Posted on 08/04/2016 2:28:04 PM PDT by NYer
The final words of Father Jacques Hamel, “Begone, Satan,” bring to mind another French priest who had life-threatening encounters with the evil one and spoke strong words to his attackers. While this priest was not brutally murdered like Fr. Hamel, the devil tried his hardest to physically assault him in order to prevent the spreading of the Gospel.
Who was he? Saint Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney.
Vianney is well known for his encounters with Satan. For 35 years Satan threw everything he had against the holy priest who would hear confessions for sixteen hours each day.
At night Vianney would hear taunts, harrowing voices, evil singing, or shouting. He was physically dragged from his bed and one night his bed caught on fire. This torment would prevent him from having much sleep, but it did not deter him from living a life of holiness.
His ability to read souls and teach the profound truths of the Gospel brought him a lot of attention. Men and women would flock to his parish from miles around. However, Vianney was a very humble man and never sought any reward or respect from his people. There is a story of a neighboring priest who was jealous of Vianney’s fame and started a petition to remove him from Ars because of his lack of studies. Vianney caught wind of the petition, signed it himself and sent it off to the bishop! Thankfully, the bishop saw through the petition and didn’t do anything with it.
Vianney accepted the torment from the devil and knew that he was attacking him because of the many sinners that were being reconciled. He would often get attacked the most the night before a “big sinner” came to town to confess their sins.
The attacks continued but he remarked later that, “The demon is very cunning, but he is not strong. Making a Sign of the Cross soon puts him to flight… when I made the Sign of the Cross they departed.”
He became so accustomed to the encounters that he gave a nickname to the devil, calling him “the grappin.” He said once, “Oh! the grappin and myself? We are almost chums.”
Saint John Vianney underwent such horrifying attacks because God knew he could handle them and they would strengthen him for his ministry of mercy. Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians on this topic, “God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Satan’s attacks on Saint John Vianney were a “last resort” as the daily temptations that we are all familiar with did not do anything to the saint. So the devil amped up his game and tried to scare the priest into submission. However, instead of cowering in his room and submitting to the will of Satan, Vianney received God’s grace to follow will of the Father and remain faithful to the end.
Above all things Satan is a terrorist who never stops striking fear in our hearts, hoping that we will be afraid of him and think he is more powerful than God. This was true in Saint John Vianney’s time and certainly is the case now.
Satan is using these acts of terrorism to cripple us and prevent us from spreading God’s mercy to all people. We must stand against this tyranny of evil and, as the Archbishop of Rouen said, “be a witness that violence will not win in your own heart.”
Is it coincidence that Satan attacked Saint John Vianney before the “big sinners” came to town and that in our own time, violence is increasing during the Jubilee of Mercy? Let us remain faithful to Christ and “fight the good fight,” committing ourselves even more to be missionaries of mercy.
"We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials.”
St. Teresa of Avila
Catholic ping!
Are you ready for some grappin???
It’s grappin time!
Hold my beer and watch this grappin.
I read a couple of biographies of this great Saint. Near the end, the devil tried to make fun of him, calling him “potato-eater”! The saint responded, “How childish!” as if he expected something better.
You may find this interesting, as well.
The chief exorcist of Rome is seeing a rising number of young people coming under the influence of evil, but he has found in recent years that St. John Paul II is a powerful intercessor in the battle for souls.Not surprisingly, ‘Jesus Christ’ is the name Fr. Amorth most often calls upon to expel demons. But he also turns to saintly men and women for their heavenly assistance. Interestingly, he said that in recent years one man – St. Pope John Paul II – has proved to be a particularly powerful intercessor.
“I have asked the demon more than once, ‘Why are you so scared of John Paul II and I have had two different responses, both interesting. One, ‘because he disrupted my plans.’ And, I think that he is referring to the fall of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe. The collapse of communism.”
“Another response that he gave me, ‘because he pulled so many young people from my hands.’ There are so many young people who, thanks to John Paul II, were converted.
“The demon is very cunning, but he is not strong.”
A local exorcist recently said that “demons are on a very short leash.” The Lord is in total control and uses demons to test, correct and punish us.
St. John Vianney, ora pro nobis.
Vianney was humble, concluded that the demonic disturbances were just punishments from God and concluded that the attacks were signs of another person’s redemption.
Just think how much the Lord suffered on Good Friday. Being called a “potato eater” times a million. Wow.
The divine depository in our hands (so you want to go to heaven?) [Catholic Caucus]
Revitalizing Your Priesthood (The Grace of Ars -- about St. John Vianney)
A Seed of Glory and Eternal Life in the Holy Priest's Flesh [Death of St. John Vianney, Curé d’Ars]
The Priesthood and the Mass
Sermons of St. John Vianney - Cure of Ars » Follow one Master only
Sermons of St. John Vianney - Cure of Ars » The World is Everything - God, Nothing!
Sermons of St. John Vianney - Cure of Ars » We are wretched creatures
Bishop Olmsted on the Devil and John Vianney
St. John Mary Vianney, the Curé d'Ars
Saint John MarIe Baptist Vianney, Cure of Ars (1786-1859)
Novena In Honor Of Saint John Marie Vianney
Curé d'Ars: Model Priest [Year of the Priest]
Pope: There's an Answer to Empty Confessionals [Catholic Caucus]
St. John Vianney's Pastoral Plan
Sermons of St. John Vianney - Cure of Ars » Lost Works
Sermons of St. John Vianney - Cure of Ars » Have You Religion in Your Heart?
Sermons of St. John Vianney - Cure of Ars: The Dreadful State of the Lukewarm Soul (Catholic Caucus)
Play about life of St. John Vianney to tour U.S. in 2009
Aug 4, St. John Marie Vianney - Patron of Parish Priests
Centuries Old Relic (heart of St. John Vianney) Comes To U.S.
Sainted priest’s heart - Thousands await chance to see incorrupt relic
Saint's heart to go on display
Excerpts from the Sermons of the Cure of Ars
St. John Vianney’s Pastoral Plan
Relics of Curé of Ars Make Stop in Papal Chapel
HOMILY by St. Jean Baptiste Marie Vianney, the Curé of Ars CHARITY
St John Vianney, Patron of Parish Priests(1786-1859)[Cure of Ars]
News from the Apostolic Administration of St. John Vianney Fall 2002, Volume 1 - Number 1
The Cure Of Ars: Jean-Marie Vianney
“Oh, how great is a priest!" [The Curé d'Ars regarding bishops/priests)
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