Magnificat Vol. LX, No. 1 21 if possible, as Jesus Christ and our Mother the Holy Church desire, and let this be done with a devotion becoming their age.” This solemn decision by the Head of the Church, by arousing in countless little children the sacred hunger for the Bread of Angels, bore abundant fruits of salvation. The same Pius X had declared, “There will be saints among the children.” One example from among a thousand is young Guy de Fontgalland, of whom we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of his death. Guy de Fontgalland was born in Paris on November 30, 1913. His short life was spent in the warm atmosphere of the family home, with his affectionate parents and his beloved little brother, Mark. At first glance there was nothing to distinguish Guy from other toddlers of his age: he was buoyant, full of life and energy, curious about learning, fascinated by insects and erector sets, beaming with pride when finally considered old enough to go to school on his own, boisterous at times and exuberant to the point of anger... His original and spontaneous repartees added spice to his quiet everyday life. Then, all of a sudden, Guy fell ill. On Saturday, January 24, 1925, after several weeks of excruciating suffering, the eleven-year-old schoolboy succumbed to diphtheria. And behold, his grieving parents were surprised and consoled by an astonishing sight. Homages to the deceased boy came from all quarters. His death chamber became a place of pilgrimage. His every word, his every memory was recorded. A brief biography, written by his mother, recounting the main aspects of his short but rich life, was widely distributed and translated into more than fifteen languages. How can one explain the extraordinary influence of this child, known only to his family and a few friends? The reason is that behind his “ordinary” appearance, Guy concealed a privileged soul, a heart beating in unison with the soul of “Good Little Jesus”. Especially from the time of his First Communion at the age of seven, the treasures of grace deposited in his soul by the Divine Host of the tabernacle were revealed. Even before that great day, however, he showed an astonishing attraction for Jesus Host and Holy Communion. At the end of 1916, Guy spent a few weeks with his parents in Cannes. “There are not enough Little Jesus houses in this town!” he remarked to his astonished mother. He was three years old. In 1918, he and his brother took part for the first time in a procession of the Blessed Sacrament, strewing rose petals before the Good Jesus. The garden had been raided to fill their little lace baskets. That evening, after his prayers, Guy said to his mother, “It is very nice to escort Good Jesus, but I would rather receive Him!” This was the first spontaneous desire for Communion in this child scarcely five years old. From his earliest years, Guy showed a keen interest in liturgical ceremonies. He followed Sunday Mass attentively in his missal, looking up the Collects, the Epistle and the Gospel himself, and regretting “not yet having learned Latin, so as ATTRACTION Guy attracted by “Little Jesus in the Host”
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