Homily: August 4 - St. John Vianney - "wonderful in pastoral zeal"

When St. John Vianney arrived in the small village in Ars as their new priest, it was just like other villages in France in the wake of the French Revolution, that is, there was the loss of faith.  The local taverns seemed to be the center of the life of the village.The people were given over to worldliness and pleasure seeking; they were weak and indifferent to the faith and the things of religion. 

He ventured out to gather in his scattered sheep: he visited families, got to know them, got to know their moral situation; above all, he prayed:  he was seen to wake up early and go to the blessed sacrament to beg conversion for his parishioners. 

Two prayers the bulwark of John Vianney’s prayer life, the Divine Office and the Holy Rosary.  He could be seen going from home to home praying his office as he traveled, and also the rosary, asking Our Lady for that grace of conversion.  He would also hand out rosaries to encourage that devotion among his parishioners.

After 8 years, there was a transformation in the village of Ars.  What was at first a place of lukewarmness with respect to the faith became fervent.  There was regular attendance at Mass and Catechism lessons.

As we prayed at the beginning of Mass: Almighty and merciful God , who made the Priest Saint John Vianney wonderful in his pastoral zeal, grant, we pray, that through his intercession and example we may in charity win brothers and sisters for Christ and attain with them eternal glory.

St. John Vianney is the patron of priests, a shining example and a challenging example for us.  The job description for the priest is pretty simple if you think about it—to save and sanctify souls.  And we priests must always look to the example of Our Lord and our patron saint to never neglect prayer in our efforts to save and sanctify souls.

He is also an example for all faithful Christians. There will always be an excuse to neglect prayer, there will always be an excuse not to evangelize and talk to our fallen away family and friends about Christ.  We too can so easily fall into that worldliness, if we do not go daily to that silent place to spend time with the Lord. 

St. John Vianney said: ”My dear brethren, not only is prayer very efficacious, but, even more, it is of the utmost necessity for overcoming the enemies of salvation.”  The enemies and obstacles to salvation in our day are great, may we be fervent in prayer for all those who have fallen away or do not know Christ, and that we may be faithful in working for the glory of God and salvation of souls.