Today, August 2
Feast of the Day
No feast of the day
Saint of the Day
Julian was born in 1811 near Grenoble, France. His father expected his only son to take over the family business and so repeatedly refused Julian's requests to be allowed to study for the priesthood. Working in the family's walnut-oil press, Julian secretly studied whenever he found a spare moment. At age 17, he worked briefly for a chaplain in a home for the mentally ill but, when his mother died, he returned home to help his father. When Julian was 18, his father finally agreed to allow him to enter the Oblate novitiate in Marseilles, but within a few months Julian became so ill that he was sent home to die.
To everyone's surprise, Julian recovered, though his health always remained fragile. While Julian was recuperating, his father died, leaving Julian the family home and business, which he in turn gave to his sisters. Julian joined the diocesan clergy in Grenoble. Ordained in 1834, he was assigned to a mission church and was a devoted pastor. A visiting Marist priest rekindled in Julian the desire to serve in the missions. He transferred to the Marists and in 1851 he confided to his superior a call he felt to establish a group of men dedicated to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. By 1863 Rome had approved the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, whose charism is to promote the significance of the eucharist for Christian living. Eymard also founded a community for religious women.
Eymard believed that both prayer and works of charity were essential to the priestly life. Accordingly, the congregation worked with the very poor, preparing them to receive communion, but also caring for their material needs. It also worked for the sanctification of priests.
A contemporary of John Vianney, Eymard is considered a pioneer in the rediscovery of the importance of the "bread of life" and in his call to involve laypersons more actively in the life of the Church. He died on August 1, 1868, following a stroke and was canonized in 1962 by John XXIII.
©2011 Living with Christ, Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/. Reprinted with permission.
Readings of the Day
Book of Isaiah 55,1-3.
Thus says the LORD: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.
Psalms 145(144),8-9.15-16.17-18.
The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season; You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.
Letter to the Romans 8,35.37-39.
What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 14,13-21.
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, "This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves." (Jesus) said to them, "There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have here." Then he said, "Bring them here to me," and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over --twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
Daily Reflection
Seeing that day was speeding on towards its setting, the apostles of the Redeemer hastened to find him, calling: “Lord, day is almost over and all these people are faint with hunger but, as you know, this is a desert place. Send them away before nightfall so that they can buy bread in the villages. For these people here are not able to fast as we do; to us you have given the strength for it, for you are the heavenly bread of everlasting life. “You are the great Savior of the world by nature and have taught us all understanding; by feeding these people with your words of truth you have directed humankind on the way of salvation by granting them knowledge of righteousness. Their souls have been spiritually nourished but now they need to take care of their bodies... Send them away because we are very anxious... You have taught your disciples to have compassion for all, for you are the heavenly bread of everlasting life...” When Christ heard these words, he replied: “You are mistaken because you do not know that I am the world's Creator. Yet I watch over the world; I well know what these people here have need of; I am well aware of the desert place and the setting sun but it is I who determined the sun's course. I know the weariness of the crowd here and I know what I will do on its behalf. I myself will give satisfaction to its hunger for I am the heavenly bread of everlasting life... “You may be thinking: 'Who is going to feed this crowd in the desert?' Well, my friends, you should know who I am: I am the one who fed Israel in the desert and gave them bread from heaven. I caused water to gush out of the rock in a dry land and, more still,obtained quails in profusion for them, for I am the heavenly bread of everlasting life...” Increase the multitude of your mercies in us all, O Savior, and as you satisfied the multitude in the desert by your wisdom and nourished them by your power, so satisfy us all with your righteousness by strengthening us in our faith, O Lord. Feed us all, O Compassionate One, grant us your grace and forgiveness for our sins... for you alone are the Messiah, the only merciful One, O Heavenly Bread of everlasting life.