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Wednesday, 23 May 2018 14:14

May 25, 1845 – Fr. Eymard during a Corpus Christi procession at St. Paul's in Lyon

 [Sunday] May 25, 1845 – Corpus Christi

I had the special honor to carry the most Blessed Sacrament at St Paul’s, and my soul was very much at home.  It was filled with faith and love for Jesus in his divine Sacrament.  These two hours appeared to be just an instant.  At the foot of our Lord, I placed the Church, France, the Catholics, the Society, and myself.  What emotions and tears, as though my heart were under a press!  How I wished to have at that time all the hearts in the world… the zeal of St Paul!

This is what I promised our Lord.

Since the beginning of this month, I felt a great attraction to our Lord, but I never experienced it as being so strong.  This attraction inspires me in my preaching, in my devotional counseling; I want to bring the whole world to know and love our Lord and to preach only Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ Eucharistic. I have already done this many times in the confessional, and in several instructions; and our Lord has blessed his words.  This is what I promised our Lord, with my whole heart and soul.  This is a serious resolution, and, from now on, it will be the object of all my prayers and all my vows.  I asked our Lord for the spirit of St Paul, that great Lover of Jesus Christ.  Starting today, I will begin reading his works, at least two chapters every day. I took St Paul as my Protector and patron in this new kind of apostolate, and my good Mother in order to initiate me into the spirit of his divine Son and to personify him in me.  O my God! What a joy it would be for me to be worthy to hear from your lips these words addressed to St Thomas the Angelic Doctor: Tu de me bene dixisti, Petre!

O my God, you know my prayer during your triumph, Pater qui es in cælis. I will renew it often. Oh! It did me a lot of good!

(NR 27,3)