St. John Mary Vianney – A Beacon of Christian Living

St. John Mary Vianney

Which Catholic has not heard the name of St. John Mary Vianney who transformed immoral Ars into a Heaven of Grace and Blessing? Who is unaware of his simplicity, penance and unbroken hours of dedicated confessional assistance and hours of benediction at the Blessed Sacrament and thus has melted the hardest hearts of Ars? It is this person who failed and failed in academic studies, jeered by companions and neglected by superiors; but excelled to that height where no religious of his time could reach in the practice of what has been taught within the four walls of the Seminary.

For me, Vianney is a perfect example for a “True Christian.” He lived what he preached. St. James clearly says, ‘Faith without deeds is dead’ (Jas 2:26). Vianney’s is a perfect embodiment of faith. “His faith was working together with his deeds like that of Abraham” (Jas 2:22).

1. Life of Prayer

This is a first pillar on which the life of Vianney is based. Mere four hours of sleep; hardly any time given for cooking and eating and spent most of his time either kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament or sitting in the Confessional. He may not be a good orator, but what he preached is through his life of prayer. Once a person asked  Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen about the receptivity of his sermons and this was his reply, “the people must listen, because it is prepared in front of the Blessed Sacrament.”

This is what the saint says, “Prayer never leaves us without sweetness. It is honey that flows into the souls and makes all things sweet. When we pray properly, sorrows disappear like snow before the sun. Some men immerse themselves as deeply in prayer as fish in water, because they give themselves totally to God. O, how I love these noble souls!” If the Saint were to stir the conscience of the people of Ars it is nothing but this conviction, “my words will not return back unless they produce effect.”

For the saint, prayer does not merly mean adoration and sitting in the confessional. It is an act of holiness. Every Sacramental life is an act of Holiness. Eucharist was centre of his life. Besides this, Vianney had special devotion for Sacramentals, such as devotion to Mother Mary, Novena’s to various saints etc. Lectio Divina is another area he enjoyed, “it was sweet like honey.” 

Vianney challenges us here. It is very difficult for us to spend few minutes in prayer. We feel that the daily Eucharist, ‘the shorter the better.’ For most of the priests, the Eucharist is time-bound, “weekday Mass should not exceed 25 minutes.” In most of the religious houses where there are schools, the religious teachers who attend the Mass depart as soon as receiving Holy Communion, if the mass exceeds 20 minutes. In some places specific requests are made, “Father, you should finish mass within 25 minutes.”

Personal prayer, Spiritual reading, daily meditations, Prayer of the Church have become need in the formation houses. Novenas and devotion to Mother Mary have become the devotions of the elderly people. Once the person gets ordained or profess final vows, these practices become ‘old-fashioned,’ and not the need of the person as if the person is ‘perfect.’ We need to change these attitudes and live a devout Christian life. 

2. Simplicity in life

It is evident from the actions of present Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis. He did not like the golden embossed mitre, luxurious looking “Peter’s Chair” nor golden Cross. But opted for a simpler one. Further, exhorted the pastors of the Church to live a simpler life and not to go for luxurious cars.

Vianney’s life was simpler. Only boiled Potatoes were his food. Slept not in luxurious palace, rather lived in a poor presbytery in the village parish. Had time for all kinds of people at any time. Today’s clergy is diametrically opposed to this. If a visitor goes around 2 O’clock noon, the priest has no time even to attend the visitor, because it is his ‘siesta time.’ If any dying person needs some urgent attention to, the priest says, “I am in the School office and I have no time.” If one wants to see the latest models of Cars, can be seen with priests. Bination or trination of Masses has become common practice. Pope Francis says, “To become a priest or a religious is not primarily our choice; it is our answer to a calling, a calling of Love.” God has called us, and it is our duty to live that call as faithfully as possible. Authentic call is in living the life of Christ.

3. Love for Mission

When Vianney was assigned to the obscure little village of Ars near Lyons the Vicar-general of the diocese told him, “There is not much love of God in that parish, you may enkindle it.” Vianney loved his appointment as the will of God. It seems that his aim is to change the ‘loveless Ars’ into a ‘love-filled Ars.’ He offered himself to the mission, he loved the mission and people both Christian and non-Christians. He constantly sought the will of God in everything he did. He says, “Anything we do without offering it to God is wasted.”

There is greater enthusiasm during the formation time to become priests and religious. So much so, when a seminarian is asked about their purpose in life the cliché answer is, “I want to serve the poor and needy.” But once he is an ordained priest, the very next day removes the mask of ‘love and piety’ and covers himself with the veil of selfishness and greed. This is very vivid among many clergy and religious. Bishops and superiors have enough trouble in appointing and transferring certain people in certain places. Such people are neither moved by ‘love of mission’ nor answering one’s “Divine Call.” We need to avoid being in two boats. In the words of Vianney, “You either belong wholly to the world or wholly to God.”  It is here Vianney becomes a beacon of Christian living for all of us. He believed in the providence of God, loved and lived that conviction.

Prayer, simplicity and love for mission are three pillars the life of Vianney is based on. If we have these three things in our life, no doubt we can be another ‘Vianney’ in this contemporary time. Today the world needs ‘saints,’ saints like John Mary Vianney. World needs people who can forgo luxurious cars and forgo well decorated palaces like presbyteries. World needs people who can go the people, speak to them, love them, hear their cries, pray with them, spend time with them, guide them and above all preach the Word of God in Word and Deed. Thus, we are called to build our parishes and institutions from "loveless Ars" to "Love-filled Ars."

My favorite quote

My little children, reflect on these words: the Christian's treasure is not on earth but in heaven. Our thoughts, then, ought to be directed to where our treasure is. This is the glorious duty of man: to pray and to love. If you pray and love, that is where a man's happiness lies.


Fr. Raju  Felix  Crasta