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St. John Vianney, Model of Purity O holy Priest of Ars, your life was a model of purity. Your life of chastity was a source of edification to all. You said that when a soul is pure all the court of heaven looks upon it with great joy. Today we are experiencing a great disregard for the virtue of purity; it is looked upon with ridicule by worldly standards.

O great St. John Vianney, more than ever before, we need your prayers and help in avoiding sins of impurity. I ask you to help Father ___ to keep pure in mind and in body and give good example in his speech, conduct and in his faith. Obtain for him the strength necessary to combat temptations against the virtue of purity, which could lead him away from God. Unite your prayers with those of Mary Immaculate to implore God that Father ___ be pure in mind and heart and preserve him from those sins which are so displeasing to God.

Novena Prayer:
O holy Priest of Ars, St. John Marie Vianney, you loved God and served Him faithfully as His Priest. Now you see God face to face in heaven. You never despaired but persevered in your faith until you died. Remember now the dangers, fears and anxieties that surround Father ___ and intercede for him in all his needs and troubles especially console him in his most difficult moments, grant him serenity in the midst of crisis, and protect him from evil. O St. John Vianney, I have confidence in your intercession.
Pray for Father ___ in a special way during this novena.

"  Jesus  said  also  to  His  disciples,  There  was  a  certain  rich  man  who  had  a steward,  and  the  same  was  accused  unto  him,  that  he  had  wasted  his  goods." —
St.  Luke  xvi.  I.

I.  His  administration.
II.  His  disgrace.
III.  His  wastefulness.

1.  Had  a  steward.  In  a  general  sense,  under  the  term "  steward  "  may  be  understood  all  men  who  have  received  gifts from  God,  whether  in  the  order  of  nature  or  of  grace ;  for  such are  not  owners,  but  simply  administrators.  In  a  more  particular sense,  however,  the  word  represents  Priests,  and  especially  those who  have  the  care  of  souls  (as  St.  Anselm  says),  for  they  have committed  to  them  the  care  and  direction  of  the  carnal.  The Greek  word,  indeed,  is  "  asconomus"  which  St.  Jerome  translates "  dispenser,"  as  he  likewise  uses  the  word  to  "  dispense  " and  "  dispensation  "  of  the  office  of  a  steward.  Now,  who  are the  stewards  and  dispensers  of  the  house  of  God  if  not  Priests  ?

Let  us  meditate  on  the  Apostle's  words,  in  which  we  are  called "  dispensers  of  the  mysteries  of  God"  (i  Cor.  iv.  i) ;  let  us  meditate on  those  other  words  in  which  he  calls  the  Bishop  and  the Priest  "the  steward  of  God"  (Tit.  i.  7) ;  let  us  profit  by  the  exhortation  of  the  Prince  of  the  Apostles,  "As  every  man  hath  received grace,  ministering  the  same  one  to  another,  as  good  stewards of  the  manifold  grace  of  God"  (i  Pet.  iv.  10).  All  the  power which  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  "the  rich  man,"  rich  in  Divine treasures,  has  conferred  upon  us,  is  but  an  administration and  stewardship  (says  St.  Bonaventure)  with  which  He  entrusts us  for  a  time  determined  by  Himself.  Holy  Mass,  the  Sacraments, the  Ministry  of  the  Word,  are  treasures  of  which  we  have the  administration.  What  treasures  are  these !  what  a  dignity how  surpassing  human  reason  and  understanding!  (says  St. Charles  Borromeo.)

2.  Was  accused  unto  him.  It  was  not  a  simple  accusation,  but public  defamation,  which  induced  his  lord  to  take  away  from  the unfaithful  steward  the  administration  of  his  goods.  This  signifies that,  even  if  God  were  to  suffer  for  a  time  the  irregular  lives of  Priests,  He  would  be  provoked  to  punish  them  by  the  accusations of  others.  For,  first,  the  devil  is  their  accuser,  called,  as he  is,  "  the  accuser  of  our  brethren"  (Apoc.  xii.  10).  Next,  the good  Angels  are  their  accusers,  who  see  their  care  for  the  salvation of  souls  made  of  no  avail  through  the  wickedness  and slothfulness  of  Priests.  Again,  the  damned  souls  are  their accusers,  laying  the  blame  of  their  ruin  on  the  Confessor,  the Preacher,  the  parish  Priest,  whose  lack  of  zeal  has  caused  their eternal  ruin ;  for  it  is  the  wont  of  impenitent  sinners  (says  St. Augustin)  to  seek  to  accuse  others  of  their  own  sins.  The  just also  are  their  accusers,  who  would  have  been  still  more  justified, and  have  avoided  the  pains  of  purgatory,  had  they  been  better instructed,  exhorted,  encouraged,  and  purified ;  for  it  is  written, "He  that  is  just,  let  him  be  justified  still"  (Apoc.  xxii.  n). Finally,  inanimate  things  are  their  accusers ;  for  God's  temples squalid,  profaned,  and  without  worshipers — the  sacred  vestments torn,  dirty,  and  ill-kept — ecclesiastical  functions  performed without  the  requisite  ceremonies,  without  recollection,  without modesty — the  people  ignorant,  corrupt,  and  irreligious — all  these things  cry  aloud  to  Heaven  against  the  Clergy.  "  Their  cry went  up  unto  God"  (Exod.  ii.  23).  "I  will  deliver  My  flock from  their  mouth"  (Ezech.  xxxiv.  10).    Our  Saviour  speaks, then,  of  this  defamation  in  order  that  Priests,  having  (as  St. Bonaventure  says)  a  natural  horror  of  infamy,  should  not  abuse the  treasures  committed  to  them.  Let  us  examine  ourselves  as to  the  impression  which  these  terrible  truths  produce  upon  our heart,  and  if  we  are  not  made  to  tremble  we  may  be  assured that  we  are  in  danger.

3.  That  he  had  wasted  his  goods.  It  is  not  said  that  the  steward injured  his  lord,  for  the  latter  was  so  rich  that  he  could  sustain no  loss ;  nor  is  it  said  that  he  was  a  thief,  for  he  gained  nothing for  himself.  It  is  simply  said  that  he  "wasted,"  as  the  prodigal son  wasted ;  that  is  to  say,  he  lost  that  which  belonged  to  his master  and  others,  because  he  distributed  not  the  goods  as  he ought."  He  doth  not  distribute  with  right  understanding that  which  was  to  be  had,  in  like  manner  also  that  which  was not  to  be  had"  (Eccl.  xx.  19).  When  goods,  health,  talents, eloquence,  supernatural  lights,  graces  "  gratis  data"  are  not employed  in  the  way  which  God  has  prescribed,  they  are "wasted ;"  and,  therefore,  when  priests  dispense  not  these  goods according  to  our  Lord's  will,  but  only  so  as  to  satisfy  their passions,  their  are  "wasteful"  stewards.  Woe  to  them  if  they  find themselves  in  this  state,  and  seek  not  to  remedy  it !

"  O  Lord,  my  heart  was  not  right  with  Thee,  nor  was  my  counsel  faithful  in  Thy covenant :  be  merciful,  and  forgive  my  sins." — From  Pt.  lxxvii.  37.

"  A  dispensation  is  committed  to  me  ...  I  will  not  abuse  my  power." — From I  Cor.  ix.  17,  18. "
 

Source: adapted Meditations for the use of the clergy : for every day in the year. On the Gospels for the Sundays, Volume 3

St. John Vianney, Lover of Sinners O holy Priest of Ars, you spent many long hours daily in the confessional. People came to you for forgiveness of their sins from far-off places. Although you despised sin, you always received the sinner with much love and forgiveness.

O holy confessor of the Lord, St. John Vianney, awaken in Father ___ a sense of his sinfulness before the eyes of God. By your Priestly example, grant him a love of the reception of the Sacrament of Penance. Obtain for him the understanding that it is in confessing his sins that Godʼs mercy is poured out upon him and he draws closer to Christ. Obtain for him a deep hatred of sin and the grace to resist temptation. Teach him the value of frequent confession, where he meets Jesus, our Savior, the source of all mercy and consolation. Contrite and forgiven may all those with whom he comes in contact act with that same mercy. Pray that Father ___ always love the Sacrament of Penance. Pray that he may call sinners to repentance with his good example and lives in complete service to our Lord.

Novena Prayer:
O holy Priest of Ars, St. John Marie Vianney, you loved God and served Him faithfully as His Priest. Now you see God face to face in heaven. You never despaired but persevered in your faith until you died. Remember now the dangers, fears and anxieties that surround Father ___ and intercede for him in all his needs and troubles especially console him in his most difficult moments, grant him serenity in the midst of crisis, and protect him from evil. O St. John Vianney, I have confidence in your intercession.
Pray for Father ___ in a special way during this novena.

St. John Vianney, Greatly Devoted to Our Blessed Mother O holy Priest of Ars, your life was consecrated to the Blessed Mother. You prayed earnestly to her, entrusting your Priesthood to her care. You begged all the faithful to pray the rosary, the favorite prayer of Mary, our Mother. You summed up the reason for your great love of our Lady by saying: We have only to turn to the Blessed Mother to be heard. Her heart is all love.

O great John Vianney, I ask you with all my heart through the merits of Jesus and the intercession of Mary, the Virgin Mother to make Father ___ʼs life patterned after that of our heavenly Mother, full of love for God and his neighbor. Obtain for him a deeper love for our Lady and a filial confidence in her. She is the person to whom he can turn in times of distress when lonely or upset or in times of temptation. Inspire Father ___ to consecrate his life to his Mother in heaven. May he know the powerful protection of Maryʼs Mantle all the days of his life.

Novena Prayer:
O holy Priest of Ars, St. John Marie Vianney, you loved God and served Him faithfully as His Priest. Now you see God face to face in heaven. You never despaired but persevered in your faith until you died. Remember now the dangers, fears and anxieties that surround Father ___ and intercede for him in all his needs and troubles especially console him in his most difficult moments, grant him serenity in the midst of crisis, and protect him from evil. O St. John Vianney, I have confidence in your intercession.
Pray for Father ___ in a special way during this novena.

St. John Vianney, Adorer of the Blessed Sacrament holy Priest of Ars, you had such an overwhelming love for Christ in the Blessed Sacrament that you prayed for hours in His presence. You said that when our Lord sees them coming eagerly to visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament, He smiles upon them. They come with that simplicity which pleases Him so much. O Saint of the Eucharist, may your example enkindle in Father ___ a deeper love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. By your prayers, never let him doubt Christʼs Real Presence, but obtain for him a firm faith rooted in the Eucharist. Help him not to be afraid to defend or preach Christʼs Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Obtain for him the grace to approach our Lord with simplicity of heart as he lays his soulʼs innermost thoughts before Jesusʼ Sacred Heart. Keep Father ___ under your continual protection, that he may be supported by your example and assistance and be faithfully devoted to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. May his life reflect the belief of our Lordʼs abiding presence with us. O St. John Vianney, by the power of your intercession, give us Priests devoted to the holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Novena Prayer:
O holy Priest of Ars, St. John Marie Vianney, you loved God and served Him faithfully as His Priest. Now you see God face to face in heaven. You never despaired but persevered in your faith until you died. Remember now the dangers, fears and anxieties that surround Father ___ and intercede for him in all his needs and troubles especially console him in his most difficult moments, grant him serenity in the midst of crisis, and protect him from evil. O St. John Vianney, I have confidence in your intercession.
Pray for Father ___ in a special way during this novena.

St. John Vianney, Full of Zeal for Souls O holy Priest of Ars, you taught men to pray daily: O my God, come to me, so that You may dwell in me and I may dwell in You. Your life was the very living out of this prayer. The divine life of grace abided in you. Your zeal for the salvation of souls was manifested by your total self-surrender to God, which was expressed in your selfless service to others. You gave of yourself unreservedly in the confessional, at the altar, in the classroom, in fact, in every action you performed.

O great St. John Vianney, obtain for Father ___ the realization that God also dwells in him when he is free of sin. Remind him that the salvation of his soul is the fulfillment of his existence. Awaken in him a sense of self-giving for the salvation of souls. Obtain for Father ___ , by your intercession, a zeal for souls like your zeal. May he see that God dwells in him and in his fellow men. Obtain for him from our Lord the grace to lead all men to salvation. Let your prayer be his: If you really love God, you will greatly desire to see Him loved by all the world.

Novena Prayer:
O holy Priest of Ars, St. John Marie Vianney, you loved God and served Him faithfully as His Priest. Now you see God face to face in heaven. You never despaired but persevered in your faith until you died. Remember now the dangers, fears and anxieties that surround Father ___ and intercede for him in all his needs and troubles especially console him in his most difficult moments, grant him serenity in the midst of crisis, and protect him from evil. O St. John Vianney, I have confidence in your intercession.
Pray for Father ___ in a special way during this novena.

First Day

St. John Vianney, Who Accepted the Cross, O holy priest of Ars, as a young seminarian you encountered many obstacles on the road to the Priesthood, but you realized that to suffer was to suffer with Christ on Calvary, and so, if following our Lord meant taking up His cross, you lovingly embraced it. Your motto in life became loving while suffering and suffering in order to love. You did not get discouraged, but your strong faith united you closer to Jesus every day of your life.

Oh great St. John Vianney, you know what is needed for Father ___'s salvation: a strong faith able to accept the will of God in all things. To serve Christ, he too must take up his cross and follow Him. By your prayers, obtain for him a heart full of courage and strength. Obtain for Father ___ that same courage and strength to follow Jesus wholeheartedly even if it means following Him to Calvary. Intercede for him before the Lord that he may do the will of God, obey the commandments, and loyally love the Church, the Bride of Christ.

Novena Prayer:
O holy Priest of Ars, St. John Marie Vianney, you loved God and served Him faithfully as His Priest. Now you see God face to face in heaven. You never despaired but persevered in your faith until you died. Remember now the dangers, fears and anxieties that surround Father ___ and intercede for him in all his needs and troubles especially console him in his most difficult moments, grant him serenity in the midst of crisis, and protect him from evil. O St. John Vianney, I have confidence in your intercession.
Pray for Father ___ in a special way during this novena.

We adore Thee, O Hidden God! And to make reparation for all the contests, disputes, punctilios of honor, and scandal, by which Thou hast been offended we offer up to Thee the humility of the holy confessors. Eternal praise and thanksgiving be to the Most Holy and Most Divine Sacrament.

O Queen of heaven and earth, hope of mankind, who adores thy Divine Son incessantly! We entreat thee, that, since we have the honor to be of the number of thy children, thou would interest thyself in our behalf and make satisfaction for us, and in our name, to our Eternal Judge, by rendering to Him the duties which we ourselves are incapable of performing. Amen.