30 Marian Eucharistic Visits

We are grateful to share a few excerpts from Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s upcoming book 30 Marian Eucharistic Visits published by Sophia Institute Press.

 Our dear Lord Jesus Christ loves us so much that He makes Himself present to us in an ordinary unpretentious piece of bread—a Host. St. John Paul II said, “The Eucharist, in the Mass and outside of the Mass, is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and is therefore deserving of the worship that is given to the living God, and to Him alone.”2

St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars (1786–1859), who spent countless hours with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, passionately stated: 

Our Lord is hidden there in the tabernacle, waiting for us to come and visit Him, and make our requests to Him.. . . In heaven, where we shall be glorious and triumphant, we shall see Him in all His glory. If He had presented Himself before us in that glory now, we should not have dared to approach Him; but He hides Himself like a person in prison, who might say to us, “You do not see Me, but that is no matter; ask of Me all you wish and I will grant it.”

During his homilies, St. John Vianney often glanced at the tabernacle and passionately cried out, “He is there!”3

We know, without doubt, that our salvation comes through Jesus. Yet many of the saints have preached the necessity of getting to know the Blessed Virgin Mary so that she can bring us close to Jesus. Since the precise moment of the Annunciation, our Blessed Mother has cooperated with the Holy Spirit as she worked alongside her Son. She is our mighty intercessor and our loving advocate. 

Remember, she said, “Do whatever He tells you” at the Wedding at Cana (John 2:5). She will always lead us to Jesus. She desires that all of mankind would “do whatever He tells you.” She wants us all to be safe in Heaven one day. 

Let us remember that it was Jesus Himself who gifted us with His Mother as He was dying on the Cross for our salvation. “Here is your mother,” He told His disciple John (John 19:27). Mary then became the Mother of the Church. She is our true Mother! 

The Marian saint Louis-Marie de Montfort has said that devotion to Mary is the surest, shortest, and most perfect way to approach Jesus. And Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam, proclaims this: 

The Blessed Virgin possessed, after Christ, not only the highest degree of excellence and perfection, but also a share in that influence by which He, her Son and our Redeemer, is rightly said to reign over the minds and wills of men. For if through His Humanity the divine Word performs miracles and gives graces, if He uses His Sacraments and Saints as instruments for the salvation of men, why should He not make use of the role and work of His most holy Mother in imparting to us the fruits of redemption?4

 Adoring our dear Lord is a beautiful form of prayer and a wonderful means to honor and praise Him. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) instructs us: 

Adoration is the first attitude of man acknowledging that he is a creature before his Creator. It exalts the greatness of the Lord who made us (cf. Ps. 95:1–6) and the almighty power of the Savior who sets us free from evil. Adoration is homage of the spirit to the “King of Glory” (Ps. 24:9–10), respectful silence in the presence of the “ever greater” God.5 Adoration of the thrice-holy and sovereign God of love blends with humility and gives assurance to our supplications. (no. 2628). 

Let us adore Our Lord as often as possible and ask Jesus’ Mother, Mary, to accompany us!

Selections from the Meditation: Striving for a Generous Heart Like Mary

During this Eucharistic visit, pray for the graces to become more generous like Mother Mary.

Reflect

At the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel was sent to Mary to tell her she was chosen to be the Mother of God and to inform her about her cousin Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy (after having been barren). Mary was a very generous soul. The young Jewish handmaiden chose to put her own needs aside to help her elderly cousin Elizabeth. She could have stayed home with concerns for herself, since she was newly pregnant and might have been trying to grasp the meaning of carrying the Savior of the world in her womb. In addition, she might have been wondering how her husband, St. Joseph, would accept this sudden mysterious miracle. Still, Mary set out in haste and with great faith and love. 

Upon entering Elizabeth’s home, after traveling her hundred-mile journey, Mary greeted Elizabeth with a warm embrace. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?’ ” (Luke 1:41–43). 

We can imagine this beautiful meeting of the cousins—both pregnant with new holy life—Jesus and John the Baptist. We can imagine the women’s holy greeting and embrace and their blessed time together at Elizabeth and Zechariah’s home. 

Pray

Put yourself in the presence of God. Invite the Blessed Mother to be with you in prayer.

Pray: Dear Jesus, Miracle of the Eucharist, thank You for the great gift of You! And thank You for allowing me to visit You now. Please forgive me for my sins and for any times I did not fully believe in Your presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Please stay with me. Dear Mother Mary, show me how to be humble and generous like you. Please help me to quiet my mind to focus on your Son, Jesus. 

Ask Jesus to speak to your heart. Be quiet and listen. If your mind wanders to other things, bring it back by asking Jesus and Mary to help you focus on your prayers. Also ask your guardian angel to assist you. 

Savor

Rest in the presence of the Lord. Close your eyes and put yourself into the scene with Mary and Elizabeth. In your imagination, watch them lovingly interact together. Ask Jesus to touch your heart in a special way, according to His holy will. Express your love to Jesus. Stay for as long as you can to keep our Eucharistic Lord company, as your circumstances allow. Even after you leave your time of Adoration to go on with your responsibilities, recall the scenes and sentiments of your prayer time and any insights you might have gained. Allow your heart to be a living tabernacle and commune with Jesus throughout your day. 

2 Pope St. John Paul II, Opening Address in Ireland, Phoenix Park, September 29, 1979

3 John A. Hardon, S.J., The History of Eucharistic Adoration: Development of Doctrine in the Catholic Church, chap. 5, EWTN, https://www. ewtn.com/catholicism/library/history-of-eucharistic-adoration -development-of-doctrine-in-the-catholic-church-4086.

4 Pope St. Pius XII, encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam (October 11, 1954), no. 42. 5 Cf. St. Augustine, En. in Ps. 62,16: PL 36, 757–758. 

Author Bio – Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle:

Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is a Catholic wife, a mother of five, a grandmother of two, and an award-winning and best-selling author and journalist, TV host, international speaker, and pilgrimage and retreat leader. She is the EWTN television host of three series which she created to teach, encourage, and inspire Catholic families. Her love for children and for imparting the Faith spurred her on to serve as a Catechist for over thirty years. She is also an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist at her parish. 

Donna-Marie enjoyed a decade-long friendship with Saint Teresa of Calcutta, became a Lay Missionary of Charity, and started a branch of the Lay Missionaries of Charity. For many years, her spiritual director was Servant of God John A. Hardon, S.J., who also served as one of Mother Teresa’s spiritual directors.

In 2008, Donna-Marie was invited by the Holy See to participate in an international congress for women at the Vatican. She received apostolic blessings from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI for her books and work, and a special blessing from Pope Saint John Paul II for her writing on Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Donna-Marie has received many writing awards from the Catholic Press Association and others.

She is the author of more than thirty-five books on faith, family, and the saints; including her memoir The Kiss of Jesus: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross. Donna-Marie is also a General Editor for the Divine Mercy Catholic Bible and has written two major Divine Mercy articles for this Bible.

Donna-Marie’s work has been featured in national and international media. She has written for L’Osservatore Romano, Magnificat Magazine, National Catholic Register, Catholic World Report, Our Sunday Visitor, and more.

She has been profiled on many television shows, including: Fox News, Rome Reports, Vatican Insider, and on EWTN shows: News Nightly, Women of Grace, Sunday Night Prime, EWTN Live, The Choices We Face, At Home with Jim and Joy, The Journey Home, and Faith & Culture. She is a regular guest on national and international radio shows as well.

Donna-Marie lectures throughout the world on topics relating to Catholic and Christian women, faith, and families, the saints, and her friend Mother Teresa. She also writes much on Divine Mercy and is an authority on the life of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska.