August 2 2021 - St. Peter Julian Eymard - Adoring the Real Presence of Christ

 St. Peter Julian Eymard was originally a diocesan priest. He was ordained for the same diocese and was a close friend of St. John Vianney. A few years after his ordination, Eymard joined the Marist order, and as a Marist he traveled throughout France promoting devotion to Mary and to the Eucharist, particularly the Forty Hours Devotion, which many of our parishes in Cleveland still maintain.  

As he preached the Forty Hours Devotion, he felt his love of the Eucharist grow. An extraordinary passion for the Blessed Sacrament took root in his heart. After about 16 years with the Marists, Eymard was encourage by Pope Pius IX to found a new religious order devoted especially to the spread of Eucharistic Devotion. So in 1856, he founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament for men and a few years later co-founded the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, a contemplative congregation for women, and also an association of the lay faithful devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

Due to St. Peter Julian’s preaching and role model, devotion to Eucharistic Adoration is certainly one of the great devotions of our times. 

He wrote, “True, God is everywhere, but we have need for Him to draw near to us under sensible signs, and this is what He does in the Blessed Sacrament. Think, then, that He is there. That Presence is sweeter, is recalled more easily than the presence of the invisible, the impalpable Divinity. It is less easily forgotten. Recall it everywhere, whatever you may be doing; and know that it is His human glance, the eye of the glorified and risen Body that follows you through walls, and never loses sight of you.”

What a powerful insight. That we can recall, in whatever we are doing, the Eucharist in so many tabernacles and monstrances around the world, gazing upon us with love. And that we can return to him here in church, and speak to him, and listen to him, and glimpse him in our holy hours, is one of the great privileges of being Catholic. 

So many of our contemporaries have such a tepid belief in the Lord’s real presence in the Eucharist; so many Catholics who do not believe it is necessary to come to church to receive Holy Communion, so many non-Catholics who have not considered the meaning of Jesus’ true presence in the Eucharist. So we, like St. Peter Julian do well to share with them our great love for the Eucharist, the transforming power of receiving him frequently, and making holy hours, and finding our strength in Him for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That the Church may be constantly be enriched through worthy reception and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and strengthened to endure her many trials.

For all those who have fallen away from the Sacraments, for those who have grown lukewarm, for those who lack faith in the Lord’s real presence in the Eucharist. 

For blessings upon the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament Community in our diocese and around the world. 

That the sick and suffering may find comfort in the promises of Christ and the consolation of the Spirit.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, the souls in purgatory, deceased bishops, priests, and religious, those who fought and died for our freedom, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered.

Hear Our Prayers, O Lord, and through the intercession of St. Peter Julian Eymard, enflame our love for the Bread of Life. Through the Christ Our Lord.

 

3rd Week of Easter 2018 - Thursday - Pledge of Eternal Life

In his Bread of Life discourse, Jesus promised food that would bring eternal life. Natural bread feeds our bodies, it sustains our physical life. But the super-substantial bread given to us by Jesus Christ, enables our souls to live forever.

The Sacrament of the Altar has many names, and each of those names signify a different dimension of the sacrament.

The Sacrament is called Eucharist: Eucharist, coming from the Greek word, Eucharistia, which means thanksgiving. At the Eucharist the Church gathers first and foremost to give our thanksgiving to God for the gift of our salvation won for us through the self-sacrifice of His Son on the cross for us.

The Sacrament is called Holy Communion: for through it, souls are brought into communion with our Holy God, made sharers in his divine life, and the holy bond between Christians is strengthened.

The Sacrament is called the Body and Blood of Christ: for as Jesus teaches, this bread is His true flesh. And as Thomas Aquinas poetically summarized: Verbum caro, panem verum Verbo carnem éfficit: Fitque sanguis Christi merum,” The word made flesh, makes bread, by his word, flesh, and wine into the blood of Christ.

The Sacrament is called the Most Blessed Sacrament: for though in the other sacraments Christ performs a holy action, baptizing, confirming, absolving, marrying, this Sacrament IS Jesus.

And one of my favorite titles for this Sacrament: it is called The Pledge of Eternal Life. For as Jesus promises in the Gospel today, “whoever eats this bread will live forever.” A divine pledge, a divine promise is given to those who partake of this Sacrament.

There are many reasons to become Catholic, or to return to the active practice of the Catholic faith: but this one ranks pretty high: eternal life promised by God.

Through the Eucharist our mortal natures become incorruptible, as St. Ireneus taught, in the 2nd century.

This truth was echoed for centuries in the Old Rite of Mass. as one knelt down to receive holy communion, the priest would bless the communicant with the host and say the words: Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam: May the Body of Christ preserve your soul unto everlasting life.

May our Easter celebration continue to open us to the joy of the risen Christ, and his presence in the Church particularly in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, the Eucharist, His Body and Blood, and our pledge of eternal life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Church will deepen in her devotion to the Eucharistic sacrifice which is the source and summit of our Christian life.  We pray to the Lord.

That the redemptive power of Christ’s Eucharistic sacrifice will extend to the hearts and minds of all those who govern peoples and nations.  We pray to the Lord.

That the Eucharist will be for priests the source of their joy and their deeper configuration to Jesus Christ.  We pray to the Lord.

That the Real Presence of Jesus will be experienced in all marriages, in all business relations, in all daily encounters, and in our friendships.  We pray to the Lord.

For those who live in want: that Jesus the Bread of Life will be their sustenance, and that Christians may bring the justice and mercy of Christ to all those in need.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.