The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-02-25
essen .er.
Mo,nIng Star and Catholic essen er.
10 oRIsASs' sUsDAN FEBRUARY as 1877.
TEE CURE OF ABS AND THE RosARY.

"Without contradiction the most perfect
model Of sauctity that God has given to HIS
Church in our times >" says the Mon thty Mo
aasine of tho Holy Rosary, 'ls the Veneiaole
John Mary Vianney, 80 we'll and so uolver
sally known, by tee name OF the parish
which he sauctlfied and made place o.
pilgrimage from all parts Of the world, as
the Cure of AIRS " in the East of France.
One of the great means of sanctifcation
which God has provided for sools is the de-
votion to His Holy Mother. Mary 10 the In
termediary between her Son and the souls
who desire to come to Him. They who
seek Jesus find Him in Der arms; che
presents Jesus to tue simple and humb BILE, as
she presented Him to the Shepherds VINO
came to adore Him in the stable of Bethle
hem she presents Him also to the learned
4 aud noble, AZ she presented Him to the
4 Magi, who came from the far East.
As, therefore, tho Cure of AIRS was dis
tinguished for his holiness, we naturally
expect to find in him a special love and de-
votion for the Bessed Virgin. And when
we come to read his life We find it almost
in the very first ln-s. He learut it from his
pious mother, who eveu before his olrth
had dedicated him to serve God Ia the
priesthood, and the practice of 1t began on
the very day of his birth lin the month OF
Msy), when he was baptized and received
our Lsdy's name iu addition to that OF
John.
He bad hardly learned to speak wien he
three years he joined in the prayers
that were said by the family, and when the
Angelus rang he was the first to kneel down
and cay it.
The first present that he received from his
mother was wooden statue of the Blet sed
Virgin. To him, who was always 80 seri
ous and pray erful, this statue was more
than play thing ; it was an object OF plous
veneratieu as well. Sixty years atterw ards
he would speak of it. "Oh, how l loved
hat fafD IL nr n
would never separate myself from 1t. l
should not have slept in peace if bad not
had it by my side III my little bed"
A priest once asked him how long he had
loved the 3 essed Virgin. He replied, l
loved her almost before l could know her.
When l was very little had a
pretty Rosary. My sister wanted to have
il, and this was one OF my earliest sorrows g.
1 went to speak to my mother about 1t she
advised me to give it up for love OF COD
/ did so, but it CO st me many tear"
When he was seven years old the little
John Mary Vanney was sent to the heda
to take charge of bis fathers sheep: de
was accustomed to always take with him
his little statue of the Blessed Virgin. When
his sheep were in safety, and he could with
out danger relax his watchfulnees over
them, he would make little altar with
sods, and on it would enthrone his statue
Then he would gather his companions
Young children occupied like himself
around it, and would recite with them the
Hail Marys of the Rosary, and then h'
would preach to them Rravely In moving
and expressive terms. He never Lacked
congregation on these occasions; his pletJ
was not disagreeable to his companions, OF
tho contrary il made him smable and win
ming they were redssppointed if he happen
ed to be absent, and " welcomed him with JOY
ful shouts when he arrived amopgst them
Nothing pleased him better than TO nav
his companions join him in come plous ex
ercise, but when he was alone he dld no
regret his solitude. He would place III
little statue in the hollow of some tree, an!
there he would paSs long hours absorbed II
prayer. Sometimes his companions woul
mind his sheep for him in order to give hir
time for prayer, IN which, as they knew, h
took 80 much delight.
AS he grew older he was employ ed i
more laborous work in the fields, bat eve
in this his devotion to our Lady accompau
led him and helped him. Before beginn'n
his work be used to place an image OF on
Lady some distance before him, and the
work on towards 1T, praying all the VIM
that the Blessed Virgin would help him
keep up with Lis brother, much Older an
stronper than he, " no was working clos
by. Then, when be had reached the statu
he would take it up and place IL some on
tance further on, and work on towards !
and go he would continue TIL the Cay . Iao'
was over. Hls brother was compelled
own that the Blessed Virgin had lndee
helpea John Mary, and had enabled him
do as much work as he had been able TO a
compiish himself.
We cannot doubt that this special 6cN
tion to our Lady obtained for John Ma
Vianney many interior graces' and Powe
fully helped him on in the path OF sAnch
cation. But, besides this, there were Son
special favors that evidently seemed to COZ
in answer to his prayers to his holy Motht
The whole of his life hinged on hIs esca
from military service. 1t was during t
wars of the fret Napoleop, whom eve
effort WAS made in order TO secure you
men for the army. John Mary was at Il
time an eccleslastical student, and as su
was exempted from service, but by oor
Eaistake hiS name was included in tho
liable to serve, and he was drawn at
eonscription. 1t was a terrible blow to sl
Tor Ali his desires were to be priest. Ne
ertheless, he submitted and took his "
to Bayonne, where he was to join his rel
ment. He thought of desertIng' and G.
tainly he would have committed no sln D
so for ha n jtRplf 0Yom Dte0 hi