“Suffering borne in THE WILL quietly and patiently is a continual, very powerful prayer before God, regardless of the complaints and anxieties that come from the lower parts of the soul.”  —St Jane Frances de Chantal

When I’m curled up in a chair with the flu, stressed out, or just in an emotional funk I take comfort in this quote.  I read it and know that I don’t necessarily have to fix my state to pray and I don’t have to be perfectly serene about the situation I find myself.  I just need to hang in there as best I can while occasionally calling to mind that God is with me.   I say occasionally because my mind can only do one thing at a time and addressing my problem, whatever it is, is also a powerful prayer.

Thank you, Saint Jane. You have a wonderful way with words.

Picture is of my mother at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC, 2012.  Quote from Francis de Sales, Jane de Chantal: Letters of Spiritual Direction, Paulist Press, 1988, p. 203