Monday 4 August 2025 –
St. John Maria Vianney- Cure of Ars
Mass
Readings:
Numb 11:4-15 Ps 81 Mt 14:13-21
Key
Verse to Meditate:
And when He went ashore, He saw a great multitude, and felt compassion for them
(Mat 14:14)
Today, the Church joyfully celebrates the feast
of St. John Mary Vianney, the
patron saint of diocesan priests and priests in general. He is widely known as
the Curé of Ars, a humble parish
priest whose life of sanctity continues to inspire generations of clergy and
faithful alike.
St. John was born in
Lyon, France, in 1786, and he died
in Ars on 4 August 1859. He was
ordained a deacon in June 1815,
and just a few months later, on 12 August
1815, he was ordained a priest. In seminary, John Vianney was not
considered academically gifted; in fact, he struggled in his studies. But what
he lacked in intellectual brilliance, he more than made up for with a heart
deeply conformed to that of the Good Shepherd. His profound devotion to the Eucharist and to Our Lady fueled his unwavering desire to become a priest
of God.
He once said, “Every consecrated host is made to burn itself up
with love in a human heart.” For him, the priesthood was not simply a
function or a role, but the very heart of Christ made visible among His people.
After his
ordination, Fr. Vianney was sent to Ars,
a small, obscure village in the remote countryside of France. Upon his arrival,
the locals reportedly asked him, “Why have
you come here? There is nothing to do.” To which the humble priest
replied, “Then there is everything to do.”
Indeed, by his
tireless pastoral dedication, he brought about a radical spiritual renewal in Ars and its surrounding
regions. Over the course of forty years,
he faithfully served his parish, drawing thousands from all over France through
his simple catechesis and his extraordinary ministry of reconciliation.
He was a man of austere penance, and his deep interior life—rooted in prayer and
devotion to the Eucharist—was inseparable from his outward acts of charity and mercy. Though often
tormented by the thought of his own unworthiness, he served his people with
tenderness, patience, and conviction. He once advised, “Do not try to please everybody. Try to please God, the angels,
and the saints—these are your public.”
The aftermath of
the French Revolution had left a
spiritual void marked by religious ignorance and indifference. Fr. Vianney
labored intensely to combat blasphemy and restore a right understanding of the
Catholic faith. His confessional became a place of grace and healing; in the
last ten years of his life, he reportedly spent 16 to 18 hours a day hearing confessions.
He died in 1859,
worn out by love and service. In 1925,
Pope Pius XI canonized him and
declared him the patron saint of parish
priests. Later, in 2009,
on the occasion of the 150th anniversary
of his death, Pope Benedict XVI
inaugurated the Year for Priests,
highlighting Vianney as a model for all clergy.
St. John Mary Vianney is a luminous witness to the beauty and power of the
priesthood—a life lived in union with Christ, poured out entirely for the
people of God. May his example inspire priests today to rekindle their zeal,
deepen their love for the Eucharist, and embrace their sacred mission with
humble fidelity.
Gospel Reflection: The
Feeding of the Five Thousand (Mt 14:13–21)
Today’s Gospel presents to
us the miraculous feeding of the five thousand—an account so significant that
it is recorded in all four Gospels (Mt 14:13–21; Mk 6:30–44; Lk 9:10–17; Jn
6:1–14). In Matthew’s version, this miracle follows immediately after the
sorrowful account of the beheading of John the Baptist. Deeply saddened, Jesus
withdraws to a deserted place to be alone. Yet, the crowds follow Him and reach
the place ahead of Him.
Despite His personal grief,
Jesus is not annoyed by the interruption. On the contrary, He is moved with
compassion. He heals their sick and continues His mission of teaching and
preaching. As evening falls, the disciples urge Jesus to send the people away
so they can find food. But Jesus replies with a challenging directive: “You
give them something to eat.”
This miracle was not
prompted by any explicit request—it was the spontaneous initiative of Jesus, an
outpouring of His compassionate heart. The five loaves and two fish, a modest
offering, become the means through which God’s generosity is revealed. As Gerd
Theissen points out in The Miracle Stories of the Early Christian Tradition,
this is a gift miracle, revealing how divine providence makes material
abundance available in surprising ways.
Feeding Miracles in the Old Testament
The Old Testament also presents several feeding miracles that echo this
Gospel event:
- 1
Kings 17:8–16 – Elijah and the jar of meal that never runs
dry.
- 2
Kings 4:1–7 – Elisha and the multiplication of oil.
- 2
Kings 4:42–44 – Elisha feeding a hundred men with limited
bread.
Scholars suggest that
Matthew intentionally connects this feeding miracle with the institution of
the Eucharist, as seen in the similar wording found in Matthew 26:26–29.
Note the Eucharistic echoes in today’s Gospel:
Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five
loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And
all ate and were filled” (Mt 14:19–20).
A Foretaste of the Messianic Banquet
The Church Fathers often
interpreted this miracle as a foreshadowing of the messianic banquet,
linking it to the manna in the desert. Cyril of Alexandria, for example, drew a
parallel with Psalm 78:24—“He gave them bread from heaven.” According to
Albert Schweitzer (The Quest of the Historical Jesus), this feeding
event is a “proleptic realization of the messianic banquet,” a veiled
eschatological sacrament revealing the future heavenly feast.
Just as the Israelites were
fed with bread and quail in the wilderness, the new Israel is now fed by Jesus,
the New Moses, with bread and fish. In Numbers 11:22, Moses questions how
such a multitude can be fed in the desert. God responds, and miraculously
provides. Even the fish, said to have come from the sea (Num 11:31; cf. Wis
19:12), points toward a divine providence that satisfies every need.
Jesus as the Shepherd
Jesus also appears in this
Gospel as the compassionate shepherd. Matthew says, “When He went
ashore, He saw a great crowd; and He had compassion for them and cured their
sick” (Mt 14:14). In Mark’s parallel account, it reads: “He had
compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He
began to teach them many things” (Mk 6:34).
This image draws on Numbers
27:15–18, where Moses pleads with the Lord to appoint a successor so that
the people may not be like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord answers by
appointing Joshua, son of Nun. In a symbolic sense, the five loaves can
be seen as representing the five books of Moses, and the twelve
baskets of leftovers as signifying the twelve tribes of Israel.
The Compassion of God
The compassion of God is
not just a feeling—it is a movement toward action. In Jesus, that compassion
takes on flesh. Though He desired solitude, His heart burned with love, just
like the father of the prodigal son, and He could not turn away from
those in need. This selfless love is at the heart of today’s Gospel—and at the
heart of today’s saint.
“You Give Them Something to Eat”
An important dimension of
this miracle is Jesus’ directive to the disciples: “They need not go away;
you give them something to eat” (Mt 14:16).
Jesus could have fed the
crowds directly, but instead, He involves the disciples, emphasizing
their role as intermediaries of God’s grace. He blesses the food, gives
it to the disciples, and they, in turn, distribute it to the people.
The same pattern is found in the Last Supper, where Jesus gives the
Eucharist to His disciples and commands them to continue this action in His
memory (Lk 22:19–20).
This connection reminds us
that the Eucharist is handed on through the Church, beginning with the
apostles and continuing through the ministry of ordained priests today.
Saint John Mary Vianney: A Eucharistic Shepherd
Today, we also celebrate the feast of St. John Mary Vianney, a
true shepherd in the likeness of Christ. He embodied the Gospel we hear today.
His life was one of compassion, simplicity, penance, and total dedication to
the Eucharist and the care of souls. Like Jesus in today’s Gospel,
he saw the needs of his people and responded without hesitation, especially
through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the celebration of the
Eucharist.
During the final years of his life, St. John Vianney spent 16 to 18
hours a day in the confessional, offering spiritual nourishment to
thousands. His priestly heart, deeply united to the heart of Jesus, is a
shining model for all pastors.
Points for Personal Reflection
- Am I
truly convinced of God’s personal and compassionate love for me?
- Do I
entrust myself to God’s providence, especially in difficult times?
- How
do I participate in the Eucharistic banquet? With reverence? With
gratitude?
- Do I
frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation, allowing God to renew my
heart?
- If I
am a priest, like St. John Mary Vianney, does my ministry reflect the heart
of the Good Shepherd?
In the miracle of the loaves, we see a powerful image of God’s
abundance, the role of the Church, and the sacredness of priestly
ministry. Let us strive to become more like Christ—compassionate,
self-giving, and attentive to the needs of others—and follow the example of St.
John Mary Vianney, who allowed his life to become a living Eucharist for the
people he served.
St. John Mary Vianney, patron of parish priests, pray for us.
