Thoughts of the St. Cure of d'Ars (St. John Mary Vianney)

[Hildegard of Bingen]

Page 25

HERE is a rule for everyday life:  Do not anything which you cannot offer to God.

- On Dancing (C.)

WHEN you hear Mass, do you come in the same frame of mind as the Blessed Virgin

at Calvary?  Because it is the same God, and the same Sacrifice.

- Sermon on Good Friday

THOSE who do not pray stoop towards the earth like a mole trying

to make a hole to hide itself in.

- Catechism on Prayer (Sp.)

DEVOTION gains much more in influence when it is practiced by the men.

- On serving God (M.)

GOD loves us more than the best of fathers, and more tenderly than the

most devoted of mothers. We have only then to abandon ourselves

to His Will with the heart of a child.

- Precept (D.)

A GOOD religious complained one day:  "O Lord, what have I done

to be treated thus?"  Our Lord answered him:  "And I, what had

I done when I was led to Calvary?" 

- Catechism on Suffering (Sp.)

OH! if we could rightly understand how Jesus Christ loves to come

into our heart!

- Eucharistic Meditation 10.

[Hildegard of Bingen]

Page 26

HE who, when tempted, makes the Sign of the Cross with devotion,
makes Hell tremble and Heaven rejoice.
- Sermon on the Cross
WHEN we have God in our heart, it ought to glow.  The hearts of the
Disciples on the road to Emmaus burned within them at the sound of His voice.
- The Cure d'Ars and Contemplation (D.)
IN the soul which is united to God, it is always Spring.
- Catechetical Illustration form Nature (M.)
O WHAT inspiration there is in the Crucifix! Who could find it hard to persevere
at the sight of a God who never commands us to do anything which He has not
first practiced Himself?
- Catechism on Home Life (F.)
HE that has received the Sacrament of Confirmation is always ready to give
his life for God . . . . His only fear is the fear of committing sin . . . .
- Sermon on Confirmation.
IF you love God, you will find pleasure in speaking of Him and
in hearing Him spoken of.
- Signs of true Love for God (A.)
WE must act only for God, and put our works into His hands . . . .
- Catechism on Salvation (Sp.)

[Hildegard of Bingen]

Page 27

ONE ought to pray earnestly, especially at the Ember Seasons, that God will

give us good priests.  If they are saints, what good they are able to do!  But,

whatever they are,never speak against them.

- On the Priesthood (C.)

THOSE who practice devotion, who go often to Confession and Communion,

and fail to do works of faith and charity, are like trees in blossom.  You think there

will be as much fruit as flower; but there is a great difference . . . .

- On the Joys of the Interior Life (Sp.)

WE love God truly in so far as, when finding ourselves with people who differ

from us, we behave graciously to them, speak charitably of them, are willing to

meet them again, and to do them a kindness . . . .

- Le Cure d'Ars et le Don de Force.

WE can do nothing by ourselves, my children,

but we can do everything with the help of God . . . .

- Sermon on Temptations (Sp.)

ONE day, Our Lord said to St. Catherine of Siena; "I want you to make

a Retreat in your heart, and to come there to be alone with Me and keep

Me company."  Well, let us do the same . . . .

Signs of true love for God.

 

[Hildegard of Bingen]

Page 28

LIFE is given us that we may learn to die well, and we never

think of it!  To die well we must live well.

- On Death (Sp.)

WITH the thought God sees me! We should never sin.

- Homily (Sp.)

IF you cannot give an alms yourself you can pray that God

will inspire someone else to do so.

- Catechism on Almsgiving (M.)

OUR Lord took that good Heart of His that He might love us with it.

- Sermon on the Divine Mercy (D.)

O MY God, I desire to love You more than all the Angels and all the

Saints put together.  I adore Thee with them, and unite my love with

that which Thy Blessed Mother had for Thee, when she was on earth . . . .

- A Prayer of the Cure d'Ars to Jesus Christ (D.)

WE may well be astonished that God was obliged to make a

commandment to forbid us to take His Name in vain.

- Sermon on the Second Commandment.

WHEN one has no consolations, one serves God for Himself alone;

but when one has them one is liable to serve Him out of love for self.

- The Cure d'Ars and the Love of God (D.)

[Hildegard of Bingen]

Page 29

GOD is everywhere ready to hear your prayers.

- Catechism on Prayer (Sp.)

JESUS CHRIST found a way by which He could ascend into Heaven

and yet remain on the earth.  He instituted the adorable Sacrament

of the Eucharist so that He might stay with us, and be the Food of

our soul; that He might console us and be our Companion.

- Sermon on Communion.

WHEN the heart is pure, it cannot help loving, because

it has found the source of love, which is God Himself.

- Catechism on Purity (M.)

IF we are not led by the Holy Ghost, we labor in vain, and

there is no substance, no savor in anything we do.

- Catechism on the Holy Ghost (Sp.)

A HUMBLE person, if his opinion is asked, gives it all

simplicity and then leaves others to give theirs.

Whether they are right or wrong, he says no more.

- Catechism on Pride (M.)

ALAS!  O my God, if there are so few to bear the Cross,

there will only be few to adore Thee in eternity.

- Sermon on the Cross

GOOD Christians are like those birds which make their

nests upon the points of rocks, on the roofs of houses,

in high places.  They ought always to be on the heights.

- Catechism (Sp.)

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Page 30

HOW ungrateful it is to show ourselves mean and niggardly

towards a God who has shown himself so prodigal towards us!

- On Furnishing a Church (M.)

AN OLD peasant went into the church every day before going

to work, and again on his return.  "Pere Chaffangeon, what do

you say to Our Lord, during your visits?"  asked M. Vianney,

"I say nothing to Him, M. le Cure, I look at Him, and He looks

at me."

- The Parish of Ars (J.V.)

SIMEON gave back Jesus to His Mother; he was only suffered

to keep Him for one moment.  But we are far happier than Simeon.

We may keep Him always if we will.  In Communion He comes not

only into our arms but into our hearts.

-  Sermon on the Feast of the Purification (M.)

To him who seeks only to please God and to save his soul, the

necessities will never be lacking.

-  On the Keeping of Sunday (E.)

THE soul wheren the Holy Ghost dwells exhales a sweet perfume,

like the vine when in flower.

-  Catechetical Illustration from Nature (M.)

If something uncharitable is said in your presence, either speak in

favor of the absent, or withdraw, or if possible, stop the conversation.

-  On love for one's Neighbor (A.)

[Hildegard of Bingen]

Page 31

THE heart of the Saints is as steadfast as a rock in the midst of the sea.

- On the Joys of the Interior Life (Sp.)

GOD made all the days of the week.  He might have kept them all, but

He has given you six and has reserved to Himself only the seventh.

- Conversion of the Village (S.)

THERE is nothing easier than to pray to God and nothing is more comforting.

- Catechism Notes (T.)

AH!  If only one would do as much for God as one does for the World! . . .

- Sermon on the Services of God.

THOSE who are led by the Holy Ghost have true ideas; that is the reason why

so many ignorant people are wiser than the learned.  The Holy Ghost is light

and strength.  When we are led by a God of strength and light, we cannot go astray.

- Catechism on the Holy Ghost (Sp.)

WHEN we are walking in the streets, let us fix our eyes on Our Lord bearing His

Cross before us; on the Blessed Virgin who is looking at us; on our Guardian

Angel who is by our side.

- Catechism on Self-Control (Sp.)

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YOU must close your heart against pride, sensuality, and all other

passions- just as one shuts doors and windows so that none may enter.

- Catechism on Purity (M.)

JESUS CHRIST expressly tells us that it is impossible to be for God and

the World at the same time, because when we want to please the one,

it means becoming the enemy of the other.

- Sermon on the World.

WHEN one loves anyone, it is a great happiness to have something of

theirs as a souvenir.  If we love our Mother, the Blessed Virgin, we

should make it both our duty and privilege to have one of her pictures

or statues in our home, which from time to time will remind us of her.

- On the Furniture of a Christian Home (F.)

WE listen to a sermon if we happen to like the preacher . . . We must

not act thus humanly.  It is not the shell we should look at.

- On the Word of God (M.)

A SAINT has told us that if we had the happiness of assisting often and

devoutly at Mass, we should have far more blessing -- spiritually --

and even for our temporal affairs.

- Sermon on the Mass.

ALL that we do without offering it to God is wasted.

- On Faith (C.)

[Hildegard of Bingen]

Page 33

TO love God is not to be faithful in fulfilling part

of our duties and to neglect the rest.

- Sermon preached on May 28th, 1848 (Sp.)

REMAIN humble, remain simple; the more you are so,

the more good you will do.

- Maxim (T.)

WE notice in the Gospels that there were very few who

confessed their indebtedness to Jesus Christ openly;

people only thanked Him for as long as they remained

at His feet.

- Sermon on the Fear of Other People's Opinion.

AFTER God, we should have a great confidence in the

Blessed Mother of Jesus, who is so good . . .

- Sermon on Hope.

WHEREVER we are, and whatever we do, we shall

always meet with spiritual difficulties.

- Sermon on the Enemies of the Soul.

LET them say all they hgave to say.  When they have said

all they have to say, there will be no more to be said and

they will be silent.

- Advice to a persecuted Priest (M.)

NOTHING afflicts the Heart of Jesus so much as to see all

His sufferings of no avail to so many . . .  Pray then for the

conversion of sinners.

- The Zeal of the Cure of Ars (Sp.)

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Page 34

DURING the day, and even at night if you wake, say to God:  "My God,

give me the grace to love Thee as much as it is possible for me to love Thee.!"

- Catechism on the Instruction of Children (F.)

COME, come, my dear, don't be frightened at your burden; Our Lord

will help you to carry it.

- Counsel (M.)

I OFTEN think that even if there were no other life than this one, it would

be enough happiness just to love God here and to do something for His glory.

- The Cure d'Ars and the Love of God (D.)

OUR Lord is never found in Pomp, Pleasure, Luxury, but in lowliness and humiliatin.

- On suffering (C.)

SOME good Christians are in the habit of saying:  "I will make so many acts of

love of God, so many sacrifices today."  I like that practice very much.

- On the Joys of the Interior Life (Sp.)

TO do things well, one must do them as God wishes.

- Notre-Dame d'Ars, Meditation 22.

I KNOW sure ways of becoming poor:  to work on Sunday and to take the

property of others.

- A favorite saying of the Cure d'Ars (M.)

[Hildegard of Bingen]

Page 35

WE must not consult our own inclinations, but endeavor always to do

that which will give the most pleasure to God.

- On the Cardinal Virtues (C.)

AFTER the reception of the Sacraments, when we feel the love of God

growing cold, let us instantly make a Spiritual Communion.

- Catechism on the Holy Eucharist (M.)

DO not the continual needs of our soul and body warn us to have

recourse to Him who alone can supply them?

- Sermon on Prayer (Sp.)

I HAVE had crosses in plenty - more than I could carry almost!

I set myself to ask for the love of crosses - then I was happy.

- Of Suffering (M.)

THE sermons of Saints are their examples.

- The Cure of Ars in his Conversation (Sp.)

WE have nothing of our own but our will.  It is the only thing

which God has so placed in our own power that we can make

an offering of it to Him. 

- Mortification of the Cure d'Ars (M.)

AH!  if we had the eyes of Angels with which to see Our Lord

Jesus Christ present on the Altar and looking at us, how we

should love Him!
- Catechism on the Real Presence (Sp.)

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Page 36

WE must have a great confidence in God in times of illness or grief,

because it is precisely then that God waits to see whether or no we

shall put our trust in Him.

- Sermon on Hope

WHEN we are before the Blessed Sacrament, let us open our heart;

our good God will open His.  We shall go to Him; He will come to

us; the one to ask, the other to receive.  It will be like a breath from

one to the other.

- Catechism on the Real Presence (Sp.)

GIVE God your love.  He is so good - love Him all you can!

- Words heard at Ars and quoted during the Saint's

lifetime in a Sermon at Saint-Sulpice (D.)

PRAYER makes time seem to pass quickly, and so pleasantly, that

one fails to notice how long it is.

- Catechism on Prayer (M.)

A HOUSE founded on the Cross will fear neither wind, nor rain,

nor storm.

- On Suffering (Sp.)

COULD one find a greater honor than to be allowed to make

reparation to Jesus Christ for the outrages which He receives

in the Sacrament of His love?

- Sermon for Corpus Christi

[Hildegard of Bingen]

Page 37

WHAT sweetness there is in forgetting ourselves in order to seek God!

- Catechism on the Real Presence (Sp.)

IT is a strange thing; I have met plenty of people who repented at not

having loved God.  Never have I met one who repented of having loved

Him.

- Of Penitence (M.)

OUR Lord wishes nothing but your happiness.

- Catechism on the Real Presence (Sp.)

THIS is real faith, when we speak to God as we would converse with

a man.

- Maxim (T.)

THERE is one thing everyone can do, whether they find it hard to

meditate or not, and that is to make up their mind in the morning

to cultivate some particular virtue during the day, to practice the

interior Presence of God, and to live their life in union with Him.

- On Prayer (C.)

ST. ALOYSIUS GONZAGA, when he was a student, if found fault with

on any occasion, never tried to excuse himself.  If he was wrong, he was

wrong; if he was right, he would say to himself:  I have often been

wrong before.

- Catechism on Pride (M.)

A SAINT has said:  "I would rather suffer with Jesus Christ than

reign with Him in Heaven."

- Sermon on Afflictions

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Page 38

OUR Bishop has said that every morning we must offer as

a sacrifice all we shall have to suffer during the day; and that

if God does not send any suffering, the merit of the sacrifice

will be there all the same.

-  On Suffering (C.)

THERE is such a thing as a holy anger, which comes from

our zeal in upholding the interests of God.

-  Sermon on Anger.

HOLY Communion and offering the Holy Sacrifice . . . are

the two most powerful means of intercession for others'

conversion.

-  On Love for our Neighbor (C.)

"O JESUS", often exclaimed the Cure of Ars, "to know Thee

is to love Thee! Did we but know how Our Lord loves us,

we should die of joy."

-  Virtues of the Cure of Ars (M.)

We ought to ask the Blessed Virgin, the Angels, and the Saints

to pray for us that we may receive the good God as worthy as

it is possible for us to receive Him.

-  Sermon on Communion.

ALL difficulties, temptations, sickness and humiliations

become sweet and easy to endure, if one bears them in

union with Our Lord. 

- On Suffering (C.)

[Hildegard of Bingen]

Page 39

TO the man who gives himself up to the guidance of the Holy Ghost,

there seems to be no world; to the world there seems to be no God.

-  Catechism on the Holy Ghost (Sp.)

LET us open the door of the Sacred Heart, and shut ourselves in for a moment

amidst its divine flames; we shall then realize what God's love means . . . .

-  On the Sacred Heart (H.)

THOSE who do not pray think only of temporal things like the miser who,

when a silver Crucifix was presented to him to kiss, remarked: 

"That cross weighs at least ten ounces."

-  Catechism on Prayer (M.)

LOVE for God here consists in loving Him more than any created thing

-- loving Him better than our own life. 

-  Catechism on the Act of Love (F.)

THERE is not single creature which does not provide us with the means

of reaching God.  If any of them become an obstacle, it is only by our

misuse of them.

-  On Paradise (Sp.)

WE love a thing in proportion to what it has cost us.  You may judge by that

Our Lord's love for our soul, which has cost Him His Blood.  He is eager

for communications and intercourse with it.  He longs to see it, to hear it . . . .

-  Joys of the Interior Life (Sp.)

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Page 40

ALTHOUGH Mary knew that God had raised her to the most

supreme of all honors - that of being the Mother of God -

nevertheless she regarded herself as the least of all creatures.

-  Notre-Dame d'Ars, Meditation 19.

WHAT happiness do we not feel in the Presence of God, when

we are alone at His feet before the Sacred Tabernacle! . . .

Redouble your fervour; you are alone to adore your God; His

eyes rest upon you alone.

-  Catechism on the Real Presence (M.)

OUR faults are life a grain of sand beside the great mountain

of the mercies of the good God.

-  The Cure d'Ars in his Catechisms (Sp.)

WE should say every morning:  "My God, send me Thy Holy

Spirit to teach me what I am and what Thou art!" 

-  Catechism on the Holy Ghost (M.)

A SAINT has called us "Porte-Dieu" (God-Bearers).  That is

quite true, but we have not enough faith.

-  Catechism on the Blessed Sacrament (D.)

REMEMBER that when the priest gives you absolution, you

have but one thing to think of -- that the Blood of the good

God is flowing over your soul to purify it and make it as

bright as it was made by its Baptism.

- Catechism on the Sacrament of Penance (M.)