TUESDAY EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II
MEMORIAL OF ST. JOHN MARY VIANNEY
Jeremiah 30:1-2,12-15,18-22,
Matthew 15:1-2,10-14
GOD'S STANDARD IS OUR HEART
Today we celebrate St John Mary Vianney who is the patron saint of parish priests. He was from a very poor home, and because of that, he did not receive a good education since his parents could not afford it. Nevertheless, he was able to struggle to finish and after which, indicated interest to be a priest. He was admitted into the seminary, but he could not cope with the intellectual demands of the training to the Catholic priesthood. He was very poor in grasping knowledge especially languages of the Church such as Latin, Hebrew, Greek and others. These and other knowledge are very essential to understanding the context of the scriptures.
John Vianney was asked to discontinue his training for the priesthood. After a while, because of his record of humility, docility, readiness to learn and simplicity of heart and life, he was recalled to the seminary to continue his training to the priesthood. He was eventually ordained and sent to a very remote place where he would not need to speak to professors and very learned people but farmers and peasants.
God who had called and chosen him was on his side. John Vianney became a very popular priest with his way of life of holiness. God gave him a special gift. He carried out his priestly work very religiously. He took his time in counselling, and those who knew him said that he could spend 14 to 18 hours in the confessional in a day. He was a good confessor that the learned people left the cities to look for him in the village. In his conversation with people on the confessional, God gave him the gift of reading the minds of people, even to know the sins they did not confess. He admonished them and adviced them to turn fully to God.
He is the patron and model of all parish priests. This goes a long way to show that it is humans who set standard, God looks at a good heart that is ready to do his work. According to John Vianney, it is useless to be intelligent if it will not impart on the life of people. Make good use of the gifts God has given you, and he will bless you the more. God help us. Amen.
Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP
MEMORIAL OF ST. JOHN MARY VIANNEY
Jeremiah 30:1-2,12-15,18-22,
Matthew 15:1-2,10-14
GOD'S STANDARD IS OUR HEART
Today we celebrate St John Mary Vianney who is the patron saint of parish priests. He was from a very poor home, and because of that, he did not receive a good education since his parents could not afford it. Nevertheless, he was able to struggle to finish and after which, indicated interest to be a priest. He was admitted into the seminary, but he could not cope with the intellectual demands of the training to the Catholic priesthood. He was very poor in grasping knowledge especially languages of the Church such as Latin, Hebrew, Greek and others. These and other knowledge are very essential to understanding the context of the scriptures.
John Vianney was asked to discontinue his training for the priesthood. After a while, because of his record of humility, docility, readiness to learn and simplicity of heart and life, he was recalled to the seminary to continue his training to the priesthood. He was eventually ordained and sent to a very remote place where he would not need to speak to professors and very learned people but farmers and peasants.
God who had called and chosen him was on his side. John Vianney became a very popular priest with his way of life of holiness. God gave him a special gift. He carried out his priestly work very religiously. He took his time in counselling, and those who knew him said that he could spend 14 to 18 hours in the confessional in a day. He was a good confessor that the learned people left the cities to look for him in the village. In his conversation with people on the confessional, God gave him the gift of reading the minds of people, even to know the sins they did not confess. He admonished them and adviced them to turn fully to God.
He is the patron and model of all parish priests. This goes a long way to show that it is humans who set standard, God looks at a good heart that is ready to do his work. According to John Vianney, it is useless to be intelligent if it will not impart on the life of people. Make good use of the gifts God has given you, and he will bless you the more. God help us. Amen.
Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP
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