On the Feast of Saint John Eudes (August 19), Fr Jean-Michel Amouriaux CJM, Superior General of the Congrégation de Jésus et Marie (commonly known as the ‘Eudists’) gave the following homily in the presence of his confreres and partners-in-mission at St. John Eudes Church, Minuto de Dios, Bogotá, Colombia.

«In him, the members of the Congregation find their deepest inspiration.” Constitution no. 14.

Each of us has our own way of allowing ourselves to be inspired by him.

I would like to share with you what inspires me to dream.

Creativity

In the life of John Eudes, we see a spirit of continually renewed creativity. When he chose to join the Oratory of France in 1623, it was a new community with new approaches to life and mission. He became a young preacher at only 21 years of age. He found a creative way to serve those suffering from the plague, living in a barrel so that he could accompany them to the end.

He was also creative in his foundations. The Refuge offered a new form of mission within the Church. Seminaries did not yet exist, and he established them alongside others of his time. The Society of the Heart of the Admirable Mother offered a new way for people to consecrate their lives while remaining in the world and continuing the work of the missions. During his missions, he devised new ways of preaching and teaching the faith. We might also think of the devotion to the Hearts, his numerous books, and his methods of contemplation and prayer.

John Eudes exercised his creativity tirelessly, as he did with everything he undertook.

Where did his creativity come from?

It arose from a combination of factors: his natural abilities and gifts; the knowledge and skills he acquired through study and experience; his ardent desire to glorify God, to offer people the path to salvation, and to make Jesus Christ known; and, as an indispensable element, divine grace, received with profound interior openness and allowing his gifts, abilities, and desires to develop fully.

Many Eudists have allowed themselves to be inspired by him. Here, we might think of the Servant of God Father Rafael García-Herreros and those who followed him.

Creativity is needed today: we must not be afraid to go further in proclaiming the Gospel. We cannot confine John Eudes to a single form of mission because, throughout his life, he was an example of apostolic creativity, both in formation and in mission. We must unleash creativity today to respond to the challenges of our time, paying particular attention to the formation and accompaniment of priests.

Obstacles can be overcome, but lukewarmness and a lack of zeal are poisons. Together, we must choose creativity.

Zeal, fervor, passion, love, and compassion

These qualities speak of a life marked by complete self-giving.

We see this in the life of John Eudes: in the vow of chastity he made as an adolescent; his vow of servitude in the Oratory on March 25, 1624; his vow of martyrdom on March 25, 1637; and the marriage covenant with the Virgin Mary that he signed in his own blood in 1668.

A fire burned within him. It expressed itself in apostolic zeal and in his ability to overcome the many obstacles he encountered. This fire in his heart had its source in the love of God, which had been poured into his heart through the Holy Spirit who had been given to him (cf. Romans 5:5).

Jesus said to St. Catherine of Siena: “Make yourself a capacity, and I will make myself a torrent.” This is what happened in our founder. Throughout his life, he made himself open to receiving the gift that surpasses all other gifts: the Spirit of God. The gift of God’s Spirit brings forth what the Spirit is: holiness.

John Eudes struggled within himself to renounce himself. He renounced material possessions, everything that burdened the heart, honors, and the vanity of the world—as well as the vanity found within the Church. Twice, he declined to become a bishop. The final years of his life were a Calvary marked by defamation and abandonment. In this way, he made himself open and receptive; in this way, he experienced mercy and grace.

We need Christians and priests filled with zeal, fervor, passion, resilience, compassion, and complete self-giving—people who are radical in their decision to follow Christ and who are always ready to serve. We do not need faithful people or priests who seek comfort, fame, or power.

Today’s world demands radical commitment and integrity of life, just as our holy founder demonstrated through the way he lived.

We ask this of you, Lord!

Fraternity, fellowship, and friendship

The letters of John Eudes offer us a very important testimony. They reveal, for example, his closeness to those who were suffering and his remarkable ability to console them. He formed deep friendships with certain families, his fellow founders, and a number of lay and ordained collaborators. He always sought relationships, friendships, and support.

John Eudes’ vision for the Congregation followed the model of Bérulle’s Oratory and, before it, that of St. Philip Neri: to unite priests solely through the bond of fraternal charity, so that they might live and carry out their mission together. He did not wish to establish a religious community in which the members were bound by the profession of vows, but a priestly society united by evangelical charity.

The strength of our life lies in our ability to live in fraternity.

This fraternity is contagious. John Eudes collaborated extensively with others: priests, men and women religious, and lay men and women. His ardent and creative heart impelled him to live in fraternity and closeness with many people. The human heart is one: when it loves, it seeks to love more, always searching for wood to feed its flames.

Today, this call continues to inspire us. Through our associates, God grants us the grace to broaden the horizons of our hearts. Today’s world demands quality in our relationships: relationships free from coldness, control, domination, and abuse.

As heirs of St. John Eudes, Eudists must foster relationships of quality—of the highest quality, of divine quality.

Brothers and sisters, I wish I could have known John Eudes, with his great heart and his open arms. He inspires us: through his creativity, his zeal and love, his fraternity and friendship.

This is a portrait of John Eudes for today. Our world awaits authentic men and women who bear true witness to what lives within them.

Let us allow the fire of the Spirit of God to burn within our hearts so that we may honor our founder and, with God’s favor, bring to fulfillment what he began in each of our different contexts.

Amen.