Happy Feast of Corpus Christi!
History
Since the 13th Century, Catholics have celebrated
the fact that Jesus makes Himself present in the Holy Eucharist on this
solemnity. St. Juliana of Liège was the first to receive a vision about celebrating
the Blessed Sacrament. It took her almost
40 years to convince her local bishop to order the first celebration of
Corpus Christi in 1246.
About 23 years later, a miracle happened to German priest. Father Peter of Prague was having his doubts that the
bread and wine truly became the Body and Blood of Christ. But as he prayed the
words of consecration during Mass, blood began to trickle from the Host over
His hands.
Pope Urban IV had this Host preserved in a Cathedral in
Orvieto, Italy, and he made the Solemnity of Corpus Christi an annual
celebration for the whole Church. Originally, it was on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, but in many places, that solemnity is moved to the next Sunday.
The Solemnity is usually celebrated with a Eucharistic
Procession, where people walk in a parade with the Blessed Sacrament held in a
monstrance. The group makes four different stops at altars decorated with
flowers, were they pray and celebrate the Eucharist. In many countries, people
who live along the procession route decorate their yards with flowers or
colorful banners. And of course, everybody enjoys a delicious feast!
Activity
Take your children to participate in a Corpus Christi
procession near your home. If there are none planned in your community,
attend Eucharistic Adoration instead. (Here are some tips for helping children
have a meaningful holy hour from Father Antoine Thomas.) Prepare a favorite meal or dessert at home for
your feast, or go out to a restaurant to celebrate.
More reading for parents about the Solemnity of Corpus Christi
YouTube video of “Pagne Lingua,” written by St. Thomas
Aquinas for this solemnity, with Latin-to-English translation
Catholic Answers on the difference between solemnities and feasts
Corpus Christi traditions at CatholicCulture.org
No comments:
Post a Comment