Tag: Eucharist Saint Booklet

1811-68

Feast day: Aug. 2

Though he suffered from poor health, and was in and out of seminary several times because of it, St. Peter Julian Eymard’s priesthood magnified a great love for the Eucharist and a tenacious desire to spread Eucharistic devotion. These have earned him renown as an apostle of the Eucharist.

This Eucharistic zeal was evident from an early age, when something like the Christ child who wandered off to Jerusalem’s temple, young Eymard could not be found by his family — only to be located near the local church’s tabernacle. When found, he said, “I am here listening to Jesus.”

Eymard’s road to the priesthood was difficult and filled with obstacles. But in God’s grace they were overcome one by one. He was ordained to the diocesan priesthood in 1834, and he was eventually led to a vocation to religious life with the Society of Mary, known as the Marists.

In the wake of the French Revolution and its hostility to Catholicism, Eymard was aware of the great need to build up the faith of the laity. His hard working, zealous and energetic nature led him away from his inclination toward the contemplative life, to embrace an active life of preaching, teaching and formation of the faithful.

On the feast of Corpus Christi in 1845, while carrying the monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament during a procession in Lyons, France, Eymard’s heart began to burn afresh with zeal for the Eucharistic Lord. He heard the call to “bring all the world to the knowledge and love of our Lord; to preach nothing but Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Eucharistic.” Discerning this as the path forward for his own life and ministry, Peter Julian knew that the rebirth of Catholicism in France would only be successful if grounded in a renewed love for the Eucharist.

Although not supported by superiors of his religious community in carrying on his desire to increase Eucharistic devotion, Eymard established two religious congregations to carry out the charism he was called to foster in the Church: the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament for men and the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament for women. They received approval by the Church in 1856.

Like so many others who found themselves in his shoes, Eymard learned quickly that founding a religious community would be a labor of love. Leaving aside the many opportunities for personal humiliation and the physical toll the work took, Eymard’s communities were so poor in their earliest stages that they relied on the goodness of another nearby religious community to provide them with food.

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As members of the hierarchy considered the Eucharistic way of life Eymard was proposing, they discerned his vision was correct because it led from worship and adoration to action. He came to understand the Eucharist’s transformative power to build up humanity in love. “Love cannot triumph unless it becomes the one passion of our life. Without such passion we may produce isolated acts of love; but our life is not really won over or consecrated to an ideal. Until we have a passionate love for our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, we shall accomplish nothing,” he wrote.

The primary efforts of Eymard’s communities were focused on helping children and adults prepare for first holy Communion and encouraging lapsed Catholics to return to the sacraments. Recognizing that “You take Communion to become holy, not because you already are,” Eymard also advocated tirelessly for frequent reception of the Eucharist — which laid the path for Pope St. Pius X’s advocacy for the same.

Eymard’s life was spent encouraging others to do what he was doing as a 5-year-old: to sit at the feet of the Eucharistic Lord and listen to him. Never in particularly robust health, and often suffering from various ailments, Eymard died at age 57 on Aug. 1, 1868. A friend of saintly French priests like St. John Vianney and St. Peter Chanel, Eymard also achieved heroic virtue and sanctity, which the Church recognized at his canonization in 1962.

Michael R. Heinlein is editor of OSV’s Simply Catholic. He writes from Indiana. Taken from the “Inspired by the Eucharist” saint booklet.

1991-2006

Feast day: Oct. 12

The Italian teenager Blessed Carlo Acutis has captivated Catholics young and old in recent years, especially since his 2020 beatification. Although only 15 when he died of leukemia, Carlo was resolved to prioritize his life around the Eucharist. Each day found him attending Mass and spending time in prayer before the Eucharistic Lord. He believed, as he put it, “the Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” And he endeavored to share this reality with others, with a focus on Eucharistic miracles, through his virtual and online apostleship.

Born in London to wealthy Italian parents, Carlo returned to his family’s native Italy not long after his birth. Although his family was not very active in the practice of the Faith, Carlo was fascinated by it. He found in his Polish babysitter a helpful guide to his growing interest in Catholicism. As a boy, Carlo’s recently deceased grandfather appeared to him in a dream asking for prayers on his behalf. After receiving his first holy Communion at age 7, Carlo made it a point to spend time in contemplation before the tabernacle. Carlo’s guides in the spiritual life, among others, included St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic Savio and St. Bernadette Soubirous. And he reflected their respective love for the poor, virtuous living and piety.

“I’m happy to die because I’ve lived my life without wasting even a minute of it doing things that wouldn’t have pleased God.”

Although he might have been somewhat unusual in his youthful zeal for the Faith, Carlo was also very much interested in things of his peers, such as his love for video games and films. He was by all accounts a “computer geek” who studied college textbooks on the subject as early as age 9. But Carlo recognized that his talents and interests in the field must be used for good. He set limits to his use of media for personal enjoyment. Carlo’s mother has said: “Carlo was the light answer to the dark side of the web. My son’s life can show how the internet can be used for good — to spread good things.”

This meant Carlo was resolved to make use of his tech-savviness for the good of others. From age 9, he was reading college texts on computer coding. He developed websites for his high school and nearby parishes. He also created a website that cataloged all the major Eucharistic miracles ever recorded.

CNS file photo by Bob Roller

Carlo’s generous spirit also could be seen in how he offered up his last suffering from leukemia for others, telling doctors that he knew others were suffering more than he. He said, “I offer to the Lord the sufferings that I will have to undergo for the pope and for the Church.” Although he wanted to make a pilgrimage to the sites of the Eucharistic miracles he helped others come to learn about, his declining health made it an impossibility. But, having loved to make pilgrimages to Assisi, Carlo’s body made one last pilgrimage there for burial after his death on Oct. 12, 2006.

Many began calling for his canonization not long after his death. On the fourth anniversary of his death, Carlo’s mother delivered twin babies at age 44, and she believed Carlo was interceding for her. She also claimed Carlo appeared to her in a dream and informed his mother of his upcoming beatification and that he would be canonized soon thereafter.

Just before his death at 15, Carlo said, “I’m happy to die, because I’ve lived my life without wasting even a minute of it doing things that wouldn’t have pleased God.” Although he died at a young age, Carlo’s personal holiness and discipleship left a lasting legacy. And his renown continues to grow. “To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan,” he was known to say. Now, through his witness, he inspires old and young alike to do the same.

Michael R. Heinlein is editor of OSV’s Simply Catholic. He writes from Indiana. Taken from the “Inspired by the Eucharist” saint booklet.

354-430

Feast day: Aug. 28

The early Church Father St. Augustine has been regarded for centuries as one of the most important teachers of the Faith. This has remained true through the centuries, including in the documents of the Second Vatican Council, in which he was the most-quoted nonscriptural source.

St. Augustine’s story is defined by his lifelong search for love and truth, which makes him universally appealing for all those who follow Christ. In his autobiography “Confessions,” he details his battle against sin and his struggle toward a life of virtue in God’s grace.

Born in northern Africa, Augustine quickly advanced in a promising career as a teacher of rhetoric and philosophy. Even as he was attaining his goals, his life was not fulfilled. His pursuit of truth left him feeling empty inside.

Augustine’s mother, St. Monica, was a Christian. Augustine, though, did not come to faith in the Gospel until much later in life, in no small part because of his mother’s determination and prayers. His conversion came after decades of searching for what he could only find in God. This included time spent with the heretical Manichaean sect and fathering a child out of wedlock. He eventually came to understand that our true satisfaction would be in a life with God. As he wrote, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

Augustine models what conversion looks like: gradually turning toward the Lord and moving ever closer to him, never turning back.

Augustine models what conversion looks like: gradually turning toward the Lord and moving ever closer to him, never turning back. Adopting the Christian faith meant an end to his career and the comforts to which he had become accustomed. He was baptized in Milan by Ambrose at the Easter Vigil in 387.

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Before he turned 40, Augustine’s mother and son had died. Returning to his hometown, Augustine sold all he had and gave his money to the poor. He kept the family home, however, and founded a religious community for men there. Eventually ordained a priest, Augustine put to good use his skills in teaching and rhetoric and became an effective and admired preacher. Many of his sermons survive as some of the most treasured of his writings. Augustine later was ordained a bishop at Hippo, near his home in northern Africa, modern-day Algeria.

Augustine is best known for his voluminous writings, which have stood the test of time and remain among the most-cited by theologians and philosophers in the West. Key kernels of the Church’s Eucharistic faith are found in Augustine’s teaching, which has been vital to the Church’s own understanding of this great mystery. Augustine stressed the ecclesial effect of the Eucharist, having made clear that the Eucharist constitutes the Church. Christ’s body in the Eucharist and the Church are bound together for Augustine. He emphasized and underscored Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist, saying, “Recognize in the bread what hung on the cross, and in the cup what flowed from his side.” And he taught that the Eucharist is a means to sanctity, particularly though joining our sacrifices to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Toward the end of his life, before his death in Hippo, Augustine observed the Roman Empire disintegrating while many attempted to blame Christians for its collapse. His response was “The City of God,” a masterpiece in which he consoled his people with the knowledge that God’s reign would triumph. In this work, Augustine examined many of the issues facing society at the time through a theological lens, addressing the battle of good and evil, the problem of suffering, free will and original sin.

Augustine died in Hippo. In 1298, he was recognized as a Doctor of the Church by Pope Boniface VIII — one of the original four so distinguished — along with St. Ambrose, St. Jerome and St. Gregory the Great.

Michael R. Heinlein is editor of OSV’s Simply Catholic. He writes from Indiana. Taken from the “Inspired by the Eucharist” saint booklet.

1835-1914

Feast day: Aug. 21

As pope from 1903  until his death, St. Pius X endeavored “to restore all things in Christ,” which was his papal motto. This meant that his papacy was a time of ecclesial renewal and reform in which he labored to bolster the faith of Catholics. He condemned modernism, prioritized strong catechetical instruction, initiated the codification of canon law and enacted various liturgical reforms.

One of the hallmarks of Pius’ pontificate was to increase fervor for the Eucharist. His program of Eucharistic fervor emphasized the regular, pious reception of the Eucharist, whereby, he said, “union with Christ is strengthened, the spiritual life more abundantly sustained, the soul more richly endowed with virtues and the pledge of everlasting happiness more securely bestowed on the recipient.” Likewise, he encouraged the reception of first holy Communion at the age of reason, or about 7 years of age, abandoning the centuries’ old practice of reserving first reception of the sacrament for older children and young adults. He hoped to leave a powerful impression on the young child’s mind and also encourage their parents to more faithful observances.

“[In the Eucharist,] union with Christ is strengthened, the spiritual life more abundantly sustained, the soul more richly endowed with virtues and the pledge of everlasting happiness more securely bestowed on the recipient.”
— Pope St. Pius X

Pius X’s life began as Guiseppe Sarto in the northern Veneto region of modern-day Italy, one of 10 children. His father was a mail carrier, and Pius X grew up in a family of simple means, which was a source of humiliation for him at times. Even as a young boy, though, he made attending daily Mass a priority, despite having to walk several miles back and forth to school each day. At 15, he received a scholarship to continue studies in pursuit of ordination to the priesthood, which he received in 1858  at the hands of then-diocesan bishop St. Giovanni Farina.

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The young priest excelled in scholarly pursuits and was pastorally attentive to the poor and sick. In the 1870s, he put his own health at risk by tending to the sacramental needs of victims who suffered from a cholera epidemic. Before long, he earned a reputation for personal holiness. He rose to prominence as a trusted collaborator of bishops, taking on various curial positions. Despite his prominent positions, Pius remained committed to practical pastoral work. He also taught in seminaries at different times, serving in the role when he was named a bishop in 1884. Visiting his mother after his ordination to the episcopacy, she reportedly said, after kissing the ring signifying his new office: “But you would not have this fine ring, son, if I did not have this,” pointing to her own wedding band.

Pius served as bishop of Mantua in central northern Italy for just under a decade before his appointment as patriarch of Venice. His papal predecessor, Leo XIII, created him a member of the college of cardinals in 1893 . A decade later, he would succeed Leo as pope, when Pius was elected Aug. 4, 1903.

As pope, Pius was as diligent in conserving the deposit of faith Christ gave the Church as he remained close to his flock. His audiences often saw him engaging young children, who sat at his feet and could talk to the pope about anything they wanted. He also ensured proper catechetical instruction at parishes throughout the world, resulting in a popular catechism that taught the Faith in concise and approachable language. In 1908 , after a major earthquake in southern Italy killed nearly 80,000 people — the most destructive recorded in European history — Pius filled the apostolic palace with refugees.

Suffering from a heart attack the previous year, Pius died on Aug. 20, 1914 , at the Vatican. His last year was spent in declining health, worsened by the outbreak of World War I. Heralded as a saint by the Italian press upon his death, his canonization came only 40 years later in 1954 . An epitaph on his original tomb described him as “poor and yet rich, gentle and humble of heart, unconquerable champion of the Catholic faith, whose constant endeavor it was to renew all things in Christ.”

Michael R. Heinlein is editor of OSV’s Simply Catholic. He writes from Indiana. Taken from the “Inspired by the Eucharist” saint booklet.

Feast day: June 29

DIED C. 65

St. Paul’s letters make up nearly half of the New Testament, from which the Church is taught Sunday after Sunday. Paul’s influence and reach cannot be underestimated. Not only is he one of the most significant and important Christians in our history, but also arguably one of the most influential persons in human history.

This all originated from Paul’s experience with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus, which led to the conversion of this one-time persecutor of Christians. The encounter Paul had with Christ was so real, in his view, it was no different than the encounters Christ had with the Twelve while in their midst. Paul’s unique experience shaped and informed the early Church so significantly, that Paul himself has become regarded as the “Thirteenth Apostle.”

Paul’s encounter with Christ was rooted in a tremendous Eucharistic faith. He came to know in his experience on the road to Damascus that his persecution of Christ’s followers was a persecution of Christ himself. The nascent Christians that Paul wanted to extinguish were one with Christ, members of his body by baptism, a bond strengthened and intensified through reception of his body in the Eucharist. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (Jn 6:56).

Paul believed to the core of his being that the Eucharist is Christ’s very body and blood. He proclaimed and taught that Christ’s Eucharistic presence is real.

Paul’s encounter with the risen Lord not only resulted in his conversion but also his efforts to both increase the membership of Christ’s body and teach about the ramifications of the new life that incorporation brings. Paul’s aim was to build up a community of believers who lived like they had “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 13:14). This is what shaped and motivated the impressive missionary undertakings in his desire to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles.

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Paul believed to the core of his being that the Eucharist is Christ’s very body and blood. He proclaimed and taught that Christ’s Eucharistic presence is real. Illustrating this, he wrote: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor 10:16). Not only is Christ’s Eucharistic presence real for Paul, but by it Christ dwells in us, he changes us, he is united with us. So real is our incorporation into Christ’s body, Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:19-20). Paul’s preaching and teaching necessitated conversion for salvation and the building up of a community defined by virtuous living, in which “the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13).

Paul’s account of the Last Supper is among the earliest surviving texts, so vital to his preaching was Christ’s desire for us to celebrate the memorial of his passion and death. Paul also, warning about the seriousness of Eucharistic participation, wrote: “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup” (1 Cor 11:27-28).

St. Paul’s own martyrdom brought to completion a life lived completely in and for Christ. Paul exhorts Christians to give Christ “glory in the Church” (Eph 3:21), which means we are all called to give witness to Christ by our lives. While some might be called to do so to the extent of offering their very life by dying for Christ and the Church, we are all called to offer our lives to him and in his service. Like Paul, then, we live in a Eucharistic manner by offering all of ourselves “as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1).

Michael R. Heinlein is editor of OSV’s Simply Catholic. He writes from Indiana. Taken from the “Inspired by the Eucharist” saint booklet.