The Asunción The Assumption is a reality that also touches us, because it indicates to us in a luminous way our destiny, that of humanity and of history. In Mary we contemplate the reality of glory to which each one of us and the whole Church are called.
"The feast of the Assumption is a day of joy. God has won. Love has won. Life has won."
The Assumption: "Heaven has a heart".
It has become clear that love is stronger than death, that God has true strength, and his strength is goodness and love. Mary was raised to heaven body and soul: In God there is also a place for the body. Heaven is no longer for us a very distant and unknown sphere. In heaven we have a mother.
And the Mother of God, the Mother of the Son of God, is our mother. He said so himself. He made her our mother when he said to the disciple and to all of us: "Behold your mother".
The sky is open and has a heart. In the Gospel we have to listen to the Magnificat, this great poetry that came from the lips, or rather, from the heart of Mary.inspired by the Holy Spirit. In this marvelous hymn the whole soul, the whole personality of Mary is reflected. We can say that this song is a portrait, a true icon of Mary, in which we can see her as she is. I would like to highlight only two points of this great song.
Assumption of the Virgin Mary by Martín Cabezalero, 1665.
Magnificat, the song of thanksgiving
It begins with the word Magnificat: my soul "magnifies" the Lord, i.e., proclaims that the Lord is great.Mary wants God to be great in the world, to be great in her life, to be present in all of us. She is not afraid. She knows that if God is great, we too are great. She does not oppress our life, but raises it up and makes it great: it is precisely then that it becomes great with the splendor of God.
The fact that our first parents thought otherwise was at the core of original sin. They feared that, if God was too big, he would take something away from their life. They thought they had to push God aside in order to have room for themselves. This has also been the great temptation of modern times, of the last three or four centuries.
This is precisely what the experience of our time has confirmed. Man is great only if God is great. With Mary we must begin to understand that this is so. We should not distance ourselves from God, but make God present, make God great in our life; then we too will be divine: we will have all the splendor of divine dignity. Let us apply this to our life. It is important that God be great among us, in public life and in private life.
Let us magnify God in public life and in private life. That means making room for God every day in our life, starting from the morning with prayer and then giving time to God, giving Sunday to God.
A second reflection. This poetry of Mary, the Magnificat, is totally original; however, at the same time, it is "woven" with "threads" of the Old Testament, with the word of God. Mary, so to speak, "made herself at home" in the word of God, lived by the word of God and understood it.
Indeed, she spoke the words of God, and her thoughts were the thoughts of God. She was illuminated by divine light and also received the inner light of wisdom. She radiated love and goodness. Mary lived by the word of God; she was imbued with the word of God. By being immersed in the word of God, by having such familiarity with the word of God, she was immersed in the word of God.
He who thinks with God, thinks well; and he who speaks with God, speaks well; he has valid criteria of judgment for all things in the world, he becomes wise, prudent and, at the same time, good; he also becomes strong and courageous, with the strength of God, who resists evil and promotes good in the world.
More and more it has been thought and said: "This God does not leave us freedom, he limits the space of our life with all his commandments. Therefore, God must disappear; we want to be autonomous, independent. Without this God, we will be gods, and we will do as we please". Benedict XVI, Homily of August 10, 2012.
The Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth
Thus Mary speaks to us, she speaks to us, she invites us to know the word of God, to love the word of God, to live with the word of God, to think with the word of God. And we can do this in many different ways: by reading Sacred Scripture, above all by taking part in Catholic MassIn the course of the year, the Holy Church opens to us the whole book of Sacred Scripture. She opens it to our life and makes it present in our life.
But I am also thinking of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in which the word of God is applied to our life, interprets the reality of our life, helps us to enter the great "temple" of the word of God, to learn to love it and to be imbued, like Mary, with this word. Thus life becomes luminous and we have the criterion to judge, we receive goodness and strength at the same time.
The Virgin Mary, through the Assumption, was raised body and soul to the glory of heaven, and with God is queen of heaven and earth. Is it so far away from us? On the contrary. Precisely by being with God and in God, he is very close to each one of us. When she was on earth, she could only be close to a few people. By being in God, who is close to us, even more, who is within all of us, Mary participates in this closeness of God.
Being in God and with God, Mary is close to each one of us, she knows our hearts, she can hear our prayers, she can help us with her motherly goodness. She has been given to us as a "mother" - so the Lord said - to whom we can turn at every moment. She always listens to us, she is always close to us; and, being the Mother of the Son, she participates in the power of the Son, in his goodness.
We can always place our whole life in the hands of this Mother, who is always close to each one of us. On this feast day, let us thank the Lord for the gift of this Mother and ask Mary to help us find the right path every day. Amen.
Gospel (Lk 1:39-56) on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
"In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, into a city of Judah; and she entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost; and she cried aloud, and said:
-Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb: from whence is it so good for me that the mother of my Lord should come to visit me? For as soon as your greeting came to my ears, the child leaped for joy in my womb; and blessed are you who have believed, for the things spoken to you by the Lord will be fulfilled.
Maria exclaimed:
-My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior:
because he has set his eyes on the humility of his handmaid;Therefore, from now on all women will call me blessed.generations.
For the Almighty has done great things in me,whose name is Santo;his mercy is poured out from generation to generationon those who fear him.
He manifested the power of his arm,scattered the proud in heart.
He overthrew the powerful from their throneand exalted the humble.
He filled the hungry with good thingsand the rich he sent away empty.
He protected Israel his servant,remembering his mercy,as promised to our parents,Abraham and his descendants forever.
Mary stayed with her for about three months, and returned home."
Excerpts from a homily delivered by Benedict XVI on August 15, 2005 at Castelgandolfo (Italy).
Elias, a priestly vocation for Tanzania
Elias Emmanuel Mniko is 22 years old. and a look that conveys peace and conviction. Born in the region of Mwanza, northern Tanzaniaon the shores of Lake Victoria. She grew up in a home full of harmony and faith, where her father Emmanuel and her mother Miluga lovingly raised their four children.
A vocation that the Lord put in his heart
Since high school, he began to feel a deep desire: to be a priest. He could not fully explain it, but something inside him would light up every time he saw the priests at school: dedicated, serene and close. He was fascinated by the seminarians in their white cassocks, elegant and discreet. "It was a desire that the Lord put in my heart," he says now with simplicity.
Although he did not enter the minor seminary, Elias was not discouraged. He spent a year of formation at the vocation house. St. John Paul IIin his native diocese. There, in the silence of prayer and the joy of service, he matured his vocation. He understood that, in Tanzania, being a priest is not just a life choice: it is an urgent necessity..
The community is growing and there are few presbyters
The diocese of Mwanza, to which Elias belongs, faces great challenges. Although Catholics represent about 30 % of the population - some 1.2 million people - priests are scarce and communities are growing rapidly. In many villages, Mass is celebrated only once a month, and there are faithful who walk more than 10 kilometers to attend. Priestly vocations are a blessing desired with hope and faith by all the people.
In spite of everything, the Church in Mwanza is alive. The faithful are enthusiastic, the young people are proud of their faith, and the diocese is working hard to promote educational and health projects. Many schools and hospitals are run by the Church. There, in the midst of simplicity and sometimes precariousness, hope is sown every day.
"I am living a wonderful experience."
Currently, Elias resides in the Bidasoa international seminarin Pamplona. He has completed his first year of Philosophy and his face reflects amazement and gratitude. "I am living a wonderful and fraternal experience," he says. He is excited about sharing daily life with seminarians from all continents, learning from the formators and getting to know other cultures.
Europe is teaching me many things," he says. Europeans are very loving. But I also believe that you Europeans can learn from us Africans about the importance of family life.
The priest's life demands sacrifices
Elijah speaks calmly, but his every word is charged with inner fire. He knows that priestly life demands sacrifices. He knows that, when he returns to Tanzania, a demanding mission awaits him: to care for many souls, to accompany scattered communities, to console the suffering and to be the living presence of Christ in the midst of his people.
Sometimes he thinks of his family, his land, the joyful songs at Mass and the ground corn that accompanies almost every meal. He also remembers his friends, his parish catechists and the bishop who encouraged him not to be afraid to say yes to God.
Life at the Bidasoa International Seminary seems to him to be a gift. There are times for prayer, study, sports, service and also parties. "Here we learn to be brothers," he explains. Although at first it was difficult for him to adapt - the cold of Navarre, the language, the food - today he feels at home. His Spanish improves day by day and, when he smiles, he does it with that African warmth.
"The young people of Tanzania have a lot of hope."
Elias is not naive. He knows the problems of the Church, both in Europe and in Africa. In his country, in addition to the shortage of priests, there are social challenges: poverty, lack of access to education in rural areas and the risk of religious syncretism. But he also knows that there is a fire that will not go out. "Young people in Tanzania have a lot of hope. They know they are the future of the Church. That's why they want to train well, serve with joy and give their lives if necessary.
Mwanza, his diocese, has seen the birth of vocations like his. The local major seminary is unable to train all the candidates, so the diocese sends some, like Elias, to formation centers outside the country. It is a brave investment, in the hope that these young men will return to bear fruit.
Return to your country to serve
Elias looks to the future without fear. "I want to go back to my country and serve my people. I want to be a good pastor, like Jesus. And, if I can, I also want to help other young people hear the voice of God". He says this with a peace that moves, because there is nothing stronger than a heart that is surrendered.
His story, like that of many African seminarians, is a song of hope for the whole Church. In a world where faith sometimes seems to be dying out, voices like his remind us that the Gospel is still alive, sowing in fertile lands like Tanzania.
Marta SantínJournalist specializing in religious information.
Table of Contents
Edith Stein: a life given out of love
The history of saint Teresa Benedicta of the Crosswhose name was Edith Steinis a luminous testimony of how the sincere search for truth leads, in the end, to an encounter with Christ. Her life, marked by intelligence, dedication and martyrdom, continues today to challenge many women who feel the call to consecrate themselves to God, body and soul.
From the CARF Foundation, which also supports the formation of religious, we remember her example as a model of fidelity, spiritual depth and unconditional love.
Digital artwork of a young Edith Stein reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Jesus.
A youth marked by the search for
Edith Stein was born on October 12, 1891 in Wroclaw, a city that then belonged to the German Empire. She was the youngest of eleven children in a practicing Jewish family. Her mother, a woman of firm faith and strong character, was for her an example of strength and responsibility. However, during her adolescence, Edith stopped praying and declared herself an atheist. She was a young woman of brilliant intelligence, dissatisfied with easy answers and determined to find the truth for herself.
She moved to Göttingen to study philosophy, where she became a disciple and collaborator of the famous philosopher Edmund Husserl, founder of phenomenology. Her philosophical research was not a mere academic activity: she sought to understand the deep structure of the human being, his dignity, his freedom and his relationship with the world. Edith was also interested in suffering, compassion and the inner experience of people.
Intellectual honesty led her to open herself to the witness of the Christian faith. The example of believing friends, her contact with Thomistic thought and, above all, reading the lives of the saints, began to move her heart. In particular, she was deeply struck by the serenity with which a Christian friend of hers faced the death of her husband, which led her to ask herself where this firm hope came from.
The turning point came in the summer of 1921, during a stay with friends. He randomly picked up a book from the shelf: it was the autobiography of Saint Teresa of Jesus. She read it in one sitting during the night, and when she finished she said: "This is the truth". That encounter with the Spanish Carmelite saint was for Edith an interior revelation. In it she discovered not only the truth of Christianity, but also a spiritual path that filled her thirst for meaning and fulfillment.
Digital portrait of Edith Stein during her time as a teacher.
Encountering Christ
Shortly after that decisive reading, Edith Stein asked to be baptized. She received the sacrament on January 1, 1922, at the age of 30, in the church of the Dominicans in Speyer. Since then, she lived a deep, serene and coherent faith. He radically changed his way of life: he began to attend Mass every day, to pray with intensity and to place his knowledge at the service of the truth revealed in Christ. A new Edith was born inside her: a free woman, grateful and in love with God.
During the following years, she combined her spiritual life with her intellectual vocation. She worked as a teacher in a Catholic school, translated works of St. Thomas Aquinas into German and wrote philosophical essays with a Christian outlook. Everything that she had previously sought only with reason, she now understood from faith. For her, philosophy and theology were complementary paths to the full truth.
In her intimate relationship with Christ, she began to feel that it was not enough to live "for Him" from the outside: she felt that the Lord was asking her for a total surrender, a consecrated life. Years before, she had expressed the desire to become a Carmelite, but her family and professional commitments had held her back. However, with the arrival of the Nazi regime and the growing persecution of the Jews, she understood that her place was with Christ crucified, interceding for all.
In October 1933, she entered the Carmelite monastery in Cologne. There she took the name of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. It was a radical step, but a deeply desired one. She had found her definitive place: silence, prayer and sacrifice were now the center of her life. What the world could not offer her, she found in God's love. He had fully responded to his vocation.
Vocation to Carmel
For years, Edith felt growing within her the desire to give her life completely to God. Although she initially continued her activity as a teacher, writer and lecturer, she finally took the step she had matured in prayer: in 1933 she entered the Carmelite monastery in Cologne, where she took the name of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.
There he lived in silence, prayer and penance, intensifying his union with Christ and offering his life for the salvation of souls. He was aware of the danger he was in for being of Jewish origin in the midst of Nazi persecution, but he did not retreat. He knew that his place was at the foot of the cross.
A life offered
In her Carmelite cell, Teresa Benedicta wrote some of her most profound works. In them, she spoke of the cross as a school of love, as a place where the soul is united to Christ in his redemptive self-giving. "To accept the cross," she wrote, "means to find Christ in it.
His vocation was not an escape from the world, but a radical immersion in the mystery of human suffering, based on love. In Carmel, he prayed for his people, for the Church, for the whole world. His consecration was not isolation, but intercession.
In 1942, she was arrested together with her sister Rosa, also a convert. On August 9, both were murdered in Auschwitz. She had fulfilled her desire: to offer her life, as an oblation of love, for Christ and for humanity.
An example for female vocations
The life of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross is a source of inspiration for many women today who feel called to religious life. She teaches that vocation is nothing other than a response of love to a Love that calls first. And that it is worth leaving everything when the treasure is Christ.
Edith Stein was not a saint of easy life or instant answers. She searched, doubted, suffered, was formed, worked, thought... and in the midst of all that, she heard a voice that told her: "Come and follow me". And he left everything for Him.
Their testimony encourages many young women who, from different corners of the world, ask themselves if God is calling them to consecrate themselves, to serve Him in a community, to live in prayer, to give themselves completely. These are women who today form part of religious congregations and whom the CARF Foundation helps to form so that they can respond with generosity and preparation to this divine call.
A saint for our times
Canonized in 1998 by St. John Paul IIand proclaimed co-patroness of Europe the following year, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross is a profoundly contemporary saint. A woman who did not renounce reason, but placed it at the service of faith. A martyr who did not hate, but forgave. A nun who did not hide, but offered herself.
Her life is a hymn to truth, love and dedication. And she continues to remind us, even today, that God continues to call. That there are brave women who leave everything for Him. And that it is worth supporting them.
From the CARF Foundation: thanks to those who say "yes".
At the CARF Foundation we support with joy and hope women's vocations like St. Teresa Benedicta's. We know that their dedication changes the world, even if they do it in silence. We know that their dedication changes the world, even if they do it in silence. That their prayer sustains the Church. That their consecration is fruitful.
Therefore, we want many more women to follow the path that Edith Stein walked. May they listen to that voice that calls. May they respond. And may they find, like her, fullness in the total gift of themselves.
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
The August 6the Church solemnly celebrates the Transfiguration of the Lordone of the many illuminating moments of the Gospels. Jesus goes up, accompanied by his disciples Peter, James and John, to a "high mountain", and there his face becomes resplendent "like the sun", and his garments, "white as the light". At that moment, Moses and Elijah, representatives of the Law and the Prophets, are presented to them, in dialogue with Christ, reviewing how the Salvation of the whole human race will be. The scene culminates with a voice from a cloud: "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him" (Matthew 17:5).
This scene is key because it configures the moment when heaven and earth meet in a tangible way. The evangelists Matthew, Mark and Luke, the synoptic gospels, relate the episode, each with their own nuances, but all reveal the importance of this Christian mystery.
Historical origin of the holiday
The Transfiguration was initially celebrated by the consecration of a basilica at the Mount TaborThe traditional place of the event. Since the ninth century it began to be celebrated in the West and, between the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the feast was established in Rome. Finally in 1457the pope Calixto III elevated it to a solemnity in the Roman calendar to commemorate the victory in the battle of Belgrade (1456), a victory considered a sign of divine intervention.
In the oriental tradition, the Transfiguration is part of the twelve great solemnitiesIt is considered a theological pillar, together with Christmas, Easter and the Exaltation of the Cross, because it expounds the divinization of man by divine grace.
Basilica of the Transfiguration of Mr.. Liorca, CC BY-SA 4.0via Wikimedia Commons.
Mount Tabor: the encounter between heaven and earth
Mount Tabor, located in Lower Galilee about 17 km. west of the Sea of Galilee, rises to an altitude of about 575 meters and dominates the surrounding landscape. It is also known as Yabel at-Tur o Mount of the Transfiguration, traditionally considered the high mountain to which Jesus and the apostles climbed.
At its summit stands a Franciscan basilicaThe building, designed by the architect Antonio Barluzzi, was inaugurated in 1924 on the ruins of Byzantine and earlier structures from the time of the Crusades.
Its interior contains a multitude of mosaics and a gilded apse, where the glorified Christ occupies the center, flanked by Moses and Elijah, and a dove symbolizes the Spirit. This iconography seeks to translate with beauty the passage of the Gospels.
Some keys to the scene
1. Confirmation of Christ's Divinity
The moment of the Transfiguration reaffirms that Jesus is truly the Son of the living God. According to the Catechism, it expresses the divine glory, confirms Peter's confession, and anticipates the glory that would come after the Passion and Resurrection.
2. Continuity with the Law and the Prophets
The presence of Moses and Elijah is not accidental: they represent the Old Testament and its mission in the History of Salvation. But Jesus has come to fulfill it perfectly and must be heard.
3. Revelation of the Trinity
The cloud-visions the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit-and the voice that defines Jesus as Son, manifest the reality of the Trinity and is exposed before the eyes of the disciples.
4. Prelude to the Paschal Mystery
The Transfiguration prepares the disciples for the Cross. It tries to make them understand the scandal of the Cross and to strengthen them for the coming Passion and Resurrection. Moreover, the forty-day period between August 6 and the Exaltation of the Cross is likened to a second Lent.
5. Anticipation of the Resurrection
Origins of Alexandria and medieval theologians affirmed that the glory of the glorified body after the Resurrection is anticipated here. The very light that envelops them on the mountain foreshadows the light of the new creation.
The Transfiguration (1516-1520), Raphael Sanzio's last masterpiece.
The call to contemplate
St. Josemaría Escrivá emphasizes that we are called to be contemplatives in the middle of the worldWhere interior silence allows us to listen to the voice of Jesus: "Our Lord, here we are ready to listen to whatever you want to tell us... May your conversation, falling into our soul, inflame our will so that it fervently throws itself into obeying you".
One of his works, Friends of Godencourages the reader to turn each daily task into a loving dialogue with the Lord, transforming routine into service and contemplation. In this way we seek God's presence in the ordinary.
Characterized by its solemnity, the liturgy of the day of the Transfiguration is clothed with whitesymbol of the glorious light of Christ. We leave you the Gospel of the day to meditate on it.
Gospel of St. Matthew, Mt 17:1-9
"Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, James and John. his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, so that his face became radiant like the sun, and his garments white as the light. And there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Peter, taking the word, said to Jesus:
-Lord, how good it is here; if you wish, I will make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. He was still speaking, when a cloud of light overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said:
-This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased: listen to him.
When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces in fear. Then Jesus came and touched them and said to them:
-Get up and don't be afraid.
When they raised their eyes, they saw no one. Only Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them:
-Do not tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead".
Meditate, contemplate, pray in silence (if you can before a Tabernacle where Our Lord is present); relive the scene and decide with Jesus some purpose and commitment to improve this day.
"And he was transfigured before them, so that his face became radiant like the sun, and his garments white as the light (Mt 17:2). Jesus, to see you, to speak to you! To remain thus, contemplating you, absorbed in the immensity of your beauty and never, never cease in this contemplation! Oh, Christ, who could see you! Who could see you, to be wounded with love for you!
And a voice out of the cloud said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him" (Mt 17:5). Our Lord, here we are ready to listen to what you want to tell us. Speak to us; we are attentive to your voice. May your conversation, falling into our soul, inflame our will so that it may throw itself fervently into obeying you.
"Vultum tuum, Domine, requiram" (Ps. 26:8), I will seek, Lord, your face. It excites me to close my eyes, and to think that the time will come, when God wills, when I will be able to see him, not as in a mirror, and under dark images... but face to face (I Cor. 13:12). Yes, my heart thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and see the face of God (Ps. 41:3)?".
Climbing Mount Tabor should not be a flight from the world in which we live; in your daily life raise your heart to meet Christ, Jesus "light of the world", sustained and strengthened to embrace his cross and, in it, discover the promise of future glory.
Is the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord a holy day of obligation?
No, it is not obligatory to attend Mass on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord.. Although it is an important feast in the Catholic Church, it is not a day of obligation, which means that it is not obligatory to attend Mass as on Sundays and other holy days of obligation.
The CARF Foundation invites all those who wish to attend Mass on this day to pray and ask for vocations. prieststhat there may be many of them, and that they may be very holy vocations.
St. John Mary Vianney (1786-1859), known throughout the world as theCure of Ars, is one of the most impressive and luminous figures of the Catholic priesthood. His life was a total dedication to God and to the faithful, a vocation lived with humility, sacrifice and ardent love for souls.
He was proclaimed patron of parish priests and of all priests of the world, not because of his intellectual gifts or great human feats, but because of the depth of his holiness, his pastoral fervor and his heroic fidelity to his ministry.
At the CARF Foundation, which promotes the formation of future diocesan priests around the world, his figure is a source of continuous inspiration. What makes this simple village priest a universal example? We tell you about it below.
Born in times of persecution
John Mary Vianney was born on May 8, 1786 in Dardilly, a small village in the south of France, into a deeply Christian peasant family. His childhood was marked by the French Revolution.This was a period when religious practice was persecuted and many priests celebrated Mass clandestinely.
From a very young age, Juan María showed a special love for the EucharistHe was a great admirer of priests who, at the risk of their lives, continued to exercise their ministry. He attended Mass in hidden places, accompanied by his mother, and deeply admired the priests who, at the risk of their lives, continued to exercise their ministry. That priestly courage sowed in him a seed that would germinate in the form of a vocation.
A road full of difficulties
At the age of 20, Juan María clearly felt the call to the priesthood, but his path was not an easy one. His poor previous formation and his difficulties with Latin made many consider his entrance into the seminary unfeasible. However, with the help of Abbé M. Balley, parish priest of Écully, he managed to prepare himself and was ordained a priest in 1815, at the age of 29, through sheer perseverance and faith.
He was never brilliant in academics, but he was brilliant in virtue, obedience and pastoral zeal. At his final examination, a superior said of him: "He doesn't know much, but he is pious; we leave him in God's hands. This man 'without great lights' would later become a beacon of conversion for thousands of people.
View of the town of Ars, with the Basilica where the body of St. John Mary Vianney is venerated. By Paul C. Maurice - [1], CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikipedia).
Ars: a small town for a big mission
In 1818 he was sent as parish priest to Ars, a tiny, forgotten village in the south of France. It had only 230 inhabitants, most of them far from religious practice. Many priests considered these destinations as a punishment. Juan María, however, saw it as a mission field.
He began his pastoral work with a life of penance and prayer. He fasted frequently, spent long hours before the Blessed Sacrament and dedicated all his time to the faithful. His humility, closeness and dedication gradually won the hearts of the people of Ars.
His simple but profound preaching, his love for the poor and his zeal for the salvation of souls caused the town to begin to transform. What seemed like a forgotten corner of France became a spiritual center to which thousands of people flocked.
The confessional: throne of mercy
If there is one thing that characterizes the holy Curé of Ars, it is his tireless ministry at the confessional. He spent between 12 and 18 hours a day hearing confessions, especially in the last years of his life. Pilgrims from all over France and other countries came to Ars, seeking reconciliation with God.
It is estimated that, during peak years, more than 80,000 people per year were coming to Ars. The reason was simple: John Mary Vianney had a special gift for reading hearts, counseling with tenderness and showing God's mercy. He was an instrument of the Holy Spirit to heal souls.
Confession was not for him a mere sacramental practice, but the place where God's love was poured out on his children. His life in the confessional was his daily martyrdom, and also his source of joy.
Poverty, mortification and charity
St. John Mary Vianney lived with extreme austerity. He slept little, fed himself with the bare necessities and deprived himself of every comfort. He offered everything for the conversion of sinners. His room was so simple that many were surprised when they visited it.
But his real wealth was charity. He founded the ProvidenceShe was the head of an orphanage for girls without resources, and she devoted herself to caring for the most needy. Her love was concrete, full of small and constant gestures.
Despite his growing fame, he never became conceited. In fact, he asked several times to be transferred to another parish farther away, because he considered himself unworthy of his mission. His superiors always denied him this wish, aware of the immense good he was doing in Ars.
Temptations of the devil and spiritual attacks
Like all great saints, St. John Mary Vianney was subject to temptations and furious attacks by the devil. For years he suffered preternatural phenomena in his house: noises, screams, furniture that moved by itself, fires... The devil tried to frighten him and keep him from his mission. Far from being frightened, he offered everything for the conversion of sinners.
He used to say humorously: "The devil and I are almost friends, because we see each other every day". His spiritual strength was the fruit of a life deeply united to God.
A holy death and a living legacy
On August 4, 1859, after 41 years as pastor of Ars, St. John Mary Vianney died. serenely, surrounded by the affection of his people. He was 73 years old. He went to beatified in 1905 and canonized in 1925 by Pope Pius XI, who proclaimed him patron of parish priests. In 2009, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his death, Pope Benedict XVI declared him the patron saint of all priests throughout the world..
His incorrupt body can be venerated today in the shrine of Ars, which continues to receive pilgrims from all over the world. His figure remains a light for the Church and especially for priests.
The model for seminarians and priests
In a world that sometimes loses sight of what is essential, the figure of the holy Curé of Ars reminds priests of their true identity: to be men of God for othersinstruments of his mercy, shepherds with the smell of sheep, as Pope Francis said.
In the CARF Foundation, which supports the formation of seminarians and priests on the five continents, the life of St. John Mary Vianney serves as a model and stimulus, as does that of St. Josemaría, who drew much inspiration from him, even naming him Patron of Opus Dei.
Many young people today - like him in his time - find it difficult to be formed, lack resources or live their vocation in adverse environments. Our task is to help them, like the Curé of Ars, to become holy priests.
The Curé of Ars and the founder of Opus Dei
The feast of St. John Mary Vianney is celebrated on August 4. And, as we mentioned above, the feast of St. John Mary Vianney is celebrated on August 4, St. Josemaría always turned with faith to the intercession of the Curé of Ars, patron of the secular clergy.
His first trip to the city of Ars (France), to visit the places where St. John Mary Vianney carried out his pastoral work and to pray before his remains, was in 1953. After that, he returned on numerous occasions. Always accompanied by Don Alvaro del Portillo, he returned in 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959 and 1960. St. Josemaría always had faith in his intercession and emphasized his priestly traits.
St. Josemaría, referring to the dedication of priests to the sacrament of PenanceHe said to them: "Sit in the confessional every day, or at least two or three times a week, waiting there for the souls as the fisherman waits for the fish.
At first, perhaps no one will come. Take with you the breviary, a book of spiritual reading or something to meditate on. In the first few days you will be able to; then a little old lady will come and you will teach her that it is not enough for her to be good, she must bring her little grandchildren with her.
After four or five days, two little girls will come, and then a boy, and then a man, a little on the sly.... At the end of two months they will not let you live, nor will you be able to pray anything in the confessional, because your anointed hands will be, like those of Christ - confused with them, because you are Christ - saying: I absolve you".
The power of a yes
St. John Mary Vianney was neither a great theologian nor an ecclesial reformer. He was, quite simply, a priest faithful to his vocationa man in love with Christ and souls. His life teaches us that holiness is not reserved for the wise or the strong, but for those who trust in God and give themselves without reserve.
His witness is still relevant and necessary. In every seminarian who is trained with the help of the CARF Foundation there is a possibility that a new Curé of Ars will emerge. Because what the world needs is not only good professionals, but also a new Cure of Ars. holy priests.
???? Did you know that...?
The Holy Curé of Ars went to confession every day.
He was tempted for years to leave his parish, but never gave in.
When asked about his secret, he would reply, "I get up and go to church."
He said: "The priesthood is the love of the Heart of Jesus".
???? Supports the formation of future saintly priests
Would you like more priests like St. John Mary Vianney to bring the Gospel and the faith to all the dioceses of the world?
With your donation, you help form seminarians and diocesan priests at the University of Navarra and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.
???? Find out how to collaborate with the CARF Foundation: !donate now!
"The greatest fulfillment is a life offered in its entirety."
The vocation and witness of Giovanni, who was born in Reggio Emilia (Italy) on July 29, 1992, show how God acts in the concrete, sowing signs, awakening questions and opening paths.
This young man is completing his bachelor's degree in theology in Rome thanks to a support from the CARF FoundationThe missionary priests of the Fraternity of St. Charles Borromeo, a community of missionary priests born in the heart of the Communion and Liberation movement.
A few days after his ordination as a deacon, which took place on June 21, he shares with us his life journey.
Giovanni with two friends on an excursion to the mountains.
A teenager who dreamed of being fair
"My name is Giovanni Ferrari, I was born on July 29, 1992 in Reggio Emilia, a small town between Milan and Bologna. It is a land of peasants, simple and hard-working people, but also welcoming and rich in values.
I was born into a Catholic family, where the faith was transmitted to me by osmosis, through the many friends who always passed through our home. In addition to an older sister, we received the gift of an adoptive sister from Nigeria, who enriched and broadened the horizons of our family.
As a child I loved playing soccer, but I soon had to accept that I would never become a professional soccer player. On the other hand, I did well in school, and during my high school years the desire to become a judge one day was born in me. I was attracted to the idea of giving my life for an ideal of justice, an ideal that I often saw frustrated by reality. The many situations of injustice touched me deeply, and the profession of judge seemed to me a concrete way to respond to it.
During high school we made our first important friendships, first in the parish and then in an organization that raised funds for missions in Latin America, where in our free time we did manual labor.
Gradually I realized that the friendships worth cultivating were those with whom I shared an ideal worth giving myself to. In those years, I decided to give up soccer to devote myself more to volunteering."
The missionary inspiration of Daniele Badiali
The father's example Daniele BadialiBadiali, an Italian missionary priest murdered in Peru in 1997 after offering himself as a hostage in place of a missionary. Father Badiali served with simplicity and dedication among the poor in the diocese of Huari. He is considered a martyr for his witness of faith and radical love..
"As a teenager, I got to know her story. The more I read her letters, the more I wanted to live an intense and totally devoted life like hers. Rather than a life cut short, it seemed to me like a life fulfilled.
Life took its course and I decided to enroll in law school to achieve my dream of becoming a judge. In the first years of university I learned the story of another priest who moved me deeply: Fr. Anton Lulian Albanian Jesuit who spent much of his life in prison and forced labor under the communist regime.
He ended his testimony by saying that the most valuable thing in his life had been his fidelity to Christ. I, who had everything, could not be as free and happy as this man who had lost everything for the love of one person".
Mission in Brazil and first call
"It was then that I decided to spend four months in Brazil, in a diocesan mission, to see if this possibility of giving myself in this way was for me or not. During those months, on a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine, I felt a strong intuition to leave everything and join the Jesuits, but that conviction lasted only three days. When I returned from Brazil, I went back to university as if nothing had happened.
Soon after, I met some new priests who had just arrived in my city. They were young, they lived together, they were friendly and intelligent, and they were a pleasure to be with. They belonged to the St. Charles Fraternitya community of missionary priests linked to the charism of Communion and Liberation, the movement founded by don Luigi Giussani.
Thanks to the invitation of a friend to an aperitif with these priests, a friendship was born that little by little became all-encompassing. I would go to their house to have dinner, study, play, watch movies... my life, like that of many friends, revolved around that house of priests.
I felt that the Lord, through that encounter, was responding to all the desires to give myself to Him that I had experienced years before. "Why do I feel so at home with them?" was the question I had inside me, but I still did not dare to ask it."
Giovanni and a friend enjoy a bike tour.
The death of a friend and the decisive question
"The turning point came when a dear friend of mine died at the age of 24, after a year and a half of illness. His name was Cristian and he lived his illness with sanctity.
One of these priests, shortly before he died, said in a homily that, through Christian's life, God was asking each one of us: "Do you want to give me your life? Do you want to give it to me for the whole world? Each one, in his heart, must prepare his answer". I already knew what my answer was, but I still needed time".
Giovanni Ferrari during a celebration.
Last stage in law and final decision
"After graduating, I worked for a couple of years in a law firm in Milan and did the school of specialization for the legal professions, which qualified me for the magistracy competition.
But when everything was ready to present myself, I understood that the time had come to take an important step: to enter the seminary. I understood the desire to give up the dream of a career and starting a family for the hope of a full life in the virtues of chastity, priesthood, common life and mission.
As Von Balthasar wrote, the intuition was too strong that ".leaving everything, he would eventually win it all"".
Today I can only say that God has given me much more than I could have ever imagined, above all a fullness of meaning for my life.
I wish to thank the CARF Foundation and all the benefactors who collaborate with it for the valuable help received during these years of study and for the prayers.
These years in the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross have been very formative. I have been able to appreciate the universality of the Church by meeting young people from all over the world, and to receive an excellent theological formation.
For all this, I am deeply grateful for the help and for the beautiful service you provide for the whole Church".
Gerardo FerraraDegree in History and Political Science, specializing in the Middle East. Head of the student body at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
