August 4th St. John Vianney
I would be really a shame if I did not write in my blog about the patronal feast day of all parish priests, St. John Vianney. A general biography is written in www.catholic online. I quote,
“St. John Vianney, Universally known as the “Cure of Ars,” St. John Vianney was ordained in 1815. Three years later he was made the pastor of Ars, a remote French hamlet, also a parish that no other priest wanted to be stationed. While there his reputation as a confessor and director of souls made him and his simple parish known throughout the world. Accustomed to the most severe austerities, beleaguered by swarms of penitents, and besieged by the devil, this great mystic manifested a imperturbable patience. He was a wonderworker loved by the crowds, but he retained a childlike simplicity, and he remains to this day the living image of the priest after the heart of Christ.”
He heard confessions of people from all over the world for the sixteen hours each day. His ministry was filled with works of charity and love. It is recorded that even the staunchest of sinners were converted at his mere word. He died August 4, 1859, and was canonized May 31, 1925.”
In the seminary the legend was told that as he was preparing for his final exam, St. John was not much of a student, he had a dream that he was taking the exam, and the correct answer appeared on the piece of paper by a miracle. The next morning when he nervously opened the test book and prepared to take the test that he was amazed that it was the question in his dream, and he remembered the answer that was on the page.
Another story was that while he was going to his parish in Ars, he approached a young boy and said, “I will show you the way to heaven, if you show me the way to Ars.” The boy pointed right down the road, apparently the town was right in front of him, The boy responded,” How can you show me the way to heaven when you don’t even know how to get to Ars. Concerning the importance of attending mass, he would liken private prayer like a fire with just a little straw. It quickly flares up and then goes out, but when the community of the church is gathered at mass It’s like burning a whole barn full of straw.
Another story attributed to the saint occurs when he was doing some work in the church. Each day he saw an old farmer come and sit in the back. He had no prayer book, no rosary, nor did he kneel and seemed to mouth prayers. One day the Saint approached him and asked, “What are you doing here?” , the old man responded, “ Oh I come to look at God, and I let God look at me.”
However, my most favorite St. John Vianney story has to do with a noble lady of a neighboring town. Her brother committed suicide by jumping off of a bridge. She was grief stricken, not so much as the shame her family had felt, but more by the knowledge that her brother was suffering in Hell because of his sin of taking his own life. Her friend advised her about a holy priest in the next town of Ars who was know for his holiness and spiritual direction. She decided to make the journey and try to visit the priest. When she entered the church there was a very long line of people waiting to go the priest for confession.
She was heartbroken not being able to go the confession to the priest, so she just sat in the church and cried. While she was weeping she looked up and saw St. John Vianney with his hand gently on her shoulder. He bent down and whispered to her, “Between the bridge and the river your brother was reconciled to God, be at peace.”
So take a moment today to say a prayer for your parish priests. Also please take a moment to pray for our parish seminarian Sean Cieslek, who attend St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul, MN.
