From the Pastor’s Desk:
This weekend, June 10-11 the Catholic Church in the United States will celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It is a festival of the Roman Catholic Church which honors the Body of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. It began in the 13th century by lay people in Belgium who wanted a feast day outside of lent to honor the Eucharist. After 40 years of prayer, petitioning and composing a special liturgy, their diocesan bishop approved the texts in 1246. It was not until 1311 that Pope Clement IV instated the feast at the Council of Vienna.
Over the centuries, different areas of the world have developed their own ways of celebrating Corpus Christi. Before Vatican II many parishes in the United States had some type of Eucharistic procession. Following the Second Vatican Council many religious practices from the Middle Ages were discontinued, the Corpus Christi Procession was one of those. In the past few years we are discovering that the Catholic Church lost much of its uniqueness and prayer forms and we are rediscovering our Roman Catholic heritage. For example our Christmas Novena which I began here at St. Agnes is a beautiful evening prayer celebrated for seven evening before Christmas.
Saint Pope John Paul II led annual Corpus Christi processions through the city of Rome. This coming Sunday beginning at 4:15 our St. Agnes Corpus Christi procession will begin in front of our chapel and continue to the Mary Queen Convent and circle around our property ending back at the Cathedral for Benediction and the 5 pm Mass. The Mass will be followed by our Parish Picnic and going away party for Fr. Timothy. Please come and celebrate.
Corpus Christi Sunday celebration begins our National Eucharistic revival’s Parish year. The Eucharist is the greatest gift that Jesus has given us because it contains his very self. In Luke’s Gospel, “This is my Body given up for you...this is my Blood poured out for you”. The Eucharist, the receiving of Holy Communion must be the heart and center of our Catholic parishes if we are to be a community of faith and welcoming to those in need.