Also known as the Feast of Corpus Christi, this feast honors Jesus Christ, Really, Truly and Substantially Present under the appearances of bread and wine—the Eucharist. This Presence happens through the change which the Church calls transubstantiation (“change of substance”), when at the Consecration of the Mass, the priest says the words which Christ Himself pronounced over bread and wine, “This is My Body,” “This is the chalice of My Blood,” “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
- Why do Catholics celebrate Corpus Christi?
- Why is the Solemnity of Corpus Christi important?
- What is the Holy Eucharist?
Why do Catholics celebrate Corpus Christi?
The Catholic Church honors Christ’s Presence in the Holy Eucharist with a special feast owing to St. Juliana of Liège, a 13th-century Norbertine canoness from Belgium. She had a great love for the Eucharist. When she was 16, she had a vision in which the Church was a full moon with a dark spot. The dark spot signified that the Church was missing a feast dedicated solely to the Body and Blood of Christ. Even though she had this vision several times, St. Juliana didn’t think that she could do anything to help institute this feast. Therefore, she kept it a secret for many years. Once she was elected prioress, she finally told her confessor, who in turn told the bishop. This eventually led to the universal feast of Corpus Christi.
What does Corpus Christi mean?
The Latin words “Corpus Christi” translate to “Body of Christ.”
Why is the Solemnity of Corpus Christi important?
The Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life” (Second Vatican Council, Lumen gentium, no. 11). In the Eucharist, Jesus Himself re-presents for our benefit His Sacrifice on Calvary (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:26-29), gives Himself to us in Holy Communion (Exodus 16:4, 35; John 6:1-14, 48-51), and remains among us until the end of the age (Luke 24:13-35; Mt. 28:18-20). He comes to us in this humble form, making Himself vulnerable, out of love for each one of us. Yet, as God Himself, the Body and Blood of Christ deserves our utmost respect and love, as well as our adoration.
St. Thomas Aquinas, Hymn “Tantum Ergo”:
Down in adoration falling, Lo! the sacred Host we hail; Lo! o’er ancient forms departing, Newer rites of grace prevail; Faith for all defects supplying, Where the feeble senses fail.
St. Francis of Assisi said, “… In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood.”
What is the Holy Eucharist?
The Holy Eucharist is the greatest of the seven sacraments. The Catholic Church teaches that in the Eucharist, Our Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is really, truly, and substantially, present under the appearances of bread and wine. Our Lord is not merely symbolized by the bread and wine; nor is he present only through the faith of those present. Rather, the two material things, bread and wine, are completely changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, leaving behind only their sensible appearances. Thus, through the words of consecration spoken by the priest, Jesus, without ceasing to be present in a natural way in heaven, is also present sacramentally, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, wherever the consecrated elements are present.