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From
The Memoirs by the secretary of Saint Jane Frances de Chantal
Love is as strong as death
 ne day Saint Jane spoke the
following eloquent words, which listeners took down exactly as
spoken:
“My
dear daughters, many of our holy fathers in the faith, men who were pillars
of the Church, did not die martyrs. Why do you think this was?” Each
one present offered an answer; then their mother continued. “Well, I
myself think it was because there is another martyrdom: the martyrdom of
love. Here God keeps His servants and handmaids in this present life so that
they may labor for Him, and He makes of them both martyrs and confessors.
I know,” she added, “that the Daughters of the Visitation are meant
to be martyrs of this kind and that, by the favor of God, some of them, more
fortunate than others in that their desire has been granted, will actually
suffer such a martyrdom.”
 One
sister asked what form this
martyrdom took. The saint answered: “Yield yourself fully to God, and
you will find out! Divine love takes its sword to the hidden recesses of
our inmost soul and divides us from ourselves. I know one person whom love
cut off from all that was dearest to her, just as completely and effectively
as if a tyrant’s blade had severed spirit from body.”
We realized that she was speaking
of herself. When another sister asked how long the martyrdom would continue,
the saint replied: “From the moment when we commit ourselves unreservedly
to God, until our last breath. I am speaking, of course, of great-souled
individuals who keep nothing back for themselves, but instead are faithful
in love. Our Lord does not intend this martyrdom for those who are weak in
love and perseverance. Such people He lets continue on their mediocre way,
so that they will not be lost to Him; He never does violence to our free
will.”
Finally, the saint was asked
whether this martyrdom of love could be put on the same level as martyrdom
of the body. She answered: “We should not worry about equality. I do
think, however, that their martyrdom of love cannot be relegated to a second
place, for love is as strong as death. For the martyrs of love suffer
infinitely more in remaining in this life so as to serve God, than if they
died a thousand times over in testimony to their faith and love and
fidelity.”
—Saint Jane Frances de Chantal,
religious
Office of Readings, 18 August
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