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

""""AS A CATECHIST, PREACHER, AND DIRECTOR. 253"I liad the same master as St. Peter," replied he withthe most perfect simplicity. We are told that, both in hissermons and i& his catechetical instructions, M. Vianneywas not only precise and exact in his theological statements, but that he frequently expressed them in termsknown only to scholastic divinity. Whence had this manbut from Him who reveals it to little ones ?this wisdom,He spoke French as we have been told St. John wroteGreek incorrectly but, like him, he declared that which;he had seen, which he had heard with his ears, which hehad diligently looked upon, and his hands had handled, ojthe Word of Life.*His faith was his only science, his only book our LordJesus Christ. Those who heard him carried away theimpression that he saw what he spoke of. He spokewithout any other preparation than his habitual recollection in God," passing at once from the confessional to thepulpit, and with that perfect self-possession which arisesfrom entire forgetfulness of self.Timid and modest," says M. Monnin, as was hisordinary bearing, he was not the same man when hisaudience, no matter how distinguished, was before himlie carried his head erect his ; eyes flashed fire. *Youwere not alarmed at your audience ? was said to himone day. No, on the contrary ;the more there are, thebetter am I content ;and then added, with a smile,conceited people always think they do things well.If kings, cardinals, or the Pope himself, had beenlistening to him, he would have said neither more nor less ;for he thought only of souls, and made them think onlyof God. This true oratorical mastery stood him in steadof talent or rhetoric, and gave to the simplest word? from* 1 St. John i.l.