Venerable Pierre Julien Eymard the Priest of the Eucharist, Founder Of
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VENERABLE PIERRE JULIEX EVMARD Priest of the Eucharist Venerable Pierre Julien Eymard THE Priest of the Eucharist FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE FATHERS OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT TAKEN FROM Documents on His Life and Virtues BY THE POSTULATOR OF HIS CAUSE REVEREND EDMOND TENAILLON, S.S.S. PUBLISHED BY THE SENTINEL PRESS 185 East 76th Street New York ANGELUS MARIANI, S. C. AVD. Sacr. 9 Rit. Congregationis Assessor. EUGENIUS COUET. Sup. Gen. Congr. SS. Sacramenti. Nttjil REMIGIUS LAFORT, S. T. D. Censor. Jmprtmatur JOHN CARDINAL FARLEY. Archbishop of New York. New York, February 27, 1914. AUG 19 1955 THE FRANK MEANY Co., PRINTERS, INC 216-222 WEST 18TH STREET NEW YORK In conformity with the Decree of Pope Urban VIII, the author declares that he in tends to give to the facts contained in this work a purely human sense, and that by any expressions of praise and titles of reverence used therein there is no intention to forestall the decisions of Holy Church, to which as a faithful son he submits his judgment. CONTENTS. PAGE Foreword I Birth and Early Youth... 13 II Priesthood. Society of Mary 22 III Eucharistic Vocation of the IV Foundation and Spirit of the Congregation Most Blessed Sacrament 31 the V Pere Eymard s Love for Mary, Our Lady of Most Blessed Sacrament 50 VI The Works of the Congregation of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The First Communion of Poor Adults. The Priest-Adorers 69 VII The Archconfraternity of the Most Blessed Sacra and ment, or The People s Eucharistic League, The Work of the Eucharistic Weeks 81 94 VIII "Abide in My Love" IX The Virtues of Venerable Fere Eymard. His Heroic 103 Faith, Hope, and Charity X His Heroic Prudence and Meekness 122 140 XI His Heroic Justice and Truth XII His Heroic Obedience and Fortitude 154 XIII His Heroic Patience and Angelic Purity 165 XIV His Heroic Temperance, Mortification, and Poverty. 177 XV His Heroic Humility 194 XVI His Supernatural Gifts 20;, XVII His Renown for Sanctity during Life 228 XVIII The Precious Death of the Servant of God 239 XIX Pere Eymard s Renown for Sanctity after Death 260 XX Miracles after Death 280 XXI Discourse of Rev. Albert Tesniere, S.S.S., D.D 288 IV FOREWORD. Life of Vener giving to the public the present BY able Pere Eymard the publishers have added to Eucharistic literature a volume of no little interest. It opens to our gaze the secret recesses of a soul who, to in the monstrance purchase "the pearl of great price all that he had. He home, set," gave relinquished life family, the closest spiritual friendships, health, neces itself to possess what to him was the one thing sary Jesus Hostia. The following pages reveal the workings of grace in one whom the Holy Spirit led to most exalted heights of love divine. While living in closest mystic union with his Divine Master, Pere Eymard also taught others to love and serve devotedly Him who so craves the affection of men. For this ardent apostle the Blessed Sacrament was more than a mere Pres ence. It was the living personality of Jesus of Naz areth with His oft-repeated "Come to Me." Very aptly has Pere Eymard been called "the Priest of the Eucharist." He is still in our midst, exerting his uplifting influence over souls by the work of his zealous spiritual sons, the Fathers of the Blessed Sac rament. This Society has placed before English read ers the four volumes from Pere Eymard s pen which portray his character more clearly than any mere Life could do. Still a short account of the incidents of his fifty-seven years will cause readers of these pages to delve more deeply into his writings and there learn the secret of becoming adorers in spirit and in truth. Such is his message to us of the twentieth century, a message which is fraught with much meaning if we would respond to the pleadings of the Sacred Heart in these days of daily Communion and annual Eu- charistic Congresses. May this volume accomplish the one aim of Vener able Pere Eymard s life: "Adveniat Regnum Tuum Eucharisticum!" S. J. F. March 13, 1914. VM Venerable Pierre Julien Eymard THE PRIEST OF THE EUCHARIST FOUNDER OF THE SOCIETY OF THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT. I Birth and Earlv Youth. c C T 71 7 ITH what love God has loved me ! He has, as V V it were, led me by the hand to the Congrega tion of the Most Blessed Sacrament. All His graces have been graces of preparation, and the Blessed Sacrament has dominated my whole life. The Most Blessed Virgin Mary strengthened this affection in me. She herself gave me Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacra ment." These are Venerable Pere Eymard s own words. The end that we propose to ourselves in this sketch is, as the title indicates, to make known the Founder of the Society of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Apostle of the Eucharist. A rapid glance over the past will reveal to us, and not without great profit to ourselves, the commence ment of and the favors bestowed on the Order of the Blessed Sacrament, whose complete expansion we be hold even during the last years of Venerable Pere Eymard. Pierre Julien Eymard was born February 4, 1811, at La Mure, on L Isere, a little town in the diocese of Grenoble. His family was profoundly Christian. His VENERABLE PIERRE JULIEN EYMARD grandfather was held in high consideration, and Jules Eymard, the father of the subject of this sketch, was equally faithful in the observance of the laws of Holy Mother Church. Full of energy and naturally very clever, he was engaged at one and the same time in the different occupations of cutlery and the oil-press. By a first marriage, he had one daughter named Marianne. In 1804, he contracted a second marriage, at Frenay (Oisans), with Marie Madeleine Pelorce, who rivalled her good husband in piety and wisdom. The Reverend M. Col, since deceased in the odor of sanctity was at this time the Cure of Oisans. He predicted to the pious couple that of their marriage would be born a son, who would become a priest and the Founder of a new Religious Order devoted to the Most Blessed Sacrament. They had successively three sons, who all died in baptismal innocence. The fourth was the child of promise. While his mother bore him in her womb, she never ceased consecrating him to Jesus Christ and begging that the child s whole life might be devoted to His divine service. The day after his birth, he received in Baptism the name of Pierre Julien. May we not see in this name a predisposi tion of Divine Providence? Petrns, which signifies rock, and it was upon this rock that Jesus Christ was to establish His Eucharistic Throne, and perpetuate the feast of Corpus Christi, begun in the Church by Saint Julienne. The child conceived a great devotion to his two patrons, as also to his mother s patroness, Saint Mary Magdalen, who had so ardently loved the Saviour of the world. The relations of little Pierre with the Blessed Sacrament date from his tenderest infancy. While still at her breast, his mother often VENERABLE PIERRE JULIEN EYMARD carried him to the church, and above all when the bell called to Benediction, she hastened to the sacred edifice to offer her child to God. As the boy grew older, his greatest joy was to ac company his good mother in her frequent visits to the tabernacle. Never did he grow tired, never did he ask his mother s permission to leave the church before her, no matter how long she continued her devotions. In later years, Pere Eymard used to say that those multiplied visits were for him a source of super abundant graces, and that a similar practice should be recommended to all Christian mothers. Soon however his mother s devotion, great as it was, failed to satisfy him. He embraced every occasion that presented itself to escape her vigilance, and make his way to the church. Powerfully attracted to the Presence of the hidden God, he always tried to get as near to Jesus as he possibly could. He even ventured into the sanctuary, and there climbed up behind the altar on a little step-ladder. In this attitude he remained for a long time, his little head resting against the tabernacle. Once he was surprised in his position, his hands joined, his eyes fixed on the tabernacle. "What are you doing there?" they asked him. "Saying my prayers," was the answer. "Here I am nearer to Jesus, to speak to Him and to listen to Him." Another day, taking off his shoes, with a rope around his neck and a wax candle in his hand, he went to beg pardon of Our Lord. The demon, without doubt, foresaw that this child would snatch many souls from him, and so he tried to strangle him in his cradle. This was told by Ven- 3 VENERABLE PIERRE JULIEN EYMARD erable Pere Eymard himself to his intimate friend Pere Mayet. "While still quite young," he said, "I felt a heavy hand seize me by the throat and try to strangle me. L cried out for help, and I even caught the hand that was squeezing my throat. My father, hearing my cries, came in all haste and quieted me.