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

holy man.HTS ILLNESS. 177The church seems deserted without him, andyet it is constantly filled with a soirowful multitude, praying for him with their hearts, their thoughts, their tears,and their sighs. Tapers burn at every altar, rosaries arein every hand. In the first days of his illness they wereobliged to set guards at the door of the presbytery to restrain the indiscreet affection of those who were clamouring to see him once more and to receive a last blessing.They could only be pacified by receiving notice of themoment when the Saint would raise himself on his bedof pain, and give a general benediction."It is not without a heartache that I see another priestat the altar, and hear other words than those breathingsof love which continually fanned the flame that was consuming our Saint. It is at least a consolatiow to witnessthe touching manifestation of the love and veneration feltfor his exceeding sanctity. It is a great lesson formysons, if God will vouchsafe, in His mercy, toengrave itdeeply on their hearts, so that in the last years of their livesthey may call to mind that solemn moment when, kneelinground the sick bed of their holy pastor, they saw what Godheard himdoes even here below for His elect.Theyreply to the questions addressed to priests when they areadministered, by exclamations of love and faith, whichbespoke the whole tenor of his life.Theysaw him, as itwere, spring upwards to meet his God, when He came tovisit him. They have seen all this, my beloved mother, andit seems to me that I ought to bless God for it, and takegood hope for their future life. It is a ray from Thabor,which will enlighten their course a ; pang from Calvary,which will give them strength, confidence, and hope.** f f the two sons of this pious mother, Eugene, the eldest, died,consoled and strengthened by M. Vianney, after a long illness, sanc-N