June 14, 2009 Corpus Christi Year B
The Body and Blood
Corpus Christi, as today's feast has long been known, is unique in several ways. The feast was not
instituted within the Church until the 13lh Century. Its advocates for inclusion in the Church roster of holy
days were two women. It changed to its present form only in the last few decades.
From the earliest days the institution of the Eucharist was commemorated on Maundy Thursday, the day
of the Last Supper: A truly scripture-based timing.
However, Holy Week was, and still is, a time of sorrow and repentance. In the thirteenth century an
Augustinian nun, St Juliana of Mont Cornillion, felt that the celebration of the Eucharist should be at a
time of rejoicing.
After receiving a vision concerning the Church and its lack of devotion to the Eucharist, she petitioned
Robert de Thorete, the Bishop of Liege. Perceiving the wisdom of the request, he initiated a celebration
in his diocese the following year. Juliana longed to see the feast extend to the entire Church. But she died
not long afterwards.
However, a friend and long time companion named. Eve took up her cause. She prevailed on Robert's
successor as Bishop of Liege to petition Pope Urban IV so as to make the feast universal.
In 1264 Pope Urban did exactly this, and set the date for the annual celebration as the first Thursday
after Trinity Sunday.
In those days, the practice of our Latin Church regarding the Eucharist was limited. While both laity and
clergy could receive the host, only the ordained could receive the Precious Blood.
But there were nevertheless good fruits from the celebration of Corpus Christi (Latin for “the body of
Christ"). Faith filled processions took place in which the Host was carried in the monstrance. Lengthy,
even overnight, Exposition became a widespread practice.
Improvements still needed in the Church's way of acting came within the lifetime of many of us. Why
have a major annual celebration of the presence of the Lord in the consecrated host, with only a minor
and largely ignored celebration of the Precious Blood at another time of the year?
The solution, adopted only a few decades ago, was to widen the feast to be the celebration, not just of
the Body of the Saviour, but also of his Blood.
We might also ask, why require the celebration to be held on a weekday when only a handful of the
faithful could take part? Why not allow it to take place on the Sunday, if that better suited countries like
our own. Most important of all, we need to make reception of the chalice of the Precious Blood more
readily available to the main body of the faithful.
We live in an era during which the Church has had growing insight as to how best to communicate the
great gift the Redeemer has placed in her hands. It is up to us as individuals to see that we benefit to the
full from this presence of the Lord amongst us.
Humphrey O'Leary CSsR
© Redemptorists 2009
**********************************************
The Body and Blood
Corpus Christi, as today's feast has long been known, is unique in several ways. The feast was not
instituted within the Church until the 13lh Century. Its advocates for inclusion in the Church roster of holy
days were two women. It changed to its present form only in the last few decades.
From the earliest days the institution of the Eucharist was commemorated on Maundy Thursday, the day
of the Last Supper: A truly scripture-based timing.
However, Holy Week was, and still is, a time of sorrow and repentance. In the thirteenth century an
Augustinian nun, St Juliana of Mont Cornillion, felt that the celebration of the Eucharist should be at a
time of rejoicing.
After receiving a vision concerning the Church and its lack of devotion to the Eucharist, she petitioned
Robert de Thorete, the Bishop of Liege. Perceiving the wisdom of the request, he initiated a celebration
in his diocese the following year. Juliana longed to see the feast extend to the entire Church. But she died
not long afterwards.
However, a friend and long time companion named. Eve took up her cause. She prevailed on Robert's
successor as Bishop of Liege to petition Pope Urban IV so as to make the feast universal.
In 1264 Pope Urban did exactly this, and set the date for the annual celebration as the first Thursday
after Trinity Sunday.
In those days, the practice of our Latin Church regarding the Eucharist was limited. While both laity and
clergy could receive the host, only the ordained could receive the Precious Blood.
But there were nevertheless good fruits from the celebration of Corpus Christi (Latin for “the body of
Christ"). Faith filled processions took place in which the Host was carried in the monstrance. Lengthy,
even overnight, Exposition became a widespread practice.
Improvements still needed in the Church's way of acting came within the lifetime of many of us. Why
have a major annual celebration of the presence of the Lord in the consecrated host, with only a minor
and largely ignored celebration of the Precious Blood at another time of the year?
The solution, adopted only a few decades ago, was to widen the feast to be the celebration, not just of
the Body of the Saviour, but also of his Blood.
We might also ask, why require the celebration to be held on a weekday when only a handful of the
faithful could take part? Why not allow it to take place on the Sunday, if that better suited countries like
our own. Most important of all, we need to make reception of the chalice of the Precious Blood more
readily available to the main body of the faithful.
We live in an era during which the Church has had growing insight as to how best to communicate the
great gift the Redeemer has placed in her hands. It is up to us as individuals to see that we benefit to the
full from this presence of the Lord amongst us.
Humphrey O'Leary CSsR
© Redemptorists 2009
**********************************************
