St. John Vianney: Priestly Saint
by VP
Posted on Sunday October 31, 2021 at 01:00AM in Saints
Pope John has chosen the centenary of the death of St. John Vianney as the occasion for his second encyclical letter, to present the Cure of Ars to the world as an example of a true priest. When John Vianney went home to God on August 4,1859, his native France and even distant places had heard of the saintly virtues of this wonderful little priest, but it was certainly beyond the fondest imagination of the saintly Cure that one day he would be chosen as the patron saint of all priests.
Apart from the outstanding qualities of his priestly ministrations at Ars, there is something especially appealing in this humble and holy man, something that stands out to emphasize how the finger of God reaches down from heaven and works in the life of every priest, and in such a special manner in the life of John Vianney. “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you ...” are words that take on meaning in the life and work of every priest.
Weak human nature is raised up at ordination and given powers that were denied to the Angels, and even to the Mother of God. The power to consecrate bread and wine, to transform them into the Body and Blood of Christ; the power to forgive sins; the power to preach and to guide souls; all the wondrous powers of the priesthood are gifts of God to His chosen ones.
The exercise of these powers by St. John Vianney takes on added meaning when one understands his personal qualifications. The famed Cure of Ars was known as a man of rather meager mental attainments. He completed his seminary training only in the face of gravest difficulties. His later priestly work made it clear that God chooses His own ministers, and works through them— John Vianney was to be Christ’s priest, Christ would work through him as a willing instrument. And what blessed achievements resulted! It could well be that St. John Vianney was chosen as the patron of all priests by Pope Pius XI in 1925— he had already been named the patron of French parish priests by St. Pius X when beatified by St. Pius X in 1905—not only because of his exemplary qualities as a parish priest, but in order to emphasize the fact that all the ministrations of every priest are done in the name of the Great High Priest, Christ Himself, Who can raise up even the least of men and give them His powers in the priesthood. The Holy Father's encyclical carries this theme; priests must do all In their power to be effective instruments of God, but it is God Who then blesses the harvest.
