For the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ…
Here beneath these signs are hidden
Priceless things to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things are all we see:
Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
Christ entire we know to be.
(From the Sequence)
This Sunday the Church focuses on the Blessed Sacrament! As with Pentecost, the Sunday Mass offers us a Sequence, a hymn or chant, before the Gospel. This meditation extols the Body and Blood of Our Lord in the Eucharist.
Pope Urban IV established this feast day, known by its Latin name, Corpus Christi Sunday. This 13th century pope invited St. Thomas Aquinas to compose hymns in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, including the verses above from the hymn titled Lauda Sion (“Laud, O Zion”). (Find a side-by-side presentation of the original Latin lyrics with an English translation here.)
Make this feast a special one this weekend. Spend time with the Sunday readings. Bake some bread or prepare a special meal to share with your loved ones this Sunday. Participate in an eucharistic procession if one is offered in your area. Attend Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction, or just sit prayerfully before the tabernacle, if you are able. Look up photos of your First Holy Communion and thank Jesus for the priceless gift of the Eucharist.
One of the most complete descriptions of the Eucharist I know is found in the words of St. John Paul II: “In the Eucharist we have Jesus, we have his redemptive sacrifice, we have his resurrection, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have adoration, obedience and love of the Father.”
Thank you, dear Jesus, for the precious gift of your Body and Blood. May I always adore you!
