Memorial of Saint John Vianney, priest
M. Scott Peck’s book, “The Road Less Traveled” starts out memorably with the sentence “Life is difficult.” Aside from stating the obvious, this line gives context to a book that sets out to explore the nature of loving relationships and how they affect our spirit and our serenity.
In the first reading Jeremiah’s prophecy tries to give context to the difficulties the Israelites face. Even before the last of tribes are taken into exile, Jeremiah’s word promises how God’s love and mercy will restore and rebuild Israel. Of course these can be hard to hear when we are faced by a sword or a demon that wants to control us. In the Gospel, Jesus withdraws to gentile territory and immediately meets a Canaanite woman whose daughter is possessed by a demon. While Jesus’ reaction to her may strike us odd, the main take away is that the woman faith in the Lord and love for her daughter moved Jesus to an act of love. The Canaanite’s woman’s desire to be in a faith relationship with the Lord moved him to heal her daughter. Her tenacity is a model for how seriously we must pursue a relationship with the Lord. John Vianney’s personal relationship with the Lord must have been as deep as the ocean, for his faith guarded and guided many in the church. John was truly an instrument of God’s grace as people came from all over to have this loving priest hear their confession. His remarkable compassion and trust in the Lord allowed him to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation for up to 16 hours a day for almost three decades. Today consider how you might take your faith to the next level. What could you do or confess so that the obstacles to your faith might be removed? St. John’s prayer to Jesus written in the 19th century prayerfully summarizes today’s readings and how a loving relationship with God can radically guard and guide us and give us a context from which God can turn our mourning into joy. 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. -Michael Montgomery