PETER-JULIAN EYMARD AND FRANCIS OF ASSISI
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n God’s wonderful
design of Providence the Feast Day of St Peter-Julian Eymard (August 2) falls on the same day as the “Pardon of Assisi.” In this Year of Mercy
this happens to be the 800th anniversary of Pope Honorius III confirming
and extending universally the daring request that St Francis made to Our Lord
who appeared to him clothed in light accompanied by the Blessed Virgin Mary and
a multitude of angels:
Most Holy Lord, although I am an unworthy sinner, I
beg you that everyone with an upright and contrite heart who will come to visit
this church [the little chapel of the Portiuncula] be granted an ample and
generous pardon with complete remission of all their sins.
Scene of St
Francis announcing the Indulgence called the “Pardon of Assisi” -
Detail of
painting by Ilario of Viterbo in the apse of the Portiuncula chapel, St Mary of
the Angels, Assisi.
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ike the “little poor
man of Assisi” (the Poverello), St
Peter-Julian Eymard spent his life generously in serving the deepest need in
the hearts of all people, their hunger and thirst for God, who abundantly
bestows the riches of his grace of loving mercy through the channels of pardon
and peace and joy in the sacraments, especially the Eucharistic Mystery. Often,
whether in his correspondence or preaching, Father Eymard recommended trust in
God’s mercy intrinsically bound to his providential solicitude for humankind.
An example of this pastor’s encouraging approach is the following:
His mercy is from
generation to generation towards those who fear him (Lk 2) [Lk 1:50]. The mercy
of the Lord fills the earth (Ps 118) [cf. Ps 118:64].
In heaven God reigns in
the splendour of his power that is where he manifests all the riches of his
mercy…
On earth God reigns by
means of his mercy; here he is a friend, a Father, a Saviour. It is the reign
of grace. Everything he does bears the seal of salvation…
Who could deny God’s
mercy? Doesn’t it draw nothingness to life, from sin to pardon, faithfulness to
glory?
Who can withdraw from God’s
goodness? Doesn’t it go before us like a gentle Providence? Doesn’t it follow
us like a tender mother? Doesn’t it surround us; doesn’t it penetrate us like
the soul of our soul and the life of our life? And isn’t it our duty to imitate
the prophet in making the Lord’s mercies known eternally?
Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo [“The mercies of the
Lord I’ll sing for eternity” – Ps 88:2].
But now is the time to
proclaim this heavenly mercy, now is the time of salvation, the time for
penance, the time of pardon. (PG 158,1)
o, on this celebration of St Peter-Julian’s Feast Day – the 800th anniversary of the
Pardon of Assisi - we do well to recall in grateful joy the Lord’s gracious
love to us and to start afresh regarding our whole lives - as the Virgin Mary
does in her Magnificat, or like St
Thérèse at the beginning of her Story of
a Soul - as a canticle of divine Mercy! We thus already enter through the passover of the heart into the Eucharistic
joy of the Spirit, the Communion of saints that is nothing other than our
Father’s own delight in showing us his art of Mercy!
˜ ™
