Corpus Christi

This Sunday is Corpus Christi Sunday, a day of devotion and celebration for the Body and Blood of Christ. This Solemnity, which was encouraged by Blessed Juliana of Liege and the Archdeacon Jacques Pantaleon, who later became Pope Urban IV, and in 1264, Pope Urban issued a Bull, called Transiturus, which made Corpus Christi a feast throughout the Latin Church. We, as Catholics, believe that the bread and wine offered at Mass are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Jesus Christ; in effect, the substance of bread and wine cease to be as the bpdy and blood of Christ miraculously appears as food for the Christian, but God, in his infinite wisdom, knowing that it would repuslive to eat flesh and drink blood, decreed that the body and blood of his Son, would appear under the appearance of bread and wine, whereby the accidents of bread and wine remain even as the substance has been changed into our Lord and Savior.

There are many wonderful prayers, hymns and devotions that surround this great mystery of our faith. One such devotion is Eucharistic Adoration, whereby you are invited to pray and just be in the presence of our Lord, who is exposed for the benefit of the faithful in what is called a monstrance. There are many blessings that come to a parish that supports and encourages and offers times for adoration, most especially perpettual adoration. It is in adoring our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament that is a remedy for the evils in the world and in our own Church. It is in the heart of the Eucharist that we will find the priestly vocations. On June 19th, the Solemntiy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, will open the Holy Year for Priests and declare the saintly Cure of Ars, John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of all priests. Please continue to pray for your priests that they will most especially be devoted to our Lord present in the Holy Eucharist.