5 Points on St. John Marie Vianney

In honor of the 150th anniversary of St. John Marie Vianney's death, let us take a look at St. John Marie Vianney's life and how a person, who was used to be thought of as 'incompetent', became the man emulated by our Catholic priests. We, too, can find great learning from his simple life but overflowing zeal for conversion.

1. St. John Vianney was born May 8, 1786 in the village of Dardilly in France. The son of a poor farmer, he worked as a shepherd on the farm in his youth and taught other children their prayers and catechism. He did not receive any formal education until he was 20 years old.
2. 
   
   While a student, he was called for military service, and became a delinquent military recruit more or less because of illness, and hid to escape Napoleon's police. He had difficulty learning Latin, and twice failed the examinations required before ordination. He was finally ordained at the age of 30, but was thought to be so incompetent he was placed under the direction of Fr. Balley, a holy priest in a neighboring village, for further training.
3. St. John was assigned to Ars, a tiny remote village near Lyons, which suffered from poor attendance. He spent almost forty-two years of his life as the Cure (Pastor) of Ars, devoting himself to prayer, mortification, and pastoral works. He preached in a very simple manner, had a great love of the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Mother and he had a special devotion to St. Philomena.
4. He allowed himself only 2 hours of sleep each night and was frequently interrupted by the devil, who assaulted him with deafening noises, insulting conversation, and physical abuse. These diabolical visitations were occasionally witnessed with alarm by the men of the parish, but the pious priest accepted the attacks as a matter of course and often joked about them.
5. The frail Cure began hearing confessions at 1 o'clock in the morning, and spent from 14 to 18 hours a day in the cramped confessional. Crowds flocked to the confessional because of his reputation with penitents, and many came to hear him preach. By 1855, there were 20,000 pilgrims a year traveling to Ars. His success in directing souls made him known throughout the Christian world. Men of all ranks and conditions of life sought his guidance, including bishops and aristocracy, who made the journey to Ars in order to receive his spiritual counsel. Through his work, he brought about a spiritual renewal that touched not only the people of his parish but all of France.

St. John Vianney died peacefully on August 4, 1859. His body was exhumed because of his impending beatification, and was found perfectly entire. He was beatified by Pope St. Pius X, himself once a parish priest, and canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925. St. John Vianney is the only diocesan priest to be canonized and is the patron saint of parish priests. (Pope Benedict XVI has now named him patron saint of all priests following the Year for Priests which concluded last June 2010.) 

Reference:
http://catholicfire.blogspot.com/2009/08/saint-of-day-st-john-mary-vianney.html

An Instruction on Prayer

by St. John Mary Vianney. (From the Office of Readings for the feast)

Consider, children, a Christian's treasure is not on earth, it is in heaven.

Well then, our thoughts should turn to where our treasure is.

Man has a noble task: that o prayer and love. To pray and to love, that is the happiness of man on earth.

Prayer is nothing else than union with God. When the heart is pure and united with God it is consoled and filled with sweetness; it is dazzled by a marvellous light.

In this intimate union, God and the soul are like two pieces of wax moulded into one; they cannot any more be separated. It is a very wonderful thing, this union of God with his insignificant creature; happiness passing all understanding.

We had deserved to be left incapable of praying; but God in his goodness has permitted us to speak to him. Our prayer is an incense that is delightful to God.

My children, your hearts are small, but prayer enlarges them and renders them capable of loving God.

Prayer is a foretaste of heaven, an overflowing of heaven. It never leaves us without sweetness; it is like honey, it descends into the soul and sweetens everything.

In a prayer well made, troubles vanish like snow under the rays of the sun.

Prayer makes time seem to pass quickly, and so pleasantly that one fails to notice how long it is.

When I was parish priest of Bresse, once, almost all my colleagues were ill, and as I made the long journeys I used to pray to God, and, I assure you, the time did not seem long to me.

There are those who lose themselves in prayer, like fish in water, because they are absorbed in God. There is no division in their hearts. How I love those noble souls.

Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Collette saw Our Lord and spoke to him as we speak to one another.

As for ourselves, how often do we come to church with out thinking what we are doing or for what we are going to ask.

And yet, when we go to call on someone, we have no difficulty in remembering why it was we came. Some appear as if they were about to say to God: "I am just going to say a couple of words, so I can get away quickly."

I often think that when we come to adore our Lord we should get all we ask if we asked for it with a lively faith and a pure heart.

Reference:

http://www.capuchinfriars.org.au/saints/curedears.shtml

Consider Priesthood

    On this year of priests, we pray that more young men would heed the call to ‘shepherd the flock’ as Christ have shepherd His Church. But if you feel that you have been ‘called by God’, how do you discern it and who will help you in that journey? In today’s feature, we take an attempt to provide you an overview on how aspirants are ordained into priesthood.

1. Pray about your vocation. Take any feelings or advice that have led you to consider the priesthood and give them to God, then wait patiently and openly for a response. Realize that everyone has a vocation and if a person is truly open to theirs, God will reveal it to him or her.

        a. If it would help, there is an online self-assessment to guide you whether you have high potential of becoming a priest.

        http://www.testyourcalling.org/index.jsp

         b. There is also a website which you can explore to further understand the vocation. It contains a digital copy of their magazine as well as Q&As on vocation.

        http://vocation-network.org/

2. Talk to your parish priest, your diocese's vocations director, or the vocation of a religious order if you are familiar with them.

    a. He can give you an overview of the different Catholic Religious Orders (http://www.shc.edu/theolibrary/orders.htm) of priests such as the Jesuits, Dominicans, or Oblates. They will talk with you about your vocation and possibly get you on a retreat specifically for men discerning the priesthood.

        b. During your initial meeting, you will be asked to provide some general information about yourself and your interest in the priesthood. Together you can discuss the application process and options available for seminary formation. You will be given an opportunity to ask any questions about seminary, priesthood, or the application process

        c. The Vocation Director may encourage you to meet with a spiritual director to further discern God's call.

3. Go through the application process. After you have made the decision to enter the seminary, you will begin the application process which includes:

         a. completing an application

         b. compiling sacramental and academic records

         c. health records

         d. psychological assessment

         e. letters of recommendation

         f. background check and participating in various interviews.

4. The application material is given to the Bishop for review and decision before he meets with the candidate. He then decides whether to accept you as a seminarian or not, or may delay your acceptance for some reason.

5. If you're accepted, go to the seminary. Unless you're somewhat older, you should expect to spend at least 6-8 years there, depending on how much college experience you have. Typically religious orders have a slightly different formation process, based on their own needs. Check with them about the exact steps they take that lead to ordination.

6. While you're at the seminary, continue to pray and discern God's will. Above all, do what your rector, bishop, vocation's director, or other superiors ask you to do. Seminarians begin formation with the start of the new academic year. They attend classes, retreats, and participate in apostolic work.

        A Spiritual Director will be assigned to you to assist in your formation process. In addition, an Academic Advisor at the seminary will provide you necessary direction and assistance.

        Each summer, the Bishop may assign seminarians to a particular pastoral work, such as assisting in a parish, hospital ministry, camp counselor, etc.

        The Vocation Director serves to assist the seminarian throughout the seminary formation process.

        The seminarian is expected to satisfactorily complete his undergraduate degree (followed by two years of philosophy studies if the degree is not in philosophy) prior to entering the program for his graduate theology degree.

7. The final test of whether or not you have a vocation to the priesthood is the call of the bishop. If the bishop does not call you to Holy Orders, you do not have a vocation to the priesthood. The bishop's call is definitive.

8. Be ordained a transitional deacon, making your promises of celibacy and obedience. Prior to ordination, the seminarian is required to successfully complete the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) Degree. The seminarian prepares for ordination as a transitional Deacon in January of his fourth year of theology. The Bishop assigns the newly ordained Deacon to assist in parish during the final semester while continuing classes at the seminary.

9. Be ordained a priest. In June of his final year of formation, the Deacon is called to Holy Orders by the Bishop and is ordained to the Priesthood.

Continue to pray for His will in your life. If priesthood is your calling, your desire for the service will continue to thrive forward despite challenges. If it is not, do not be disheartened as God prepares for us a mission whether priesthood or not. What is important is we continue to pursue to be like Jesus on whatever endeavor we undertake.

References:

http://www.fallrivervocations.org/ministries/application.htm
http://www.ichoseyou.com/seminary-faq.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Catholic-Priest