Corpus Christi

Today is the great Feast of Corpus Christi, when the Church with joy celebrates the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

In 1247, the Feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated in France for the first time.  It gained widespread acceptance throughout the Church after 1300.  The Feast is generally considered to reflect the Holy Thursday Mass, but without its sorrowful connection to the Passion.

An outdoor procession has been an integral part of Corpus Christi since its beginning, and may have originated from the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose that is conducted on Holy Thursday.  After first appearing in 1279 in Cologne, Germany, the concept spread rapidly with the acceptance of the Feast.

The procession quickly took on the character of the triumphant Christ the King.  The Blessed Sacrament is held aloft for all to see in the monstrance.  Benedictions are celebrated at four separate stations, symbolizing the four corners of the Earth.

Let us pray today for those who do not know this Gift — for those who think that the Eucharist is only a symbol of Jesus’ presence.  May they know the joy of having the real Presence in every tabernacle of every Catholic Church throughout the world.