Once the Easter season is brought to a close with the celebration of Pentecost, the Catholic Church follows immediately with Sunday celebrations honoring the Holy Trinity and the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist (traditionally called Corpus Christi, meaning Body of Christ). This latter celebration should be for Catholics a glorious reminder of what sets us apart from other religions, even our Protestant brothers and sisters who share our faith in Christ.
Many of our parishes still practice the time-honored tradition of a Eucharistic procession after at least one of its Corpus Christi weekend Masses. While Eucharistic hymns are sung, parishioners and ministers of the Mass customarily lead the priest carrying the Eucharistic Lord in a monstrance (also called an ostensorium, or "showpiece") in a procession to three decorated temporary altars set up outside or around the church at which some prayers are said, followed by Benediction. A final solemn Benediction is done at the main altar of the church with special prayers before the Blessed Sacrament is once again reposed to the tabernacle. Simpler and more complex versions of this format are practiced depending upon local custom and circumstances.
This whole special celebration begins with characteristic adoration we offer at Mass. As Catholics we genuflect as we enter the church as an acknowledgment of the Real Presence of Jesus in the tabernacle. We kneel during the consecration at Mass as a humble posture of recognition that Jesus is really and truly becoming present miraculously through the words of the priest and the power of the Holy Spirit. We kneel, genuflect, bow or sign ourselves before receiving Communion to prepare ourselves to receive Jesus into our bodies and souls. We also adore Jesus throughout the Mass through our participation in the prayers and singing.
Benediction (meaning blessing) is a special way of receiving the blessing of Jesus directly from a consecrated host instead of through His minister, the priest or bishop. The humeral veil that removes the priests hands from direct contact with the monstrance holding the host brings emphasis to the fact that the blessing is being received as if Jesus were physically standing before us offering it Himself, because He actually is doing just that—through His sacramental Real Presence, however, instead of His bodily presence (enjoyed only by those in heaven). Through Benediction, offered in many parishes as part of First Friday devotions, we receive the same direct blessing from our Lord that the disciples received 2,000 years ago.
Catholics who truly believe that Jesus is present—Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity—in the Eucharist will make every effort to adore Him at Mass, during Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and in the tabernacle (in any Catholic church) as often as possible. A Christian college professor teaching a Comparative Religions course once had students of different faith backgrounds present their primary beliefs in a nutshell for the class. After a young Catholic man aptly described his faith the professor responded: "If I believed what you Catholics claim to believe, I would attend Mass and worship the Eucharist every day for the rest of my life!"
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (June 26) reminds us of our Catholic belief in the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus. The college professor’s simple reply to our Catholic claims should give us pause to reflect on what it really means to profess Catholicism.
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