Why Saints Are Awesome

St. John Vianney is one of the Church’s incorruptibles.

Lately, I had been concerned about my spiritual health. With my succumbing to vices more than usual, breaking commitments, and spiritual desolation to top it all, I finally grabbed one of the Church’s secret power weapons: the saints. I turned to St. John Vianney, a truly powerful soul-saver and one the “Terrific Trio” of my top favorite saints (The other two being St. Philomena and St. Therese of Lisieux.), I wrote and signed the following act of consecration in my prayer journal to commend myself to this amazing Third Order Franciscan as the Patron of My Soul:

“Dearest St. John Vianney, As a priest of God, you are my spiritual Father. By your prayers and sacrifices for the people of Ars, you showed that nothing was more important to you than the salvation of souls. This is why, my dear Father Vianney, I can think of no better patron than you to entrust my soul to. I am a poor wretched sinner, full of pride and other miseries, and I am in desperate need of your help in saving my soul and attaining a sainthood like yours. Dear Patron of My Soul, I resolve to listen for your voice and counsel on behalf of God and to follow it as best I can. Being such a sinner as I am, I know that I will fall from this resolution quickly, but I remain hopeful that you who traded your life to save all of Ars and beyond will not rest until you have managed to save my soul also. Dear Friend of God and Feared Foe of Satan, I count on you as my powerful defender in the battle for my soul, which grows more violent all the time. You who delight God’s heart and cause the evil one to quake with fright, do not  allow my soul to fall, but guard it no matter how it costs me. Faithful and devoted Slave of Our Lady, help me to live my consecration to her as well as you did and to become a saint as you are through it as St. Louis De Montfort promised. Director of young discerning souls and friend of the Virgin Philomena, help me to prepare my soul well for the vocation set before me, and do not abandon my soul to corruption and apathy. As an expression of my filial devotion and fervent gratitude to you, your daughter pledges to receive Communion for the increase of devotion to you and to say your litany three times. St. John Mary Baptist Vianney, pray for me!”

It is has been such a peaceful thought since then that I have such a powerful and amazing saint working with me on the way to Heaven! Such beautiful hope knowing he’s watching over me! Perhaps this is why I have felt such a powerful attraction to him all these years!

One of my favorite pictures of St. John Vianney that I have hanging over my bed.