Life of St John Vianney.pdf - the Catholic Kingdom!

"""""""""112 THE CURfi OF AR3.at them, he cares little for them ;but what puts him effeotually to flight is the privation of food and sleep. Thereisnothing which the devil dreads so much, and nothingwhich is more pleasing to God. I experienced this duringthe five or six years when I was alone, and could followmy attrait without being remarked. Oh, what graces didthe Lord vouchsafe to me at that time ! I obtained everything I wanted from Him."His assistant priest once said to him :M. le Cure, itis said that at one time you could easily pass a wholeweek without eating."Oh, no, my friend," replied he ;that is an exaggeration. The utmost I ever did was to go through aweek upon three meals."He has acknowledged on other occasions having abstained from all nourishment for whole days together, andsometimes for forty-eight hours. The habitual rigid ab-Btinence which he practised appears from a remark whichescaped him one day, when a batch of baking at the Providencehad been very successful :Well, for once I mustbe greedy, and eat as much as I want." It is positivelyaffirmed by Catherine that he has passed a whole Lentwithout consuming two pounds of bread. He even triedto live without bread altogether. Claudine Reuard caughthim one day eating a handful of grass.What, M. le Cure," said she in amazement,you eating grass ?are"Yes, my good mother Renard," answered he witha smile ;it is an experiment which I am trying ; but itdoes not answer."It is very plain,"said he, long afterwards, in a moment of affectionate familiarity, to his assistant priest,"that we are differently formed from the bewits.I once