I. Mary devoted herself absolutely to the Eucharistic glory of Jesus. She knew that the desire of the Eternal Father was, to have the Eucharist known, loved, and served by all men; that the hunger of the Heart of Jesus was, to communicate to men all His gifts of grace and glory; that the mission of the Holy Spirit was, to extend and perfect in hearts the reign of Jesus Christ; and that the Church had been founded only to give Jesus to the world. All Mary's desire, then, was to make Him known in His Sacrament. Her great love for Jesus felt the need of expanding, of consecrating itself as a kind of relief, so to say, for her own inability to glorify Him as much as she desired.
Since the scene on Calvary, men were her children. She loved them with a mother's tenderness, and longed for their supreme good as for her own; therefore, was she on fire to make Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament known to all, to inflame hearts with His love, to see them chained to His loving service.
To obtain this favor, Mary made a perpetual mission of penance and prayer at the foot of the Most Adorable Eucharist. It was there she treated of the world's salvation. In her magnificent zeal, she embraced the wants of the Faithful of all places and of all future time, who were to become heirs of the Holy Eucharist and to serve It.
But the mission dearest to her soul was, to pray continually for the success of the preaching and labors of the Apostles and of all members of Jesus Christ's priesthood. It was not surprising, then, that those apostolic workmen so easily converted entire kingdoms, for Mary remained at the foot of the throne of mercy, supplicating for them the Saviour's goodness. Her prayer converted souls, and, as every conversion is the fruit of prayer, and since Mary's prayer could meet no refusal, the Apostles had in this Mother of Mercy their most powerful helper. "Blessed is he for whom Mary prays!"
II. Eucharistic adorers share Mary's life and mission of prayer at the foot of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It is the most beautiful of all missions, and it is without danger. It is, also, the most sacred, for it is the exercise of all the virtues. It is the most necessary to the Church, which has much more need of souls of prayer than of preachers, of men of penance than of men of eloquence. Today, more than ever, we want men who disarm by self-immolation the anger of God irritated against the ever-increasing crimes of nations. We must have souls who, by their importunity, reopen the treasures of grace, which general indifference has closed. We must have true adorers, that is to say, men of fervor and of sacrifice. When they have become numerous around their Divine Chief, God will be glorified, Jesus will be loved, society will become Christian, conquered to Jesus Christ by the Apostolate of Eucharistic prayer.
III. Mary's apostolate, moreover, consisted in the very persuasive preaching of respect. Such sermons suit all, and a soul zealous to make the Eucharist known and loved, will, in union with Mary, aim thereat with great care. With what modesty and reverence this perfect adorer comports himself before the Blessed Sacrament! Like the angels, he kneels before the Divine Majesty. Entirely penetrated with faith, and absorbed in the divine presence of Jesus, he pays no attention to any one or anything around. Such adorers never present themselves before Our Lord without being suitably and modestly clothed, as if for a visit of ceremony. Any negligence in dress, or carelessness of manner, would indicate little faith and a disorderly interior.
As much as she was able, Mary remained on her knees at the feet of her God. That is the posture of adoration adopted by the Holy Church, the homage of the body, the humility of faith. On the knees at Jesus feet, is the place of love.
Respect in the holy place, above all before the Most Holy Sacrament, ought to be the great exterior virtue of adorers. This respect is the solemn profession of their faith, and at the same time it is for them the grace of their piety and fervor; for God always punishes irreverence in His sanctuary by the weakening of "faith, and the withdrawal of grace and devotion. He who is irreverent or indecorous before Our Lord, should not be astonished at the coldness that he experiences in prayer. That would even be a small punishment compared with what he deserves; for he merits to be expelled from God's presence as a rude, unmannerly fellow, or a senseless fool.
Let us, then, be very severe on the subject of respect. Let us maintain a reserved exterior, a devout attitude, a rigorous silence, and an absolute guard over the senses. When in church, we must have eyes only for Jesus Christ. Friends must then be ignored. Jesus is all. The court has eyes fixed only on the king, it honors only the king. At sight of the pro found and religious respect of adorers, worldlings will be forced to say: "Here is something grand, indeed!" The weak, the tepid, will blush for their tepidity and again recognize Jesus Christ, for example is the royal lesson of wisdom, and the most fruitful apostolate.
Practice. Pray for all First Communicants and for the catechists who prepare them.
Aspiration. Hail, Mary! who, by the apostolate of thy prayer, vanquished all heresies raised against the Holy Eucharist!
- from Month of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, by Saint Pierre-Julien Eymard