"The essential thing is to strengthen our trust in God, feed upon his truth,
dedicate ourselves to his glory as our sovereign love, love him in everything, everywhere, and above everything!" (To Countess D'Andigne, January 20, 1865)
dedicate ourselves to his glory as our sovereign love, love him in everything, everywhere, and above everything!" (To Countess D'Andigne, January 20, 1865)
--Saint Peter Julian Eymard
"When we work hard, we must eat well. What a joy, that you can receive Holy Communion often! It's our life and support in this life -- Receive Communion often, and Jesus will change you into himself." (To Mme. Grisaud, January 13, 1855)
"Live on the divine Eucharist, like the Hebrews did on the Manna. Your soul can be entirely dedicated to the divine Eucharist and very holy in the midst of your work and contacts with the world."(To Mme. Isabelle Spazzier, Nov. 5, 1859)
"Keep your soul at peace, in order to be able to be attentive and very faithful to the inner movement of the Holy Spirit." (To Mme. Stephanie Gourde, November 25, 1850)
"People are afraid to be powerless and so are off their path. We are neither natural nor supernatural. What can we do? Follow grace. Let the mind become accustomed to the truth which God’s grace is offering. It takes a week or two for a truth to become natural and habitual, but we must make it the center of our piety and let everything converge toward it." (From a letter written in 1868 to Mme. Mathilde Giraud-Jordan)
"In order to succeed in it (prayer), it should be done when we first awaken, when our whole being is calm and recollected. We need to make our meditation before anything else.
"As far as possible, you should pray in quiet and silent devotion. Try to have a favorite topic of prayer, such as a devotion to the passion of Jesus, the Blessed Sacrament, awareness of the divine presence; go directly to Jesus without too much fuss.
"Before prayer begins, leave aside any duties which would distract you." (Excerpt from an 1837 letter to his sister [as well as godmother], Marianne)
"Have confidence in prayer. It is the unfailing power which God has given us. By means of it you will obtain the salvation of the dear souls whom God has given you and all your loved ones." Ask and you shall receive," Our Lord said. Be yourself with the good Lord." (From a letter written on January 4, 1864 to: Mme. Mathilde Giraud-Jordan)
"We must know where mediocrity of spirit comes from. The first is the worst: it’s a scattered mind, a life which is too active. Nothing can cling to it. It’s like the seed of the Gospel falling on the open road. The remedy is to bring the mind back to natural reflection by some reading or serious meditations which strike it and help it to be focused. In general, it’s better to choose a great truth than a pious feeling. The work of truth is to refocus our attention, reflection, and finally, devotion.
"The second source of mediocrity of spirit is mental boredom toward what is serious and positive. This illness can only be healed by openness to divine love, since it is based on discouragement.
"The third source is laziness of the mind which fears to consider the truth. The fourth source is when we counteract the grace, the attraction of the moment. The mind becomes closed and foolish. We must follow the need and light of the moment." (From a letter written in 1868 to Mme. Mathilde Giraud-Jordan)
"Go to the good Lord very simply, with the surrender of a small child. Tell the good Lord what you are thinking, what you want, what is upsetting you. Oh! How happy we become when we discover this interior conversation with our Lord. We carry our treasure [with us] everywhere. He becomes the center of our heart and life." (In a letter dated January 29, 1848, St. Eymard wrote to Miss Stephanie Gourd at a time when she was in the thick of caring for her sick and aging parents, telling her how to converse with Jesus whom we carry as a treasure within)
"Be serious about the presence of God, the knowledge of Jesus Christ, a definite thought of some virtue, and you will have a center of strength and consolation." (From a letter written in 1868 to Mme. Mathilde Giraud-Jordan)
** If you feel a calling to the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (he was the founder),
click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment