Saint Peter Julian Eymard Minibook

Title: Saint Peter Julian Eymard
Authors: Bob and Penny Lord
Publisher: Journeys of Faith
Format: Printed minibook
28 Pages

Saint Peter Julian Eymard

Apostle of the Eucharist

Family, if there was ever a Saint who had complete focus in what the Lord was calling him to do, it was Saint Peter Julian Eymard. He is called, among other things, “Champion of the Blessed Sacrament”. He had such an unbelievable singleness of purpose, in his great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and desire that Eucharist Adoration should be practiced worldwide, that he would Found an Order devoted solely to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the spread of that devotion. That Religious Order is called “Priests of the Blessed Sacrament.”

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. The life of this slave of Mary and servant of Jesus is fascinating. We have to track his life here in the area of the world where he spent most of it, the French Alps. He began his life in 1811, in the small village of La Mure, in between Gap and Laus, and the great shrine of Our Lady of Laus, which played an important part in his life, and was just recently approved by Mother Church in May 2008, as the longest apparition Our Lady has made.

Peter came by his love of the Eucharist from his father, who belonged to a Eucharistic association. The father was a strong Catholic and a good father. He was a victim of Jansenism, a stern religious belief, fostered by Bishop Cornelius Jansen, which taught that man was corrupt, and not worthy of redemption. Only the elect would see Heaven. Many people of that time, were caught up in an aspect of Jansenism called Scrupulosity, which is on the other end of the spectrum of laxity. Those who suffered from Scrupulosity, for instance, our little St. Therese of Lisieux, felt they were in sin, where no sin existed. They were extremely hard on themselves. But it was part of the excessive nature of Jansenism.

Come with Bob and Penny as they follow the life of St. Peter Julian Eymard.  We describe his Shrine and final resting place in Paris, near the Arch de Triumph.  We go to the little village of La Mure, in the French Alps, where St. Peter was born, lived his early years, and came back to die. We describe the house where he was born and died, his tomb in the Parish Church and the inside of the Church which is a monument to St. Peter.  Come with us to the Shrines of Our Lady of Laus and Our Lady of La Salette, which were important to him during his lifetime.  He made his last pilgrimage to Our Lady of La Salette before he died.  We go to the beautiful Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere in Lyon where he prayed often and on January 21, 1851, made a vow to Our Lady to found an order dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament.  It is an inspiring journey.

We bring you the life of Saint Peter Julian Eymard.

Saint Peter Julian Eymard from Bob and Penny Lord on Vimeo.