Mothers – The Real Heroines

Her Children rise up and bless her (Proverbs 31:28).

Most of the stories on this blog are about individual women who did great deeds. There are stories of martyrs such as Perpetua and Felicitas, Anne Askew, and Eulalia. These women were willing to give up their lives rather than deny Jesus Christ. There are stories of women who devoted their lives to the service of others. Many unselfishly spent the whole of their time taking care of the needs of their families and friends (Elizabeth Bunyan, Idelette de Bure, and Susannah Wesley to name only three of many outstanding women), ministering to the lost in foreign lands (Amy Carmichael, Ann Judson, and Evie Brand) or even to the destitute in their communities (Elizabeth Fry, Pandita Ramabai, and Hannah More). It is easy to be awed by the bravery of these women who gave their all, often in the face of many obstacles.

The unsung heroines of any age are the mothers who daily rise to take care of their children, sacrificing their own desires and sometimes even their own needs. It is thrilling to read the story of a thirteen-year old girl who lost her life after facing down a magistrate who threatened to burn her at the stake (Eulalia). Likewise, the story of a woman who would not give away her Christian friends, though most of the bones in her body were broken under torture, fills us with admiration (Anne Askew). Compared to this, the story of the woman who gets up and routinely cooks, cleans, nurses, teaches, and comforts her children is rather boring.

I would submit though, that the job of mothers is the most important. Missions and charitable giving are great, but all is lost if the mothers don’t raise their children with a love for God. It is the example of mothers, humbly teaching their children, that has the most effect on their lives.

This week we look at the lives of two women who were well known for their charity. Both lived in France during the 17^th century. Both sought to live for God only. Both are remembered today as Catholic Saints. They differ to me though in that one seemed to fail in her duty as a mother. Let’s look at their stories.

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal – Foundress of the Order of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1572 – 1641)
Jane Frances Fremiot was born during the time that Catholics and Protestants were fighting in France. Madame de Chantal was raised as a Roman Catholic and she remained a strict adherent to that theology all through her life. Once when she was a child she overheard her father and a Protestant discussing transubstantiation (the Catholic belief that the wafer or host actually becomes the body of Christ when the priest blesses it for Communion). She actually broke into their conversation, condemning her father’s friend, “Even thus shall all heretics burn in the fire of hell, because they do not believe what our Lord has said!”

My purpose is not to discuss theology here, only to show that Jane was ardent in her Catholic faith. I believe that her zeal for particular beliefs had something to do with why she was able to abandon her young son in order to go away and join a religious order. At that time, “separating yourself to God” was seen as the highest and holiest calling among Catholics, definitely higher than motherhood. Jane expected her family to understand that her charitable work with the Sisters of the Visitation was the most important thing she could do.

Madame de Chantal certainly did some amazing work among the poor, often going into places that stunk so bad no one else would go. One has to admire that, but I am not sure that “elevating the spirit” so high is the most important work on earth. It makes the religious practitioner feel good, but what about her child?

It seems a selfish thing to me to seek some sort of special favor with God through your own actions. It was reported by one of her biographers that Jane actually stepped over her distraught son in order to get away from him. He had put his arms around her neck and begged her not to go. She left anyway for her “higher purpose”. I believe that once you are a mother, your highest calling is to take care of your children. All of those other activities are wonderful, but not at the expense of your own family.

Jane claimed to know what the Bible said. How did she miss the part about parents raising their children in the instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4) or about not hurting their children so that they would lose heart (Colossians 3:21)?

I hope that I will meet this woman in Heaven, but I’m not sure. If she was depending on her own works, and not on the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, then only God knows.

Now here is the story of another incredibly interesting French woman who had a kind and compassionate heart and who also managed to maintain a good Christian testimony in spite of the fact that she lived during one of the most corrupt times in France.

Madame de Miramion. (November 2, 1629 – March 24, 1696).
I hope you will get a larger work written about this woman and read it. Her story could be made into a movie. I only have a short space here to summarize her life.

Marie Bonneau de Rubelle lost her mother when she was nine years old. She spent most of her life near the society of Paris, which was very licentious at the time. The court of Louis XIV was famous (or infamous) for gross corruption of manners and morals.

With the encouragement of her governess, she tried to avoid all of the frivolity going on around her. She loved to seek God in prayer. Her father died when she was fourteen and she tried to raise her siblings in a godly fashion.

In 1645 she married M. de Miramion. She became a widow after only six months of marriage. A daughter was born to her a few months later. She loved her daughter and sought to raise her alone for the next two years. Though she attracted many suitors as a young, beautiful, and very rich widow, she refused them all.

The abduction of heiresses was a common practice of that age. Attempts were made against her three times to force her into wedlock with wicked men. The first time she was kidnapped she managed to escape but not after starving herself until she was very ill. She eventually went to live with some Sisters of Charity in order to get protection from the designs of the evil men.

While at one home for poor girls she consecrated herself to God. She rented a house large enough to house twenty girls, where she fed, clothed, and educated them. She not only used her income, but also sold her rich clothing, plate, and jewels in order to finance homes for the girls. Many thanked her for her help but her response was, “I have received more from God than those people have received from me. He therefore gives me a great proof of His mercy, in affording me those opportunities of satisfying His justice.”

Throughout this time Madame de Miramion carefully raised her daughter in her own principles and habits. Her daughter grew up loving to help poor children. She dressed modestly and gave alms to hospitals. Together, mother and daughter discussed the various offers of marriage that the daughter received. Finally an honorable magistrate was chosen as her husband.

Madame de Miramion now felt that she could retire into a convent, but she did not. Her friends convinced her of her helpfulness in the community. She went on to establish hospitals and schools. She went about getting others to contribute to the cause. When a famine occurred in Paris she even got the king through his mistress to donate the rice that was necessary to feed the hundreds of destitute people.

Much more could be said about this woman whose chief characteristic was her ardent love of the poor. The hospitals she started saved many lives. She also invented several medicines which were used daily. Before she died she placed her property in trust for the poor. She died peacefully knowing that she would be united with God forever.

These two accounts and so many of the other stories on this blog are about women who led really exciting lives. We venerate the martyrs, admire the missionaries, and look up to the other godly women who gave their all to do so much for hundreds of thousands of people.

Yet none of them is any more important to the Kingdom of God than any one among the multitudes of mothers that are raising their children in an everyday fashion with nothing too exciting seemingly going on. The Lord Jesus tells us that there is rejoicing in Heaven over every single little sheep (Luke 15:7). Every child and mother are precious to Him.

The really amazing women are the ones who see to the training of their little ones no matter how much drudgery seems to be involved. The women who just faithfully do their work, day in and day out, without ever asking for notoriety show the kind of courage that only a dedicated servant can show. They will have the joy of hearing the Savior greet them at the Heavenly gate with, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Truly they will “enter into the joy of (their) master” (Matthew 25:23).