Karol Wojtyla, future pope, from his seminary times was fascinated with John Vianney. In his book about the priesthood entitled, Gift and Mystery, (by the way I highly recommend), he said this, “One aspect fascinates me about the life of Cure of Ars. His life reveals the power of the grace of God at work through poverty of human nature.”
This sentence has inspired me on my way to the priesthood and taught me that if we let the grace of God work in and mold our souls, he can do with us marvelous things. One does not to be especially gifted, intelligent, smart and bright to become holy. The life of Saint John Vianney teaches us that. It is enough that we open our souls in total humility so that God can work in us and through us.
It is indeed interesting that the patron of parish priests is not the intellectual and academic thinker, author of books or some kind of scholar. Instead, it is a man who so loved his people and God that he was willing to sacrifice himself for them. One of the lawyers from Lyon after visiting Father John, said, “I have seen God in Man.”
The life of St. John teaches and encourages us that we are capable of holiness. If he was able to become holy so we are.
This sentence has inspired me on my way to the priesthood and taught me that if we let the grace of God work in and mold our souls, he can do with us marvelous things. One does not to be especially gifted, intelligent, smart and bright to become holy. The life of Saint John Vianney teaches us that. It is enough that we open our souls in total humility so that God can work in us and through us.
It is indeed interesting that the patron of parish priests is not the intellectual and academic thinker, author of books or some kind of scholar. Instead, it is a man who so loved his people and God that he was willing to sacrifice himself for them. One of the lawyers from Lyon after visiting Father John, said, “I have seen God in Man.”
The life of St. John teaches and encourages us that we are capable of holiness. If he was able to become holy so we are.
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