Memorial of St John Eudes, presbyter
“Today is the liturgical Memorial of St John Eudes, a tireless apostle of the devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary who lived in France in the 17th century that was marked by opposing religious phenomena and serious political problems. It was the time of the Thirty Years War, which devastated not only a large part of Central Europe but also souls. While contempt for the Christian faith was being spread by certain currents of thought which then prevailed, the Holy Spirit was inspiring a spiritual renewal full of fervor with important figures such as de Bérulle, St Vincent de Paul, St Louis-Marie Grignon de Montfort and St John Eudes. This great "French school" of holiness also included St John Mary Vianney. Through a mysterious design of Providence, my venerable Predecessor Pius XI canonized John Eudes and the Curé d'Ars together, on May 31, 1925, holding up to the whole world two extraordinary examples of priestly holiness.” (Benedict XVI, General Audience, August 19, 2009)
Saint John Eudes was born on November 14, 1601 in a peasant family in Ry (France). He graduated from the Jesuit college in Caen and was a very good student. After graduating from college in 1623, he entered the "Jesus Oratory", which was famous in France at that time. Two years later, John was ordained a priest (1625). In 1627, he returned to Argentan where he found out that there was a plague. He was helping the infected. Then he returned to Caen. He was entrusted with the duties of an itinerant preacher to preach retreats, missions, and the word of God on the occasion of parish feasts and holidays. He conducted this exhausting work for 44 years (1632-1676). Every year he carried out 3 to 4 missions, each of which lasted from 4 to 8 weeks. Throughout his life, he carried out 110 missions. On the advice of his confessor, he left the Oratory (1643) and decided to set up his own missionary congregation (Eudists Family) to teach and catechize the people. John Eudes gave the greatest merit as a tireless apostle of the devotion to the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of His Mother Mary. He was the first to publicly spread the devotion that at that time has been reserved only for the elect.
St. John Eudes in the decree on heroic virtues (1903) is called "the creator of the liturgical worship of the Heart of Jesus and Mary". In the beatification breve we read directly: "Burning himself with a special love for the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, he was the first - and it was not without divine inspiration – with the idea of public worship in their honor. Therefore, he should be considered the father of this devotion, so dear to us. (...) He was also a doctor(teacher) of this devotion,because in honor of both Hearts he composed the Office and Holy Mass. Finally, he was their apostle because he put his whole heart into spreading this devotion." As we can see, the highest praise was expressed by the Holy See to this priest. But also makes it clear that St. John Eudes was not the inventor of the devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It has already existed for years. St. John Eudes, however, was the most passionate promoter and popularizer of this devotion. He wanted it to be practiced by everyone. Another novelty he introduced was that he linked the devotion to the Heart of Jesus closely with the devotion to the Heart of Mary. He could not separate these two Hearts. Finally, he introduced the devotion to these two Hearts into the liturgy of the Church.
The life of the saint confirms what was said about him in its entirety. St. John Eudes set himself the goal, for the program of his priestly mission, to spread the worship and devotion to the Heart of Jesus and to the Heart of Mary: with his tireless words, writings and works. He also founded a separate religious congregation in honor of these two Hearts and under their name (1641), so that the priests of this congregation ex professo, one would like to say - "professionally", would devote themselves to spreading the devotion to these two Hearts. In honor of these two Hearts, he prescribed separate services and prayers for his spiritual sons, including a beautiful writing: Ave Cor sanctissimum, Ave Cor amantissimum Jesu et Mariae! In 1643 he ordered in his congregation to solemnly celebrate the feast of The Heart of Mary (February 8) and the Heart of Jesus (October 20).
In 1650, he founded the Confraternity of the Sacred Hearts, which was to constitute a kind of a third order for lay people. In 1648 he publishes the book "On Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary". In 1654, the Eudists founded the first college of the Heart of Mary. In 1655 they consecrated the first seminary dedicated to the same devotion. In 1670 St. John Eudes receives the approval of the theologians of the texts of the Holy Mass and the Office of the Most Holy Heart of Jesus. In the same year, Bishops of Rennes, Coutances and Evreux approved the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in their dioceses. In 1666, Pope Alexander VII approved the Confraternity of the Heart of Jesus and Mary in Morlaix. Clement X in 1674 and 1675 issued a number of certificates regarding these brotherhoods. Before his death, St. Jan Eudes wrote a smallbook "The Wonderful Heart of the Most Holy Mother of God".
He died in Caen on August 19, 1680. His beatification took place in 1909 by Pope Pius X. Solemn canonization was performed by his successor, Pius XI, in the Holy Year of 1925.
From the 17th century, Devotion to the Heart of Jesus became very known to all believers and the entire Church. Two saints contributed to this: St. John Eudes and St. Margaret Maria Alacoque. The first acted more - we would say - on his own initiative, while St. Margaret under the influence of orders received from above from Christ himself.
The Roman Catholic Church sees in this devotion a symbol of God's love for people. She would also like to awaken in human hearts a mutual love for God through this devotion. Moreover, Christ himself gave this devotion an eminently expiatory direction: it is to make us sensitive to sin, mobilize us, in the name of Christ's love, to fight with sins and to pray for those who hurt God's heart the most.
He belongs to you, but more than that, He longs to be in you, living and ruling in you, as the head lives and rules in the body. He wants His breath to be in your breath, His heart in your heart, and His soul in your soul.
— ST. JOHN EUDES
Until Tomorrow
fr. george