the diary of a country priest by georges bernanos

On his deathbed at the end of the book the priest confesses, 'Does it matter? Grace is everywhere.' Every person in ministry ought to read this book, but perhaps not until you turn fifty or so. By the time he dies of stomach cancer at a young age, Bernanos has painted a portrait of what we realize is a genuine saint. The children laugh at his teachings, his parishioners are consumed. Though his faith is devout, he finds nothing but indifference and mockery. A young, shy, sickly priest is assigned to his first parish, a sleepy village in northern France. He is an astute observer of the weakness, frailty and fallenness of human nature, especially his own. A spiritual masterpiece that shines a light on the true meaning of the divine in an uncontrollable world. He has a keen sense of history and his own obscure role to play. The Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos is a story of injustice and faith that passes the barriers of time. The priest loves his flock he visits every home every year, and he prays for them. They gossip about him as a 'secret drinker' and a womanizer, both of which are laughable. He describes his parishioners as bored, boring, and petty. He knows he is physically clumsy and socially awkward.

The entire novel is a diary in which he confides his doubts and loneliness, his sense of futility, struggles with a sense of vocation ('Keep marching to the end, and try to end up quietly at the roadside without shedding your equipment.'), powerlessness in the face of suffering, clashes with clergy colleagues, the history of his own family dysfunction, and even disgust with his own body due to chronic stomach pains and an impoverished diet. Through intimate journal entries, the author reveals the private life and struggles of a young, withdrawn, devout and sickly priest in northern France. From a merely human perspective he is not mistaken. Last year marked the 70th anniversary of Bernanos's powerful tale of a young and earnest parish priest in rural France who feels that he is a total failure. Georges Bernanos, The Diary of a Country Priest (various publishers, 1936).

The diary of a country priest by georges bernanos