Jeanne-Marie de Maille died on this date in 1414. She was born into a noble family in France. She wanted to join the convent as a young woman, but was persuaded by her family to marry a nobleman. After the death of her husband, she moved to the city of Tours in France where she devoted herself to prayer and works of charity toward the poor and the sick. She had a special love to reaching out to the prisoner and captive soldiers imprisoned in war. Because of her actions, she became marginalized in her family and in her community. She can be seen as the patron saint of the marginalized. In the last years of her life she became an anchoress, which is a religious woman who lives in a hermitage attached to a church. She was beatified by Pope Pius IX in 1871. She is known by the faithful for her great humility and holiness.
Our Gospel today talks about love of God and love our neighbor. God calls live out this mandate in our lives in different ways. Think of our saint today, Jeanne-Marie de Maille, who lived out love of God and love of neighbor in a very specific calling. Cloistered monks and nuns also live out this mandate in a very specific way. During Lent, how can we better live out our love of God and love of neighbor?
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