Blessed Maria Candida of the Eucharist

Blessed Maria Candida of the Eucharist

Also known as
• Maria Barba
• Maria Candida dell'Eucharistia

Profile
Daughter of Pietro Barba, an appelate court judge. Raised in Palermo, Sicily. She made her first Communion at age 10, and had an intense devotion to the Eucharist from a very early age. At fifteen she felt a call to religious life, but her family, though pious, opposed her vocation. She was 35 when she was able to follow the call, and she entered the Discalced Teresian Carmel at Ragusa, Italy on 25 September 1919, taking the name Maria Candida of the Eucharist. Eucharistic devotion dominated her spiritual life, and she would spend hours before the Host. Prioress of her house from 1924 to 1947. Greatly expanded the Carmel in Sicily, and promoted devotion to Saint Teresa of Jesus and her Rule within her Order. Wrote a small book titled The Eucharist, a description of her experiences and theological meditations on them.

Born
16 January 1884 in Catazaro, Italy as Maria Barba

Died
12 June 1949 of natural causes

Beatified
21 March 2004 by Pope John Paul II

Readings
O my Beloved Sacrament, I see you, I believe in you! O Holy Faith. Contemplate with ever greater faith our Dear Lord in the Sacrament: live with Him who comes to us every day. - Blessed Maria

O My Divine Eucharist, my dear Hope, all our hope is in You. Ever since I was a baby my hope in the Holy Eucharist has been strong. - Blessed Maria

My Jesus, how I love You! There is within my heart an enormous love for You, O Sacramental Love. How great is the love of God made bread for our souls, who become a prisoner for me! - Blessed Maria

Which hymn would we not sing in obedience to this Divine Sacrament? And what is the obedience of Jesus of Nazareth compared with His obedience in this Sacrament for two thousand years? - Blessed Maria

After having taught me obedience how much He talks to me, instructs me in Poverty, O Sacred Host! Who is more naked, poorer than You - You have nothing, You ask for nothing! O Jesus, let religious souls long for sincere detachment and poverty! - Blessed Maria

If You speak to me of obedience and poverty, what a spell of purity You have over me just by Your glance. Lord, if Your home is in pure souls, who is the soul that relating with You does not become such? - Blessed Maria

I want to be like Mary, to be Mary for Jesus, to take the place of His Mother. When I receive Jesus in Communion, Mary is always present. I want to receive Jesus from her hands, she must make me one with Him. I cannot separate Mary from Jesus. Hail, O Body born of Mary. Hail Mary, dawn of the Eucharist! - Blessed Maria

Heaven itself does not contain more. God, that unique treasure is here! Really, yes really: my God is my everything. - Blessed Maria

I ask my Jesus to be a guardian of all the tabernacles of the world, until the end of time. - Blessed Maria