The Heart of a Hero

“How wonderful it is to have a heart, and as little as it is, use it to love God.” – St. Jean Marie Vianney  

One day, when I was a youth of 17 years old who relished in wonder of woods and the world, platforms for dreams of adventure and heroism – as every youth, young and old, have – I wandered through the library of my high school to its second floor. It was there as I browsed across the shelves, judging books by their binders and titles and authors, that my eyes curiously settled upon a biography with an old black and battered cover. I pulled it from the shelf and opened it up. An image of a man with cheery dear eyes and a kindly smile met my own. On the opposite page were phrases in large, bold print:

“To be saved, we must know, love, and serve God. Oh, what a beautiful life!”  

“A pure soul with God is like a child with its mother.”  

“Oh God! Oh God! How Thou has loved us! See the power of the priest; out of a piece of bread the word of a priest makes a God.”  

Such expressions resonated deeply within my heart and appeased its searching. I remember crouching over this book, flipping through its pages and being totally immersed in the stories of this man long enough for my neck to strain, signaling me it was time to leave and try to catch the bus! I lankily leaped down the stairs to the front desk and checked out the The Curé D’Ars: A Pictorial Biography, by Right Rev. Rene Fourrey, Bishop of Belley for the first time of many thereafter (See the picture of school library's record at left). So it was that I came to know of St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney.

It is an interesting thought to consider that, in a culture and time in which our society praises and preaches comfort and pleasure, what was most appealing to me about St. Vianney was that the challenge he proposed for attaining happiness was living a life of sacrificial love. He made himself a victim of love by his zeal for Jesus Christ and the well-being of souls. He used to say as an adolescent, “If I were to be a priest, I should want to be a good and holy priest after God’s own heart and win ever so many souls for Him.” Here was a true hero. Amidst so many adversaries and quarrels between peoples throughout generations, here was a man who recognized the real enemy of humanity: sin and Satan. Being aware of the dignity of his sonship to God the Father made at the gift of his Baptism, he became a mediator between God and man through following his call to the priesthood, and introduced souls, through sacrificial love, to their caring Creator and the Author of their life.  

Through the years since then, I had my own experience of adventures through college, different jobs as a DC police officer and 4th grade teacher, eventually to where I am now at JPII seminary. It was a great blessing and joyful surprise then to see an email regarding the visit of St. Vianney’s heart at the seminary! Through the consideration and hard work of the Knights of Columbus and courtesy of the current curé de Ars, the relics of St. Vianney’s heart and chalice were to be present at JPII seminary for 4 hours on November 17, 2018. What a privilege it was to sit before the heart of the man who inspired the dreams of my youth. It was like being reunited with an old friend I had not talked to in a long time.  

Here was the heart nurtured by a mother, for whom he had such affection that he could not refer to her “without crying” for teaching him, at such a young age, to learn his prayers and begin his relationship with God. It was this same heart that burned with fervor at the gentle whisperings of the Holy Spirit or by drawing near to the Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Here was the heart that had been beating on through the blunderings of the French Revolution and its persecution of the Catholic Church, on through the rigorous fasts and penances compelled by love for God and souls, on through the onslaughts and violent attacks from the Evil One, on through hours and hours in the confessional, on through to his old age until at last death gifted it to stop, allowing Jean Marie to enter into the eternal rest with his Beloved God. Here it was before my heart and the hearts of my brother seminarians, who all have also felt, along this earthly pilgrimage, a similar flame and fire of love for Our Creator, silently reposing not far beyond in the tabernacle.  

“The priesthood is the love of the Heart of Jesus. When you see the priest, think of Our Lord Jesus Christ.” – St. Jean Marie Vianney

…

Quotes from men of JPII   

For me, receiving the heart St. John Vianney into our chapel and home was synonymous to receiving a heart of mercy.  In the days preceding his visit, we seminarians learned of the pastoral care St. John Vianney showed his flock and by which he reflected the heart of Jesus--The Merciful Heart.   After this period of preparatory reflections and prayer, we were given the opportunity to venerate St. John Vianney's heart.  As I knelt down before his heart, I noticed two things. The first was that through the reliquary, placed at the front of our chapel, I could see the tabernacle which showed me that one  se es C hrist t hrough the heart of John Vianney.  The second revelation came as I was preparing to return to my pew.  As I began to stand, I noticed a shift of light in the glass of the reliquary.  Naturally, I looked closer.  To my surprise, I found my own reflection!  Though the phenomena is certainly explicable in natural terms, it nevertheless helped me to see that my heart as a seminarian and a future priest, God willing, is called to reflect the same mercy and pastoral care with which St. John Vianney manifested the Merciful Heart of Jesus.
- John Windsor

 

It was an incredible experience to have the heart of Vianney here in our house! I was personally not feeling 100% due to a sickness when he came, nevertheless, it was a humbling experience to have the current Cure come and give us a talk about St. John. A quiet and peaceful time to sit and pray with so great a saint!

Thanks,
- John Lado 

 

To kneel in front of the heart of St. John Vianney reminded me that the priesthood is giving yourself completely to Jesus Christ out of sacrificial love. To become a priest for Holy Mother Church, I, like St. John Vianney, must give my self completely to Christ and love with a sacrificial heart. AMDG. 
- John Paul Shanahan

 

At the Seminary we are told to cultivate a pastor’s heart, a sacrificial heart, to seek the sacred heart of Christ. Our hearts are made for God alone; nothing else will satisfy the deep longing that resides in us until we replace our wounded, broken, and sinfully divided hearts with Christ’s own heart. It is a daunting task, one that seems insurmountable in the face of our own weakness and sinfulness. But to see a heart that was totally in love, a heart that was undivided and purified by love of the Cross, was an inspirational event. It was amazing to be able to see the heart of the parish priest who lived the life we are seeking to emulate. It reminded me that what we are asked to be is possible to achieve with the grace of God. With the grace of God, it is possible to become a saint despite any challenges that might be in our way.  
- Louis McHale