THE EUCHARISTIC MEDITATIONS OF THE CURÉ D'ARS - the Irish ...

CONTENTS:
1. Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist 3
2. The Love of Jesus Christ in the institution of the Eucharist 4
3. The Love of Jesus Christ in the institution of the Eucharist 5
4. Excellence of the Sacrament of the Eucharist 7
5. The Eucharist – the Food of our Souls 7
6. The Sunday Feast 8
7. Daily Communion 9
8. Disregard for the Bread of Heaven 11
9. The Eucharist unites us to Jesus Christ 12
10. The Holy Eucharist increases Sanctifying Grace in us 13
11. The Blessed Eucharist lessens in us our tendency to evil 14
12. The Blessed Eucharist, Pledge of Life Eternal and of the Glorious Resurrection 15
13. The Blessed Eucharist – the Source of Joy 16
14. Dispositions of Soul for Holy Communion 17
15. The disposition of Soul for Holy Communion 18
16. Unworthy Communion 20
17. Dispositions for Holy Communion 21
18. Thanksgiving 22
19. The respect due to Churches 23
20. The Motives for visiting the Blessed Sacrament 24
21. The sweetness of a visit to the Blessed Sacrament 26
22. Visit to the Blessed Sacrament – a method of making it 27
23. The sentiments we ought to have when we assist at the procession of the Blessed Sacrament
on Corpus Christi 27
24. The sentiments we ought to have when we assist at the procession of the Blessed Sacrament
on Corpus Christi 28
25. On the Priest 29
26. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 30
27. Daily Mass 32
28. Objections to Daily Mass 33
29. A method of hearing Mass 34
30. After Holy Mass 36
In the Foreword for the original edition we find the following words, equally applicable and apt for today, for the post-
Vatican II Church, indeed even more significant:
“His discourses on the Most Blessed Sacrament can truly be said to be the most expressive of him and of his love for
God . . . From them we can learn the most precious lessons of Eucharistic devotion. For these reasons we hope that
this little book of Eucharistic meditations may have the effect of enkindling in many hearts something of the saint’s
own love for our Eucharistic Lord.”
THE CURÉ D’ARS: John Baptist Mary Vianney was born in Dardilly in France in 1786. He was ordained priest
in 1815 and appointed cure of Ars – a village near Lyons – in 1818. He completely immersed himself in the work of his
parish but soon gained a reputation right across Europe as a confessor and spiritual guide. He also the gift of healing and
of hidden knowledge but he was also tormented in life by evil spirits. He gave all he had to the poor and needy and went
about in ragged clothes, eat poorly, and slept little. In the twelve months before he died in 1859 he was visited by over
one hundred thousand people. He was canonized in 1925 and declared Patron of Parish Clergy in 1929.
2