Monday 4 August 2025
St John Vianney
Numbers 11:4-15. Sing with joy to God our help – Ps 80(81):12-17. Matthew 14:13-21.
Give thanks for what you have
The story of St John Vianney is one for the ages. It resonates beautifully with today’s Gospel, the feeding of the 5000 as told by St Matthew. Jesus doesn’t start with a theory. He starts with the reality of the situation: ‘all we have is five loaves and two fish.’ From such modest beginnings, Jesus is able to meet the needs of the people. He starts with a blessing: giving thanks for what they do have rather than worrying too much about what they don’t. The same is true of St John Vianney, a parish priest who was sometimes known as the Cure d’Ars. He was hopeless academically, but his superiors could see his good heart. At a time when the church in France was in turmoil, he built a community through his simplicity, generosity and common sense. He wanted his people not to have the best but to be the best. Let’s be grateful for the gifts of this day.
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