The Friendship of Our Eucharistic Lord
By Saint Peter Julian Eymard
1. Let us remember that near the Host we share the happiness of Mary and Joseph, the Shepherds and the Magi, the Apostles and the Holy Women, since we have the same Jesus with us in the most intimate union and can speak to Him heart to heart as they did.
2. And now we recall to you, how by His Eucharistic Presence among us our Divine Master wishes to calm our fears and doubts, how He dispels the sad thoughts which the devil all too often suggests, to turn us from service of God, by inspiring disgust for prayer and Holy Communion.
3. Jesus wishes to save us from our present trials and from discouragement which is truly the greatest of all evils.
4. We desire particularly to draw your attention to the manifestation of His Sacred Heart, which serious reflection will show us, is not merely a shining revelation but the sweetest encouragement, since in it we can clearly see the beginning of an era of mercy, of tenderness and love for poor humanity.
5. We must accustom ourselves to see Jesus in the Host, just as He really is, a living Person with a heart filled with love and tenderness.
6. A real Person, loves us and wishes to have us come to Him as to one whom we love above all others. With such reflections, love will be quickly enkindled in our hearts.
7. How indeed is it possible not to love with all our heart one so gentle, so defenseless and even unable to beg for the respect and love for which He longs and to which He has every right?
8. It is His love for us which made Him choose this helpless condition, this Host which delivers Him to our love as well as to our scorn and neglect.
9. Let us not complain of our coldness, our distraction and frivolous or evil thoughts which assail us in our prayers.
10. Why not substitute for our poor, weak prayers those of Our Eucharistic God?
11. He is there in the Host, to be not only our victim and our nourishment but also our Mediator with God the Father.
12. When you feel yourself incapable of prayer instead of tiring your mind with useless efforts come to the Tabernacle.
13. There is in your thoughts, lift up Jesus Sacramental to the Heavenly Father and say to Him, “In the name of Your Son, have pity on me… have pity on my loved ones.”
14. Such a prayer will be all-powerful with the Heart of God. There is much virtue in these simple words… They are worth the most sublime prayers! These words spoken by the weakest, humblest soul, can obtain all from the Savior.
15. Did not Jesus promise?—“All whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, He will give to you.”…The Good Master does not say: “That for which you ask without distractions or… with the most tender devotion and sensible fervor.”…No, He says: “What you ask in My Name…”
16. Ah! Believe me, the only truly efficacious prayer is the one that feels its own weakness and feels it deeply and which does not rest on itself but it is united to the Heart of Jesus.
17. Do we not feel that our poor prayers in themselves are nothing?
18. Even were we angels, could we think that our voices would have any virtue before the Infinite Majesty of God?
19. But if our prayers pass through the Heart and lips of the hidden God of the Host, then they will be no longer the voices of only weak creatures disfigured by original sin ascend to God, but the voice of Jesus which cried to the Heavenly Father from the Cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
20. What prayer did the Good Master praise?
21. Was it St. Peter’s when in ecstasy he cried out, “Lord, it is good to be here…?”
22. No, the prayer which seemed to call forth His admiration was that of the poor pagan woman who brought her daughter to His feet, because she was tormented by a devil… that women who apparently He rebuked but who persisted in spite of all, trusting in that kindness of which she had heard such wonders. (Matthew15: 21-28)
23. Another prayer praised by our Lord was that of the poor publican who, understanding his wretchedness, profoundly humiliated himself saying from the depths of his heart, “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner…” (Luke 18:9-14)
24. The less we trust in ourselves and the more we trust in the mercy of Jesus, the more we shall touch His heart.
25. Jesus does not ask for long prayers, beautiful thoughts and well arranged sentences. He would rather have one word from our hearts, a humble avowal of our helplessness… an appeal to His merciful tenderness… and the surrender of our hearts, our thoughts, our wishes and our will into His hands.
2. And now we recall to you, how by His Eucharistic Presence among us our Divine Master wishes to calm our fears and doubts, how He dispels the sad thoughts which the devil all too often suggests, to turn us from service of God, by inspiring disgust for prayer and Holy Communion.
3. Jesus wishes to save us from our present trials and from discouragement which is truly the greatest of all evils.
4. We desire particularly to draw your attention to the manifestation of His Sacred Heart, which serious reflection will show us, is not merely a shining revelation but the sweetest encouragement, since in it we can clearly see the beginning of an era of mercy, of tenderness and love for poor humanity.
5. We must accustom ourselves to see Jesus in the Host, just as He really is, a living Person with a heart filled with love and tenderness.
6. A real Person, loves us and wishes to have us come to Him as to one whom we love above all others. With such reflections, love will be quickly enkindled in our hearts.
7. How indeed is it possible not to love with all our heart one so gentle, so defenseless and even unable to beg for the respect and love for which He longs and to which He has every right?
8. It is His love for us which made Him choose this helpless condition, this Host which delivers Him to our love as well as to our scorn and neglect.
9. Let us not complain of our coldness, our distraction and frivolous or evil thoughts which assail us in our prayers.
10. Why not substitute for our poor, weak prayers those of Our Eucharistic God?
11. He is there in the Host, to be not only our victim and our nourishment but also our Mediator with God the Father.
12. When you feel yourself incapable of prayer instead of tiring your mind with useless efforts come to the Tabernacle.
13. There is in your thoughts, lift up Jesus Sacramental to the Heavenly Father and say to Him, “In the name of Your Son, have pity on me… have pity on my loved ones.”
14. Such a prayer will be all-powerful with the Heart of God. There is much virtue in these simple words… They are worth the most sublime prayers! These words spoken by the weakest, humblest soul, can obtain all from the Savior.
15. Did not Jesus promise?—“All whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, He will give to you.”…The Good Master does not say: “That for which you ask without distractions or… with the most tender devotion and sensible fervor.”…No, He says: “What you ask in My Name…”
16. Ah! Believe me, the only truly efficacious prayer is the one that feels its own weakness and feels it deeply and which does not rest on itself but it is united to the Heart of Jesus.
17. Do we not feel that our poor prayers in themselves are nothing?
18. Even were we angels, could we think that our voices would have any virtue before the Infinite Majesty of God?
19. But if our prayers pass through the Heart and lips of the hidden God of the Host, then they will be no longer the voices of only weak creatures disfigured by original sin ascend to God, but the voice of Jesus which cried to the Heavenly Father from the Cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
20. What prayer did the Good Master praise?
21. Was it St. Peter’s when in ecstasy he cried out, “Lord, it is good to be here…?”
22. No, the prayer which seemed to call forth His admiration was that of the poor pagan woman who brought her daughter to His feet, because she was tormented by a devil… that women who apparently He rebuked but who persisted in spite of all, trusting in that kindness of which she had heard such wonders. (Matthew15: 21-28)
23. Another prayer praised by our Lord was that of the poor publican who, understanding his wretchedness, profoundly humiliated himself saying from the depths of his heart, “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner…” (Luke 18:9-14)
24. The less we trust in ourselves and the more we trust in the mercy of Jesus, the more we shall touch His heart.
25. Jesus does not ask for long prayers, beautiful thoughts and well arranged sentences. He would rather have one word from our hearts, a humble avowal of our helplessness… an appeal to His merciful tenderness… and the surrender of our hearts, our thoughts, our wishes and our will into His hands.
