....don't think about yourself and just do the best you can...
If you don't know about St. Jane de Chantal by herself or in conjunction with St. Francis de Sales....here's an excellent introduction.
Her letters have been collected in various formats. Public domain versions - aka free - can be found at archive.org - like here.
Practical and down to earth:
You have done well to discontinue your retreat. I assure you I never undertake mine in the very hot weather on account of the great drowsiness which it causes. Well, if God wishes us to walk like one who is blind and groping in the dark, what does it matter ? We know that He is with us.
One of the things I appreciate most about Jane de Chantal is her insistence on spiritual simplicity. She is frequently reminding her sisters not to fall into the trap of spiritual self-absorption and solipsism, forever wondering what things mean and most of all turning your spiritual life into an endless reflection on yourself.
You're here to praise and serve God and serve him through love and charity to others.
Do it.
Vive Jesus !
PARIS, 1619.
I want you to know, my dear little daughter, what a great consolation your letter has been to me. You have portrayed your interior state with much simplicity, and believe me, little one, I tenderly love that heart of yours and would willingly undergo much for its perfection.
May God hear my prayer, and give you the grace to cut short these perpetual reflections on everything that you do. They dissipate your spirit.
May He enable you instead to use all your powers and thoughts in the practice of such virtues as come in your way. How happy would you then be, and I how consoled ! Make a fresh start in good earnest, my darling, I beg of you. For faults of inadvertence and suchlike, humble yourself in spirit before God, and after that do not give them another thought. You will do this, will you not, my love ? Ah, do ! I ask it through the love you bear to your poor mother. For the rest, say out boldly everything in your letters; they always con sole me. Let nothing worry you. Always yours in sincerity. Pray much for me. May the sweet Jesus accomplish in you His holy will.
Vive Jesus !
ANNECY, 1616.
Who can doubt, little one, but that a thousand imperfections are mingled with all our actions. We must humble ourselves and own to it, but never be surprised nor worry about it.
Neither is it well to play with the thought, but having made an interior act of holy humility, turn from it at once and pay no further attention to your feelings. Now let me hear no more about them, but use them all as a means of humbling yourself and of abasing yourself before God. Behave yourself in His presence as being truly nothing, and if you do, these feelings about which you talk will not do you any harm though they will make you suffer.
Indeed, as much may be said of this fault of over-sensitiveness. Pray what does it matter whether you are dense and stolid or over-sensitive ?
Any one can see that all this is simply self-love seeking its satisfaction. For the love of God let me hear no more of it: love your own insignificance and the most holy will of God which has allotted it to you, then whether you are liked or disliked, reserved or ready-tongued, it should be one and the same thing to you. ....
In a word aim at indifference and cut short absolutely this introspection and all these reflections you make on yourself. This I have told you over and over again. I can well believe that you are at a loss how to answer these young persons who want to know, forsooth, the difference between contemplation and meditation. How can it be, Sister (The Superior) puts up with them, or that you do in her absence? Sweet Jesus, what has become of humility ? Stop it all, and give them books and conferences treating of the virtues, and tell them that they must set about practising them. Later on they can talk about high things for by the exercise of true and solid virtue light comes from Him who is the Master of the humble, and whose delight it is to be with souls that are simple and innocent. At the end of all, when they have become Angels, they may talk as the Angels do.
As to prayer, be at peace and do not attempt anything beyond keeping yourself tranquilly near Our Lord. This too I have often told you. In a word you are not to move any more than a statue can do. Your one wish has to be to give pleasure to God; now if He in His goodness shows you what you have to do, is it right for you to turn from this to do something else because this, His will, has no interest for you ? You must take care not to fall into this fault, but be simple; don't think much about yourself and just do the best you can.
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I wrote about St. Jane de Chantal in The Loyola Kids' Book of Heroes. Here's the first page.
(Explanation of the headline: we celebrate her feast in the US on August 12. It is not so throughout the rest of the word and has not been so even in the US for that long...it's...confusing.)
