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 In the
little town of Corbie, France, Colette was born on January 12, 1381, of
exemplary working people. She was a child of grace, an answer to her mother's
incessant prayers, for the latter was already 60 years old then and had been
childless up to that time.
The little girl took great pleasure in prayer, in
compassion for the poor, and in rigorous mortification, making of her soul and
of her tender body a sacrifice to God. Up to her 14th year she remained
unusually small in stature; the was a great grief got her father. Colette
begged God to console her father in this matter, and then she began to grow
very rapidly to normal height. On the other hand, she asked God to deprive her
of the rare beauty she possessed, which she believed might be the occasion of
danger to herself and others; that request, too, was granted, and Colette
developed features of a severe cast which inspired great respect.
When both her parents had died, Colette, at the age
of 22, obtained the permission of the Church authorities to shut herself up in
a small abode directly adjoining the church; from a small window in it she
could see the Blessed Sacrament. There she expected to spend the remainder of
her life as an anchoress. She had embraced the rule of the Third Order of St.
Francis, in accordance with which she endeavored to live in perfect poverty,
severe mortification, and constant prayer in order to become daily more and
more like the Seraphic Father. She received many consolations from heaven, but
on the other hand she also experienced severe temptations and even corporal
abuse from the spirits of darkness.
Almighty God had destined Colette for something
extraordinary. He excited in her the desire to re-introduce the strict
observance of the rule of St. Clare, which many convents of Poor Clares then
observed in a modified form. The humble virgin recoiled at the thought, which
she tried to persuade herself was an illusion of the proud spirit of darkness.
But the inspiration returned again and again, and when she continued to resist
it, she was struck dumb and later on blind, until she finally resigned herself
to the will of God, like Saul before Damascus. "Lord," she sobbed in her
heart, "what wilt Thou have me do? I am ready to do anything Thou desirest of
me." At once her speech and her sight were restored. The Lord sent her a
special director under whose guidance she was to perform extraordinary things.
And so, after spending four years in her retreat, and with the authority and
the blessing of the pope, she established one convent of Poor Clares after
another, so that the number reached 17 during her lifetime. After her death
similar foundations were established in countries other than France, in which
the primitive rule of St. Clare began to flourish anew.
St. Colette endured untold hardships in fulfilling
the task assigned to her, but heaven supported her even in visible ways;
numerous miracles, including the raising to life of several dead persons,
occurred in answer to her prayers and in confirmation of her work. So, the
great foundress remained ever humble, regarding everything as the work of God,
who often chooses the lowliest of people as His instruments.
On this foundation of humility she endeavored to
foster in her convents the spirit of prayer and simplicity of heart, She
placed great value on the recitation of the Divine Office in choir,
undoubtedly in remembrance of the practice existing in her native town, and
infused this esteem into her fellow sisters. She was also filled with zeal for
the salvation of souls, and once in a vision she saw souls falling into hell
more swiftly than the snowflakes in a winter's storm.
After laboring for 40 years, she was to receive her
eternal reward. She died in her convent at Ghent on March 6, 1447. At the
moment of her departure from this world she appeared to several sisters in
different convents. Pope Urban Viii beatified her, and Pope Pius VII solemnly
canonized her in 1807.
ON CORPORAL BEAUTY
1. The Holy Spirit says: "For
many have perished by the beauty of a woman" (Eccli 9:9). St. Colette
reflected on this truth, and fearing nothing more than to give anyone occasion
to sin, she asked God, as did also St. Lidwina, to deprive her of her corporal
beauty; God heard her prayer by means of a miracle. How different is the
example of the young women who not only prefer to be beautiful to
plain-looking, but endeavor in every possible way to enhance their imaginary
beauty and to make themselves more attractive. Such persons lay snares for
souls and draw down upon themselves sin and misery. A Christian young woman
will not act in that way; whoever does do it does not deserve the name
Christian any more. Moreover it is not the Christian fashion to make little
girls conscious of their beauty; it is in this way that we nourish that evil
propensity for personal admiration. -- Have you need to reproach yourself of
these points?
2. Consider that we should place little stock in personal
beauty. "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain," says the Wise Man (Prov
31:30). How little, oftentimes, does interior merit conform with the external
beauty, and how soon the latter disappears! Hence Thomas a Kempis (1,7)
admonishes us: "Boast not of your stature or beauty of body, which, with a
little sickness, is spoiled and disfigured; but glory in God, who gives all
things and desires to give Himself above all things." "The woman who fears the
Lord, she shall be praised" (Prov 31:30). -- Have you perhaps also paid much
attention to corporal perfections?
3. Consider, that if you possess
personal beauty, it should urge you to achieve beauty of soul through purity
of heart, sincerity, modesty, piety, genuine love of God and neighbor;
otherwise your beautiful body will be but the fair peel of a rotten apple. On
the other hand, even if you are not now possessed of bodily beauty, you can
possess it later if you now beautify your soul; for then even your body will
be beautiful in the resurrection and throughout eternity. For "one is the
glory of the celestial, and another of the terrestrial" (1 Cor 15:40). The one
is a gift of nature, the other is the result of the virtue which a person has
acquired on earth. Impelled by virtuous motives, St. Colette asked almighty
God to deprive her of bodily beauty, and so the beauty of her glorified body
will be the greater on the last day.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
O Lord Jesus Christ, who
didst overwhelm St. Colette with heavenly gifts, grant, we beseech Thee, that
we may zealously imitate her virtues here on earth and deserve to share with
her the eternal joys of heaven. Who livest and reignest forever and ever.
Amen.
from:
The Franciscan Book
of Saints, ed. by
Marion Habig, ofm., © 1959 Franciscan Herald
Press
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