Lacking the time, but feeling the need to honor our great saint, let me just post a few quotes from this most humble of men, but a spiritual giant. He had limited natural abilities ... he only got through seminary and ordained after many failures and only by the most incredible determination. He had a difficult time learning the most elementary Latin, built up his lowly parish in a dirt poor village in France in the aftermath of the French Revolution, combatting spiritual ignorance and apathy of breathtaking proportions. As such he is surely a saint for our day in that regard.
St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney fought spiritual battles against the dark forces with an iron will, but most importantly with the armor of God. He had faith, patience and trust. He was such a formidable opponent, that the devil was consigned to say of him that if there were twelve holy persons on the earth like the Cure of Ars, Satan would be crushed.
The Cure of Ars practically lived in the confessional, spending up to 18 hours a day there! People would travel under severe hardship from all around just to go to him for confession. Through him, God showed us all the power of that sacrament.
Quotes from our saint:
If we could comprehend all the good things contained in Holy Communion, nothing more would be wanting to content the heart of man. The miser would run no more after his treasures, or the ambitious after glory; each would shake off the dust of the earth, leave the world, and fly away towards heaven.
I throw myself at the foot of the Tabernacle like a dog at the foot of his Master.
When we go before the Blessed Sacrament, let us open our heart; our good God will open His. We shall go to Him; He will come to us; the one to ask, the other to receive. It will be like a breath from one to the other.
We will either accuse ourselves or excuse ourselves.
Only after the Last Judgment will Mary get any rest; from now until then, she is much too busy with her children.
To serve the Queen of Heaven is already to reign there, and to live under her commands is more than to govern.
We salute thee, O servant of God and Our Lady. St. John Vianney, Cure of Ars, pray for us!
4 comments:
Robert these are beautiful quotes from this great saint. It just goes to show what God can and will do with someone the world thinks little of.
Thanks.
Yes, Karinann it truly does. God uses the weak to confound the wise (1 Cor. 27). It is an opportunity for hope in our lives too: just think what God can do in our lives if we let Him. Thank you. :)
Would that all parish priests imitate him more. A great tribute to the Cure of Ars, Bob.
Thank you, Lisa. Indeed, let us pray for more true pastors like the Cure of Ars.
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