Go now to those to whom I send you - the Saints of Ars and Futuna

Day 4 of our pilgrimage took us to Ars and Cuet...

  

Morning Prayer  

Jeremiah 1:4-9

The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying,

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
before you came to birth I consecrated you;
I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.'

I said, 'Ah, Lord, I do not know how to speak: I am a child!'
but the Lord replied,
'Do not say "I am a child".
Go now to those to whom I send you
and say whatever I command you.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to protect you -
        it is the Lord who speaks!'

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me:

'There! I am putting my words into your mouth.' 

Reflection

Isn't it wonderful to think that our God knew us before he formed us in the womb. It's the reminder that none of us were a mistake, we were willed into being. But more than that, even before our birth our being consecrated by the gift of baptism was foreseen and that we are call to share in Christ's prophetic mission.

But look how Jeremiah saw himself as a child and unable to speak.

To easily we can think of ourselves of not having the capacity to share our faith with others... "I am only a child" - but the Lord says to us Do not say "I am a child". Go now to those to whom I send you and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them.

In the saints we meet today we see John Vianney and Peter Chanel we meet two individuals who struggled intellectually but became two saints of great heart. One who became a priest in a small village, the other who became a priest in a small island. But both became known for their faith, their hope and love throughout the world. We might not think we have much to offer but God uses what we can give and with it feeds others... just like a little boy who gave Jesus five barley loaves and two fish with which Jesus fed the 5000.

May the Lord touched our mouths and put his words into them. 

Saint John Vianney (Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney) was born on May 8, 1786, in Dardilly, near Lyon, France.  His early life was shaped by the turmoil of the French Revolution, which suppressed the Church and forced religious practices underground. Inspired by the courage of priests who risked their lives to minister during this time, Vianney felt a deep calling to the priesthood.

The birthplace of John Vianney

Not his original parish church but the parish church today 

Of the old building, only a stone holy water font and the red copper baptismal font dating from 1600 remain, in which Jean-Marie Vianney, the future priest of Ars , was baptized in 1786

Despite struggling academically—especially with Latin—he persevered through seminary studies with private tutoring and was ordained in 1815. In 1818, he was assigned to the remote village of Ars, where he would spend the rest of his life. Initially met with indifference from the locals, Vianney’s deep piety, humility, and tireless dedication gradually transformed the parish. He became renowned for his powerful preaching, devotion to the Eucharist, and especially his ministry in the confessional, where he spent up to 16 hours a day offering spiritual counsel and absolution.

He lived a life of extreme simplicity, prayer, and mortification, surviving on little food and sleep. 

The house of St John Vianney

Meanwhile, his reputation as a confessor and miracle worker drew tens of thousands of pilgrims annually to Ars. He spent up to 16 hours a day in the confessional, offering spiritual guidance and absolution to thousands who traveled from afar to seek his counsel. He had an incredible ability to read hearts, gently leading souls to repentance and deeper communion with God. He would tell some what sins they had forgotten to mention and others that they were not ready yet for absolution. His humility, patience, and unwavering commitment to the sacrament of reconciliation transformed lives and revived faith across France. Through his tireless ministry, he became a model of pastoral care, emphasizing God's mercy and the transformative power of confession.

One of those who sought his counsel was Suzanne Aubert. From a young age she had been promised in marriage but increasingly she felt the call to religious life. His parents were opposed to this vocation. So she went to the Curé of Ars to seek his advice and he told her “My child, you will leave for the missions in two years, […] Oh, my child, I will help you more by death than by my life […] How many crosses, difficulties and trials await you in life! But whatever anyone does to you, whatever happens, whatever anyone says to you, never, never, never let go.”

On the 4th of August 1860, Suzanne Aubert left Lyon, under the pretext of going to Ars for the anniversary of the death of John Vianney... but instead she took the train to Le Havre to join Bishop Pompallier and a group of missionaries leaving for New Zealand.

John Vianney died on August 4, 1859. He was canonized in 1925 by Pope Pius XI and declared the patron saint of parish priests. During the June 2009—June 2010 Year for Priests Pope Benedict XVI declared  John Vianney patron saint of all the priests of the world.

John Vianney always wanted to build a bigger church for the thousands of pilgrims who visited... it was finally built after his death but at the request of the residents of Ars the original church was retained and incorporated into the new - the red brick tower is from the original church

The incorrupt body of St John Vianney

If you seek God, you will find Him...  

The little door he had into the church where those who felt they were great sinners could enter for confession without being seen.

Jesus wanted his ministry of forgiveness of sins to continue in his Church and he commissioned his Apostles with this task on the Day of Resurrection...

In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, 'Peace be with you,' and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, 'Peace be with you.

'As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you.'

After saying this he breathed on them and said:
'Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive,
they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained.'

'As the Father sent me, so am I sending you... 'The risen Lord connects his ministry of forgiveness to what he asks of them...

After saying this he breathed on them and said: 'Receive the Holy Spirit...' A priest cannot forgiveness sins himself... it is through the power of the Holy Spirit working in the priest who acts in Jesus' name, that Jesus himself forgives sins in this great sacrament...

And so in this great prayer of God's abundant mercy the priest is called to listen to what is being said, to listen to what is not being said for often that is where the spiritual struggle lies and the priest must listen for the words of Jesus that it is counsel that is given helping the humble heart to receive the gift of the Lord's mercy that he gives so freely...

The Chapel of the Heart of John Vianney where pilgrims are invited to pray for priests

St John Vianney’s words for the way of hope…

True and lasting hope is only to be found in God. If you have it, you can put up with anything. You know that the Lord will give you strength to bear whatever trials and difficulties may come your way.

There is nothing so great as the Eucharist. If God had something more precious, He would have given it to us.

God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry.

The sign of the cross is the most terrible weapon against the devil. Thus the Church wishes not only that we have it continually in front of our minds to recall to us just what our souls are worth and what they cost Jesus Christ, but also that we should make it at every juncture ourselves: when we go to bed, when we awaken during the night, when we get up, when we begin any action, and, above all, when we are tempted.

Do not try to please everybody. Try to please God, the angels, and the saints – they are your public.

Our next stop was to Cuet, the birth place of St Peter Chanel, patron saint of Oceania.

Peter Chanel (1803–1841) was born on the 12th of July 1803 in La Potière. He was the fifth of eight children in a humble farming family. 

When Peter Chanel was born the church in Cuet had been deconsecrated, having been ransacked during the Revolution. So Peter was baptised in the village of Cras four days after his birth. 

We didn't get to drive past La Potière... this was from my previous visit there

From the age of seven to twelve, Peter worked as a shepherd, tending sheep in the fields—a role that instilled in him patience, simplicity, and a deep connection to nature. Despite the modesty of his upbringing, Peter showed early signs of a deep spiritual life and intelligence. His spiritual sensitivity caught the attention of the local parish priest of Cras, Abbé Trompier, who persuaded his parents to allow him to attend a small school he had established.

The current church in Cras contains the altar from which Peter Chanel received his first Holy Communion and is also where he celebrated his first Mass.

In January 1817, struggling with his studies, Peter felt discouraged and made a decision to return home. On his way he met the school mistress, who asked, “Have you at least prayed to the Virgin Mary?” He turned around, prayed beneath the statue of Mary and the child Jesus in the church, and changed his mind about heading home. The statue is still in the church in Cras-sur-Reyssouze and is known as ‘Our Lady of Perseverance’. 

Peter made his First Communion on 23 March 1817, a moment that deeply impacted him. Around this time, he encountered letters from missionaries in America, particularly those sent by Bishop Louis William Valentine Dubourg, which sparked in him a lifelong desire to serve in foreign missions. “It was that year that I formed the idea of going to the foreign missions,” he later recalled.

He was ordained a priest in 1827 and initially served in the parish of Crozet, where he revitalized a spiritually neglected community through his compassion and dedication, especially to the sick. Drawn to missionary work, he joined the Society of Mary (Marists) in 1831. In 1836, he was appointed superior of a group of Marist missionaries sent to evangelize the South Pacific.

Peter arrived on the island of Futuna (near Fiji) in November 1837, where he faced cultural barriers, isolation, and hardship. Despite limited success, he remained patient and kind, earning the nickname “the man with the kind heart.” His mission took a tragic turn when the local king, fearing the loss of his authority after his son sought baptism, ordered Peter’s death. On 28 April 1841, Peter Chanel was brutally clubbed to death.

Ironically, his martyrdom became the seed of faith for Futuna: within two years, the entire island converted to Christianity. He was beatified in 1889 and canonized in 1954 by Pope Pius XII. His feast day is celebrated on 28 April, and he remains a symbol of missionary zeal, humility, and unwavering faith.

Our Mass was at the Sanctuary of St Peter Chanel in Cuet

The rector of the Sanctuary joined us for Mass and welcomed us

Readings at Mass

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

The language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God’s power to save. As scripture says: I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing all the learning of the learned. 

Where are the philosophers now? Where are the scribes? Where are any of our thinkers today? Do you see now how God has shown up the foolishness of human wisdom? If it was God’s wisdom that human wisdom should not know God, it was because God wanted to save those who have faith through the foolishness of the message that we preach. 

And so, while the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

O praise the Lord, all you nations,
acclaim him all you peoples!

Strong is his love for us;
he is faithful for ever.

Mark 1:14-20

After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’

As he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you into fishers of people.’ And at once they left their nets and followed him. 

Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets. He called them at once and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.

Reflection

What is the language of the cross? Ultimately it is love and mercy, the love and mercy of our God which in Jesus is stretched out to embrace all humanity. It is a way of love and mercy that is illogical to our age which wants to crucify, divide and destroy. It is a love and mercy we are called to receive and to share.

Too easily we want a God of miracles who gives us what we want, or a God who gives us wisdom, all the answers so there is no risk and we know everything will be all right with our lives. But such attitudes are obstacles and madness. For us we look to a crucified Christ and we too have to embrace our struggles and challenges and in all things look to the Christ. 

And that is what Peter Chanel had to do... He like the fishermen in the Gospel left everything, his home, his family, his language, the food he was used to, all the things that were familiar to him and he made his home in Futuna north of Fiji, embracing a new family, learning a new language and in the midst of all this sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. And he was a failure... In his life time he only baptised a few of the people of Futuna. And when at last he was making progress with the chief's son wanting to be baptised he was clubbed to death. And yet two years later the whole island was Catholic.

This is the language and logic of the cross. It is not about success in this life. The language and logic of the cross is about having a heart for God, neighbour, the gift of our own life and the life that surrounds us. Peter Chanel was known as the man of great heart and through that heart God did great things.

May we our hearts be expanded so that God might do great things in us.

Love Mary, make her loved

Come follow me. You will be my priest

 

That through Mary Jesus be loved

Death for me is a good

The two miracles that led to Peter's canonisation

Peter Chanel’s words for the way of hope…

Dear God, give us patience!

It does not matter whether or not I am killed; the religion has taken root on the island; it will not be destroyed by my death, since it comes not from men but from God.

Had I not come to preach the Gospel, I would have remained in France and lived a quiet life. But I came to Futuna to bring Christ, and if I must die for that, I die happy.

St. Peter Chanel, gentle missionary and faithful martyr, intercede for us...

Pray that we may approach each day with patience, humility, and courage,

even when our efforts go unseen.

St Peter Chanel, pray for us

The Diocese of Hamilton under the patronage of St Peter Chanel

The friendship between the Church in France and New Zealand - My friends jean and Joelle Branciard who were so kind to me in my first visit to Cuet in 2019

...and then Max came to New Zealand some years later