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

"BURNING OF HIS BED 129an image of St. Philomena, with mud and filth.M. Renardhas himself seen the former so disfigured that thfeatures were no longer distinguishable.Towards the end of his life, M. Vianney was left comparatively at rest from these disturbances, and for the lastsix months before his death they ceased altogether, as ifthe enemy had withdrawn his forces in despair. We willgive only one more instance of his baffled malice, in thewords of M. Monnin, who was an eye-witness of the scenehe describes, which took place about three years beforethe death of the holy cure, and when he was acting as hiscoadjutor in the absence of M. Toccanier :It was one morning during the first celebration ofthe Quarant Ore at Ars. The crowd was immense ; thework of God inthe souls of the worshipers was deeperand more striking than ever. As I was setting out earlyto go to the church, I was struck on the threshold by asmell of burning, so stifling and penetrating that I couldhardly stand. I hastily crossed the market-place. HolyMass, catechising, and some few confessions kept meengaged till seven o clock. When I had finished, I foundthe whole village gathered round the presbytery. I shouldhave imagined that some misfortune had happened, had Inot observed the general expression on the faces around meto be that of mirth.They were laughing, joking, and calling to each other from one end of the square to the other ;and the words bed and grappin were all that I could distinguish amid the clamour. What s the matter ? saidI, approaching one of the groups. What ! don tyouknow that the devil set fire last night to M. le Cure sbed? Come and see, come and see ? And I saw in factsome men. carrying the half-burnt remains across thecourt. I entered the house, and went straight to M.K