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

""""176 THE CUR OF ARS.which succeeded Mdlle. d Ars at the castle, and succeeded her also, as M. Monnin tellsus, in her devotionto God and the Church, and in her love and venerationfor M. Vianney:"Ars, May 6th, 1843."Our holy cure,"writes Mdme. des Garets, is ill, soill as to make us think that his crown is ready, and heavenopen to receive him. The joys of heaven are often thesorrows of earth ;and I cannot describe to you the griefand consternation of the whole parish. He has been inbed for the last three days, and has permitted me to approach that pallet of suffering and of glory. There Ibeheld a Saint upon the cross, with all the peace ofheaven depicted on his suffering countenance. He toldme that he was going to begin his preparation for death.Prosper (the Comte des Garets) hardly ever leaveshim. The Saint likes to have him with him ; and he hashad sufficient influence to induce him to allow the straw,or rather the board on which he sleeps, to be exchangedfor a mattress. The doctor thinks very seriously of theillness. We are afraid very much afraid. How canwe venture to ask our Lord to leave him to us still ?"I cannot tellyou what this loss will be to us. Hetvas our Saint, our angel, our glory, our consolation, ourshield, our hope, our stay. The whole parish is in tearsund in prayer. Will these prayers be heard ? He hasspoken to many of his departure. Every one calls tomind expressions, to which we now attach a sadly prophetic meaning."Ars, May 10th.You cannot form an idea of the touching and religious spectacle continually before us since the illness of this