law Problems, Loss Of Parents, Parents Separated From Children, and Widows

Also Known As: The Founder of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary

Symbols: A Sliver Cross

Canonized: July 16, 1767

Canonized By: Pope Clement XIII