Universal Living Rosary Association of St Philomena

The Special Union of Mary And Priests

“There is a particular alliance between the Blessed Mother and priests. As the Eternal Father made her a partaker in His divine paternity, giving her the power of forming Christ within her womb, so, too, He communicates that same fatherhood to His priests in permitting them to form Christ in the Blessed Eucharist and in the hearts of the faithful. Christ made Mary a cooperator in the work of redemption; He also makes his priests coadjutors in the salvation of souls. Mary is the treasury of the Blessed Trinity; priests also share in this prerogative. Since all graces flow through Mary’s hands, so too, they are given to you by ministry of His priests. Because of their close alliance with Mary, the priest should be clothed with her virtues and profound humility. He should honor her by his words, incite others to love her, serve her by his actions, particularly fasting and mortification, have her picture ever near him, observe her feasts with special affection, imitate her purity and hatred for sin, her love for God, her charity towards all men, her patience, meekness and zeal for souls.” St. John Eudes

St. Jean-Marie Vianney formed a little habit in his childhood to which he remained true all his life, “blessing of the hour” with a Hail Mary to which he added “Blessed be God! Courage my soul! Time passes, eternity approaches. Let me live as I hope to die! Blessed be the holy and immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God!”

For more information about the relationship between St. Philomena and St. John Vianney, please visit: http://www.philomena.com

The Year for Priests on the 150th Anniversary of the “Dies Natalis” Of the Cure of Ars

As earlier said, in the proceeding chapter, on 19 June, 2009, on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, a day traditionally devoted to prayer for the sanctification of the Clergy, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed, this year till next year 19 June, 2010 a “Year for Priests”. This, he did in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the “Dies Natalis” of St. Jean-Marie Vianney, the Patron Saint of Priests worldwide. As we engage ourselves in the celebrations, I think of the countless situations of suffering endured by many priests, either because they themselves share in the manifold human experience of pain, or because they encounter misunderstanding from the very persons to whom they minister. How can we also not think of all those priests who are offended in their dignity, obstructed in their mission and persecuted, even at times to offering the supreme testimony of their own blood? There are also, sad to say, situations which can never be sufficiently deplored where the Church Herself suffers as a consequence of infidelity on the part of some of Her ministers. Then, it is the world which finds grounds for scandal and rejection.

The Cure of Ars was very humble, yet as a priest he was conscious of being an immense gift to his people; “A good shepherd, a pastor after God’s heart, is the greatest treasure which the Good Lord can grant to a parish and one of the most precious gifts of Divine Mercy. He spoke of the priesthood as if incapable of fathoming grandeur of the gift and task entrusted to a human creature: “0, how great is the priest! … If he realized what he is, he would die … God obeys him: he utters a few words and the Lord descends from Heaven at his voice, to be contained within a small host …”

By spending long hours in the Church before the Tabernacle, St. Jean-Marie Vianney inspired the faithful to imitate him by coming to visit Jesus with the knowledge that their parish priest would be there, ready to listen and offer forgiveness. In his time, the Cure of Ars was able to transform the hearts and lives of so many people because he enabled them to experience the Lord’s merciful love.

The Pauline Year, now coming to its close, invites us also to look to the Apostle of the Gentiles, who represents a splendid example of a priest entirely devoted to his ministry. “The love of Christ urges us on” – he wrote – “because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died” (2 Cor. 5:14). And he adds: “He died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him Who died and was raised for them” (2 Cor. 5: 15). Could a finer program be proposed to any priest resolved to advance along the path of Christian perfection?

Dear brethren, the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean-Marie Vianney (1859) follows upon the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Lourdes (1858). In 1959, Blessed Pope John XXIII noted that “shortly before the Cure of Ars completed his long and admirable life, the Immaculate Virgin appeared in another part of France to an innocent and humble girl, and entrusted her a message of prayer and penance which continues, even a century later, to yield immense spiritual fruits. The life of this Holy Priest, whose centenary we are commemorating in a real way, anticipated the great supernatural truths taught to the seer of Massabielle. He was greatly devoted to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin; in 1836, he had dedicated his parish church to Our Lady conceived without sin and he greeted the dogmatic definition of this truth in 1854 with deep faith and great Joy.” The Cure would always remind his faithful that, after giving us all He could, Jesus Christ wishes in addition to bequeath us His most precious possession, His Blessed Mother.

Rev. Fr Remigius Lazarus KASAWA, DP,
Nzama Catholic Parish
Ntcheu, Malawi, Central Africa

For more information about the relationship between St. Philomena and St. John Vianney, please visit: http://www.philomena.com