August 04 2020 - St. John Vianney - The holy parish priest

There is a statue outside of the town of Ars, the little town in eastern France, of the famous meeting between the newly appointed pastor of Ars trying to find his way to his parish and a young child from Ars who showed him the way. At foot of this statue is inscribed the famous words of the Cure of Ars, “Show me the way to Ars and I will show you the way to heaven.”

When Fr. John Vianney uttered those words, he wasn’t just being pious. Helping the souls under his care to find the way to heaven was his all encompassing mission. For him, being a pastor wasn’t simply a nine-to-five job—he not only gave it everything he had, but did so to heroic lengths. And for this heroic effort, cooperating with the will of God, he became a saint, and not just a saint, but the patron saint of priests.

Last year, when I made pilgrimage with Bishop Perez to Rome and Assisi, my classmates and I, continued our pilgrimage outside of Italy, to Ars, so that we could visit and pray at the parish of John Vianney. We visited the rectory containing the bedroom in which the devil started a fire to try to scare the holy pastor away from the parish. We saw the pulpit where hundreds would gather to try to hear his soft voice delivering powerful sermons from heaven. We saw the confessional, where the holy confessor would hear thousands of confessions, sometimes for 18 hours a day—the confessional in which the devil appeared to him and said, if there were but three more priests like you, I would be finished. And we celebrated Mass on the altar containing the saints incorrupt relics. 

Sometimes we think that evangelization is a matter of knowing the best arguments to convince people that Catholicism is the One True Faith.  But, what is eminently more powerful than a strong logical argument is authentic holiness.  Of course that does not relieve us from knowing our catechism—John Vianney taught the most popular catechism lessons in France.  But soley quoting the catechism will not bring people back to Church.   

It’s not the number of words or arguments that is needed, but Christ speaking through the few words we offer.  John Vianney was effective in bringing souls to Christ and leading them to heaven, because he cooperated with grace, he decreased, through fervent prayer, fasting, mortification, and heroic faithfulness to his pastoral duties, that Christ might increase, in himself, and in his parishioners, may we do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That St. John Vianney, Patron of Parish Priests, may increase the faith, hope, and charity of the priests of the Church, particularly those priests experiencing vocational crisis.

For a deeper love for and devotion to the Eucharist, for those who do not believe in the Real Presence, for the spread of the Eucharistic Reign of Christ in society.

For an increase in devotion to the Sacrament of Confession, that souls may approach the mercy seat of Christ with true repentance and confidence in the Lord’s grace.

That our young people on summer vacation may remain close to Jesus through prayer, attendance at Holy Mass with their families, repentance through Sacramental Confession, and faithfulness to all the teachings of Christ. We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster, war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families. We pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests, especially the deceased pastors and priests of our parish and our diocese, and for N., for whom this mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.