Talk for Corpus Christi

[sr.christinaosf]

I'm preparing a talk for our women's group June 5th.  I'd appreciate any suggestions/feedback...Here are my notes:

Corpus Christi has always been a special feastday for me. I was born right around that feast day. -I’ve considered it my nameday.

The history of the feast is quite interesting…  I’ll share that as well as go through some beautiful texts composed for that feast which are still used today, and conclude with thoughts from Pope St. JPII and other saints on the Eucharist.

 

History: Early 1200s st Juliana vision  Liége Belgium

1246- feast set up local level – archdeacon who believed her vision/supported efforts would become pope Urban IV

1263 – bolsena miracle – Church St. Christina in Bolsena – mom & dad travelling there & made the connection

German priest travelling to Rome Pope Urban IV - nearby  Orvieto. The pope sent delegates to investigate and ordered that host and blood-stained corporal be brought to Orvieto. The relics were then placed in the Cathedral of Orvieto, where they remain today

8/11/1264 – pope declared Corpus Christi solemnity in the whole Church

commissioned Saint Thomas Aquinas to compose the texts of Mass and Divine Office for the new feast.

Sequence for Corpus Christi -Read hymn

 

 

Pange Lingua / Tantum Ergo – for Evening Prayer-Read hymn

 

 

O Salutaris – for Morning Prayer-Read hymn

 

the Latin word for Victim–hostia–is the source of “host” as a term.

 

Panis Angelicus – Office of Reading   - Read hymn

 

 

Adoro Te Devote  hymn of Eucharistic thanksgiving    -Read hymn

Pelican - an ancient legend -in time of famine, the mother pelican - pierce her breast with her own beak to feed her young with her blood. Another version -selfless mother fed her dying offspring with her blood to revive them from death, but in doing so she lost her own life.

early Christians adopted the pelican as a symbol of Christ, who gave His lifeblood for our redemption and feeds us with His Body and Blood in the Eucharist.

 

 

Back to our history lesson: the pope died the year after so the feast didn’t spread – 50 years later – new pope – Clement V, renewed the decree  - 1314 - spread quickly throughout the Western Church. It has even spread to some other rites.

 

Fast forward almost 700 years - Ecclesia de Eucharistia – 2003 – (18 years ago)

 “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20),

I’ve always really appreciated this verse. 

Pope St. John Paul II also realized the wonder of Christ’s Eucharistic presence. 

The Church draws her life from Christ in the Eucharist; by him she is fed and by him she is enlightened.

 [The Church] rejoices in this presence with unique intensity. Eucharist is not as one gift – however precious – among so many others, but as the gift par excellence, for it is the gift of himself, of his person in his sacred humanity, as well as the gift of his saving work.

Eucharistic sacrifice is “the source and summit of the Christian life”.  VCII  “For the most holy Eucharist contains the Church's entire spiritual wealth: Christ himself, our passover and living bread.

“Consequently the gaze of the Church is constantly turned to her Lord, present in the Sacrament of the Altar, in which she discovers the full manifestation of his boundless love. “

Here is the Church's treasure, the heart of the world, the pledge of the fulfilment for which each man and woman, even unconsciously, yearns. A great and transcendent mystery, indeed, and one that taxes our mind's ability to pass beyond appearances. Here our senses fail us yet faith alone, rooted in the word of Christ handed down to us by the Apostles, is sufficient for us.

Christ walks beside us as our strength and our food for the journey, and he enables us to become, for everyone, witnesses of hope. If, in the presence of this mystery, reason experiences its limits, the heart, enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit, clearly sees the response that is demanded, and bows low in adoration and unbounded love.

The Church still fulfills His command: Do this in remembrance of Me.” 2000 years later

At every celebration of the Eucharist, we are spiritually brought back to the paschal Triduum: to the events of the evening of Holy Thursday, to the Last Supper and to what followed it. When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, the memorial of her Lord's death and resurrection, this central event of salvation becomes really present and “the work of our redemption is carried out”.  He left us a means of sharing in it as if we had been present there

The Mass…makes Christ's one, definitive redemptive sacrifice always present in time. 

The Eucharistic Sacrifice makes present not only the mystery of the Savior’s passion and death, but also the mystery of the resurrection.

It is as the living and risen One that Christ can become in the Eucharist the “bread of life” (Jn 6:35, 48), the “living bread” (Jn 6:51).

He quoted St. Ambrose: “Today Christ is yours, yet each day he rises again for you”.  What a beautiful thought.  And, we are privileged to meet this Risen Lord every morning in the Eucharist if we so choose.

“The Eucharist is a straining towards the goal, a foretaste of the fullness of joy promised by Christ, it is in some way the anticipation of heaven, the “pledge of future glory”. In the Eucharist, everything speaks of confident waiting “in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ”.   

“He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (Jn 6:54). Those who feed on Christ in the Eucharist need not wait until the hereafter to receive eternal life: they already possess it on earth, as the first-fruits of a future fullness which will embrace man in his totality. For in the Eucharist we also receive the pledge of our bodily resurrection at the end of the world:

we are united to the heavenly “liturgy” and become part of that great multitude which cries out: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev 7:10). The Eucharist is truly a glimpse of heaven appearing on earth.

Saint Ignatius of Antioch: the Eucharist is the “a medicine of immortality, an antidote to death”.32 

The Son of God became man in order to restore all creation, in one supreme act of praise, to the One who made it from nothing. He, the Eternal High Priest who by the blood of his Cross entered the eternal sanctuary, thus gives back to the Creator and Father all creation redeemed.  This is present when the Eucharist is celebrated.

When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, we can relive the experience of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus – they recognized Him in the breaking of the bread after He had opened the scriptures to them.

The pope also stressed the important place the Eucharist holds in the building up of the church.

The worship of the Eucharist outside of the Mass is of inestimable value for the life of the Church. It is very much linked to (and a continuation of) the Mass.

How can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual converse, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament?

It’s been noted what immense fruit adoration outside Mass brings to the Church, to a parish.  Some examples include: Increased Mass attendance and Confessions, Increase in priestly and religious vocations, return of fallen-away Catholics, conversions, Marriages restored.  If you’ve ever kept a regular Holy Hour, etc., you will be able to attest to the benefits.  I can trace the beginnings of my vocational awareness to a visit.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori: “Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us”.50 The Eucharist is a priceless treasure: by not only celebrating it but also by praying before it outside of Mass we are enabled to make

Like woman at Bethany anointing, Church spares no extravagance in reverencing the Eucharist.
I work as a sacristan and have laundered and embroidered altar cloths/corporals – work in sacristy – privilege – want to do our best for Him

Sacred art and music are ways in which the Church shows her love and reverence for Christ, present in the Eucharist.

The Church, which looks to Mary as a model, is also called to imitate her in her relationship with this most holy mystery.   Mary is a “woman of the Eucharist” in her whole life.+

Our Amen at Communion – reminds us of Mary’s Fiat.  We echo Mary’s faith believing in Christ’s presence in the Eucharist

What would it have been like for Mary, receiving the Eucharist? 

Quotes from Saints -  "My greatest happiness is to be before the Blessed Sacrament, where my heart is, as it were, in Its center."- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque)

“We should consider those moments spent before the Blessed Sacrament as the happiest of our lives.”  - St. John Vianney

Edited May 14, 2021 by sr.christinaosf
adding something - and clarification

[JHFamily]

An interesting tidbit:

Pope Urban IV commissioned both St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Bonaventure to write the Mass and Office Propers for this feast.  Both did. However, St. Bonaventure, upon hearing what St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, destroyed what he had written. The stories vary a bit, but destroy it he did. They all agree on that point.

What did we lose from this act of humility? 

I personally think, too, that to emphasize that this is the Sacrament of Love and the Feast of Love is the essence of Corpus Christi.

[sr.christinaosf]

Interesting.

[Nunsuch]

Good resources are the homilies on the Catholic Women Preach and Catholic Women Preach--Australia websites.

 

[Guest]

On 5/15/2021 at 2:05 AM, JHFamily said:

What did we lose from this act of humility? 

I have read "The Humility of God - A Franciscan perspective".  I have almost always been stunned by The Incarnation - and the book was incredible.  A great bedside book (re-read a few times)

 ebook/dp/B005D7UUAK https://shop.franciscanmedia.org/products/the-humility-of-god-a-franciscan-perspective

"Here, as in her previous work, Sister Ilia builds on her outstanding command of the scholarship about the work of Bonaventure which has developed so remarkably in the twentieth century. Together with this she brings her personal knowledge and experience of contemporary scientific understandings of the cosmos. In a style that is preeminently readable,"  Read MORE on above link

Haven't read your address yet, @sr.christinaosf, but I will and hopefully tonight (5.16pm just now on Pentecost Sunday in Sth Aust).  I really love "Pange Lingua", always have.  Pre V2 it was sung on Holy Thursday night in Gregorian Chant in our parish anyway HERE  We learnt Gregorian Chant in primary school from a really strict music teacher religious - and we had to get it RIGHT.  

My eyes did fall on this excerpt from your posted address :

Quote

 

“Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20)," I

I've always really appreciated this verse.  

 

 

It has special meaning for me too. 

[Guest]

On 5/14/2021 at 11:32 PM, sr.christinaosf said:

Christ walks beside us as our strength and our food for the journey, and he enables us to become, for everyone, witnesses of hope. If, in the presence of this mystery, reason experiences its limits, the heart, enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit, clearly sees the response that is demanded, and bows low in adoration and unbounded love.

Launching into my 2cents worth.  

I really liked the above.  I also thought that what I call "my spiritual petticoat" was showing in your address in places.  You waxed quite passionate about The Blessed Eucharist and probably without realizing that your "spiritual petticoat" was showing. It was beautiful to read.

Your address was also inspiring to read.  I am wondering if you plan to distribute hard copies after your address?  Much food for thought therein and perhaps especially if your group will be lay people.  Having been married myself, I know that it was only after marriage that I could attend to much reading and ruminating.

On 5/14/2021 at 11:32 PM, sr.christinaosf said:

He quoted St. Ambrose: “Today Christ is yours, yet each day he rises again for you”.  What a beautiful thought.  And, we are privileged to meet this Risen Lord every morning in the Eucharist if we so choose.

I did not like the sentence "if we so choose"....(and are able?)........  I don't know about your place of abode, but here in Australia, perhaps quite a few lay people would love to be able to go to Mass daily.  Problem is, that times for morning Mass weekdays, means they are at work.  Others don't have vehicle etc etc.  With Covid among us, many are working from home and it might be that the situation changes re ability to attend Mass weekday(s).  Working Mums too are quite common here. including with children.  Financial pressures don't of necessity ask it, rather they demand it to survive (i.e. both parents working.  A lot of single Mums too especially in my previous suburb.  

On 5/14/2021 at 11:32 PM, sr.christinaosf said:

How can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual converse, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament?

I do feel that there is a desire, a rich desire, to spend time in prayer and before The Blessed Eucharist in adoration.  But not all parishes have Adoration.  We are so short of priests parishes are being twinned and there is apparently tremendous stress on the priests we do have.  Our Churches are closed unless there is something formal taking place.  The Cathedral used to be open, but a desire to attend but not having a vehicle or some other logical reason might prevent same.

Mine are the words of an Australian lay women, the situation in your own milieu or environment, country, might be vastly different.  Your target audience too would fashion your discernment and the 'gist' or primary points of your address.

Thank you for sharing with us, Sister.  Top marks from an uneducated, sort of, ordinary every day elderly woman ("that grumpy  old lady from ........")  your address spoke to me and I am thankful to have a copy of it. 

Good luck and God's Blessings on your efforts.  You might never see nor know the good you will do - none of us do.  I think that we are ahead of the USA and that tomorrow for you will be Pentecost Sunday and a powerful Advocate, the best, when in need for one only.

And I am speaking to the choir again!