The Sermons E-Book

St. John Mary Vianney

• Herausgeber: Cervantes Digital
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

"Sermons" by St. John Mary Vianney is a celestial symphony, resonating with the timeless wisdom and fervor of a beloved saint. Picture stepping into a hallowed cathedral, the air adorned with the fragrance of incense, and the pulpit emanating a gentle light that illuminates hearts. This literary masterpiece is akin to a divine sermon, a heartfelt conversation with a humble shepherd of souls.

As you delve into the pages, you are welcomed into the sacred realm of St. John Vianney's sermons, each one a beacon of faith and a clarion call to embrace the divine. The words leap off the pages, stirring the depths of your spirit and igniting the flame of devotion within. It's as if the saint himself stands before you, sharing his timeless insights with love and fervor.

St. John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, beckons you to walk alongside him on a spiritual journey. He explores the human condition, the struggles and triumphs, and the infinite mercy of God. His sermons are like gentle streams that quench the thirst of a seeking soul, offering solace and guidance in a world often parched by doubt and worry.

Within these sermons, you will find not only eloquence but a profound simplicity—a wisdom that transcends the ages. It's an invitation to seek God earnestly, to embrace a life of holiness, and to find solace in prayer and penance. St. John Mary Vianney's words are a timeless echo, reminding us that amidst the complexities of life, true fulfillment is found in our communion with the divine.

"Sermons" is more than a collection of religious discourses; it's a testament to the transformative power of faith and an inspiration to live a life steeped in devotion and love. It's a literary cathedral where hearts gather to be uplifted, and souls find solace in the gentle whispers of divine grace.

Leseprobe

Copyright 2023

Cervantes Digital

All rights reserved

The Sermons

Saint John Mary Vianney

THE DREADFUL STATE OF THE LUKEWARM SOUL

THEY ARE FOR THE WORLD

HAVE YOU RELIGION IN YOUR HEART?

LOST WORKS

WE ARE WRETCHED CREATURES

ROUTINE FOLLOWERS

THE WORLD IS EVERYTHING AND GOD IS NOTHING!

FOLLOW ONE MASTER ONLY

WE ARE EXTRAORDINARILY BLIND

NOT LIKE THE OTHERS

THE EVIL TONGUES

A PUBLIC PLAGUE

ALL THAT YOU SAY OVER AND ABOVE THESE IS OF EVIL

WE ARE NOTHING IN OURSELVES

BEWARE IF YOU HAVE NO TEMPTATIONS

THE DUTIES OF THE PREGNANT WOMAN

THE DUTIES OF THE MOTHER

THE DUTIES OF PARENTS

YOU WILL ANSWER FOR THEIR SOULS

TO THEIR SHAME IT MUST BE SAID

GETTING TO KNOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE

YOU NO LONGER CONTROL THEM

HE WILL HELP US

WE MUST EXPECT TEMPTATION

THE BAD DEATH

HIS PRAYER IS A LIE

HOW BLIND THE SINNER IS!

PRISONERS OF SIN

YOU CAN BECOME A GOOD TREE

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

ANNUAL CONFESSIONS

THOUGHTS ABOUT PENANCE

BE RELIGIOUS OR BE DAMNED!

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ONLY AN INSULT

PURITY IS NOT KNOWN

THE SERVICE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

OUR INCONSISTENCY

LOVE OF OUR Neighbor

WHO HAS CHARITY?

PRAYING, FASTING, AND PLEASING OURSELVES

DO YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY?

THE GIFT OF EVERY DAY

THE PUBLIC CROSSES

THE CROSSES WHICH ARE WORN

IT IS NECESSARY TO BE CONVERTED

HAVE A CLEAN FACE

MODEL YOUR DEATH UPON THAT OF JESUS CHRIST

IF MAN KNEW HIS RELIGION

THOUGHTS ON THE WAY TO CHURCH

YOU ARE SURPRISED, BUT NOT I!

WHEN YOU GO BACK HOME

CLEAR YOUR MINDS

WE ARE KEEPING A FEAST

THE ARMED CROSSES

THE BELOVED CROSSES

HARVEST CROSSES

THE DREADFUL STATE OF THE LUKEWARM SOUL

In speaking to you today, my dear brethren, of the dreadful state of the lukewarm soul, my purpose is not to paint for you a terrifying and despairing picture of the soul which is living in mortal sin without even having the wish to escape from this condition. That poor unfortunate creature can but look forward to the wrath of God in the next life. Alas! These sinners hear me; they know well of whom I am speaking at this very moment.... We will go no further, for all that I would wish to say would serve only to harden them more. In speaking to you, my brethren, of the lukewarm soul, I do not wish, either, to speak of those who make neither their Easter duty nor their annual Confession.

They know very well that in spite of all their prayers and their other good works they will be lost. Let us leave them in their blindness, since they want to remain that way....

Nor do I understand, brethren, by the lukewarm soul, that soul who would like to be worldly without ceasing to be a child of God. You will see such a one at one moment prostrate before God, his Savior and his Master, and the next moment similarly prostrate before the world, his idol.

Poor blind creature, who gives one hand to God and the other to the world, so that he can call both to his aid, and promise his heart to each in turn! He loves God, or rather, he would like to love Him, but he would also like to please the world. Then, weary of wanting to give his allegiance to both, he ends by giving it to the world alone. This is an extraordinary life and one which offers so strange a spectacle that it is hard to persuade oneself that it could be the life of one and the same person. I am going to show you this so clearly that perhaps many among you will be hurt by it. But that will matter little to me, for I am always going to tell you what I ought to tell you, and then you will do what you wish about it....

I would say further, my brethren, that whoever wants to please both the world and God leads one of the most unhappy of lives. You shall see how. Here is someone who gives himself up to the pleasures of the world or develops some evil habit.

How great is his fear when he comes to fulfil his religious duties; that is, when he says his prayers, when he goes to Confession, or wants to go to Holy Communion! He does not want to be seen by those with whom he has been dancing and passing nights at the cabarets, where he has been giving himself over to many kinds of licentiousness. Has he come to the stage when he is going to deceive his confessor by hiding the worst of his actions and thus obtain permission to go to Holy Communion, or rather, to commit a sacrilege? He would prefer to go to Holy Communion before or after Mass, that is to say, when there is no one present. Yet he is quite happy to be seen by the good people who know nothing about his evil life and among whom he would like to arouse good opinions about himself. In front of devout people he talks about religion. When he is with those who have no religion, he will talk only about the pleasures of the world. He would blush to fulfil his religious practices in front of his companions or those boys and girls who share his evil ways....

This is so true that one day someone asked me to allow him to go to Holy Communion in the sacristy so that no one would see him. Is it possible, my brethren, that one could think upon such horrible behaviour without shuddering?

But we shall proceed further and you will see the embarrassment of these poor people who want to follow the world without-outwardly at any rate-leaving God. Here is Easter approaching. They must go to Confession. It is not, of course, that they want to go or that they feel any urge or need to receive the Sacrament of Penance. They would be only too pleased if Easter came around about once every thirty years. But their parents still retain the exterior practice of religion. They will be happy if their children go to the altar, and they keep urging them, then, to go to Confession. In this, of course, they make a mistake. If only they would just pray for them and not torment them into committing sacrileges. So to rid themselves of the importunity of their parents, to keep up appearances, these people will get together to find out who is the best confessor to try for absolution for the first or second time

'Look, says one, 'my parents keep nagging at me because I haven't been to Confession. Where shall we go? 'It is of no use going to our parish priest; he is too scrupulous. He would not allow us to make our Easter duty. We will have to try to find So-and-So. He let this one and that one go through, and they are worse than we are. We have done no more harm than they have.