“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not, you can cut it down.’” (Luke 3:6-9)

“The fruit of this divine conformity is first of all patience, an even-tempered disposition, and inner peace, followed by strong and generous action. A soul that wants to live in God begins by consulting his holy Will; it hesitates to begin by consulting its own heart or its own judgment. It mistrusts them. For this soul, the known will of God is its supreme law, its unchangeable rule, and its first science.” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard – Letter to Mrs. Natalie Jordan - January 22, 1852)

“After everything is over, humility says: I am not a model of sweetness, but let us be a model of patience and sometimes of reparation. Know that some thorns are more useful than some flowers” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard – Letter to Mrs. Antoinette de Grandville - August 7, 1864)

“[Dedicate] yourself to everything in a spirit of simplicity, that is, to do things in a spirit of interior freedom, clinging to them only insofar as God wants and as long as he wants; in a spirit of peace, doing things in an orderly manner, one after the other, with moderation and patience; working to do things well, but not to get rid of them. Let your model be a child, who does everything through obedience and whose life is not bound by anything.” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard – Letter to Ms. Stéphanie Gourd - March 16, 1866)

Rick Hernandez Rick Hernandez is a commonsense Catholic, Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament, and a Director for Elisheba House. He lives in Trinity, Florida, with his wife Ivonne and their children. He also writes for the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament's Daily Eucharistic Reflections and for Catholicmom.com.

“The Divine flame needs a little activity... there are no limits to the degrees for the love of God, the gift of self, personal self-denial. We must die daily and be like the sun, which always rises as if it were the first time that it is obeying God and follows its course until its setting. Live especially in the divine Eucharist I will grant you the first blessing.” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Letter to Mme. Marechal on March 1, 1866) 

“Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war; My safeguard and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, My shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.” (Psalm 144:1-2) 
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“You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works!” (Psalm 139:13-14) 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  (1 Peter 5-7) 

Laura Catherine Worhacz Laura Catherine Worhacz is a Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament and author of Consecration to Jesus Through Our Lady of The Blessed Sacrament. She is also the director of Mothers of The Blessed Sacrament. She lives in Trinity, FL, with her husband and their two daughters.

“For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress.” (Isaiah 25:4)
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Ivonne J. Hernandez Ivonne is a Catholic wife, mother, Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament, and President of Elisheba House. She is also a speaker and writer, with her book The Rosary: Eucharistic Meditations to her name. Ivonne regularly contributes to CatholicMom.com and the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament's Daily Eucharistic Reflection. Her writing has also appeared in publications such as Emmanuel Publishing and Shalom Magazine. Alongside her husband, Rick Hernandez, she coordinates the RCIA program at their home parish. A lover of choral music, Ivonne is a member of the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay. She and her husband live in Trinity, FL, with two of their young adult sons.