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

"The"""BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. 15have received his God; but, for that life of sacrifice, whatcould have been a fitter preparation than such a firstCommunion as the children of France were then wont tomake ?altar," says M. Monnin, encircled only by theparents and some few friends upon whose fidelity entiredependence could be placed, was usually prepared in agranary, or some upper chamber, to be out of the reach ofobservation. There, before daybreak, in the strictestsecrecy, the holy Sacrifice was offered. There was something in the precautions necessary to keep suspicion andhostile observation at bay, and in the mystery which accompanied all the preparations for the great day, whichtold of a time of persecution, and breathedof the air ofthe Catacombs. The soul of the young communicantcould not but be deeply and permanently impressed byallthe circumstances attending his first participation of theBread of the strong in those days of trial and apostasy.If the flowers of firstCommunion are ordinarily the premust the heart ofsage of the fruits of riper years, trulyour saint have been on that blessed day a sanctuary fragrant with the presence of the Divine Spouse."His sister Margaret gives her testimony to the perfection of his conduct in their daily home-life.Our mother," says she, was so sure of Jean Marie sobedience, that when she met with any repugnance ordelay on the part of any of us to do her bidding, her planwas to callmy brother, who always obeyed at once, to dcwhat she wanted. She would theft hold him up as an example to us, saying,You see he never complains, or hesitates, or murmurs. You see he is far on hisway already.It was very seldom that his examplefailed to lead usto follow him. He generally went to work in the fields