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(4th July ) Homily for the Feast of St. John Marie Vianney

READ: (2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16; Rom 6: 3-4, 8-11; Matt 10: 37-42)

REFLECT: A pattern for all priests is the Patron of priests, St. John Marie Vianney…

Dear friends, today we celebrate the feast St. John Marie Vianney, patron of priests. He is often referred to as the “Curé d’Ars” (the parish priest of Ars). He was born on May 8 1786 and took the name John Baptist Marie Vianney. His father was called Matthew Vianney and his mother was called Marie. He was the fourth born of six children. The Vianney family was a very pious family of devout Catholics who had a passion for helping the poor. In 1811, he was tonsured and joined the minor seminary in 1812. He, thereafter, joined the major seminary in Lyon in 1813. Vianney was weak in studies and was considered too slow to continue with the major seminary. He was returned to Abbot Balley. Since Abbot Balley knew Vianney’s call, he persuaded the major seminary’s rector to accommodate him back because Vianney’s piety and passion for the priesthood would compensate for his ignorance. The rector agreed and on 12th August 1815 Saint Jean Vianney was ordained as a priest became curate in Ecully.

He was then sent to a far community of Ars in 1818 to be a parish priest. Ars is a little town, where around 230 inhabitants lived. After his arrival at the parish in Ars, he saw the aftermath of French Revolution where the church was destroyed and the rectory too. People spent their Sundays in the fields and other personal plans and wishes according to their whims and fancies. People hardly ever came for mass but as time went by, more and more people began to come, even from nearby towns and beyond, because of Vianney’s great way of preaching, prayer, and penance. The incessant prayers of priest John Marie Vianney brought back people for God and began working for the conversion of his parishioners. Although he had a feel that he was not capable or praise worthy missionary as a pastor, yet he made all his efforts to be empowered by God’s love and served the people as far as he could. 

He gradually began to see the revival of the parish as people witnessed the life-style of John Marie Vianney, who engaged completely in prayer and penance. He used to break the word of God powerfully touching the core of people’s hearts, even there were hard-hearted people who were converted by the words of God he uttered and preached or the life he lived. Soon, his reputation as a confessor began growing rapidly, people from all over France could come to him for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and for the purification of their souls. His commitment was such that he used sit at the confessional lasting for 16 hours a day. It is said that he spent or dedicated time to the Blessed Sacrament and spent much time in prayer and mortification. Perhaps, his life was filled with passion for Christ and for the humanity, he was always gentle and humble, cheerful and available to people he served till the last breath of his life. 

On August 2 1859, Fr John Marie Vianney received Holy Communion and the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and at dawn, on August 4 1859, he died at Ars, France at the age of 73. The funeral service was attended by bishops, over 300 priests and more than 6,000 faithful. He was beatified by Pope Pius X on January 8 1905 and canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925.  Thousands of pilgrims travel to Ars every year in remembrance of his holy life and example. It was in 2009, Pope Benedict XVI, commemorated the 150th death anniversary of St. John Vianney, declared the Year to be the year for Priests.  

It was in the year 2019, Pope Francis in his letter to priests, on the 160th Death anniversary of St. John Marine Vianney underscores three  important points to recall; First, he expresses the pain because of the scandals and misuse of power and privileges and asked God’s forgiveness on both the victims and those who caused such scandals to Church; secondly, he owes gratitude to every priest and is in praise of priests for the untiring and dedicated service in the mission of the Lord; thirdly, he encourages priests striving to renew one’s priestly spirit, accepting the pains from which we are not exempted, so that the Lord can transform our lives and conform ourselves to him completely. 

Today St. John Marie Vianney is the patron of priests and confessors, as he was and still remains a perfect model and example of dedication to the call of priesthood.  So based on the liturgy of the word and the life of St. John Marie Vianney, I would like to share with you three points of reflections;

1. His power at the confessional:

St. John Marie Vianney was best known as a confessor. It is said that many times he used to spend up to sixteen hours a day in the confessional. He had the extraordinary gift at the confessional of knowing exactly what to tell penitents, reminding them of sins they had forgotten or were afraid to confess.  The life he lived in the parish of Ars with holiness and devotion brought his parishioners flocking to him for confession. They obtained the renewal of life and received God’s forgiveness as the delight of their heart. It is estimated that by 1855, the number of pilgrims to Ars had reached 20,000 a year. Towards the last years of his life, he used to spend close to 16 to 18 hours a day in confessions.

One of the greatest gifts that priests have received as ministers of God and followers of Jesus Christ is the power to offer forgiveness for sins or offence done by the lay faithful in and through the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. It is not the power of priests themselves but the power of God invested at the time of ordination and sustained through prayer and penance. The door of mercy is opened for everyone, who comes to God with a open and willing heart to confess sins, strengthen the faith one professes and thus transform and transcend lives as God wants of us. Today the sacrament of confession is taken lightly and not paid much attention too. At times due to various issues and misuse, we begin to lose faith in the sacredness of the Sacrament of Confession or Reconciliation. Let us remember, if we realize the power of God in and around us, we will also value and respect the power of God invested in priests, who work and serve in the name of God. 

Today our earnest prayer should be for priests to become the embodiment of holiness and dedication to continue the mission of Christ worthily and well. I am sure the personal prayer of priests and the prayer of each one would make the bond with God and people strong and solid, eliciting in them the strong fervor of God. Let us also pray that we often go for confessions to purify one’s heart, mind, body and soul for God and remain as pure as God wants of us. Let us not consider the Sacrament of Reconciliation like a license to get or do it again and again rather let us change lives by repenting for our sins and renewing our commitment to the Lord. 

2.              His devotion to the Blessed Sacrament:

We are aware that around the year 1790, the French Revolution had taken religious institutions for a ride, where our religious faith were shattered and people too were scattered for want of safety and security of life. Many Bishops, priests, and religious congregations had to go hiding because they had been declared illegal. However, the Holy Eucharist and religious sacraments were continued to administer in secret. It was at this painful phase of life that family of Vianney had to travel far to attend the holy mass, where the priests celebrated mass hiding. Saint John Vianney observed and understood, realized as well that priests were risking their lives by celebrating these sacraments against the law and but he looked at them as heroes in the midst of adversities. We know as that John Marie Vianney studied catechism and also received his first Holy Communion and confirmation in secret. 

John Marie Vianney, having experienced the foretaste of the holy Eucharist at the time of French Revolution and the havoc it had created, we understand that his love for the Eucharist would have increased more and become quite stronger in love and desire for the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist. If anyone one of us was to be in his place, we would have thought twice to continue or would have given up life for want of safety and security. But we see St. John Marie Vianney nurtured his faith in the Eucharist and nourished the bond of union with God. Such was the love and zeal he showed in the power of the Holy Eucharist. St. John Marie Vianney admires so much about the Holy Eucharist and thus says, “The many wonders of creation can only fill us with astonishment and admiration. But when we speak of the most holy Eucharist we can say that here is to be found the miracle of divine love for us.... Has there been, or will there ever be, a nobler or more magnanimous love than that which He has shown us in the sacrament of love?”

Yet another one more quote, which speaks of the love and importance he gave to the Holy Eucharist. St. John Marie Vianney says, "Without the Holy Eucharist there would be no happiness in this world; life would be insupportable. When we receive Holy Communion, we receive our joy and our happiness. The good God, wishing to give Himself to us in the Sacrament of His Love, gave us a vast and great desire, which He alone can satisfy. In the presence of this beautiful Sacrament, we are like a person dying of thirst by the side of a river he would only need to bend his head; like a person still remaining poor, close to a great treasure — he need only stretch out his hand. He who communicates loses himself in God like a drop of water in the ocean. They can no more be separated."

Yes, such was the love he showed for the Holy Eucharist and loved the Eucharist more than anything else, because it was a power-source that drives him to all different phase of life. His belief in the Holy Eucharist and the love for the Eucharist made him a model for all priest and remains a model for all too. Today, our understanding of Holy Eucharist and love for the Eucharist is not greater compared to St. John Marie Vianney. Today, if only we understand the value and the magnanimity of the supreme sacrifice offered at the altar during the Holy Eucharist, we would understand the love that God manifested in Jesus Christ. Today, many of us fail to attend the Holy Mass or devotion to the Blessed Sacrament grows slim or weak. It is because we have drifted away from the focus of moving closer to God and remaining in God’s love. Even on Sunday’s and days of obligation, we skip the Holy Mass, because we are busy with material affairs that satisfies us only temporarily. Let us pray that we obtain God’s favor to have love for the Holy Eucharist and remain in God’s offer of love and forgiveness. 

3.              His exemplary Priesthood:

Looking at the life history of St. John Vianney, we come to know that he wanted to become a priest. But without education, it would not be possible. He struggled a lot because he was slow in understanding and getting what was taught. Because he had a deep desire, he enrolled in a presbytery school nearby and was taught by an abbot named Balley. Although Vianney struggled with education, his desire to become a priest persisted and Abbot Balley’s understanding helped him not to quit the desire he had. Because of his deep desire and God’s love being outpoured on him, we have a priest, who is model for all priests in every way. 

On one occasion St. John Marie Vianney seemed to have uttered words, which mark the sacredness and importance of priests on earth. He says, “Without the priest, the passion and death of our Lord would be of no avail. It is the priest who continues the work of redemption here on earth...What use would be a house filled with gold, were there no one to open its door? The priest holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of His goods. Leave a parish for twenty years without a priest and they will end by worshiping the beasts there. The priest is not a priest for himself, he is a priest for you.” Yes, as a priest, he respected priests and priesthood, valued priests and priesthood and loved priests and priesthood. Today, what’s our approach towards priests? Today, can we priests become like St. John Marie Vianney matured in holiness and devotion to God, reverence and love for the Holy Eucharist? It is a golden opportunity to renew our priestly spirit and priestly ministry too. 

We all know that St. John Marie Vianney was a priest whom Pope Pius X proposed as a model of Parish Priest for his extraordinary devotion and life which he committed to the church ministry. Today, what makes us exemplary as priests or person of God the priorities we set and not the talents or professions, positions, higher educational standards. They are only additional tools and not the main stem that add flavor to God’s mission. What makes each one of us has priest of God or person of God is our closeness to God and closeness to people we serve by God’s grace and blessings. Today we are given St. John Marie Vianney as a model for all priests, whom we honor and respect as God’s gift to the Church. But if we look at the life of St. John Marie Vianney, he had a great love and respect for priests too, because he firmly believed that priests are representatives of God and God’s work. His love for priest such and at one time while preaching he commented that “If I were to meet a priest and an angel, I would greet the priest first and then the angel”. He also used to say that, “the passion and death of Jesus would serve no purpose if there were no priests. What use is a treasure chest full of gold if there is no one who can unlock it? The priest has the key to the treasures of Heaven”.

Yes, such was the love and respect shown by St. John Marie Vianney to all priest. Today St. John Marie Vianney invites each one of us renew our priestly character and charism, priestly spirit and priestly ministry. The only way that we can revive our spirit as priests and a person of God is to trust and have confidence in God at all times. As the Gospel reading tells us that the people in the synagogue were astonished with authority and wisdom with which Jesus spoke or taught. Perhaps, one reason could be a surprise to them because Jesus was very familiar as he was from the locality and another reason could be because they did not have faith and trust in Jesus that he was the Son of God. Therefore, they failed to understand and perceive that all that Jesus had begun and ended had its origin in God the Father. Something similar we can also fail in our lives. St. John Marie Vianney was made powerful in preaching and in the work of penance by God, although he was weak in studies. St. John Marie Vianney was made a patron of all priests to be a model. They are all just reminders that God makes a way, where there is no way. God creates one such platform for all to come up in life, provided we are open to learning and growing in the faith he has sown in our heart. May God bless us to open ourselves to his loving invitation.

RESPOND:

Do we believe in the power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and confession and make use of it to be holy in the sight of God and everyone?

Do we have devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and strengthen our bond and union with God?

Do we love priesthood and priests? Do we value their ministry and service and help them to reach out better in prayer?

Let us believe in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, have devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and love priesthood and priests. May God continue to inspire each one of us like St. John Marie Vianney. Amen. 

Wish you all a happy feast! God bless us all…

Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968

See another homily for the Feast of St. John Marie Vianney