Anniversary of the Death of Saint Peter Julian Eymard (1868)
In my basement, I have a poster titled “The Dash.” The dash is the short line that appears in an obituary notice between the date of a person’s birth and the date of that person’s death. The dash represents the time during which that person shaped their life, experienced joy and sorrow, achieved milestones, developed relationships, came to an understanding and acceptance of their place in the world, and their relationship with God.
The “dash” is their life story.
The “dash” in the life of Father Eymard was a journey that, from a very young age, was focused on God, whom he saw uniquely through the lens of the Eucharist. His journey to the priesthood was a story of starts and stops, but never out of view. As a diocesan priest, he was ardent in serving God’s people. Then, when the possibility of joining a religious congregation devoted to Mary, whom he saw as the central person guiding and protecting him on his journey, presented itself, he moved ahead, thinking, “Tomorrow will be too late.”
However, his journey took another turn when, in Lyons, during a Corpus Christi procession, he was inspired to create a religious Congregation devoted exclusively to the Eucharist. The rest of his “dash” was focused on spreading devotion to the Eucharist, establishing the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, the Sister Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament. He wanted the whole world to be set afire with the love of the Eucharist in its totality. The Eucharistic celebration and adoration nourish us to go forth and be Eucharistic people to those in need of food, care, love, and hope.
May our “dash” reflect our Eucharistic vocation in prayer and action. May our imitation of Father Eymard take us from the chapel to the streets in search of charity, justice, compassion, and companionship with those in search of hope and love.
Let Us Pray:
God of all creation, you called forth Peter Julian Eymard to be an apostle of the Eucharist. He sought to bring this mystery of your Son’s ongoing and effective Presence in the Eucharist to be a source of our hope, an anchor of our faith, and the impetus of our loving mission, as His presence in our world. May we, fed by his Body and Blood, be broken and poured out in service to those most in need of love, support, and hope. Give us an abundance of your grace to be Eucharist to others. Amen.
