Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Today’s readings exemplify the confidence it takes to be an Apostle of the Eucharist, apostles like Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Saint Paul shares the depths of his heart, knowing he is being poured out like a libation, enchained, but knowing God was with him. Saint Peter in the Gospel is taken to a new place. He is given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, founded upon the rock. He is given a new name, Petro, to lead and guide the faithful to Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Saint Peter Julian Eymard, our founder and spiritual father, teaches us to entirely abandon ourselves for Jesus’ life to flourish within us. To desire what God wants for us will rescue us from every evil threat. In the excerpt below, we are reminded that in God, we will be strengthened to go wherever the Lord will take us. Our eternal dwelling is our reality, and abandonment is how to touch God’s heart as we live for God’s wants and desires.
“The way to touch the heart of God is to abandon oneself to him out of confidence. In your sorrows or danger, if you tell God: My God, am I not your child? If you want, I will not perish. I expect everything from your goodness. What greater proof of your confidence can you give to God? If God could have self-love, he would have it. When we want only the will of God, we are always happy – nothing troubles us: we accept trials and anticipate humiliations. On our part, we have nothing else to do except to abandon ourselves completely to God. He will work and take care of us because we want only what he wants, and we will go wherever our Lord would like.” (Letter to the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, June 1858)
Let us pray:
Mother of God, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, and our mother, you were the first to teach us how to live in God’s will by abandoning self and consenting to Our Father in Heaven to bring us the Christ the Son of the Living God.