Years of Priests!
As it is the Year of Priests, does it mean that it has nothing to do with those normal parishioners? Do we have any parts to play since this is not 'our' year or 'our family' year? And as the priests are so close to God and they are always regconised as the great prayers,do we need to pray for them?
Of course,we need as they need our prayers too. They need us to pray for them so that they are able to face all the challenges, suffering, sorows and so on when doing the works of God. So how are we going to pray for them? Don't worry, when there is a will,there is a way. We can pray through St John Vianney's prayer and this "fastprayer" only takes your 1 minutes!!
How great is St. John Vianney? Erm...I did some reading on his story and it touched a lot. With his simple outlook, he has done great things and he has an outstanding faith towards God. Okay, lets have a brief on his life. I'm sure you will be stunted with his uniqueness.
Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney was a religious personality of unusual force. To the incomparable exclusion of everything else he addressed himself to the greater honor and glory of God and the salvation of souls. He accepted his obligation to holiness at an early age, and it took complete possession of him. Every word he uttered was spoken out of the world of religiousness. He brought to a conclusion an achievement which it would be hard for anyone to imitate. From this man there emanated an influence which cannot be overlooked, and the results of which cannot be contested.
St. John Vianney’s mother was a woman of great piety, and she led him into the way of religion at an early age. “I owe a debt to my mother,” he said, and added, “virtues go easily from mothers into the hearts of their children, who willingly do what they see being done.” He was a good-natured boy, with blue eyes and brown hair. In spite of his lively disposition, he admitted much later on in life that “when I was young, I did not know evil. I was first acquainted with it in the confessional, from the mouths of sinners.”
It was only after much toil and trouble that St. John Vianney was admitted to the priesthood. At the age of 20, he was having great difficulty in his studies for the priesthood. Mathias Loras, perhaps the most intelligent of Jean-Marie’s fellow seminarians, who was assigned to help him in his lessons, was of a nervous and excitable temperament. One day his patience was exhausted by the sheer incapacity of the big young man, and he boxed his ears before all the others. Jean-Marie was also excitable, but he knelt down before the boy of twelve who had treated him so outrageously and humbly asked his forgiveness. Mathias had a golden heart. Suddenly he felt smitten with grief and, his face bathed in tears, he threw himself into the arms of Jean-Marie who was still on his knees. This incident marked the beginning of an abiding friendship. Mathias Loras subsequently became a missionary in the United States, and eventually Bishop of Dubuque, but never could he forget the action of Jean-Marie and the accent with which he spoke on that occasion.
Reflection: How many times do we seek for forgiveness from the others? Do we able humbling ourselves to ask to be forgiven although we are still "hot"?
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