St. John Eudes: Shepherd After Our Lord’s Heart – Aug 19 – Homily – Fr Michael

 

Fr. Michael M. Gauvreau, FI gives the homily on how St. John Eudes, a true shepherd after God's heart, exemplified profound charity through his life's work, founding seminaries and refuges, and promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary as the means to grow in love for God and neighbor.

Today's homily celebrates St. John Eudes, a French saint from the 1600s, who was a true shepherd of souls, embodying compassion and charity. He dedicated his life to serving others, even living in a wine cask to avoid infecting his community during a plague. Recognizing critical needs, he founded seminaries to properly educate priests and established the Sisters of Charity of Refuge to help young women escape prostitution. St. John Eudes was a fervent promoter of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, seeing it as the source of all grace and charity, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as our perfect example of virtue. His life teaches us to grow in love for God and neighbor, becoming missionaries of God's love in the world, just as the Hearts of Jesus and Mary express God's boundless mercy.

Pope Francis 2016 – Priests must center their lives on the human heart's core – https://airmaria.com/go/ZMyqAr
Pope John Paul II – Priests configure themselves to Christ as head and shepherd – https://airmaria.com/go/NZwHYP
Pope Leo XIV 2025 – Mary guides priests to conform hearts to Christ the shepherd – https://airmaria.com/go/R8V4kg
Pope Pius XI – Priests should meditate on gathering scattered sheep for harvest – https://airmaria.com/go/cTF5HU
Pope John Paul II 2003 – Holiness requires imitating the Good Shepherd's self-sacrificing love – https://airmaria.com/go/yPkJ8A

CCC 478 – Christ's Sacred Heart, symbol of His love – https://airmaria.com/go/Vk5F7X
Matthew 25:40 – Serving the least, serving Christ Himself – https://airmaria.com/go/4jK7TH
CCC 1822 – Charity, greatest theological virtue, perfects love – https://airmaria.com/go/CHjdB8
CCC 971 – Mary's Immaculate Heart, model of faith and charity – https://airmaria.com/go/JHBt2e

00:00 - Introduction to St. John Eudes
00:33 - The Call to Be a True Shepherd
01:33 - Devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
02:32 - St. John Eudes' Compassionate Service
04:05 - Addressing Societal Needs: Seminaries and Refuges
05:37 - The Sacred Hearts as the Source of Virtue
06:28 - Founding the Eudists and Spreading Devotion
07:37 - Our Call to Love and Be Shepherds of Souls

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. John Eudes - Opt Mem - http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=357
Readings: Wednesday in the 20th Week in Ordinary Time - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081926.cfm
1st: Ezekiel 34:1-11 - The Good Shepherd
Resp: Psalms 23:1-6 - LORD, Shepherd and Host
Gsp: Matthew 20:1-16 - Workers in the Vineyard

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1137&r=920

Also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAKLfSwccYw