Excerpts From the Handbook
of the Eucharistic Crusade

Canadian edition, 1954By Fathers A. Poulin, s.j. &  Jean Laramée, s.j.

b) The Spirituality of the Crusade

A few words summarize the spirituality of the Crusade: Pray, receive Communion, Sacrifice yourself, be an Apostle.

Four watchwords, capable of transforming all the Crusader's daily actions, by giving them real supernatural value, and the power to win for souls extraordinary graces of salvation or sanctification.

But these words must be lived.

The morning offering upon awakening, early Mass and Communion, a sacrifice that hurts, to begin the day: all this is fine, and must be done as a beginning. Yet for the Crusader even all this is not living his motto.

These are only initial actions by which he starts his day. An iron does not retain throughout the day the heat that it has acquired in the morning through a live minute contact with the electric current. Even if the soul of the Crusader, like the iron is of the best quality, it cannot keep throughout the whole day, the warmth of devotion gathered from one prayer, one sacrifice, one fervent Communion. That the fervour may last one must turn on the current again, twenty times a day by repeatedly renewed offerings, renewed sacrifices, renewed spiritual communions. In a word, one must form the supernatural habit of prayer, sacrifice and union with God.

It is the work of a lifetime to come to live the interior life in this way.

For this reason the spirituality of the Crusade is offered to all generous souls that aspire to an intense and solid interior life. It will not be like some childish toy, or passing fancy, but it will be a spiritual road map capable of guiding them to the summits of perfection.

To be continued…

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