Today we celebrate the memorial of St. John Vianney, the Curé D'Ars, who, though he was not considered a stellar candidate for priesthood, turned out to be such a good confessor that he would spend up to 18 hours a day in the confessional to meet the demands of pilgrims who came to confess to him, telling God that it was worth the suffering to help the people. In our first reading today, Moses is so tired of listening to the people grumble in the desert about having to eat manna (again!) that he asks God to just kill him. In the Gospel, Jesus tries to get away on his own after the death of John the Baptist, but ends up feeding the multitude "because they were like sheep without a shepherd." All three of these are examples working overtime to answer God's call to care for the needs of the people in front of them. We need to trust our own vocation and call, and trust that God will give us the strength to fulfil it if we only ask.
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Introduction: Memorial of St. John Vianney
00:20 - Theme: Embracing Our Calling Amid Challenges
00:43 - Moses and the Burden of Leadership
01:08 - Jesus Grieves Yet Responds with Compassion
01:37 - The Life and Ministry of St. John Vianney
02:09 - Vianney's Dedication to Confession and the People
02:35 - His Deep Desire for Conversion of Souls
02:53 - The Message for Us: Trust and Embrace Your Vocation
03:18 - Feed God's People with What They Need Most
03:26 - Final Blessing