SERMONS OF ST JOHN VIANNEY PART 2

This is a series of the sermons of St. John Marie Vianney. Click the link below for part 1.

https://smcdefense.blogspot.com/2022/01/sermons-of-st-john-vianney-part-1.html?m=1

"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.

Another will say: 'I assure you that if it were not for my parents I would not make my Easter duty at all. Our catechism says that to make a good Confession we must give up sin and the occasions of sin, and we are doing neither the one nor the other. I tell you sincerely that I am really embarrassed every time Easter comes around. I will be glad when the time comes for me to settle down and to cease gallivanting. I will make a confession then of my whole life, to put right the ones I am making now. Without that I would not die happy.

'Well, another will say to him, 'when that time comes you ought to go to the priest who has been hearing your confessions up to the present. He will know you best. 'Indeed no! I will go to the one who would not give me absolution, because he would not want to see me damned either.

'My word, aren't you good! That means nothing at all. They all have the same power.

'That is a good thing to remember when we are doing what we ought to do. But when we are in sin, we think otherwise."

Reference:

https://www.ecatholic2000.com/cts/untitled-624.shtml