Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 6-22-03, Solemnity, Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ

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From: Hebrews 9:11-15

Christ Sealed the New Covenant with His Blood Once and for All

[11] But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that
have come, then through the greater and more perfect tents (not made
with hands, that is, not of this creation) [12] he entered once for all
into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his
own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. [13] For if the
sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and
with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the
flesh, [14] how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

[15] Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who
are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death
has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first
covenants.

Commentary:

11-14. The sacrifices of the Old Law could only promise ephemeral
benefits, whereas Christ's redemptive sacrifice obtained for man, once
and for all, "the good things to come", that is, the heavenly and
eternal benefits proper to the messianic age--sanctifying grace and
entry to heaven. Like the high priest on the Day of Atonement, Christ
entered once for all into the Holy of Holies, through the curtain. This
sanctuary which he entered is the heavenly one; that is why it is
"greater and more perfect" and not made by men (cf. 8:2). Christ passed
through the heavens into the very presence of the Father (cf. 7:26) and
is seated in heaven at his right hand (cf. 8:1).

Many Fathers, Doctors of the Church and modern scholars see the
expression "through the greater and more perfect tent" as referring to
the sacred humanity of our Lord, virginally conceived in the womb of
Mary, that is, "not made with hands". The tent or tabernacle would be
our Lord's body, in which the Godhead dwells. The text then says that
it is "not of this creation", because Jesus as man was conceived
without the action of a man and without original sin: he did not
follow "the law of nature which holds sway in the created world"
(Theodoret, "Interpretatio Ep. ad Hebraeos, ad loc."). In this case the
inspired text would be saying that Christ redeemed us by means of his
human nature (cf. v. 12). However, the words "through the greater and
more perfect tent" can also be understood as referring to heaven, in
the sense of a greater and more perfect sanctuary. In any event,
whether by passing through the heavens or through his most sacred body,
Christ achieved Redemption by offering his own blood. This does not
have a temporary value--like the blood of animals shed each year when
the priest entered the Holy of Holies: Jesus secured eternal
Redemption. In the Old Law the Jews were cleansed by the blood of
sacrificed animals from legal impurities which prevented them from
taking part in the liturgy; but Christ's blood does so much more, for
it cleanses man of his sins. "Do you want to know how effective the
blood of Christ is? Let us go back to the symbols which foretold it and
remind ourselves of the ancient accounts of (the Jews in) Egypt. Moses
told them to kill a year-old lamb and put its blood on the two
doorposts and the lintel of each house [...]. Would you like an
additional way to appreciate the power of Christ's blood? See where it
flowed from, what its source is. It began to flow from the very Cross
and its source was the Lord's side. For, as the Gospel says, when our
Lord was already dead, one of the soldiers went up to him with a lance
and pierced his side and at once there came out water and blood--water,
the symbol of Baptism; blood, the symbol of the Eucharist. The soldier
pierced his side, he opened a breach in the wall of the holy temple,
and there I discover the hidden treasure and I rejoice at the treasure
I have found" (Chrysostom, "Baptismal Catechesis", III, 13-19).

And so the Church includes in the prayers it recommends to be said
after Mass, one which reads: "I beseech thee, most sweet Lord Jesus,
may your passion be the virtue which strengthens, protects and defends
me; your wounds, food and drink to nourish, inebriate and delight me;
your death, everlasting life for me; your cross, my eternal glory"
("Roman Missal of St Pius V", recommended prayer of thanksgiving after
Mass).

12. "Thus securing an eternal redemption": the Greek text uses "having
found", here translated as "securing". St John Chrysostom points out
that the verb "to find" in this context has a shade of meaning that
implies finding something unexpected: the reference is to finding, "as
it were, something very unknown and very unexpected" ("Hom. on Heb, ad
loc."). However, taking into account the whole context and the possible
Hebraic background of the expression, the verb "to find" is synonymous
with "to search keenly, to reach, to attain": in other words, Christ
eagerly sought to redeem man and he did so by his sacrifice. The verse
refers to an "eternal" redemption, in contrast to the provisional
nature of Mosaic sacrifices.

13. These words refer to a ceremony of purification described in the
Old Testament (cf. Num 19). To cleanse a person from certain
transgressions of the Law, the Israelites could avail of certain
expiatory ablutions. There were done with water mixed with the ashes of
a heifer, which the high priest had sacrificed in front of the
tabernacle and then burned in its entirety. Into the fire cedar-wood,
hyssop and scarlet wool (9:19) had also to be thrown. Thus lustral
water was only useful for legal purification or "purification of the
flesh", as distinct from purification of the spirit.

14. The Messiah acts "through the eternal Spirit", which may be taken
as a reference to the Holy Spirit, as St Thomas, for example,
interprets it: "Christ shed his blood, because the Holy Spirit did so;
that is to say, it was by the Spirit's influence and prompting, that
is, out of love of God and love of neighbor, that he did what he did.
For it is the Spirit who purifies" ("Commentary on Heb, ad loc.").

Pope John Paul II has referred to this text to show the presence of the
Holy Spirit in the redemptive sacrifice of the Incarnate Word: "In the
sacrifice of the Son of Man the Holy Spirit is present and active just
as he acted in Jesus' conception, in his coming into the world, in his
hidden life and in his public ministry. According to the Letter to the
Hebrews, on the way to his 'departure' through Gethsemani and Golgotha,
the same "Jesus Christ" in his own humanity "opened himself totally" to
this "action of the Spirit-Paraclete", who from suffering enables
eternal salvific love to spring forth" ("Dominum et Vivificantem", 40).

The Son of God desired that the Holy Spirit should turn his death into
a perfect sacrifice. Only Christ "in his humanity was worthy to become
this sacrifice, for "he alone" was 'without blemish' (Heb 9:14). But he
offered it 'through the eternal Spirit', which means that the Holy
Spirit acted in a special way in this absolute self-giving of the Son
of Man, in order to transform this suffering into redemptive love"
("ibid.").

It is also possible that "the eternal Spirit" is a more general
reference to the Godhead present in Christ; in which case it would be
the same as saying that Christ, being God and man, offered himself as
an unblemished victim and therefore this offering was infinitely
efficacious. Thus, as Pius XII says, Christ "labored unceasingly by
prayer and self-sacrifice for the salvation of souls until, hanging on
the Cross, he offered himself as a victim unblemished in God's sight,
that he might purify our consciences and set them free from lifeless
observances to serve the living God. All men were thus rescued from the
path of ruin and perdition and set once more on the way to God, to whom
they were now to give due glory by co-operating personally in their
sanctification, making their own the holiness that springs from the
blood of the unspotted Lamb" ("Mediator Dei", 1).

Christ's sacrifice purifies us completely, thereby rendering us fit to
worship the living God. As St Alphonsus puts it, "Jesus Christ offered
himself to God pure and without the trace of a fault; otherwise he
would not have been a worthy mediator, would not have been capable of
reconciling God and sinful man, nor would his blood have had the power
to purify and cleanse our conscience from 'dead works', that is, from
sins which are given that name because (our) works are in no way
meritorious or else are worthy of eternal punishment. 'So that you
might serve the living God"' ("Reflections on the Passion", 9, 2).

15-22. The covenant is shown to be new because it has been ratified by
the death and by the shedding of the blood of the testator or mediator.
"Man, having fallen into sin, was in debt to divine justice and was the
enemy of God. The Son of God came into the world and clothed himself in
human flesh; being both God and man he became the mediator between man
and God, the representative of both sides, so as to restore peace
between them and obtain divine grace for man, giving himself as an
offering to pay man's debt with his blood and his death. This
reconciliation was prefigured in the Old Testament in all the
sacrifices that were offered in that period and in all the symbols
which God ordained--the tabernacle, the altar, the veil, the lampstand,
the thurible and the ark where the rod of Aaron and the tables of the
Law were kept. All these were a sign and type of the Promised
redemption; and it was because that redemption would come about through
the blood of Christ that God specified the blood of animals--a symbol
of the blood of the divine Lamb--and laid it down that all the
symbolic objects mentioned above should be sprinkled with blood:
'Hence even the first Covenant was not ratified without blood"'
("ibid.", 9, 2).

For a third time Christ is stated to be the mediator of a New Covenant.
Hebrews 7:22 and 8:6 say that he is the mediator of a better covenant
because it can give eternal life. Here, as in 12:24, it is explained
that Christ is the mediator of a New Covenant, ratified by blood which
gives an eternal inheritance. The emphasis is on the sacrificial
aspect: Christ is the mediator insofar as he is the atoning victim and
at the same time the offerer of the sacrifice: in his sacrifice he is
both priest and victim. "Christ is priest indeed; but he is priest for
us, not for himself. It is in the name of the whole human race that he
offers prayer and acts of human religious homage to his Eternal Father.
He is likewise victim; but victim for us, since he substitutes himself
for guilty mankind. Now the Apostle's exhortation, 'Yours is to be the
same mind as Christ Jesus showed ' (Phil 2:5), requires all Christians,
so far as human power allows, to reproduce in themselves the sentiments
that Christ had when he was offering himself in sacrifice--sentiments
of humility, of adoration, praise, and thanksgiving to the divine
Majesty. It requires them also to become victims, as it were;
cultivating a spirit of self-denial according to the precepts of the
Gospel, willingly doing works of penance, detesting and expiating their
sins" ("Mediator Dei", 22).

Christ's sacrifice is not only effective to forgive our sins; it is a
manifestation of our Redeemer's love for us and it sets an example
which we should follow. "And if God forgives us our sins it is so that
we might use the time that remains to us in his service and love. And
the Apostle concludes, saying, 'Therefore he is the mediator of a new
covenant.' Our Redeemer, captivated by his boundless love for us, chose
to rescue us, at the cost of his blood, from eternal death; and he
succeeded in doing so, for if we serve him faithfully until we die we
shall obtain from the Lord forgiveness and eternal life. Such were the
terms of the testament, mediation or compact between Jesus Christ and
God" ("Reflections on the Passion", 9, 2).

15-17. As the RSV note points out the Greek word can be translated as
either "covenant" or "will". The context and the parallel with the
covenant of Sinai suggest the idea of covenant or pact, since the
covenant with the chosen people was an unilateral pact, that is, a
concession granted by God; however, it too can also be taken in a broad
sense as a "will". Both the word "mediator" and the word "testator"
(the one who makes the will) applied here to Christ serve to emphasize
that his death needed to involve the shedding of blood. His is a death
whereby we are called to "receive the promised eternal inheritance":
"The work of our Redemption has been accomplished. We are now children
of God, because Jesus has died for us and his death has ransomed us.
"Empti enim estis pretio magno!" (1 Cor 6:20), you and I have been
bought at a great price.

"We must bring into our life, to make them our own, the life and death
of Christ. We must die through mortification and penance, so that
Christ may live in us through Love. And then follow in the footsteps of
Christ, with a zeal to co-redeem all mankind" (J. Escriva, "The Way of
the Cross", XIV).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

The Last Supper

[12] And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the
passover lamb, his disciples said to him (Jesus), "Where will you have
us go and prepare for you to eat the passover?" [13] And he sent two of
his disciples, and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying
a jar of water will meet you; follow him, [14] and wherever he enters,
say to the householder, 'The Teacher says, where is my guest room,
where I am to eat the passover with my disciples?' [15] And he will
show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us."
[16] And the disciples set out and went to the city, and found it as he
had told them; and they prepared the passover.

The Institution of the Eucharist

[22] And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it,
and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." [23] And he
took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they
all drank of it. [24] And he said to them, "This is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many. [25] Truly, I say to you, I
shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I
drink it new in the kingdom of God."

The Disciples Will Abandon Jesus

[2f6] And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of
Olives.

Commentary:

12-16. At first sight our Lord's behavior described here seems quite
out of character. However, if we think about it, it is quite
consistent: probably Jesus wanted to avoid Judas knowing in advance the
exact place where the Supper will be held, to prevent him notifying the
Sanhedrin. And so God's plans for that memorable night of Holy Thursday
were fulfilled: Judas was unable to advise the Sanhedrin where they
could find Jesus until after the celebration of the passover meal
(during which Judas left the Cenacle): cf. Jn 13:30.

St Mark describes in more detail than the other evangelists the place
where the meal took place: he says it was a large, well-appointed
room--a dignified place. There is an ancient Christian tradition that
the house of the Cenacle was owned by Mary the mother of St Mark, to
whom, it seems, the Garden of Olives also belonged.

22. The word "this" does not refer to the act of breaking the bread but
to the "thing" which Jesus gives his disciples, that is, something
which looked like bread and which was no longer bread but the body of
Christ. "This is my body. That is to say, what I am giving you now and
what you are taking is my body. For the bread is not only a symbol of
the body of Christ; it becomes his very body, as the Lord has said: the
bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.
Therefore, the Lord conserves the appearances of bread and wine but
changes the bread and wine into the reality of his flesh and his blood"
(Theophylact, "Enarratio in Evangelium Marci, in loc."). Therefore, any
interpretation in the direction of symbolism or metaphor does not fit
the meaning of the text. The same applies to the "This is my blood"
(v. 24). on the realism of these expressions, cf. first part of note on
Mt 26:26-29.

24. The words of consecration of the chalice clearly show that the
Eucharist is a sacrifice: the blood of Christ is poured out, sealing
the new and definitive Covenant of God with men. This Covenant remains
sealed forever by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, in which Jesus
is both Priest and Victim. The Church has defined this truth in these
words: "If anyone says that in the Mass a true and proper sacrifice is
not offered to God, or that to be offered is nothing else but that
Christ is given us to eat, let him be anathema" (Council of Trent, "De
S. Missae sacrificio", chap. 1, can. 1).

These words pronounced over the chalice must have been very revealing
for the Apostles, because they show that the sacrifices of the Old
Covenant were in fact a preparation for and anticipation of Christ's
sacrifice. The Apostles were able to grasp that the Covenant of Sinai
and the various sacrifices of the temple were merely an imperfect
pre-figurement of the definitive sacrifice and definitive Covenant,
which would take place on the cross and which they were anticipating in
this Supper.

A clear explanation of the sacrificial character of the Eucharist can
be found in the inspired text in chapters 8 and 9 of the Letter to the
Hebrews. Similarly, the best preparation for understanding the real
presence and the Eucharist as food for the soul is a reading of chapter
6 of the Gospel of St John.

In the Last Supper, then, Christ already offered himself voluntarily to
his Father as a victim to be sacrificed. The Supper and the Mass
constitute with the Cross one and the same unique and perfect
sacrifice, for in all these cases the victim offered is the
same--Christ; and the priest is the same--Christ. The only difference
is that the Supper, which takes place prior to the Cross, anticipates
the Lord's Death in an unbloody way and offers a victim soon to be
immolated whereas the Mass offers, also in an unbloody manner, the
victim already immolated on the cross, a victim who exists forever in
heaven.

25. After instituting the Holy Eucharist, our Lord extends the Last
Supper in intimate conversation with his disciples, speaking to them
once more about his imminent death (cf. Jn, chap. 13-17). His farewell
saddens the Apostles, but he promises that the day will come when he
will meet with them again, when the Kingdom of God will have come in
all its fullness: he is referring to the beatific life in heaven, so
often compared to a banquet. Then there will be no need of earthly food
or drink; instead there will be a new wine (cf. Is 25:6). Definitively,
after the Resurrection, the Apostles and all the saints will be able
to share the delight of being with Jesus.

The fact that St Mark brings in these words after the institution of
the Eucharist indicates in some way that the Eucharist is an
anticipation here on earth of possession of God in eternal blessedness,
where God will be everything to everyone (cf. 1 Cor 15:28). "At the
Last Supper," Vatican II teaches, "on the night he was betrayed, our
Savior instituted the eucharistic sacrifice of his body and blood. This
he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the
ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved
Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a
sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal
banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and
a pledge of future glory is given to us" ("Sacrosanctum Concilium",
47).

26. "When they had sung a hymn": it was a custom at the passover meal
to recite prayers, called "Hallel", which included Psalms 113 to 118;
the last part was recited at the end of the meal.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Thought for the Day

Instead of which things, thou didst feed thy people with the food of angels, and gavest them bread from heaven, prepared without labour; having in it all that is delicious, and the sweetness of every taste. For thy sustenance shewed thy sweetness to thy children, and serving every man's will, it was turned to what every man liked.

-- Wis. xvi. 20,21

**The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ**

Previously "Corpus Christi"

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is also
known as the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, which translates from
Latin to "Body of Christ." This feast originated in France in the mid
thirteenth century and was extended to the whole Church by Pope
Urban IV in 1264. This feast is celebrated on the Thursday following
the Trinity Sunday or, as in the USA, on the Sunday following that
feast.

This feast calls us to focus on two manifestations of the Body of
Christ, the Holy Eucharist and the Church. The primary purpose of
this feast is to focus our attention on the Eucharist. The opening
prayer at Mass calls our attention to Jesus' suffering and death and
our worship of Him, especially in the Eucharist. At every Mass our
attention is called to the Eucharist and the Real Presence of Christ in
it. The secondary focus of this feast upon the Body of Christ as it is
present in the Church. The Church called the Body of Christ because
of the intimate communion which Jesus shares with his disciples. He
expresses this in the gospels by using the metaphor of a body where
He is the head. This image helps keep in focus both the unity and
the diversity of the Church.

The Feast of Corpus Christi is commonly used as an opportunity for
public Eucharistic processions, which serve as a sign of common
faith and adoration. Our worship of Jesus in His Body and Blood
calls us to offer to God our Father a pledge of undivided love and an
offering of ourselves to the service of others.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

The Blessed Sacrament is the first and supreme object of our
worship. We must preserve in the depths of our heats a constant and
uninterrupted, profound adoration of this precious pledge of Divine
Love. -St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier

TODAY IN HISTORY

431 Council of Ephesus opens
431 Death of St. Paulinus of Nola
816 Stephen IV begins his reign as Pope
1535 Execution of Bishop Fisher

TODAY'S TIDBIT

One common way of celebrating the feast of Corpus Christi is by
having a Eucharistic procession. Such a procession is often
accompanied by events such as Eucharistic exposition to heighten
the awareness and devotion of the Faithful concerning the Eucharist.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for the perseverance of all discerning a vocation to priestly or religious life.

The Blessed Sacrament is the first and supreme object of our worship. We must preserve in the depths of our heats a constant and uninterrupted, profound adoration of this precious pledge of Divine Love. -St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier

The Word Among Us

Sunday, June 22, 2003

Meditation
Mark 14:12-16,22-26

The Body and Blood of Christ

Take; this is my body. (Mark 14:22)

Jesus, you surrender yourself so totally! Yet how can any human being be worthy to receive you, the Lord of heaven and earth? Apart from your mercy, who would dare approach the Eucharist? It would be far easier if we were simply eating bread, but you yourself told us that this is your very body. It is too much for human understanding!

This is a challenging teaching, Lord, more than we can comprehend. Still, we will accept it with humble faith and gratitude. You nourish us with your own flesh so that we can be strengthened to love and serve you. Help us to enter into the immensity of this great gift and to understand more clearly its meaning for our lives. With the help of your grace, may we embrace more fully the transformation that you offer us in this precious sacrament.

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24). Jesus, in the Old Covenant, your people were sanctified by being sprinkled with the blood of sacrificial animals. But now, instead of our offering sacrificial blood to you, you offer us your blood poured out in sacrifice. And this offer comes with a great promise: “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!” (Hebrews 9:14).

Lord, you are not content that we simply be sprinkled with your blood. You want it to become a fountain flowing through us, both physically and spiritually. Jesus, invigorate us by this love! As we drink from the cup of salvation, enliven us and lift us up to heaven. May the blood we receive captivate our hearts and renew our minds so that we can fulfill the purposes for which you made us. With your blood coursing through us, may every breath we take strengthen us to know and live the life you won for us.

“Jesus, I am amazed that you would call me to your table to receive your own Body and Blood. This sacrament of love poured out draws me to worship, even as it strengthens my confidence in you. As I eat and drink, Lord, may I become what I receive.”

One Bread, One Body

<< Sunday, June 22, 2003 >>

Body and Blood of Christ

Exodus 24:3-8
Hebrews 9:11-15

Psalm 116
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

View Readings

JUST DO IT

“This is My blood, the blood of the covenant, to be poured out on behalf of many.” —Mark 14:24

When Moses read to the chosen people the words of the covenant with the Lord, the people responded “with one voice, ‘We will do everything that the Lord has told us’ ” (Ex 24:3). The next day, they reiterated: “All that the Lord has said, we will heed and do” (Ex 24:7). They understood that doing was an essential part of the covenant. Jesus Himself at the Last Supper said: “Do this as a remembrance of Me” (Lk 22:19), when He said: “This cup is the new covenant in My blood” (Lk 22:20). Therefore, let us do the covenant by:

doing the Eucharist in memory of Him,
doing for the least of the brethren (Mt 25:40),
doing whatever He tells us (Jn 2:5), and
doing “everything that the Lord has told us” (Ex 24:3).

When we began the Easter season, the Lord through His Church called us to renew our baptismal covenant. The Church asked us: “Do you reject Satan, all His works, and all His empty promises?” and “Do you believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?” We repeatedly answer these questions: “I do.” Do the covenant. Do it in memory of Jesus.

Prayer: Father, make me a missionary of the Eucharist so as to lead as many as possible to eucharistic love and worship.

Promise: “...how much more will the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself up unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God!” —Heb 9:14

Praise: Praise our eucharistic Lord! Praise His body and blood, soul and divinity!

The Eucharist

More about the Eucharist

"Ecclesia de Eucharistia"

Corpus Christi BUMP

Bumo,Mass was beautiful.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

The pastor focused his homily today on the fact that it has now been 40 years since Vatican Council II. Some say that changes were implemented too quickly, while others say, it is now quick enough. (felt like I was here in the forum ... LOL!) However, he gave a very interesting perspective on this feast day, which I will pass on to you.

We are more familiar with the Feast of Corpus Christi. While I have not researched all of his facts, I have not doubt that he did while preparing the homily. The feast of Corpus Christi dates back to the Middle Ages, at which time it was an Octave - beginning on one Sunday and running through until the following one. Over time, it was shortened down to one Sunday called Corpus Christi. Its counterpart was the Feast of the Precious Blood.

During Vatican Council II, the bishops decided to merge it with its counterpart - the Feast of the Precious Blood. They also sought to restore the liturgy to the early church. It was St. Ignatius of Antioch who instructed the people on the proper way to receive communion ... "make a throne with their cupped hands". Due to St. Ignatius’ direct association with the Apostles themselves his writings are an invaluable testimony to the faith and practice of the Apostolic and immediate post-Apostolic Church.

It was one of his better homolies. Still no fixed crucifix on or near the altar ... sigh, I'm still working on this.

I have come to these boards many times in the past to complain about and lament the "do-it-yourself" and "tambourine-banging" Masses that have become so commonplace in my area.

I'm not complaining today.

Today, I had the distinct pleasure of attending Mass at my local parish where we had a full-blown Corpus Christi Mass and procession. I haven't been to one of these in at least twenty-five years, and it was wonderful. My kids loved it -- there was so much to watch! My oldest can't wait for next year's procession so he can be one of the First Communicants who participate in the actual procession.

The rest of the congregation (SRO - there wasn't a seat to be had anywhere in that church) seemed thrilled with it as well. The whole experience literally brought tears to my eyes.

Happy Corpus Christi to all,
Regards,

We had Mass today for the whole diocese, all the priests and the bishop in attendance. Even though it was held in a coloseum it was reverent and had a definite feeling of the sacred, no small accomplishment! Afterwards we processed up the main street of our town with the bishop carrying the monstrance with the Body of Christ and Benediction was held in front of the Cathedral as the crowd was far too large to fit inside. Quite a beautiful day!

Our Pastor gave a very good sermon on the Holy Eucharist today. He also posted a notice in the Bulletin about the proper way to receive Holy Communion; no grabbing the Host, the Host should be consumed at the time it is received, and no dipping the Host in the Chalice instead of consuming the Precious Blood. I was amazed and gladdened to see it, but he failed to mention the note in his sermon, which would have called more peoples' attention to it.

**Today, I had the distinct pleasure of attending Mass at my local parish where we had a full-blown Corpus Christi Mass and procession.**

This must have been beautiful. It sounds like you had First Communion today, too? Our first Communion was back on the 10th. Hmmmm.

I would have given money to be with you today. We had the visiting priest who likes to hear himself talk and he went over the Old Testament covenant history and then tied it into the well of Baptism. Which was OK because there was a Baptism today.

But I was fuming as I closed my eyes and said a four decardes of the Rosary during his homily. He never, I repeat, never got around to the Blessed Body and Precious Blood in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

I will be so thankful when we get our new priest on July 3rd. Too bad I will be in St. Louis when he arrives.

BTW, you have a FR mail from me.

** Afterwards we processed up the main street of our town with the bishop carrying the monstrance with the Body of Christ and Benediction was held in front of the Cathedral as the crowd was far too large to fit inside. Quite a beautiful day!**

Oh, what a blessing! I have tears in my eyes just reading your short account. May the St. Louis meeting for the Bishops did some good!