The
Holy Curé of Ars sometimes met sinners, blinded by delusions, who
relied on some external practice of devotion to the Blessed Virgin to
quiet their consciences and give them permission to sin with greater
freedom, without fear of the everlasting flames of hell.
In such cases, his harsh words had tremendous effect, both by bringing the guilty ones to realize the monstrosity of their presumption, which is so insulting to the Mother of Mercy, and by giving them an act of devotion to use for imploring God’s grace to escape the infernal snake’s crushing coils.
But in a similar situation, clergymen without true devotion to the Virgin Mary would only succeed, by these cold and wounding words, in making the poor drowning wretch let go of the buoy that might have kept him afloat until he reached safety.
In such cases, his harsh words had tremendous effect, both by bringing the guilty ones to realize the monstrosity of their presumption, which is so insulting to the Mother of Mercy, and by giving them an act of devotion to use for imploring God’s grace to escape the infernal snake’s crushing coils.
But in a similar situation, clergymen without true devotion to the Virgin Mary would only succeed, by these cold and wounding words, in making the poor drowning wretch let go of the buoy that might have kept him afloat until he reached safety.
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