Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Marie Angelique Arnauld (French Abbess)

Jacqueline-Marie-Angélique Arnauld (1591–1661,) byname La Mère Angélique, was a French Jansenist nun and monastic reformer. She was Abbess of the Abbey of Port-Royal. Under her abbacy became a center of Jansenism, followers of the Dutch Bishop Cornelius Jansen’s heretical doctrines on predestination, free will, and grace. Arnauld was one of six sisters of the prominent Jansenist theologian Antoine Arnauld.

Arnauld entered religious life as a child of nine and was raised by Cistercian nuns. Arnauld became Abbess of the ancient Cistercian house of Port-Royal des Champs (near Versailles) at 11. Arnauld undertook to reform her monastery by the severity of her discipline, and Port-Royal became a house of deep spirituality. She resigned in 1630 but returned to be prioress under her sister Agnes (1593–1671.)

Arnauld was later engaged in the reform of several other convents, especially Maubuisson, in the Val-d’Oise department. From 1618–22, she was under the guidance of St. Francis of Sales.

In 1625–26, Arnauld transferred the community of Port-Royal des Champs to Paris. In 1635, she came under the influence of the abbot of Saint-Cyran, a founder of Jansenism. During the period of persecution of Jansenists in France (1661–69,) Arnauld wrote to the Queen Mother protesting the constraint inflicted on the Port-Royal community.

READ: Works by Marie Angelique Arnauld

Perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. Neglect nothing; the most trivial action may be performed to God.
Marie Angelique Arnauld
Topics: Perfection, Perfectionism

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