Priest
Feast day: August 3
In 1811, Peter Julian Eymard was born close to Grenoble, France. When he was younger, his father had forbidden him from pursuing his desire to become a priest because he wanted Peter Julian to take over the family business.
Illness compelled him to quit the seminary soon after he enrolled. Nevertheless, he persisted, and at the age of 23, he was appointed to the Diocese of Grenoble.
He served the Marists in a variety of administrative capacities while fostering the veneration of the Blessed Mother across France. He became well-known around the country as a speaker, coordinator, and teacher. He gained a greater knowledge of eucharistic devotion during his travels and asked his superiors to establish a Marist community devoted to eucharistic adoration.
Peter established a men's community where members would alternate between living an active apostolic life and reflecting on Jesus in the Eucharist. Congregation of the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament is a group of women that he and Marguerite Guillot formed.
He had a stroke, which hindered him from speaking or walking. He passed away peacefully at home at La Mure on August 1, 1868. One day after the first session of Vatican II concluded, Peter Julian Eymard was canonized in 1962 and subsequently beatified in 1925.
Prayer to Saint Peter Julian Eymard
Saint Peter Julian,
the Lord gave you,
as he once did to Jacob, his servant,
an ever-searching faith.
All your life long, you sought the way
to deepen your union with God
and to satisfy the hungers of humanity.
In the Eucharist, you discovered the answer to your searching:
God’s love was there for you and for all humanity.
Answering this gift of love,
you made the gift of yourself to God
and gave yourself to the service of his people.
Your life, modeled on that of the Cenacle,
where Mary and the apostles were united in prayer,
inspired your disciples to live
in an atmosphere of discernment and prayer.
Their apostolic zeal caused them to build Christian communities
where the Eucharist is the center and source of life.
Saint Peter Julian,
accompany us on our journey of faith.
May our ardent prayer and our generous service
help us to contribute to the building of a world
where there is justice and peace.
May our celebrations of the Eucharist
proclaim the liberating love of God
for the renewal of his Church
and the coming of his kingdom.
Amen.
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