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

"Nor"232 THE CU1U2 OF AKS.which Ars, for a period of thirty years, presented to theworld.need we marvel at the equanimity of the servant of God. The life of severe restraint and austerity towhich he had devoted himself is, at the same time, thepurest and the calmest which it is possible to conceiveOne thing alone enthrals the liberty of man, and disturbshis peace, and that is fear the fear of suffering. Thereis nothing, therefore, which can fetter or trouble him wholias taken suffering for his glory and his delight. Allthe troubles and perturbations of the soul arisefrom thedesires which are cherished, or at least suffered, there.We suffer only because we have still some will of ourown; had we no will but God s, we should be always content. No more desires, no more pains. The holy priesthad early attained to that true treasure of the heart, universal detachment. Havingdetached himself from allthings and from himself, he had found himself and allthings in God. He had established himself in the imperturbable possession of that peace, which is nothingelse but perfect charity, the pure love of our Lord,which is indifferent to all things but its object; whichfears neither death, nor life,nor angels, nor principalities,nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, norheight, nor depth, nor any creature.*One remarkable feature in the character of the Cureof Ars, and one to which all who had the privilege ofliving in familiar intercourse with him will agree in bearing testimony, was its singular consistency. There wasaever a single moment in which his brow did not bear,with unruffled majesty, the pure and delicate aureola ofsanctity. In whatever position he might be found, wher-* Romans viii 38, 39.