An excerpt from the Life of St. John Vianney
by Michel de Saint Pierre
Another day, when he was still only four, he disappeared mysteriously from the house. Marie Vianney noticed it, looked for him, called him. All in vain. In a panic, she sought him all over the farm, weeping and despairing. Suddenly fear struck terror to her heart as she remembered a certain water hole, dark and deep, where the child might have drowned. But at last she found John Mary in the stable praying, with his hands
on the famous wooden satuette. Perhaps Marie was edified, good Christian that she was. But she did not let him know it. Instead, she chided: "Why did you run away? Why did you cause me so much worry? And why do you hide to say your prayers? You know very well that we all pray together."John Mary Vianney owed a great deal, and would continue to owe a great deal to this woman who was his mother. Concerning his own filial sentiments, he later on expressed himself in a way that left no room for doubt:
My love of prayer and of the altar? After God, I owe it to my mother." "Virtue passes easily from the hearts of mothers into the hearts of their children!"
Fr. Monnin, a very reliable witness and one of the confidants of the last years of his life, has declared: "We remember hearingh him say on several occasions that a child should not be able to look at his mother without weeping."
Prayer of St. John Vianney:
I love You, O my God,
and my only desire is to love You
until the last breath of my life.
I love You, O my infinitely lovable God,
and I would rather die loving You,
than live without loving You.
I love You, Lord
and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally...
My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You,
I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath.
Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS
_______________________
No comments:
Post a Comment