Mary at Bethlehem, by Saint Peter Julian Eymard


Saint Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868) was born at La Mure, a little town in the
diocese of Grenoble, France. His entire life from his infancy to his death was a
perpetual hymn of praise in honor of the Blessed Eucharist. He was so inflamed
with love for the most august Sacrament that hardly a sentence in all his writings
is not filled with overflowing thoughts on this Magnum Donum, this Great Gift of
God. Never has anyone spoken or written with such holy insight into this great
mystery. Who was it that set this heart so on fire? He tells us himself: "The Most
Blessed Virgin Mary strengthened this affection in me. She Herself gave me
Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament."

When ordained to the priesthood, Father Eymard worked with unquenchable zeal
in spreading devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and organizing acts of
reparation for all the sacrilege and neglect which the world paid to our Hidden
Savior, our Emmanuel. He was responsible for the institution of various societies
dedicated to this purpose and, after suffering continual trails, he crowned his
efforts with the formation of a new religious order known as the Priests of the
Blessed Sacrament. He was also responsible for the establishment of the Feast
of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament on May 13.

The mystery of Bethlehem is full of love and sweetness. Jesus appears here, if
one may say so, more pleasing than upon Calvary. Let us enter into the attitude
of mind of the Most Blessed Virgin.



I

Let us unite with Mary in Her expectation, during the hours that preceded the
blessed moment of Her Son's birth. Like Her, let us redouble our love and fervor
and unite ourselves with Her recollec­tion. And let Her habit of life teach us this
lesson: to serve Our Lord as He wishes us to serve Him, and not to seek to
please ourselves in His service.

Mary knew from the Prophecies all the suffering that awaited Her Son, and She
was ready to serve Him in His way, and to follow Him everywhere. Let us imitate
this spirit of self-sacrifice. This is true love.

It would have seemed perfectly natural to Mary for Jesus to have been born in a
beautiful palace, or at least in some degree of comfort. But no, He was born in a
cave, in the hole of a rock, into which, after having been everywhere repulsed,
Mary and Joseph were forced to re­tire. Saint Joseph's sorrow must indeed have
been very great! It was incumbent on him as head of the family to find shelter for
his holy Spouse, and we can well imagine what must have been his anxiety, his
distress, when, denied admit­tance everywhere, he was forced to lead Mary,
about to bring forth Her Child, to this wretched hole. But Mary was happy even in
the midst of these rebuffs. She possessed Jesus in Her bosom and She knew
that it was He Who permitted that they should be rejected and de­spised, He
Who had led them to that stable in the town of Bethlehem in which He had willed
to be born.

Thus it is that God accomplishes His ends. Man is disturbed; he seeks human
helps, and when he has ex­hausted all known means in vain, God leads him
where He wills. God permits that we often vainly seek the help of men, in order
that we may abandon ourselves more fully to Him and allow ourselves to be led,
even as Mary and Joseph. It is in this state of abandonment that we feel most
sensibly the goodness of God. He then takes care of us and we confidently draw
near to Him, as children around their Father. When success crowns our efforts,
when Divine Providence has shown Himself more sensibly to us, our love is no
longer the same, for we, perhaps, then count too much on our efforts and not
enough on God. The Israelites received more favors in the desert than in the
Promised Land, and God was nearer to them there. Jesus was more
ap­proachable in His crib at Bethlehem or in the lowly house of Nazareth, than in
His public life, in the midst of all the wonders that He wrought.



II

And when Jesus is born, Oh! let us realize if we can, the adoration, the homage,
the attentions of Mary. Let us adore Jesus in Her arms, or sleeping on Her
breast. What a beautiful ostensorium! It has been wrought with all the skill of the
Holy Spirit. Who, indeed, could be more beautiful than Mary, even ex­teriorly?
She is that pure lily of the valley that has grown in an immac­ulate soil. Mary is
the paradise of God! And see this other flower that has blossomed there-Jesus,
the Flower of Jesse! See what the har­vest has brought forth-Jesus, the Wheat of
the elect! Let us now penetrate into Mary's soul and con­template its beauty.
There is beauty enough there to give us unending happiness when we come to
know it well. Almighty God has exhausted His power, so to say, in embellish­ing
Mary. She becomes the osten­sorium of the Word Incarnate. She is the channel
by which Jesus comes to us!

Ah, yes! The Eucharist began at Bethlehem* in Mary's arms. It was She who
brought to humanity the Bread for which it was famishing, and which alone can
nourish it. She it was who took care of that Bread for us. It was She who
nourished the Lamb whose life-giving Flesh we feed upon. She nourished Him
with Her virginal milk; She nourished Him for the Sacrifice, for She foreknew His
destiny. Yes, She knew from the beginning, and every day She realizes it more
fully, that Her Lamb is only for immolation. She accepts God's will, and, bearing
Him in Her arms, Herself prepares for us the Victim of Calvary - that Victim of our
Altars. On the day of the Sacrifice She Herself will con­duct Her Divine Lamb to
Jerusalem, to deliver Him up to Divine Justice for the world's salvation. Ah,
Bethlehem already speaks of Calvary! Truly had Mary heard Her Son's first word:
"Father, sacrifice and oblation Thou wouldst not. . . . Behold, I come!" and She
united Herself in His offering and His anticipated immolation.



III

But Bethlehem had its joys also, joys most sweet and consoling. The shepherds -
simple souls - came to adore the Infant Savior. Mary re­joiced at seeing their
homage and the willing offerings they made to Her Jesus.

Some days later it is the Magi who bring their tribute of adoration and their royal
gifts. Mary offers Her Babe to their love; it is in Her arms that they find Him.

O how often may we not share in the happiness of the Magi! How happy is the
loving soul when it has found Jesus with Mary His Mother! They who know the
Tabernacle where He dwells, they who receive Him into their souls, know that His
conversation is full of divine sweet­ness, His consolation ravishing, His peace
superabundant, and the familiarity of His love and His Heart ineffable.

To find Jesus in the arms of His Mother, to unite oneself to Mary's sentiments as
She presses Him to Her heart-O what a ravishing moment! Like the joy of
Thabor, it passes all too quickly! Oh, wonder­ful moment in which all else is
for­gotten, in which we no longer desire anything else, not even Heaven-for we
possess it already. We have Jesus and Mary!



* The name "Bethlehem" in the Semitic languages means "House of Bread"
(Hebrew) or "House of Meat or Flesh" (Arabic)
Traditional Roman Catholicism