A happy and holy feast of St Jean Eudes!
The Holy Father devoted today's General Audience to St. Jean, pointing out his devotion to the the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of His Immaculate Mother. Pope Benedict also honoured the sterling work he did in the foundation of seminaries and in the education of diocesan priests in France, setting him before today's priests and seminarians as example of priestly holiness.
I thought the Holy Father looked rather pale and tired today. His finger must be swollen because he was not wearing his ring. He was late in appearing so maybe it had fallen off and it was being searched for. It will be a vast relief to him and to us all when that cast finally comes off and he can get back to writing and playing the piano! Apparently he has been told that the latter exercise will be an excellent form of physiotherapy, which must have pleased him enormously.
Here are some brief extracts from today's second Office reading for the feast. It is taken from St. Jean's treatise "The Adorable Heart of Jesus":
"..........you are to him as a member to the head, and he earnestly desires to use all your faculties as if they were his own for the service and glorification of his Father.............
"All that is in you must be grafted on to him, so that from him you may draw life and by him be ruled. True life is nowhere to be found by you except in him, who is the only source of life. Apart from him you will find nought save death and destruction. Let him be the principle of all your actions, emotions, powers. You must live by him and for him.........
".......you must have with him one spirit, one soul, one life, one will, one intention, one heart. It is he himself who is to be spirit, heart, love, life, everything to you. In the life of a Christian, all these marvels have their origin in baptism, are increased and strengthened by confirmation and the good use of the other graces in which God makes him share, and are perfected above all by the holy eucharist."
St Jean Eudes, pray for Pope Benedict, for all priests, and for us, their flock.
Immaculate Heart of Mary Mother of the Church and Queen of Clergy, pray for us.
Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on us. Amen
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