Today, August 4, happens to be the 150 anniversary since the death of St John Mary Vianney, universally known as the Cure of Ars in France. He received the sacrament of Holy Orders in 1815 and three years later was sent to Ars as a parish priest. He died on August 4, 1859 and was declared a saint on May 31, 1925.

I would like to bring to the attention of readers some of his writings, fruit of his saintly wisdom.

(1) "All our religion is but a false religion and all our virtues are mere illusions and we ourselves are only hypocrites in the sight of God if we have not that universal charity for everyone - for the good and for the bad, for the poor and for the rich and for all those who do us harm as much as those who do us good. If people would do for God what they do for the world, what a great number of Christians would go to Heaven."

(2) "You either belong wholly to the world or wholly to God."

(3) "I tell you that you have less to suffer in following the cross than in serving the world and its pleasures."

(4) "You cannot please both God and the world at the same time. They are utterly opposed to each other in their thoughts, their desires and their actions."

(5) "We must always choose the most perfect. Two good works present themselves to be done, one in favour of a person we love, the other in favour of a person who has done us some harm. Well, we must give preference to the latter."

(6) "Prayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself."

(7 "We should consider those moments spent in the presence of the Lord as the happiest of our lives."

(8) "You do not need many words when you pray. We believe in faith that the good and gracious God is there in the tabernacle; we open our souls to him; and feel happy that he allows us to come before Him; this is the best way to pray. How many people we can call back to God by our prayers!"

(9) To a young boy who showed him the way to the priest's house he said: 'You have shown me the way to my house; I shall show you the way to heaven".'

(10) "The works of penance abound in such delights and joys that, once they have been tasted, nothing will ever again root them out of our souls. Only the first steps are difficult for those who eagerly choose this path."

Praised be God in His saints!