HOMILY, TUESDAY, 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A
ST JOHN VIANNEY P. [MEMORIAL]
[St John known as Cure d’Ars, was born in France in 1786. He is the patron of parish priests. As a seminarian he struggled greatly mainly because of his poor performance in his studies. Eventually he was ordained and sent to Ars, where few people practiced the faith. His holiness, preaching, prayer and penance transformed the parish of Ars and people began to flock to him for the sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance) he died in 1859] Daily Missal
Jer 30:1-2.12-15.18-22, Matthew 15:1-2.10-14
Divine knowledge surpasses human intelligence. St John drew people to God by holiness of life and not how much he knew about Him [God]. His life and preaching tallied.
To draw people to God, we must be drawn to God. Relying on our intelligence our relevance in the crowd will only last for a moment. Lasting impact is a product of intimacy with God.
moreover, intimacy with God is a thing of the heart, and not how much we know. It is not all about knowing and observing all the religious observances. It is about opening up our minds and hearts to God that he may direct us rightly.
“Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, that defiles a man.” Matthew 15:10-11
By his preaching and the words of his mouth, John Vianney converted many people to God. Likewise, each one of us must guard his or her heart jealously. What we hold in our heart can draw people towards us or drive them away. Let us give God our hearts that he may use us as instrument of conversion.
May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts, be acceptable to God.
PRAYER
Almighty and merciful God, who made the priest Saint John Vianney wonderful in his zeal, grant, we pray, that through his intercession and example, we may win brothers and sisters in charity for Christ and attain with them eternal glory. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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