Be Serious About The Presence Of God

Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

July 30, 2021

Novena Mass

St. Peter Julian Eymard, Apostle of the Eucharist 

Feastday: August 2

Readings (Click here to read in full)

    Reading I:   Lv 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
    Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab
    Gospel:   Mt 13:54-58

Word Count: 418

Reading speed
    Slow (100 wpm): 4.2 minutes
    Average (130 wpm): 3.2 minutes
    Fast (160 wpm): 2.6 minutes

On this first day of our Triduum Masses in preparation for the feast day of St. Peter Julian Eymard, we reflect on his letter written in 1868 to Mme. Mathilde Giraud-Jordan. He wrote: "Be serious about the presence of God, the knowledge of Jesus Christ, a definite thought of some virtue, and you will have a center of strength and consolation."

 

In our Gospel today, the people of Nazareth refuse to recognize who Jesus truly is. They could not accept what they heard about Jesus, the many things He taught and did. They were skeptical about where He got his wisdom and His power to do mighty deeds. For them, there was never anything extraordinary about Jesus, since they never knew the mysteries behind His birth. For them, Jesus is not the Son of God, He is not the Messiah. He was just the carpenter’s son, the son of Mary. They even took offense at Him. They looked down on him in unbelief. As the Gospel relates, "And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith."

 

Unlike the townsfolk of Jesus, St. Eymard reminds us to "be serious about the presence of God, the knowledge of Jesus Christ, a definite thought of some virtue…." Unlike the Nazareans, we can express our seriousness about Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist and deepen our knowledge and love of Him through our daily adoration. St. Eymard said,

 

"The Object of Eucharistic adoration is the divine Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, present in the Blessed Sacrament. There is nothing greater or holier we can do on earth than this adoration. Eucharistic adoration is the greatest of actions. To adore is to share the life of the saints in heaven who never cease to praise, bless, and adore the goodness, the love, the glory, the power, and the divinity of the Lamb immolated for the love of men and the glory of God the Father. Eucharistic adoration is the holiest of actions…the perfect exercise of all the virtues [including Faith in the hidden Jesus veiled in the Sacred host, the Piety of self-annihilation before Jesus, Love of God, and Charity by praying for your neighbor in adoration]. To adore well we must, above all, talk to our Lord; He will answer us. Everybody can talk to our Lord."

 

By doing this, we "will have a center of strength and consolation" as St. Eymard said, and we will behold Jesus doing many mighty deeds in our lives. 

Fr. Joel R. Lasutaz, SSS

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