Post by Madame Heloise D'Armagnac on Mar 29, 2022 23:53:33 GMT
A Letter of Thanksgiving for Kindness during my late year of Grief
Mesdames et Messieurs
It is with the deepest gratitude and appreciation that I acknowledge my great debt to so many of you on this day, the anniversary of the death of my late husband. May God and His Holy Mother rest his soul. God in his wisdom saw fit to take him from me on my 20th birthday perhaps as a way of keeping him near to me in the years to come.
I could in no wise have weathered the tragedy of his loss this past year without the kindness shown to me by so many of the graceful souls of Paris. I have heard it said that the people of Paris are cruel, deceitful, and uncaring. I can attest that such tales are not true of the noble spirits of Paris whose prayers, kindness, and attention have sustained me in my period of mourning. I would wish to live in no other place as I believe that the Holy Mother of God herself looks down upon our holy city with the Grace that she bestows on our Noble King and all those who serve God and His Majesty. One day, I hope to to somehow repay your kindnesses.
My late husband was a man of great character and patience. He often told me that he knew we were destined by God to be together from when first we met. He approached my father for my hand shortly after we met at the Church of St Blaise near my family home. My father favored the match and encouraged me to accept his suit. At that time, I felt called to a religious life and wished to remain at the Convent of Our Lady of Perpetual Ardor which had been my home and education since I was eight years of age. The sisters encouraged me to pray for the intercession of the Blessed Mother to discern whether I should pursue a spiritual life or a life within the sacrament of marriage. I admit with the wisdom of hindsight that I was a foolish girl not to recognize the bond of love that was possible between a man and a woman. How difficult to see with the eyes of the world that a man four times my age might have the spiritual maturity to truly sanctify the bond of marriage. My late husband had the insight and discernment to understand that and to wait for the scales to fall from my eyes. How thankful I am that he did!
Though we shared only two short years as man and wife and were not blessed with children, I feel now that I had always been called to just this perfect, blessed life. I treasure each day spent with my lord and my love. Today, I look forward to a new beginning in the service of God, Our Lady, and in whatever humble way I may, of our Great King.
God bless you all
Madame Heloise D'Armangnac