Today is The Feast of Corpus Christi, The Body and Blood of Christ. It is a day that the Church sets aside for us to acknowledge the Real Presence of Christ under the appearance of bread and wine. As Catholics we believe that Jesus is truly present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity under the appearance of ordinary bread and wine. This belief is based on the words of Jesus at the Last Supper; the same words we hear every time we go to Mass. When the priest repeats these words of Jesus the bread and wine are substantially changed. The physical properties stay the same, but the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. How can this happen? Many have debated and doubted through the centuries, but this is what the Church has believed from the very beginning and will continue to believe until Jesus comes again.
There have been times in the history of the Church when God has allowed the bread and wine to be visibly changed into flesh and blood. These miracles of the Eucharist have helped people of many times and places to come to a deeper faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Our faith should not require that we witness such miracles ourselves because our faith should be in the Word and Person of Jesus Christ. We should strive for a faith that believes because Jesus has said that it is so. Jesus said, “This is my Body,” and so we believe. We believe that at Mass we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus and so we become one with Him in every way; so much so that we really want to follow Him more closely in our daily lives. We want our words and actions to reflect our faith in God and so imitate Jesus in all that we do. This is the power of the Eucharist in our lives; the power to love others as Jesus loves us. The power to lay down our lives for another just as Jesus laid down His life for us.
We should always be very reverent, deliberate, and mindful of what we are doing each time we receive our Lord in Holy Communion. Always be mindful that we receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ; THE REAL PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST. There is a prescribed way that we are to receive Holy Communion. Since it is something, we do very often we can easily become a little too casual about it. So here is a little refresher:
We should prepare ourselves in every way to receive Holy Communion, spiritually, mentally, and physically. We do this with prayer throughout the Mass and by fasting one hour before receiving.
We should approach with our hands folded. When we get to the head of the line (if we are receiving in the hand) we place one hand on top of the other making a throne for the Lord. We bow our head, respond “AMEN” and after the host is placed in our hand we step to one side and put the host in our mouth and then return to our seat. Placing the host in our mouth should not be done as we walk back to our place or after we get to our seat. Placing the Body and Blood of the Lord in our mouth should be done in a very deliberate way and not while we are doing something else too. There is no hurry and we need not be in a rush.
Just so everyone knows, when I retire, I will be going to live down the street, so to speak, at St. Edward’s Village here in Wadsworth. I will be celebrating the 10:30 AM Mass on Sunday, June 21, which will be followed by a reception in McMahon Hall provided by the Altar and Rosary Society. All are welcome.
Next Sunday, June 14, we will celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart at all the Masses. The parish picnic will follow the 5 PM Mass on Sunday on the school grounds, weather permitting. Please bring a covered dish to share. Hot dogs, hamburgs, beverages, and desserts will be provided. Help is needed for set-up at 2pm (6-8 people) and a second crew for clean-up (6-8 people). Call the Parish Office to volunteer 330-336-3049.
