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

""One""<What""""HIS PENANCES. 113tried to live like them, upon grass; but T lost allmystrength. It seems that bread is necessary to man."Bishop Devie once asked him : Did you ever try tolive upon roots and grass, like your predecessors, thefathers of the desert ?"Monseigneur," replied he,I did try it once fora week ; but I could not go on. I am not a saint likethem.""day," says Catherine, I tried to persuade M.le Cure to take a little more nourishment. I said, Youwill never hold out, if you go on living in this way.Oh, yes, replied he gaily.says our Lord ? 1have another food to eat ; which is, to do the will of M\Father, who hath sent Me. Then he added, I havea good carcass. I am tough. As soon as I have eatensomething, no matter what, or slept a couple of hours, Ican begin again. When you have given something to agood horse, he sets off upon the trot again, as if nothingailed him ; and a horse hardly ever lies down.The best horse, however, may be over-ridden, and M.Vianney was sometimes forced to acknowledgecould do no more.that heThere are days when I can really hardly speak ;especially about seven in the morning, and seven in theevening but I ; always find strength to speak of the goodGod."At evening prayers his voice was sometimes scarcelyaudible. He was asked once, why he spoke so loudwhen he preached, and so low when he prayed.Because, when I am preaching," said he, I haveto deal with those who are deaf or sleeping; but whenI pray, I have to deal with the good God, and He is notdeaf."