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

"""When""HIS PENANCES. 1 19One day, as Catherine tells us, he felt so faint in theconfessional, that he said to himself, You had bettercome out while you can, or they will be obliged to carryyou."So he dragged himself, as best he could, to theProvidence, where he arrived panting for breath, and aspale as a corpse. He asked for a little eau de Cologne.Well, monsieur," said Catherine, as she itbrought tohim, "youmust be quite happy this time; you havecarried things far enough to-day."And indeed, said she,under his pale and sunken features we could perceive theradiance of an exceeding interior joy."It was the joy ofvictory over a vanquished enemy; and that enemy whomlie thus triumphed over and laughed to scorn was himself.He would take nothing bur a little eau de Cologne ;andas soon as he could stand, hastened into the next room tocatechise the children.the catechising is over," says Catherine, hefinds his little earthen pipkin by the fire containing somemilk just coloured with chocolate. He generally takesliis meal, if meal it can be called, standing by the chimneycorner, and often drinks his milk without putting anybread into it at all ;the whole is concluded in the courseof five minutes. When he is in a hurry, he returns to thepresbytery with his pipkin in his hand ;so that any onewho met him going through the streets would take himfor a beggar who had just received an alms. He is neverbetter pleased, nor in a merrier mood, than on these occasions."It was thus that he contrived to add humiliation tomortification. An ecclesiastic, who had come to Ars onpurpose to see him, met him thus eating his dinner as hewent along. Are you the Cure of Ars, of whom everyone speaks?" said he, in great astonishment and disgust.