Baptismal Day of Saint Peter Julian Eymard in 1811
On February 5, 1811, the day after his birth, Saint Peter Julian Eymard was baptized in the church of his hometown of La Mure d’Isère, France. The church is now known as the Chapel of Saint Peter Julian Eymard.
In 1865, on his second retreat in Rome, Father Eymard reflected on his baptism, “I made my meditation on the gratuitous and all-merciful grace of the holy baptism that I received. I understood what it is: a new creation in our Lord Jesus Christ, a second life in Jesus Christ, but in Jesus crucified… I saw the graces that made up the dowry of my baptism—beyond all computing: a son of God, a member of Jesus Christ, a child of the church, a brother of the saints; a right to the grace and to the glory of Jesus Christ. How good and wonderful Providence has been to me. It is an endless miracle.”
In our Catholic tradition, the newly baptized are usually welcomed into the faith community within the ritual of the Mass, which includes the active participation of those present. This practice clearly highlights the significant relationship between the sacrament of Baptism and the sacrament of the Eucharist. Cardinal Cahal B. Daly, in The Breaking of the Bread, reminds us that the Mass “is our most powerful resource for living out that radical transformation of our whole being into Christian being, or ‘Christ-being,’ which begins at baptism.” And Father Eymard taught that the Eucharist is “food for the journey” – a journey begun at our baptism. As with the Twelve in our Gospel today, from the moment of our baptism, we are sent by Jesus to share the good news with our sick and suffering world.
How will we respond to Jesus’ call today?
Let Us Pray:
O Lord, you gave Saint Peter Julian a deep sense of gratitude for the gift of his baptism. He saw it as the beginning of a life filled with grace. Through his intercession, may we discover what you have called us to be at the time of our own baptism. Grant us the grace to live our Christian vocation in creative fidelity to your call. Amen.
