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

"308 THE CUR OF ARS.and taking the works of mercy for the means, they realisein all its fulness the spirit of Jesus Christ ;they relieveat the same time all His suffering members, both thoseon earth and those in Purgatory.M. Vianney always showed a special kindness and cordiality to religious.He seemed more at home with themthan with others, and greeted them as fellow-countrymenand countrywomen of the region in which he dwelt. Hisdirection was suited, with the most exquisite tact anddiscrimination, to the state of the souls with which hehad to deal. With some he confined himself within thecircuit of the precepts, while he led others forthinto thelarge and green pastures of the counsels. There was theKeen eye, and the sure foot, and the tender guiding handof the Good Shepherd."Indirection," says M. Monnin,"theprincipal, aswell as the most delicate, point is to follow the call ofGod, and to lead others to follow it ;Holy Spirit, but to proportionnot to go before theourselves to the souls ofothers, that we may bring them into conformity withJesus Christ. The diversity between the faces of menhas its parallel in the diversity of their consciences.Each man is intended to walk in the way by which Godcalls him to come to Him. Each is to sow and reap inhis own furrow, that there may be degreesin merit andshades in virtue, stars of greater or less brilliancy inthe firmament of the same glory."To render this discernment of spirits so sure and sointuitive as it was with the Cure of Ars, we have unquestionable evidence that he was endowed with a gift ofreading the hearts of his penitents, not only supernatural, as are art gifts of the Spirit, but, strictly speakingmiraculous.