THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST –
CORPUS CHRISTI (SOLEMNITY)
Gospel Reading – I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, for the life of the world.’ 52 Then the Jews started arguing among themselves, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ 53 Jesus replied to them, ‘ In all truth I tell you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Anyone who does eat My flesh and drink My blood has eternal life, and I shall raise that person up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood lives in Me and I live in that person. 57 As the living Father sent Me and I draw life from the Father, so whoever eats Me will also draw life from Me. 58 This is the bread which has come down from heaven; it is not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live forever.
- Which part of the text struck me the most? Why?
- Jesus says, “I am the living Bread which has come down from
heaven”. What does this mean? Look for an answer in the text.
- In what way does this text help us to understand better the significance of the Eucharist?
The Gospel of the Lord
The Mass intention is for S S PCC
Reflection
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is also known as the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, which translates from Latin to “Body of Christ.” This feast originated in France in the midthirteenth century and was extended to the whole Church by Pope Urban IV in 1264. This feast is celebrated in some places on a Thursday following Trinity Sunday or, as in the UK, on the Sunday following that feast.
This feast calls us to focus on two manifestations of the Body of Christ, the Holy Eucharist and the Church. The primary purpose of this feast is to focus our attention on the Eucharist. The opening prayer at Mass calls our attention to Jesus’ suffering and death and our worship of Him, especially in the Eucharist.
At every Mass our attention is called to the Eucharist and the Real Presence of Christ in it.
The secondary focus of this feast is upon the Body of Christ as it is present in the Church.
The Church is called the Body of Christ because of the intimate communion, which Jesus shares with his disciples. He expresses this in the gospels by using the metaphor of a body in which He is the head.
This image helps keep in focus both the unity and the diversity of the Church.
The Feast of Corpus Christi is commonly used as an opportunity for public Eucharistic processions, which serves as a sign of common faith and adoration. Our worship of Jesus in His Body and Blood calls us to offer to God our Father a pledge of undivided love and an offering of ourselves to the service of others.
You, my friends the faithful people of God have well and truly been put to the test? You have only been able to receive Jesus in Spiritual Communion. Please stay strong, safe and well.
I pray for you and your loved ones everyday I offer the Sacrafice of the Holy Mass and I pray for the day when I can celebrate the Sacrifice with you all present again together as the family of God.
Until then please remember that you are being held in the palm of Jesus hand and remember he is truly present to you, if you know it or not!
Fr John