This year we have been called together: by Pope Francis to celebrate the Jubilee Year “Pilgrims of Hope” and by the CJM to “Renew the joy of being Eudists.” On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the canonization of Saint John Eudes and the 400th anniversary of his ordination, the Church has granted the Congregation of Jesus and Mary the grace of a particular Jubilee.
We give thanks to the Lord for the recent extended session of the Congregation Council.
With the joy of feeling forgiven and loved by the Most Holy Trinity, we invite you to participate wholeheartedly in this Eudist prayer.
“The Good News that Jesus came to bring the world is that He reconciles us with God. That He forgives us, that He saves us—surely—all who believe in Him.”
(Servant of God Rafael García Herreros)
O God, Father of mercies,
we, the Eudist family, adore you as the origin, foundation, and source of our life, our salvation, and sanctification, accomplished through your Son Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh in Mary’s womb, and continued by the Church, His mystical Body.
We thank you for having revealed your mercy in the Heart of your Son, a furnace of love for you and for every human being, in communion with the Heart of the Virgin Mother.
We thank you for choosing Saint John Eudes, “Father, Doctor, and Apostle of the liturgical cult of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary,” to proclaim the life and reign of your Son, to announce the unfathomable riches of your love, and to teach us to “serve Christ and His Church Corde magno et animo volenti,” in this school of holiness spread throughout the world.
We ask forgiveness for our failures in charity, the supreme rule and soul of our family; for our lack of zeal for the salvation of souls; and for failing to witness to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary through a holy life and spirit of service, so as to form among us one single heart.
We offer ourselves to you, so that in this Jubilee Year we may allow ourselves to be transformed by the Holy Spirit into pilgrims of hope, to renew the joy of being Eudists, missionaries of mercy, living forgiveness and reconciliation; so that we may boldly continue the mission of your Son Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who goes in search of the lost sheep in the peripheries of life and offers the world the tenderness of your love.
May the loving Heart and the Holy Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and of His Holy Mother, the glorious Virgin Mary, be praised forever.
Amen.
Like a flame my hope is burning,
may my song arise to you:
Source of life that has no ending,
on life’s path I trust in you.
Ev’ry nation, tongue, and people
find a light within your Word.
Scattered fragile sons and daughters
find a home in your dear Son.
God, so tender and so patient,
dawn of hope, you care for all.
Heav’n and earth are recreated
by the Spirit of Life set free.
Raise your eyes, the wind is blowing,
for our God is born in time.
Son made man for you and many
who will find the way in him.
Like a flame my hope is burning,
may my song arise to you:
Source of life that has no ending,
on life’s path I trust in you.
1. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Through him we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
3. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4. and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5. and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
The Word of the Lord.
If the work of creation is admirable, the work of salvation is even more so. Paul sings a hymn of praise to God, naming the three Divine Persons.
Through the work of Christ, we are now reconciled with God the Father and “we rejoice in the hope of the glory of being children of God.”
Even in tribulations, that is what gives us hope and strength. (J. Andazábal)
In the letters of our founder, we find how Saint John Eudes faced challenges and helped his brothers do the same.
From the book The Letters of Saint John Eudes, recently published in Spanish thanks to the translation by Fr. Álvaro Torres, we read two letters:
Letter to Fr. Mannoury in Rome, about difficulties encountered while seeking approval for the Congregation.
April 7, 1648
Courage, my dear brother. We seek only the will of God. Let us do everything possible for the cause of our beloved Lord and our dear Lady, and then entrust everything to His holy will.
If our time has come, the whole world will not be able to resist what they desire. If it has not yet come, let us place our hope in the Lord, work courageously, and our hearts will be strengthened (Psalm 27:14).
One thing should strengthen us: we cannot doubt that this is God’s work, considering the great and extraordinary blessings that He has been pleased to grant to our humble labors.
By this, we clearly know that everything comes from Him, and thus He will not abandon His work… He will act in His own time and in the best and most suitable way—better than we could ever wish.
It is our part only to be faithful and continue along the path with humility, strength, and trust.
Letter to Fr. Manchon, at the seminary in Caen, advising him on how to act if the chapel is ordered closed.
Coutances, Autumn 1650
Do not be disturbed, my dearest brother. This storm will pass. If you receive a notice, do not respond; simply say that, in my absence, you cannot reply until I return.
However, if you are ordered to close the chapel, close it, and go celebrate Mass wherever you can; encourage our brothers, and urge them to humble themselves before God and to place all their hope in Him and in His most holy Mother; let them spend as much time as possible before the Blessed Sacrament; send some to Our Lady of La Délivrande.
Our founder teaches us not to lose our peace or our trust in God, to persevere in prayer, and to wait on the Lord and our Mother, the Virgin Mary, recognizing that even in difficulties and tribulations, the work belongs to our God.
Let us take a moment of silence. If anyone wishes to share their prayer or reflection, they may open their microphone and pray aloud.
Father of mercies and God of all consolation,
who, through the extreme love with which you loved us, in your ineffable goodness gave us the most loving Heart of your Son,
so that we might love you with one heart, and through His Heart love you perfectly:
We ask that our hearts, united with one another and with the Heart of Jesus, may become one;
that everything in us may be shaped by His charity, and that, through His intercession, the just desires of our hearts may be fulfilled.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
🕗 7 p.m., Colombian and Ecuadorian time
🕗 6 p.m., Mexico and Central America time
🕗 8 p.m., Venezuela and Dominican Republic time
🕗 9 p.m., Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay time
🕗 8 p.m. France time,
🕗 2 p.m. Montreal time,
🕗 11 a.m. San Diego time