This Tuesday, August 4th, we celebrate the feast day of St. John Vianney (1786-1859). He was born in Dardilly, France, being the fourth of six children born to his parents. He had a short stint in the military which brought about unintended consequences for himself, but he was later able to enter seminary. A few years after being ordained a priest, he was appointed the parish priest in Ars, France and became known as the “Curé d'Ars”. There he worked for the conversion of the town and became well known for his work in the confessional, spending the majority of the day providing that sacrament of healing. He was later canonized in 1925 and is the patron saint for parish priests.
Allow me to share with you one of St. John Vianney’s shorter sermons.
“BEFORE beginning your work, my dear brethren, never fail to make the Sign of the Cross. Do not imitate those people without religion who dare not do this because they are in company. Offer quite simply all your difficulties to God and renew from time to time this offering, for by that means you will have the happiness of drawing down the blessing of Heaven on yourself and on all you do. Just think, my dear brethren, how many acts of virtue you can practice by behaving in this way, without making any change in what you are actually doing. If you work with the object of pleasing God and obeying His Commandments, which order you to earn your bread by the sweat of your brow, that is an act of obedience. If you want to expiate your sins, you are making an act of penance. If you want to obtain some grace for yourself or for others, it is an act of hope and of charity. Oh, how we could merit Heaven every day, my dear brethren, by doing just our ordinary duties, but by doing them for God and the salvation of our souls! Who stops you, when you hear the chimes striking, from thinking on the shortness of time and of saying in your minds: “Time passes and death comes closer. I am hastening towards eternity. Am I really ready to appear before the tribunal of God? Am I not in a state of sin?””
— The Sermons of the Cure of Ars
In honor of our patron saint, this Tuesday, August 4th, we will have adoration at 7pm with a reflection on “Faith and the Eucharist with St. John Vianney”. All are welcome as we remember those words of St. John Vianney to a little shepherd boy when looking for the small town of Ars, “You have shown me the way to Ars, I will show you the way to heaven”.
St. John Vianney...pray for us!
-Fr. Tony Rowland