• Contemplation and praise of God,
• Serving one’s neighbour,
• A spirit of gratitude and humility as expressed in the Magnificat,
• An acceptance of poverty,
• Complete trust in the infinite goodness of God,
• The secret co-existence of people rooted in the secret of the Holy Trinity,
• Sensitivity to the workings of the Holy Spirit,
• Moderation and simplicity in relations with other people,
• An outlook that embraces all of humanity,
• A missionary zeal to reveal Christ to others,
• Joy in the Lord.

The daughters of prayer

Above all else, Nuns of the Visitation are to serve as daughters of prayer. This “prayer”, so the holy Founder believes, introduces our reason to the lucidity and light of God and exposes the will to the warmth of God’s love. Nothing cleanses the intellect of ignorance and the will of evil inclinations better than prayer. It is the water of benediction which, bedewing our soul, covers the crops of our good desires in verdure and flowers, washes the soul of imperfections and extinguishes in our heart the fervour of passion”. To experience this properly, he recommended perpetual presence in and unification with God. He did not rule out any form of prayer. “Everyone can in whatever way they wish use such a means, which, at that given moment and in a natural or supernatural state of the soul, is appropriate”. Nevertheless, he advised against the use of frequent, ardent prayer. He also believed that states of the highest exultation were not necessary to achieve perfect love. They even bring with them the danger of illusion, vanity and disaffection. He recommended instead “ecstasy of life and deeds in overcoming our own selves and our natural inclinations” – this leads to holiness. Another essential feature of the spirituality of the Sisters of the Visitation is spiritual asceticism above the carnal.

When partaking in the daily Eucharist, based on the model of Christ, the Sisters sacrifice themselves to their Father in heaven, manifesting in this way their desire with Him to save the whole world. Every holy mass strengthens their union with God and people and transforms life.

One particular vocation of the nuns is to celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours. “This prayer expresses the adoration, worship, thanksgiving and supplication of all people”. In the name of the community of believers the sisters make up for the lack of prayer in the world. Their private prayer, extended by the liturgical prayer, is enriched by their daily reading of the Word of God, the writings of the holy Founder and the masters of spiritual life.

Born from Jesus’ Heart

The Cult of the Sacred Heart of Jesus “was grafted by St. Francis de Sales onto the trunk of the order he established – as if foreseeing that the branch growing from this trunk would one day rustle with a song to his glory that the whole world will hear”. On 24 April 1610 he wrote to Baron de Chantal.: „Henceforth (...) with our hearts, desire and faith we will dwell for always by the pierced side of our Saviour”.

A year later he presented his design for the Order’s emblem: a heart surrounded by a crown of thorns, pierced by two arrows, with a cross growing out of it and engraved with the names of Jesus and Mary. In the Order’s Constitutions he wrote: „our small congregation is the work of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. In dying our Saviour gave birth to us through the wound of his Sacred Heart”.

The continuator of Jesus’s Heart spirituality was the co-founder of the Order of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Jane Frances de Chantal. She frequently advised her sisters to begin and end the day in the Heart of Jesus. She also recalled the words of the holy Founder: “Sisters of the Visitation who faithfully observe their rules may truly be called evangelical daughters entrusted with the special vocation of epitomising the two dearest virtues of the Heart of Jesus: gentleness and humility. These virtues are the basis and foundation of their Order and bestow upon them the privilege and grace to bear the title of daughters of the Heart of Jesus”.

The proud name of daughter and apostles of the Heart of Jesus belongs above all to St. Margaret Maria Alacoque, who occupies an honourable place in propagating reverence for the Sacred Heart. Because of her it assumed a new form, although one that had already existed in the Church for many centuries, based on private revelation. Modern Nuns of the Visitation continue this mission in accordance with the words written by St. Margaret Maria: „Although this Treasure of love is a good thing that belongs to all and to which each has a right, it had always remained hidden up till the very moment when it was specially entrusted to the daughters of the Visitation, since their task is to venerate His hidden life; it was revealed to them in order that they show and dispense Him to others”.

Modest virtues
“The Spirit of Visitation is a spirit of deep humility towards God and great kindness towards one’s neighbour”. The Holy Founder called the virtues of the Heart of Jesus, especially humility, the “basis and foundation of spirituality”. Before it becomes a specific form of conduct towards others, this virtue represents presence before God in truth. When living in a state of humility, we more easily perceive the plan of God’s love for the world and Man. The Bishop wrote in one letter: “Let us be what we are and be good in this so as to revere the Master of the Work who needs us”. However, we must always bear in mind that pride and vainglory are an inseparable companion in the life of Man. Therefore, simplicity and moderation should be maintained in all things. „Honours, primacy and dignity are similar to saffron, which grows and propagates better when you trample on it with your legs”. For the Nuns of the Visitation the virtues of moderation and humility may be seen as their distinguishing features.

Salesian joy

According to St. Francis de Sales, the goal of the Christian life is to seek the will of God and achieve this goal with joy and courage. He drew others to himself through his kindness, goodness, balance and serenity, which never left his face. The method used to bring the soul to holiness was to show to others one’s joyful love of God. He also taught this to the Nuns of the Visitation. He perceived joy as the golden mean in spiritual development and working to achieve perfection. He liked to repeat the following words: “One must have one’s heart wide open to God, let us run joyfully towards His presence”. Even if we must always wrestle with our egoism, our awareness of God’s love for us awakens joy. Christ wants Man to be the sower of joy, since in great measure joy flows from giving oneself to others. The spirit of love of the Father and the Son transforms human life and provides true joy, for “greater happiness lies in giving rather than taking”.

Holiness for all

The main message which St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and doctor of the Church, addressed to the Christian of his times was that everyone is called for holiness. This calling concerned not only the priesthood – a narrow group of privileged individuals with exceptional physical, intellectual and moral capabilities, but was something that everyone shared. In Filotei he wrote: “I, however, intend to appeal to those who because of their chosen path are forced to lead, on the outside, a completely regular life. For there are even some people who do not want to think about adopting a pious life on the pretext that such a thing is allegedly impossible”. His guiding thought was “bring religion closer to life” as life is in reality.

The Salesian theory of holiness, based on the virtue of piety – pleasant to God and people – continues to fascinate people to the present day. So conceived, it cleared a “small path” to holiness through asceticism in accordance with the conditions of life and the calling, without trivialising in this way the fundamental meaning of piety, which is love of God above everything else.

Just as the holy Bishop turned his pastor’s zeal towards nurturing and spreading holiness, since it was precisely in this way that he would most help the Church of that time, so today the Sisters of the Visitation wish to share the spiritual inheritance of the holy Founder. “He left to future generations an example which may serve as a model and a mirror in which one should examine oneself”.