18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

St. John Marie Vianney wanted to become a priest. However, he encountered difficulties in studying Latin and failed to pass the entrance exam the first time, and was required to take it a second time. Only by the recommendation of Abbey Balley, his mentor, that he was eventually ordained priest. After the death of Abbey Balley, he was appointed the Curé of a small town called Ars. The people there had little faith. Yet, for ten years or more, he transformed Ars for the better. How did he do it? What was his method? What pastoral plans did he create? None. He just lived as a priest, an alter Christus. People saw how he prayed and spent time in fasting and penance. He changed their hearts through his preaching and most especially through hearing confessions. He truly was another Christ to them.

My dear friends in Christ, today is Vianney Sunday. This is the day that we spend our time praying for all the parish priests and celebrate with them this feast. We call this day Vianney Sunday because St. John Marie Vianney is the patron saint of all the parish priests as he gave them a model of what it means to be in their office. Although St. John Marie Vianney serves as an inspiration for all the parish priests, we should not forget that the real model of the priesthood is Jesus. Only Jesus is the perfect priest; all other priests are not including St. John Marie Vianney. It is by this reason that parishioners should pray for their priests. They should pray for them that they may not forget to be an Alter Christus day by day. They should pray for them because the first target of the devil is always the priests. If there is no priest, there is no celebration of the Holy Mass. If there is no Mass, then where can we receive the Body and drink the Blood of Christ? If we cannot receive the Body and drink the Blood of Christ, then how can we have eternal life? John 6: 53 states. “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you.” My dear friends, I invite you then to pray for us priests and make a particular prayer this Vianney Sunday for all the parish priests. Amen.