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

""216 THE CUKE OP AKS.parish. And he often repeated that he was very gratefulformy visit. I was speaking of prayer for England, and ofthe sufferings of our poorer Catholics on account of theirfaith, and lie was listening, his eyes nearly closed, when suddenly he opened their singular light in all its brightnessfullupon me, and breaking in on the narrative in away Ishall never forget, with the manner of one giving a confidence, he said: * But I believe that the Church in Englandwill return again to its ancient splendour. It is remarkable how often one meets with this conviction in France,and to how much prayer it gives rise. To understand him,one should see his face, always glowing when he speaksof God, always bathed in tears when he thinks of evil.His poor eyes, though so sweet and tranquil, areworn with his tears, and habitually inflamed."His spirit of direction has that largeness in it, which,unless it be infused, can only be attained by prayer and along experience of souls. So long as the soul has God forher object, and acts with God, the mode of her interiorisemployment but an accident. The love of God, and theprotection of Mary, these are his two great themes.Amongst the rest of the Saints his favourite is St. Philomena.He has built a beautiful little chapel in her honour,the first raised under her invocation in France. Like hischurch, it breathes of order, cleanliness, and piety.I feltit would be wrong to detain him from his short time forrest and food, so I asked him for a medal, by which to re*member him. He took a few in his hand, and said : Takeone. No/ I said ;give me one. There, he said,*the Immaculate Conception, and there is St. Philomena.At my request he saw my companion for a short time;and saying he would go and meet him, he had no soonershown himself at the door than the crowd of people rushedis