Saint Peter Julian Eymard

Although not a Franciscan Saint, I have read the writings of Saint Peter Julian Eymard. Peter Julian (1811-1868), founded the Society of the Blessed Sacrament, and of the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, was born at La Mure d'Isère, Diocese of Grenoble, France, 4 February, 1811. He was the son of a cutler (at which trade he worked for a time). From early childhood he gave evidence of great holiness and most tender devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

In 1829, he entered the novitiate of the Oblates of Mary, but illness compelled him to return home. At the age of twenty he entered the grand seminary of Grenoble, and was ordained priest 20 July, 1834. He engaged in pastoral work for the next five years. He returned to the Marist novitiate in 1839 where he served as spiritual director of the junior seminary at Belley.

In 1845 he was appointed Provincial of the Oblates of Mary. His entire spiritual life was centered around the Eucharist. It was the subject of his sermons and exhortations, the object of his worship and prayers. Those who fell under his spiritual direction were taught by his counsel to fix their attention on the Blessed Sacrament. In January of 1851 Père Eymard made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fourvières, and there promised Mary to devote his life to founding a congregation of priests whose principal duty should be to honor the Blessed Sacrament.

Having obtained the necessary ecclesiastical permission, he acquired a small house in Paris, in which he and a single companion took up their abode. Here, on January 6, 1857, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed as approved by Archbishop de Sibour of Paris, and the nascent community of two members commenced the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as prescribed by their rule.

At first progress was slow, but in time the institute attracted new members. Their founder received his first encouragement for the work in a laudatory Brief, blessing the work and its author, and signed by Pius IX, in 1857. Five years after, in 1862, Père Eymard had enough spiritual sons to open a regular novitiate. Final confirmation of the order did not come until 1895. From this date the congregation spread rapidly, until now its houses may be found in Rome, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Canada, the United States, and South America.

The Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, a congregation of cloistered women who carry on perpetual adoration in their convents, was also founded by Père Eymard in 1858. He also founded the Priests’ Eucharistic League (it was not canonically erected until 1887) and organized the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament which are evidences of his zeal among priests and the faithful.

Père Eymard's writings have been collected, and form four volumes: "The Real Presence", which has been translated into English; “Retreat at the Feet of Jesus Eucharistic", "La Sainte Communion", and "L'Eucharistie et la Perfection Chrétienne". These writings have received the approbation of the Holy See. Père Eymard died at La Mure on August 1, 1868, was declared Venerable, August 11, 1908, and was canonized a saint by Pope John XXIII in 1962.

I am very fond of Saint Julian Eymard's writing. When I was in religious life, the libraries I had access to had copies of the Saint's writings. Now, however, particularly living in a small town, I have no access to these valuable writings on the Holy Eucharist. If there is anyone who has one or more of those small booklets in English, that were available years ago, and if you are willing to part with them, please consider ye Webmaster, Fred Schaeffer, who would love to have them. Thank You.

Here's one of St. Julian Eymard's writings: Let Us Love the Most Blessed Sacrament

See also: Real Presence

Some tips on how to receive Holy Communion

These tips shouldn't be necessary but lately I've observed that some people show apathy when receiving Holy Communion. I don't know what's in their hearts of course but here are some observations about receiving HOLY Communion. First there is a quote from the General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM #45) where the Church preserves the instructions concerning the parts of the Mass and Eucharist. This is only a small portion of the overall text.

"Sacred silence should be observed at the designated times as part of the celebration. Its function depends on the time it occurs in each part of the celebration. Thus at the penitential rite and again after the invitation to pray, all recollect themselves; at the conclusion of a reading or the homily, all meditate briefly on what has been heard; after communion, all praise God in silent prayer.

Even before the celebration itself, it is praiseworthy for silence to be observed in church, in the sacristy and adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves for the sacred rites which are to be enacted in a devout and fitting manner." (The underlining and italics are mine)

Most Catholic Churches, at least in Florida, are far from silent. Why should we be silent? There's only one answer: Because Jesus Christ is present in Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Tabernacle or after the Prayer of Institution (Consecration) during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

Catholic Churches before 1970, give or take a few years, were places of holiness and sacred silence. Then something happened. No, it was not the Second Vatican Council that's to blame. It seems to me, it was the rise of materialism and secularism perhaps, a shift of emphasis on the part of people in the Church (not the priests) who wanted to bring the Church to the 21st Century. When old churches are stripped of their Gothic Altars, beautiful murals, classic glass-in-lead windows, in the guise of modernization, then the aura of holiness and Sacredness disappears. There are not many of these old Churches left where one smells the "aura of holiness" (which I can't quite define) over the years of waxing benches and floors, in the lingering incense smell, etc.

Now you come into churches that look empty. There is the altar. The Tabernacle is in a separate room or a smaller chapel. (Not my parish Church; the Tabernacle is in the traditional place) The windows resemble those of an office building, maybe a little bigger, the crucifix is not present but a large cross (without a corpus) hangs from the ceiling or is plastered against an otherwise empty wall. There are some notable exceptions to that, in dioceses where much emphasis has been placed on interior appointments, statues, altar furnishings, etc.

In modern Franciscan Churches there is at the very least a large San Damiano Cross suspended above a simple Altar.

In any case, your parish church should not sound like a marketplace, where there is so much whispering (some people whisper aloud) that it distracts other parishioners who are trying to pray.

Likewise, attention should be given to the manner of dress. A young lady dressed in short shorts and a halter top is very distracting to most men, and conversely, men who are blessed with a good physique may be distracting to the ladies. The manner of dress should be suitable for visiting Jesus.

The homily is not a time for reading the church bulletin. Adult Catholics, particularly those who just go to Sunday Mass and are not otherwise active in the parish, lose out in solid Catholic teaching when their minds are on another wavelength during the homily.

Getting back to Holy Communion, walk reverently to the Priest, Deacon or lay Eucharistic Minister, because you're going up to receive Jesus. Jesus is in front of you. You cannot see him with human eyes but you know He is there. If He were there so we could see Him with our eyes, we would fall to the floor and adore and praise Him, and that aura of holiness would never leave that place. But Jesus IS up there, even though we cannot see Him. So we don't go up to the Eucharistic Minister walking as if we were on the way to the ballpark. Just before receiving Jesus, whether on the tongue or in the hand, please make a small bow (a nod of the head) and think of the great miracle you are about to receive.

After receiving, we do not  make for the exit, but we return to our pew to thank Jesus. Remember what you read, above: after communion, all praise God in silent prayer. Our parish vicar mentioned this last Sunday. He made the analogy that the priests might as well extend Holy Communion to those in their automobiles driving up through the parking lot, because a great amount of people leave right after receiving and go home. Some people applauded. Well, instead of a quarter of those present leaving the church directly after receiving, only ONE person did so. And the rest of us received the final blessing in Catholic unity. Praise God!

When you wish to receive Jesus on your tongue, please stick your tongue out, don't just open your mouth. Because what happens is that the minister may then come into contact with your tongue, and when one's hands are moist, the next Body of Christ he's going to extend to the next person will stick to his moist fingertips and could fall on the floor. It has happened to me. Also, please close your mouth slowly. Don't snap it shut. I've very narrowly escaped from having been bit on my fingertips. And before you receive, where the minister says the words: "The Body of Christ," please answer "Amen." This Amen signifies your tacit agreement that you know you are receiving the Body (or Blood) of Christ!

When receiving in the hand, first of all, it would be nice if your hands were clean  (not like after changing a tire!). Open your hands so that your left hand is atop the right. Ministers will place Jesus on your left hand, and then you'll use your right hand to take Him and place Him in your mouth on your tongue.

Some people make a cup out of their hands by holding both palms side by side. This works but is not recommended because the Sacred host could fall to the ground as you slightly separate your hands. Still others will take the Sacred host from the hand of the minister. We are there to receive, not to take.

When you are bedridden or hospitalized and a Eucharistic Minister comes around and asks you if you wish to receive, say yes or no. Do not say, as many do, "I guess so," or "I don't care," those are not answers of a devout person and makes the ministers wonder if they should extend Communion at all to this person. Eucharistic Ministers are instructed not to extend Holy Communion to anyone of whom they have the slightest indication that they are possibly not Catholic. The other day, as I was bringing Jesus to someone in a nursing home, her room partner had a visitor. The visitor asked me to give her friend Holy Communion. I knew from prior conversation with that person that she was not Catholic. So I said I would be happy to pray with her but that I could not extend Holy Communion to her.

What followed was a heated personal exchange between the woman who wanted to receive and her visitor, about the silly rules of the Catholic Church and that if Jesus were present, He would extend His Body to everyone, Catholic or not. I just stood there, in shock, because when you are bringing Holy Communion to those in hospital, that is not the time to get into Catholic teaching. Fortunately, the visitor apologized when I told her I had best leave.

The discussion had unnerved me and the person to whom I had just extended the Body of Christ in that room, because she was unable to make a proper thanksgiving with all the conversation that went on. How sad. The time after receiving Holy Communion is perhaps the greatest time of our lives when we are totally with Jesus. What a holy time it should be.

Fred Schaeffer, SFO

INNER PEACE

▪ A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.

▪ An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

▪ A loss of interest in judging other people

▪ A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

▪ A loss of interest in conflict.

▪ A loss of ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom).

▪ Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

▪ Contented feelings of contentedness with others and nature.

▪ Frequent attacks of smiling.

▪ An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.

▪ An increasing susceptibility to the love extended by others, as well as the uncontrollable
        urge to extend it.

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