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St. John Vianney, the Cure de Ars

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23 October 2009 - 3:55pm — joyce

One of the best examples of priesthood is the Cure de Ars, or St. John Vianney, a 19th Century French priest whom Pope Benedict has chosen as patron for this “Year for Priests” (June 2009- June 2010). Pope Benedict said: “This year is meant to deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a stronger witness to the Gospel in today’s world.” Interior renewal always precedes a more effective proclamation of the Gospel. With the Cure de Ars we have an excellent example of the amazing fruitfulness of priestly ministry: the Cure’s ministry made accessible to all the merciful Heart of Jesus. Spending up to sixteen hours a day in the confessional, we see the fruits of the Cure’s ministry in the thousands of people who traveled all over France to confess their sins to him, tasting the merciful love of the Heart of Jesus.

 

One of the best examples of priesthood is the Cure de Ars, or St. John Vianney, a 19th Century French priest whom Pope Benedict has chosen as patron for this “Year for Priests” (June 2009- June 2010). Pope Benedict said: “This year is meant to deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a stronger witness to the Gospel in today’s world.” Interior renewal always precedes a more effective proclamation of the Gospel. With the Cure de Ars we have an excellent example of the amazing fruitfulness of priestly ministry: the Cure’s ministry made accessible to all the merciful Heart of Jesus. Spending up to sixteen hours a day in the confessional, we see the fruits of the Cure’s ministry in the thousands of people who traveled all over France to confess their sins to him, tasting the merciful love of the Heart of Jesus.

 

St. John Vianney once said, "The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus,” meaning that the priest makes present to the world the love of Jesus in a human and tangible way.  St. John spoke of the priesthood as an incomparable gift and task entrusted to a human creature: “O, how great is the priest! … If he realized what he is, he would die… God obeys him: he utters a few words and the Lord descends from heaven at his voice, to be contained within a small host…” Explaining to his parishioners the importance of the sacraments, St. John said: “Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put him there in that tabernacle? The priest. Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of your life? The priest. Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for its journey? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it one last time in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest, always the priest. And if this soul should happen to die [as a result of sin], who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace? Again, the priest… After God, the priest is everything! … Only in heaven will he fully realize what he is.” St. John continues: “Were we to fully realize what a priest is on earth, we would die: not of fright, but of love… 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 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.”  Pope Benedict quotes these words of St. John in his letter on the Year for Priests. These words might sound excessive to some, yet they reveal the St. John’s knowledge of the power of the priesthood.
 
Saint John Vianney taught his parishioners primarily by the witness of his life. It was from his example that they learned to pray, halting frequently before the tabernacle for a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. “One need not say much to pray well” – the Curé explained to them – “We know that Jesus is there in the tabernacle: let us open our hearts to him, let us rejoice in his sacred presence. That is the best prayer.” Believing in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist will draw us into prayer before the tabernacle. Our Lord awaits us there. Why do we wait? 
 
St. John Vainney loved the priesthood and knew its beauty. Let us thank God for the priesthood learn to appreciate it by engaging fully in the sacraments of the Church offered to us through the hands and heart of the priest.
 
Fr. Will