Jean Baptiste Massillon facts for kids
Jean-Baptiste Massillon (born June 24, 1663, died September 28, 1742) was a very famous French speaker and religious leader. He was a Catholic bishop who served in Clermont, France, from 1717 until he passed away. He was known for his powerful and moving sermons.
Contents
Life Story
Growing Up
Massillon was born in a town called Hyères in France. His father worked as a royal notary, which was a legal job. When he was 18, Jean-Baptiste joined a religious group called the French Oratory.
He taught for a while at schools run by his group. These schools were in places like Pézenas, Montbrison, and Vienne. In 1693, a very important archbishop named Henri de Villars died. Massillon was asked to give a speech at his funeral. This speech was so good that it made him famous!
Later, a cardinal named Louis-Antoine de Noailles asked him to move to Paris. There, Massillon became the head of a well-known religious school called Saint Magloire.
His Career
Massillon quickly became known as an amazing preacher. In 1699, he was chosen to give special sermons at the royal court in Versailles. This was a very important honor.
In 1717, he became the Bishop of Clermont. Two years later, he was chosen to be a member of the Académie française. This is a very respected group that protects the French language.
Massillon spent the last years of his life doing his duties as a bishop. He died in Clermont on September 18, 1742. In the 1700s, many people thought Massillon was as great a speaker as other famous preachers like Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet. Even famous thinkers like Voltaire praised how well he spoke.
Massillon was popular because his sermons didn't focus too much on difficult religious rules. Instead, he often talked about how people should live their lives. He described human feelings and thoughts in a very poetic way. People often said he was gentle and persuasive, unlike some other preachers who were more forceful.
One of his most famous series of sermons was called Petit Carême. He gave these speeches to the young King Louis XV of France in 1718. Other well-known sermons included those about the Prodigal Son and about death. His funeral speech for King Louis XIV of France is remembered for its famous first sentence: "Dieu seul est grand.", which means "Only God is great."
Massillon was known for being kind and open-minded. He didn't like arguments about religious rules. Because of this, many thinkers of his time liked him more than other church leaders.
The first full collection of Massillon's works was published by his nephew between 1745 and 1748.
Works
- 'Sermons from Bishop Jean-Baptist Massillon'
- 'Massillon's Sermons for All the Sundays'
- Sentimens d'une Âme touchée de Dieu, tirés des Pseaumes de David; ou, Paraphrase Morale (a book of his thoughts on Psalms)
See also
In Spanish: Jean-Baptiste Massillon para niños
