Today, older children, via the RCIC program in my parish made their first holy communion today. God Bless them and their dear ones.

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 9
11.	Which when the people knew, they followed him; and he received them, and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and healed them who had need of healing.	Quod cum cognovissent turbæ, secutæ sunt illum : et excepit eos, et loquebatur illis de regno Dei, et eos, qui cura indigebant, sanabat.	οι δε οχλοι γνοντες ηκολουθησαν αυτω και δεξαμενος αυτους ελαλει αυτοις περι της βασιλειας του θεου και τους χρειαν εχοντας θεραπειας ιατο
12.	Now the day began to decline. And the twelve came and said to him: Send away the multitude, that going into the towns and villages round about, they may lodge and get victuals; for we are here in a desert place.	Dies autem cœperat declinare, et accedentes duodecim dixerunt illi : Dimitte turbas, ut euntes in castella villasque quæ circa sunt, divertant, et inveniant escas : quia hic in loco deserto sumus.	η δε ημερα ηρξατο κλινειν προσελθοντες δε οι δωδεκα ειπον αυτω απολυσον τον οχλον ινα απελθοντες εις τας κυκλω κωμας και τους αγρους καταλυσωσιν και ευρωσιν επισιτισμον οτι ωδε εν ερημω τοπω εσμεν
13.	But he said to them: Give you them to eat. And they said: We have no more than five loaves and two fishes; unless perhaps we should go and buy food for all this multitude.	Ait autem ad illos : Vos date illis manducare. At illi dixerunt : Non sunt nobis plus quam quinque panes et duo pisces : nisi forte nos eamus, et emamus in omnem hanc turbam escas.	ειπεν δε προς αυτους δοτε αυτοις υμεις φαγειν οι δε ειπον ουκ εισιν ημιν πλειον η πεντε αρτοι και ιχθυες δυο ει μητι πορευθεντες ημεις αγορασωμεν εις παντα τον λαον τουτον βρωματα
14.	Now there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples: Make them sit down by fifties in a company.	Erant autem fere viri quinque millia. Ait autem ad discipulos suos : Facite illos discumbere per convivia quinquagenos.	ησαν γαρ ωσει ανδρες πεντακισχιλιοι ειπεν δε προς τους μαθητας αυτου κατακλινατε αυτους κλισιας ανα πεντηκοντα
15.	And they did so; and made them all sit down.	Et ita fecerunt : et discumbere fecerunt omnes.	και εποιησαν ουτως και ανεκλιναν απαντας
16.	And taking the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed them; and he broke, and distributed to his disciples, to set before the multitude.	Acceptis autem quinque panibus et duobus piscibus, respexit in cælum, et benedixit illis : et fregit, et distribuit discipulis suis, ut ponerent ante turbas.	λαβων δε τους πεντε αρτους και τους δυο ιχθυας αναβλεψας εις τον ουρανον ευλογησεν αυτους και κατεκλασεν και εδιδου τοις μαθηταις παρατιθεναι τω οχλω
17.	And they did all eat, and were filled. And there were taken up of fragments that remained to them, twelve baskets.	Et manducaverunt omnes, et saturati sunt. Et sublatum est quod superfuit illis, fragmentorum cophini duodecim.	και εφαγον και εχορτασθησαν παντες και ηρθη το περισσευσαν αυτοις κλασματων κοφινοι δωδεκα

11. And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
12. And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said to him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.
13. But he said to them, Give you them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
14. For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties In a company.
15. And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16. Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, aLk9_16nd looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and broke, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

ISIDORE; Our Lord because He hates the men of blood, and those that dwell with them, as long as they depart not from their crimes, after the murder of the Baptist left the murderers and departed; as it follows, And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

THEOPHYL; Now Bethsaida is in Galilee, the city of the Apostles Andrew, Peter, and Philip, near the lake of Gennesaret. Our Lord did not this from fear of death, (as some think,) but to spare His enemies, lest they should commit two murders, waiting also for the proper time for His own sufferings.

CHRYS. Now He did not depart before, but after it was told Him what had happened, manifesting in each particular the reality of His incarnation.

THEOPHYL. But our Lord went into a desert place because He was about to perform the miracle of the loaves of bread, that no one should say that the bread was brought from the neighboring cities.

CHRYS. Or He went into a desert place c that no one might follow Him. But the people did not retire, but accompanied Him, as it follows, And the people when they knew it, followed him.

CYRIL; Some indeed asking to be delivered from evil spirits, but others desiring of Him the removal of their diseases; those also who were delighted with His teaching attended Him diligently.

THEOPHYL; But He as the powerful and merciful Savior by receiving the weary, by teaching the ignorant, curing the sick, filling the hungry, implies how He was pleased with their devotion; as it follows, And he received them, and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, &c.

THEOPHYL. That you may learn that the wisdom which is in us is distributed into word and work, and that it becomes us to speak of what has been done, and to do what we speak of. But when the day was wearing away, the disciples now beginning to have a care of others take compassion on the multitude.

CYRIL; For, as has been said, they sought to be healed of different diseases, and because the disciples saw that what they sought might be accomplished by His simple assent, they say, Send them away, that they be no more distressed. But mark the overflowing kindness of Him who is asked.

He not only grants those things which the disciples seek, but to those who follow Him, He supplies the bounty of a munificent hand, commanding food to be set before them; as it follows, But he said to them, Give you them to eat.

THEOPHYL. Now He said not this as ignorant of their answer, but wishing to induce them to tell Him how much bread they had, that so a great miracle might be manifested through their confession, when the quantity of bread was made known.

CYRIL; But this was a command which the disciples were unable to comply with, since they had with them but five loaves and two fishes. As it follows, And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we go and buy meat for all this people.

AUG. In these words indeed Luke has strung together in one sentence the answer of Philip, saying, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, but that every one may have a little, and the answer of Andrew, There is a lad here who has five loaves and two small fishes, as John relates. For when Luke says, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes, he refers to the answer of Andrew. But that which he added, Except we go and buy food for all the people, seems to belong to Philip's answer, save that he is silent about the two hundred pennyworth, although this may be implied also in the expression of Andrew himself. For when he had said, There is a lad here who has five loaves and two fishes, he added, But what are these among so many? that is to say, unless we go and buy meat for all this people. From which diversity of words, but harmony of things and opinions, it is sufficiently evident that we have this wholesome lesson given us, that we must seek for nothing in words but the meaning of the speaker; and to explain this clearly, ought to be the care of all truth telling authors whenever they relate any thing concerning man, or angel, or God.

CYRIL; But that the difficulty of the miracle may be still more enhanced, the number of men is stated to have been by no means small. As it follows, And there were about five thousand men, besides women and children, as another Evangelist relates.

THEOPHYL. Our Lord teaches us, that when we entertain any one, we ought to make him sit down at meat, and partake of every comfort. Hence it follows, And he said to his disciples, &c.

AUG. That Luke says here, that the men were ordered to sit down by fifties, but Mark, by fifties and hundreds, does not matter, seeing that one spoke of a part, the other of the whole. But if one had mentioned only the fifties, and the other only the hundreds, they would seem to be greatly opposed to one another; nor would it be sufficiently distinct which of the two was said. But who will not admit, that one was mentioned by one Evangelist, the other by another, and that if more attentively considered it must be found so. But I have said thus much, because often certain things of this kind exist, which to those who take little heed and judge hastily appear contrary to one another, and yet are not so.

CHRYS. And to make men believe that He came from the Father, Christ when He was about to work the miracle looked up to heaven. As it follows, There he took the five loaves, &c.

CYRIL; This also He did purposely for our sakes, that we may learn that at the commencement of a feast when we are going to break bread, we ought to offer thanks for it to God, and to draw forth the heavenly blessing upon it. As it follows, And he blessed, and broke.

CHRYS. He distributes to them by the hands of His disciples, so honoring them that they might not forget it when the miracle was past. Now He did not create food for the multitude out of what did not exist, that He might stop the mouth of the Manichaeans, who say that the creatures are independent of Him; showing that He Himself is both the Giver of food, and, the same who said, Let the earth bring forth, &c. He makes also the fishes to increase, to signify that He has dominion over the seas, as weld as the dry land. But well did He perform a special miracle for the weak, at the same time that He gives also a general blessing in feeding all the strong as well as the weak. And they did all eat, and were filled.

GREG. NYSS. For whom neither the heaven rained manna, nor the earth brought forth corn according to its nature, but from the unspeakable garner of divine power the blessing was poured forth. The bread is supplied in the hands of those who serve, it is even increased through the fullness of those who eat. The sea supplied not their wants with the food of fishes, but He who placed in the sea the race of fishes.

AMBROSE; It is clear that the multitude were filled not by a scanty meal, but by a constant and increasing supply of food. You might see in an incomprehensible manner amid the hands of those who distributed, the particles multiplying which they broke not; the fragments too, touched by the fingers of the breakers, spontaneously mounting up.

CYRIL; Nor was this all that the miracle came to; but it follows, And there was taken up of the fragments that remained, twelve baskets, that this might be a manifest proof that a work of love to our neighbor will claim a rich reward from God.

THEOPHYL. And that we might learn the value of hospitality, and how much our own store is increased when we help those that need

CHRYS. But He caused not loaves to remain over, but fragments, that He might show them to be the remnants of the loaves, and these were made to be of that number, that there might be as many baskets as disciples.

AMBROSE; After that she who received the type of the Church was cured of the issue of blood, and that the Apostles were appointed to preach the Gospel of the kingdom of God, the nourishment of heavenly grace is imparted. but mark to whom it is imparted. Not to the indolent, not to those in a city, of rank in the synagogue, or in high secular office, but to those who seek Christ in the desert.

THEOPHYL; Who Himself having left Judea, which by unbelief had bereft herself of the source of prophecy, in the desert of the Church which had no husband, dispenses the food of the word. But many companies of the faithful leaving the city of their former manner of life, and their various opinions, follow Christ into the deserts of the Gentiles.

AMBROSE; But they who are not proud are themselves received by Christ, and the Word of God speaks with them, not about worldly things, but of the kingdom of God. And if any have ulcers of bodily passions, to these He willingly affords His cure. But every where the order of the mystery is preserved, that first through the remission of sins the wounds should be healed, but afterwards the nourishment of the heavenly table should plentifully abound.

THEOPHYL; Now when the day was going down, he refreshes the multitudes, that is, as the end of the world approaches, or when the Sun of righteousness sets for us.

AMBROSE; Although the multitude is not as yet fed with stronger food. For first, as milk, there are five loaves; secondly, seven; thirdly, the Body of Christ is the stronger food. But if any one fears to seek food, let him leave every thing that belongs to him, and listen to the word of God. But whoever begins to hear the word of God begins to eat, the Apostles begin to see him eating. And if they who eat, as yet know not what they eat, Christ knows; He knows that they eat not this world's food, but the food of Christ. For they did not as yet know that the food of a believing people was not to be bought and sold. Christ knew that we are rather to be bought with a ransom, but His banquet to be without price.

THEOPHYL; The Apostles had only got but the five loaves of the Mosaic law, and the two fishes of each covenant, which were covered in the secret place of obscure mysteries, as in the waters of the deep. But because men have five external senses, the five thousand men who followed the Lord signify those who still live in worldly ways, knowing well how to use the external things they possess. For they who entirely renounce the world are raised aloft in the enjoyment of His Gospel feast. But the different divisions of the guests, indicate the different congregations of Churches throughout the world, which together compose the one Catholic.

AMBROSE; But here the bread which Jesus broke is mystically indeed the word of God, and discourse concerning Christ, which when it is divided is increased. For from these few words, He ministered abundant nourishment to the people. He gave us words like loaves, which while they are tasted by our mouth are doubled.

THEOPHYL; Now our Savior does not create new food for the hungry multitudes, but He took those things which the disciples had and blessed them, since coming in the flesh He preaches nothing else than what had been foretold, but demonstrates the words of prophecy to be pregnant with the mysteries of grace; He looks towards heaven, that thither He may teach us to direct the eye of the mind, there to seek the light of knowledge; He breaks and distributes to the disciples to be placed before the multitude, because He revealed to them the Sacraments of the Law and the Prophets that they might preach them to the world.

AMBROSE; Not without meaning are the fragments which remained over and above what the multitudes had eaten, collected by the disciples, since those things which are divine you may more easily find among the elect than among the people. Blessed is he who can collect those which remain over and above even to the learned. But for what reason did Christ fill twelve baskets, except that He might solve that word concerning the Jewish people, His hands served in the basket? that is, the people who before collected mud for the pots, now through the cross of Christ gather up the nourishment of the heavenly life. Nor is this the office of few, but all. For by the twelve baskets, as if of each of the tribes, the foundation of the faith is spread abroad.

THEOPHYL; Or by the twelve baskets the twelve Apostles are figured, and all succeeding teachers, despised indeed by men without, but within loaded with the fragments of saving food.

Catena Aurea Luke 9

The miracle of the loaves

1372
France

Arlington Catholic Herald

Solemnity of Corpus Christi

Fr. Paul deLadurantaye

In the Basilica of San Clemente (St. Clement) in Rome, there is a beautiful mosaic in the apse. Christ is depicted on the cross, at the moment of His death, having just entrusted His spirit to the Father. But the cross, as shown in the mosaic, is really a tree from which flows out four streams of water and a whole network of branches or vines that fill the rest of the mosaic. The cross-tree is therefore fertile, life-giving, and the vines extend throughout the entire mosaic, symbolizing that the world itself has become a great vineyard in which the fullness of life is present. Whoever created this mosaic probably had in mind the verse from St. John’s Gospel: “I am the vine, you are the branches” (Jn 15:5).

Represented artistically, however, is a great truth: In the cross, as vine, we discover the source of our life and fellowship with God. What this mosaic presents to us is an invitation to let our lives be drawn into the vine of God, to give them over to the holy tree that grows from the cross and so become a living branch of it.

These ideas are very much at the heart of the solemnity we celebrate this weekend, the solemnity of Corpus Christi — the body and blood of Christ. The gift of the Eucharist, given by the Lord to His church on the night of the Last Supper, is, as the Second Vatican Council tells us, the source and summit of the life of the church herself and of the life of each individual believer. Receiving holy Communion worthily, that is, in the state of grace, fills us with Christ’s own divine life and unites us to Him in an intimate bond of life and love. The celebration of Corpus Christi, therefore, invites us to reflect upon the fact that receiving the body and blood of the Lord in holy Communion is more than just a personal gesture; it is a public proclamation that we are in communion with Christ and the church, His mystical body. Corpus Christi reminds us of the need to renew our commitment to Jesus each day, to grow in our fidelity to the church and all that she teaches us, and to strive for unity with our brothers and sisters in the faith. The celebration of Corpus Christi calls us to examine the consistency of our lives with the Gospel and to give of ourselves in imitation of that self-giving love that Jesus showed on the cross and that is made present again in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

In the Eucharist, we encounter the saving love of the Lord that has transformed and given life to the world. In a real sense, this is the meaning of the apsidal mosaic of San Clemente: The whole world should become eucharistic, should draw life from the vine that is Christ, crucified and risen. In order for this to happen, though, we have to carry the Lord out into the streets of our cities and towns, into our homes and into our everyday lives. Wherever we go, He should go; wherever we live, He should live. The solemnity of Corpus Christi means that we do not simply eat the Lord’s body and blood the way we might eat a piece of bread. We can only receive Him by welcoming Him with our whole self, opening our hearts and minds to Christ Jesus and then seeking to live continually in union with Him in all that we think, say and do. In that way, we fulfill the command of the Lord to be His witnesses in the midst of our world.

There is something else, though. At the very top of the mosaic in San Clemente, the hand of God the Father is portrayed reaching down. The Father’s hand appears to lower the cross from eternity into the world in order to bring the world healing and reconciliation. But at the same time, the Father’s hand also appears to draw the cross-tree upward into the freedom of the promises of God, into the mystery of the new and eternal life of heaven. Thus, human history and human life have received a new direction and a new destiny: They go with Christ to the hands of God.

The solemnity of Corpus Christi is intended to remind us of this upward movement as well. Every time we celebrate the Eucharist and receive holy Communion, we gain a foretaste of the life to come, an anticipation of the heavenly banquet. This is why the end of this week’s Gospel passage reports that 12 baskets of bread were left over after the crowd of 5,000 had eaten their fill. The number 12 in the Bible indicates completeness and fulfillment (we can think of the 12 tribes of Israel as meaning the whole of Israel, all of the people). Thus the Eucharist points us forward to what our future is meant to be — the fullness, the completeness of the love of God and life in Him forever.

On this solemnity of Corpus Christi, then, as we give thanks for the great gift Jesus makes of Himself to us in the Eucharist, let us think of that mosaic in the apse of San Clemente and pray that each day we may, through the Eucharist, be filled with Christ’s own divine life and always remain in Him as His branches, steeped in the waters of His love so that having been nourished by the Lord’s body and blood, we may become truly alive and one day be taken up into the fullness of the kingdom of our Father in heaven.

Fr. deLadurantaye is Arlington diocesan secretary for religious education and sacred liturgy and a professor of theology at Christendom’s Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria.

The Work of God

Year C

- The Body and Blood of Christ

And taking the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed them

Luke 9:11-17

11 When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured.
12 The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place."
13 But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish -- unless we are to go and buy food for all these people."
14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each."
15 They did so and made them all sit down.
16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
17 And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. (NRSV)

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Body and Blood of Christ - And taking the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed them

I am the bread of life that has come down from Heaven, the celestial manna that gives life unlike the manna eaten by the people in the desert who are dead. My food is food for eternal life.

I wanted to impress upon my apostles and upon all my followers for all time the fact that I had come to feed my people for their journey to heaven. It was then time to make myself known publicly as the One sent by my Father. Not only a prophet gifted with supernatural powers to perform miracles, but also to make them see that I was prepared to feed them with the food of immortality, my own flesh and blood.

It was appropriate to familiarize them with my generosity as the free bread that had come down from heaven, so that many generations would do the same until the end of times.

The bread they ate that day produced holy effects on their souls and many repented and became my followers. Many saw this miraculous gift as a reason for staying in my company to have plenty free food to eat. This was not my plan.

My bread was accompanied by the food of my word, which many received in their hearts causing wonderful effects.

As Savior of the world, my mission is to teach the soul the way and the truth, and to lead it to life. I am the life of the soul; I have made myself available as food for the soul in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Those who hunger for me will be filled. Those who thirst for me will be satisfied.

I designated my apostles as priests and ministers of the Holy Eucharist, anointed with the power to transmit this ministry in my Church to other priests.

By my command, I instituted the priesthood and the sacrament of immortality. I make my self truly available to you every time the bread and wine is consecrated by one of my anointed priests.

In human terms it is said: “you are what you eat”, I tell you solemnly, when you repent of your sins and receive me in a state of grace, then as you eat my flesh which is the bread of life and drink my blood which is the elixir of immortality, you are purified and prepared for eternal life, where you will become like me.

I am waiting for you to receive me worthily when you come to Holy Mass; I am also truly present in every tabernacle, ready to listen to your prayers and to bless you when you acknowledge me. I love you.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

Archdiocese of Washington

Jesus Desires to Feed You! A Meditation on the Feast of Corpus Christi

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

On the Feast of Corpus Christi we do well to mediate on the Desire of the Lord to feed his people and the shocking indifference many have to this fact. And the indifference is not just those who do not come, but it is even found in the Pews too often populated by people largely indifferent to the fact that most don’t come any more. On this feast we all do well to acknowledge the passionate concern the Lord has to feed all his people, yes even your wayward spouse or children.

Let’s consider the Gospel for today in three ways.

I. Despairing Diagnosis - Jesus has been teaching the crowds all day by the lake. At this point the Text says, As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”

Now we can note a diagnosis, namely that the crowd is hungry. And here is a diagnosis of the human condition: we are hungry.

How are we hungry? Let us count the ways. We are a veritable sea of desires. We desire food, and drink, life, health, honor, respect, popularity, so many necessities, intimacy, family, security, goodness, beauty, truth, serenity, justice, and so much more. Yes, so many desires. We are hungry. And herein lies an insight for evangelization. For some how in all this hunger, God is calling. We are like the woman at the well who came thirsty for the world’s water and the Lord taught her it was really Him that she desired, and only He who could satisfy.

It is sad that every advertiser on Madison Avenue knows how to tap into people’s desire and draw forth loyalty and relationship, but we Christians have so little insight. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light (Lk 16:8).

And thus we are like the apostles standing around, irritated and clueless that people have needs. In effect we say, “They are needy send them away” rather than “They are needy. Wow have I got an answer for you, have I got a meal you need! You want want what is good, true and beautiful? You want what satisfies. Wow, do I have an answer for you!”

So the diagnosis is clear, the crowd is hungry, sadly though the Church in that moment was “out to lunch” and out of ideas. And this could well describe us today.

II. Deep Desire - Note that the Lord has a desire to feed these people, a deep desire. He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” The apostles of course can only protest impossibility. They are staring right in the face of Jesus Christ and think it impossible to feed this crowd. They see only five loaves and two fishes, but they can’t see Jesus. They don’t know Jesus! Do you see their lack of faith. How about yours?

Yes, here too is a picture of many in the Church today who think that nothing can possibly be done to turn the decline of our culture around or get people back to Church.They see only our meager five loaves and two fishes and forget that we have Jesus who is still in the miracle working business.

Jesus will not allow all their negativity and playing the poor man crush his desire. Yes, the Lord insists and has a deep desire to feed them and all this foolishness about being unable does not impress him. He says:

“Have them sit down in groups of about fifty.” They did so and made them all sit down. In other words, “Enough of all this negativity. I am in charge here,” says the Lord, “Lets get to work now.”

What is this about “groups of fifty?” It is debatable, but I would say it points to what we have come to call the “parish” system. That is, the whole world is divided up into smaller and manageable units we call , today, parishes wherein a pastor and his flock are responsible to see that all the people in that territory have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. The Lord desires to feed every one in every parish and he says to me and my parish, “give them something to eat yourselves.” In other words draw them to the Eucharistic table! Draw them to me!”

Yes, the Lord has a deep desire to feed us, and others. Consider this: What loving parent who saw that their child had stopped eating would not move heaven and earth to find out why and get them back to eating saving food? Yes, they would go emergency rooms and doctors offices until their child returned to eating.

Why is this not so with our Eucharistic food? Clearly the Lord is deeply desirous of feeding us. Why aren’t we as desirous to be sure others, especially our children and family, are receiving the Lord?

To all this the Lords says, “Give them something to eat!” Yes, you, he is not talking to the person next to, it is you he addresses: “Bring them to me, give them something to eat!”

And we so easily reply, “But I have so little, just five loaves and two fishes, I am not eloquent, I have not studied the faint and I don’t have an answer to everyone’s questions!” Still the Lord says, “Give me what you have and have them sit down. Work the fifty I have assigned you and your parish.”

III. Directive for the Disciples - The text says of the disciples, They did so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.

Note well that the Lord is determined to feed these people and he insists that his disciples help him to do it. They are expected to gather the faithful in groups of fifty and have them sit in groups. Then the Lord, note the Lord himself, blesses and multiplies the food. But once again, he gives it to his apostles to set before the multitude.

And this is the Church. Jesus is the Great High Priest of every Liturgy. It is He who takes our meager offerings and multiples and transubstantiates them. But he works this ministry through his priests, and in an extended sense, through the whole Church. The Lord feeds his people, but he feeds us through others. It is the role of the Church to take what Jesus sets before us and see that it is distributed to others in due season.

On the Feast of Corpus Christi we acknowledge that the Lord feeds us through his Body and Blood, but he does this through the ministry of priests and through his Church. Do we see this as central to our mission? Is the liturgy really at the heart of our parish life. Or are Liturgies rushed and hurried so we can get to the Men’s Club Meeting and make sure people aren’t late to tune into the game? What is our priority? Is it the same priority of Jesus rooted in the deep desire he has to feed his people?

Note too, they all ate and were satisfied. Does this describe liturgy at your parish? Are people being fed, and do they experience an abundance at the Lord’s Banquet? Or is Mass something to get through, something more akin to a flu shot which we hope is as quick and painless as possible?

Of course the Liturgy should be satisfying to God’s people. It should be a place and time where they are instructed in God’s word and have that work cause their hearts to catch fire with joy, inspiration and yes, conviction on the need for repentance. The Eucharist which we celebrate ought to be something the faithful are taught to expect and experience great transformation on account of. How can we fruitfully receive the Body of Christ and not experience great change and be satisfied?

Yet sadly, most people put more faith in Tylenol than the Eucharist, since, when they take Tylenol, they expect something to happen: the pain to go away, the swelling to go down, healing to be helped. Do people expect this of the Eucharist? And if not, why not?

On this Feast of Corpus Christi, please understand that the Lord want to feed you, want to feed your loved ones! And he wants to do this to save them and to satisfy them. Do you and I care about this? Is this a reality to us, or just a ritual? Why not ask the Lord this Feast day to strike deep within you the same desire he has to feed others and make of you a magnet to draw people to him. Who are the fifty the Lord has put in your charge. Listen to the Lord! Gather them and have them seated in Church next Sunday.

Sunday Gospel Reflections

Corpus Christi Sunday
Reading I: Genesis 14:18-20 II: 1Cor 11:23-26

Gospel
Luke 9:11-17

¹¹ When the crowds learned it, they followed him; and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and cured those who had need of healing.
¹² Now the day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, "Send the crowd away, to go into the villages and country round about, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a lonely place."
¹³ But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish--unless we are to go and buy food for all these people."
¹⁴ For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, "Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each."
¹⁵ And they did so, and made them all sit down.
¹⁶ And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
¹⁷ And all ate and were satisfied. And they took up what was left over, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Interesting Details

The feeding of five thousand is the only miracle recorded by all four gospels (Jn 6:1-15; Mt 14:13-21; Mk 6:32-44; Lk 9:11-17). This signifies the importance of this miracle, which foreshadows the Eucharist. The story begins with the return of the Twelve after their mission (9:10-11). Jesus wants to spend some private time with his disciples. But this is interrupted by the crowd. How does Jesus respond to this interruption?
(v.11) He welcomes them, speaks to them about God's kingdom, and heals them. This is a concrete sign of his love.
(v.13) "Why do you not give them something to eat yourselves? "The disciples are asked to participate in the caring and "feeding" of his people. It is fish and bread here. It may also be companionship, love, respect, forgiveness, etc. Yet the disciples cannot take care of the crowd alone. Jesus' presence is vital.
(v.16) The wording here--took, blessed, broke, gave--draws our attention to the Last Supper and the Eucharist. The early Church celebrated the Eucharist by fusing the Passover liturgical prayers with a communal meal, the "agape" or love feast. However, in Corinth, it had gotten out of hand and the rich brought their own food and did not share it with those who had less. The meal, which should result in a closeness of Christians, became a means of division (1Cor 11:17-34).
This feast is a duplication of the feast of the Eucharist celebrated on Holy Thursday, but without the sorrowful associations. In 1247 it was celebrated for the first time in Liege, Belgium, but was only extended to the whole Church in 1264 by Pope Urban IV. It took until 1317 to become genuinely popular. The Office and Mass for the feast are believed to have been composed by St. Thomas Aquinas, but his authorship has never been fully proved. The Corpus Christi procession seems to have appeared in Cologne in 1279, but only became popular in the whole of Europe a hundred years later.

One Main Point

Becoming one in Christ. Our participation in the Eucharistic Banquet signifies not only our oneness with Jesus Christ, but also our oneness with the guests at that banquet, our fellow parishioners, brothers and sisters, spiritual families.

Reflections

Do I thirst for anything? What is it? What will satisfy my thirst?
What divides me from Christ, from others?

We had an Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament today after Mass. It was beautiful, all my children (living at home) were there, I was so moved.

Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Solemnity of
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Corpus Christi

Second Sunday after Pentecost or
Thursday after Trinity Sunday

The High Feast of the Lamb ((detail) Ghent altarpiece - Jan Van Eyck 16th c

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." -- John 6:53, 54

Corpus Christi Introduction | Catechism excerpt | Directory on Popular Piety excerpt | Readings for Corpus Christi | Family Activities | The Holy Eucharist: Resources for Devotion - Adoration - Benediction - Doctrine - Study - Link to order Holy Eucharist Booklets [the Adoremus Website] | Corpus Christi Novena [EWTN Website] | MYSTICI CORPORIS CHRISTI, Encyclical of Pope Pius XII on the Mystical Body of Christ [Vatican Website] | Homily of Pope Benedict XVI 2005 | Homily of Pope Benedict XVI 2006

Corpus Christi
The Solemnity of Corpus Christi commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist, paralleling Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) commemorating Our Lord's institution of the Eucharist. Corpus Christ was introduced in the late 13th century to encourage the faithful give special honor to the institution of the Holy Eucharist to the Blessed Sacrament. The official title of this Solemnity was changed in 1970 to The Body and Blood of Christ (Latin: Sollemnitas Sanctissimi Corporis et Sanguinis Christi); and it is still on the Roman Missal’s official Calendar for the universal Church on Thursday after Trinity Sunday; however, where it is not a day of obligation (as in the United States) it is usually celebrated on the Sunday following Trinity Sunday.
Corpus Christi became a mandatory feast in the Roman Church in 1312. But nearly a century earlier, Saint Juliana of Mont Cornillon, promoted a feast to honor the Blessed Sacrament. From early age Juliana, who became an Augustinian nun in Liége, France, in 1206, had a great veneration for the Blessed Sacrament, and longed for a special feast in its honor. She had a vision of the Church under the appearance of the full moon having one dark spot, which signified the absence of such a solemnity. She made known her ideas to the Bishop of Liége, Robert de Thorete, to the Dominican Hugh who later became cardinal legate in the Netherlands, and to Jacques Panaléon, at the time Archdeacon of Liége and who later became Pope Urban IV. Bishop Robert de Thorete ordered that the feast be celebrated in his diocese.
Pope Urban IV later published the Bull Transiturus (September 8, 1264), in which, after having extolled the love of Our Savior as expressed in the Holy Eucharist, ordered the annual celebration of Corpus Christi on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. More than four decades later, Pope Clement V published a new decree which embodied Urban IV's decree and ordered the adoption of the feast at the General Council of Vienna (1311). Pope John XXII, successor of Clement V, urged this observance.
The processions on Corpus Christi to honor the Holy Eucharist were not mentioned in the decrees, but had become a principal feature of the feast's celebration by the faithfl, and became a tradition throughout Europe. These processions were endowed with indulgences by Popes Martin V and Eugene IV.
(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition, )

Catechism of the Catholic Church - The Eucharist §§ 1322 - 1419
1324 The Eucharist is "source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."
1325 "The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit."
1326 Finally, by the Eucharistic Celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all.
1327 In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: "Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking."
Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy Excerpt:
Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
160. The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is observed on the Thursday following on the solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity. This feast is both a doctrinal and cultic response to heretical teaching on the mystery of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and the apogee of an ardent devotional movement concentrated on the Sacrament of the Altar. It was extended to the entire Latin Church by Urban IV in 1264.
Popular piety encouraged the process that led to the institution of the feast of Corpus Christi, which reciprocally inspired the development of new forms of Eucharistic piety among the people of God.
For centuries, the celebration of Corpus Christi remained the principal point of popular piety's concentration on the Eucharist. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, faith, in reaction to various forms of protestantism, and culture (art, folklore and literature) coalesced in developing lively and significant expressions Eucharistic devotion in popular piety.
161. Eucharistic devotion, which is so deeply rooted in the Christian faithful, must integrate two basic principles:
* the supreme reference point for Eucharistic devotion is the Lord's Passover; the Pasch as understood by the Fathers, is the feast of Easter, while the Eucharist is before all else the celebration of Paschal Mystery or of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ;
* all forms of Eucharisit devotion must have an intrinsic reference to the Eucharistic Sacrifice, or dispose the faithful for its celebration, or prolong the worship which is essential to that Sacrifice.
Hence, the Rituale Romanum states "The faithful, when worshipping Christ present in the Sacrament of the Altar, should recall that this presence comes from the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, and tends towards sacramental and spiritual communion"(169).
162. The Corpus Christi procession represents the typical form of an Eucharistic procession. It is a prolongation of the celebration of the Eucharist: immediately after Mass, the Sacred Host, consecrated during the Mass, is borne out of the Church for the Christian faithful "to make public profession of faith and worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament"(170).
The faithful understand and appreciate the values inherent in the procession: they are aware of being "the People of God", journeying with the Lord, and proclaiming faith in him who has become truly "God-amongst-us".
It is necessary however to ensure that the norms governing processions be observed(171), especially those ensuring respect for the dignity and reverence of the Blessed Sacrament(172). It is also necessary to ensure that the typical elements of popular piety accompanying the procession, such as the decoration of the streets and windows with flowers and the hymns and prayers used during the procession, truly "lead all to manifest their faith in Christ, and to give praise to the Lord"(173), and exclude any forms of competition.
163. The Eucharistic procession is normally concluded by a blessing with the Blessed Sacrament. In the specific case of the Corpus Christi procession, the solemn blessing with the Blessed Sacrament concludes the entire celebration: the usual blessing by the priest is replaced by the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament.
It is important that the faithful understand that this blessing is not an independent form of Eucharistic piety, but the end of a prolonged act of worship. Hence, liturgical norms prohibit "exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for the purpose of giving the blessing"(174).
(Link to complete Directory on Popular Piety andthe Liturgy on Vatican web site)

Readings for Corpus Christi
Collect:
O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament
have left us a memorial of your Passion,
grant us, we pray,
so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood
that we may always experience in ourselves
the fruits of your redemption.
Who live and reign with God the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
Readings for Mass
Year A
First Reading: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a
Moses said to the people: "Remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments, or not. And He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Do not forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground hwere there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know."

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The Bread which we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

Gospel Reading: John 6:51-58
Jesus said to the Jews, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh." The Jews them disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."
Year B
First Reading: Exodus 24:3-8
Second Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15
Gospel Reading: Mark 14:12-16,22-26

Year C
First Reading: Genesis 14:18-20
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Gospel Reading: Luke 9:11-17
When the crowds learned it, they followed him; and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and cured those who had need of healing. Now the day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, "Send the crowd away, to go into the villages and country round about, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a lonely place." But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish--unless we are to go and buy food for all these people." For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, "Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each." And they did so, and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were satisfied. And they took up what was left over, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
Family Activities:

It would be great to revive the Corpus Christi procession -- in your parish, parish school or home-schooling group. Children love processions, and this would be an excellent way to demonstrate to them the meaning and the importance of this feast of the Church year. (In some places, this was a yearly feature of parish life until about forty years ago. Your parents or grandparents might describe these festive processions.)
Attend Eucharistic adoration with children today, if possible. -- or at least make a prayer "visit" to the Blessed Sacrament in your own church. Explain why we fall on our knees in worship before the Blessed Sacrament of our Salvation -- that the word "Eucharist" means "thanks-giving" for the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. (Adults would do well to review the entire section on the Holy Eucharist in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. (See links page for a web version of the Catechism on the Vatican web site.)
Review religious vocabulary. Today presents a good opportunity to review or explore the specifically religious meaning of the words "Sacrifice", "Salvation", "Righteousness", "Redemption", "Sacrament", "Consecrate", "Feast", "Blessed".
If you did not have a chance to do the Christian Seder Meal for Holy Thursday you may want to consider this for today.
Pray for a priest. Talk to your children about vocations -- that is, about dedicating our lives to the service of Our Lord Jesus Christ as priests or in consecrated religious life.
Novena Honoring the Body and Blood of Christ --
I thank You, Jesus, my Divine Redeemer, for coming upon the earth for our sake, and for instituting the adorable Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in order to remain with us until the end of the world.
I thank You for hiding beneath the Eucharistic species Your infinite majesty and beauty, which Your Angels delight to behold, so that I might have courage to approach the throne of Your Mercy.
I thank You, most loving Jesus, for having made Yourself my food, and for uniting me to Yourself with so much love in this wonderful Sacrament that I may live in You.
I thank You, my Jesus, for giving Yourself to me in this Blessed Sacrament, and so enriching it with the treasures of Your love that You have no greater gift to give me.
I thank You not only for becoming my food but also for offering Yourself as a continual sacrifice to Your Eternal Father for my salvation.
I thank You, Divine Priest, for offering Yourself as a Sacrifice daily upon our altars in adoration and homage to the Most Blessed Trinity, and for making amends for our poor and miserable adorations.
I thank You for renewing in this daily Sacrifice the actual Sacrifice of the Cross offered on Calvary, in which You satisfy Divine justice for us poor sinners.
I thank You, dear Jesus, for having become the priceless Victim to merit for me the fullness of heavenly favors. Awaken in me such confidence in You that their fullness may descend ever more fruitfully upon my soul.
I thank You for offering Yourself in thanksgiving to God for all His benefits, spiritual and temporal, which He has bestowed upon me.

In union with Your offering of Yourself to Your Father in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, I ask for this special favor: (Mention your request). If it be Your holy Will, grant my request. Through You I also hope to receive the grace of perseverance in Your love and faithful service, a holy death, and a happy eternity with You in Heaven. Amen.

O Lord, You have given us this Sacred Banquet, in which Christ is received, the memory of His Passion is renewed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.
You have given them bread from Heaven.
Having all sweetness within.

Let us pray. God our Father, for Your glory and our salvation You appointed Jesus Christ eternal High Priest. May the people He gained for You by His Blood come to share in the power of His Cross and Resurrection by celebrating His Memorial in this Eucharist, for He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever. Amen.

O Jesus, since You have left us a remembrance of Your Passion beneath the veils of this Sacrament, grant us, we pray, so to venerate the sacred mysteries of Your Body and Blood that we may always enjoy the fruits of Your Redemption, for You live and reign forever. Amen.

Hymns
Saint Thomas Aquinas was given the task of composing hymns for the celebration of Corpus Christi by Pope Urban IV. These are among the best known (and beloved) of all Latin hymns, because they were traditionally sung by the people during regular Eucharistic Devotions, as well as by the choir on Holy Thursday and Corpus Christi. (Catholics over 50 can probably sing these by heart even yet.) The hymns are Lauda Sion - Pange Lingua - Tantum Ergo

BENEDICT XVI, GENERAL AUDIENCE
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Saint Juliana of Cornillon
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Our catechesis today deals with Saint Juliana of Cornillon, better known as Saint Juliana of Liège. Born at the end of the twelfth century, Juliana was orphaned young and became an Augustinian nun. Intelligent and cultured, she was drawn to contemplative prayer and devotion to the sacrament of the Eucharist. As the result of a recurring vision, Juliana worked to promote a liturgical feast in honour of the Eucharist. The feast of Corpus Christi was first celebrated in the Diocese of Liège, and began to spread from there. Pope Urban IV, who had known Juliana in Liège, instituted the solemnity of Corpus Christi for the universal Church and charged Saint Thomas Aquinas with composing the texts of the liturgical office. The Pope himself celebrated the solemnity in Orvieto, then the seat of the papal court, where the relic of a celebrated Eucharistic miracle, which had occurred the previous year, was kept. As we recall Saint Juliana of Cornillon, let us renew our faith in Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist and pray that the “springtime of the Eucharist” which we are witnessing in the Church today may bear fruit in an ever greater devotion to the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood.
© Copyright 2010 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Joining Pope Francis in one hour of adoration was indeed scheduled today. God bless.

The Body of Christ
God’s Solidarity Never Ceases to Amaze Us (Pope Francis on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi)
The Blessed Sacrament: It's either All or nothing
WDTPRS: Corpus Christi – I affirm my subjugation to Christ vanquisher of hell and my sins.
On Corpus Christi, The Sacred Teaches
Pope celebrates feast of Corpus Domini
The Mystic, the Doubter, the Pope and the Dumb Ox: The Fascinating Origins of Corpus Christi
The Early Christians Believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist
Best Ever Homily on The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Corpus Christi: The Body and Blood of Christ (Procession) [Catholic Caucus]
Corpus Christi (by St. Peter Julian Eymard)
Beginning Catholic: The Eucharist: In the Presence of the Lord Himself [Ecumenical]
Christ the Miracle Worker in the Eucharist(Catholic Caucus)
St. Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Lectures - Lecture XXII on the Body and blood of Christ
Transubstantiation—Hard to Believe? [open]

On Daily Bread [OPEN]
The Meal of Melchizedek (what is meant by Christ’s words, "This is my body; this is my blood")
The Eucharist: The Lord's Supper
Pope Benedict--Jesus' Incarnation and Presence in the Eucharist confounds the wisdom of men
Corpus Christi Quiz
Pope leads Corpus Christi observance
This is My Body, This is My Blood
Feast of Corpus Christi - Sacrifice, Fellowship Meal or Real Presence?
The Eucharist and the Mystery of Fatherly Love
The Consecrated Host truly is the Bread of Heaven
Corpus Christi Around the World
Corpus Christi
HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON CORPUS CHRISTI SUNDAY FROM 2001-2005
Back to the Future: Reviving Corpus Christi Processions
Homily of Pope Benedict XVI for the Feast of Corpus Christi
The Banquet of Corpus Christi - "Why did Jesus give us His Body and Blood?"
A Reflection on Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi celebrations in Poland (gallery)
Pope Leads Corpus Christi Procession - "We Entrust These Streets to His Goodness"
Day 37 of Pope Benedict XV's Reign - Feast of Corpus Christi

Saints Marcellinus & Peter, Martyrs

Saints Marcellinus & Peter, Martyrs
Optional Memorial
June 2nd

Saint Marcellinus and Saint Peter were martyred under Diocletian. Their names are included in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I).

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
O God, who surround us with protection
through the glorious confession
of the Martyrs Saints Marcellinus and Peter,
grant that we may profit by imitating them
and be upheld by their prayer.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:4-10
But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Gospel Reading: John 17:11b-19
And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, which Thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in Thy name, which Thou hast given Me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that Thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. As Thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.

All saints' days are superseded by the Sunday liturgy.

St. Marcellinus and St. Peter, Martyrs

Information: Sts. Marcellinus & Peter

Feast Day:	June 2
Died:	304 AD, Rome
Major Shrine:	Santi Marcellino e Pietro

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Marcellinus and St. Peter

Feast Day: June 02

These two saints were greatly honored and prayed to by the early Christians. The feast of these two martyrs was included in the Roman calendar of saints by Pope Vigilius in 555.

Marcellinus was a priest and Peter assisted Marcellinus in his ministry. Both very bravely practiced their Christian faith. They served the Christian community fearlessly and with great self-sacrifice even though they knew that their lives were in danger.

When Emperor Diocletian began punishing Christians for their faith, many Christians were killed. St. Marcellinus and Peter were also killed along with many others. They were beheaded.

But before they died, they were forced to dig their own graves. They were taken to a hidden spot, deep in the Silva Nigra forest, to do this difficult job.

Years later, their graves were discovered in that remote spot. Their executioner, the man who cut off their heads, asked for God's forgiveness and repented of the killings becoming a Christian himself.

He led devoted Christians to the remains, which were then buried in the catacomb of St. Tiberius. Pope Gregory IV sent the relics (or remains) to Frankfurt, Germany, in 827. He believed that the relics of these two saints would bring blessings to the Church in that nation.

A big celebration, no doubt!

Catholic

Almanac:

Sunday, June 2
Liturgical Color: Green
Today is the optional memorial of Saints Marcellinus and Peter. They are 2 of the martyrs listed in the first Eucharistic prayer. Arrested during the Diocletian persecution; both were beheaded in 304 AD, but not before converting their jailer.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: June 02, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Lord Jesus Christ, you gave us the Eucharist as the memorial of your suffering and death. May our worship of this sacrament of your body and blood help us to experience the salvation you won for us and the peace of the kingdom where you live with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

RECIPES

Lebkuchen I

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

LIBRARY

Ordinary Time: June 2nd

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Old Calendar: Second Sunday after Pentecost

Worldwide Holy Hour with Pope Francis

While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many."

Where the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is not observed as a holy day, it is assigned to the Sunday after Trinity Sunday, which is then considered its proper day in the calendar.

Please see this special section on Corpus Christi.

Worldwide Holy Hour
Today Pope Francis will lead a worldwide hour of Eucharistic adoration the Vatican has announced.

Cathedrals all across the world will hold an hour of Eucharistic adoration at the same time, inviting the faithful to pray for the Pope's intentions. The worldwide session of adoration will take place from 5 to 6 this afternoon in Rome, and cathedrals worldwide will synchronize their vigils to match that time. The Pope has asked the universal Church to pray for two intentions during the hour of adoration:

For the Church spread throughout the world and united today in the adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist as a sign of unity. May the Lord make her ever more obedient to hearing his Word in order to stand before the world `ever more beautiful, without stain or blemish, but holy and blameless.' That through her faithful announcement, the Word that saves may still resonate as the bearer of mercy and may increase love to give full meaning to pain and suffering, giving back joy and serenity.
For those around the world who still suffer slavery and who are victims of war, human trafficking, drug running, and slave labor. For the children and women who are suffering from every type of violence. May their silent scream for help be heard by a vigilant Church so that, gazing upon the crucified Christ, she may not forget the many brothers and sisters who are left at the mercy of violence. Also, for all those who find themselves in economically precarious situations, above all for the unemployed, the elderly, migrants, the homeless, prisoners, and those who experience marginalization. That the Church's prayer and its active nearness give them comfort and assistance in hope and strength and courage in defending human dignity.

The worldwide hour of Eucharistic adoration is one of two initiatives for the Year of Faith, announced on May 28 by the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization.

Corpus Christi Sunday
Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ) is a Eucharistic solemnity, or better, the solemn commemoration of the institution of that sacrament. It is, moreover, the Church's official act of homage and gratitude to Christ, who by instituting the Holy Eucharist gave to the Church her greatest treasure. Holy Thursday, assuredly, marks the anniversary of the institution, but the commemoration of the Lord's passion that very night suppresses the rejoicing proper to the occasion. Today's observance, therefore, accents the joyous aspect of Holy Thursday.

The Mass and the Office for the feast was edited or composed by St. Thomas Aquinas upon the request of Pope Urban IV in the year 1264. It is unquestionably a classic piece of liturgical work, wholly in accord with the best liturgical traditions. . . It is a perfect work of art.

— Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.

In the words of St. Thomas:

"How inestimable a dignity, beloved brethren, divine bounty has bestowed upon us Christians from the treasury of its infinite goodness! For there neither is nor ever has been a people to whom the gods were so nigh as our Lord and God is nigh unto us.

"Desirous that we be made partakers of His divinity, the only-begotten Son of God has taken to Himself our nature so that having become man, He would be enabled to make men gods. Whatever He assumed of our nature He wrought unto our salvation. For on the altar of the Cross He immolated to the Father His own Body as victim for our reconciliation and shed His blood both for our ransom and for our regeneration. Moreover, in order that a remembrance of so great benefits may always be with us, He has left us His Body as food and His Blood as drink under appearances of bread and wine.

"O banquet most precious! O banquet most admirable! O banquet overflowing with every spiritual delicacy! Can anything be more excellent than this repast, in which not the flesh of goats and heifers, as of old, but Christ the true God is given us for nourishment? What more wondrous than this holy sacrament! In it bread and wine are changed substantially, and under the appearance of a little bread and wine is had Christ Jesus, God and perfect Man. In this sacrament sins are purged away, virtues are increased, the soul is satiated with an abundance of every spiritual gift. No other sacrament is so beneficial. Since it was instituted unto the salvation of all, it is offered by Holy Church for the living and for the dead, that all may share in its treasures.

"My dearly beloved, is it not beyond human power to express the ineffable delicacy of this sacrament in which spiritual sweetness is tasted in its very source, in which is brought to mind the remembrance of that all-excelling charity which Christ showed in His sacred passion? Surely it was to impress more profoundly upon the hearts of the faithful the immensity of this charity that our loving Savior instituted this sacrament at the last supper when, having celebrated the Pasch with His disciples. He was about to leave the world and return to the Father. It was to serve as an unending remembrance of His passion, as the fulfillment of ancient types — this the greatest of His miracles. To those who sorrow over His departure He has given a unique solace."

Symbols: The usual symbol for the Holy Eucharist is a chalice, with a host rising out of it.

The chalice is shown with a hexagonal base, as a rule, symbolizing the Six Attributes of the Deity (power, wisdom, majesty, mercy, justice and love), and with a richly wrought stem of gold, studded with precious stones. The host is shown as the typical circular wafer, upon which may be imprinted the letters I. N. R. I., from which proceed rays of light, symbolical of the Real Presence, the substantial presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine.

An altar, upon which is set a cross, two or more candles in their tall candlesticks, a chalice and a ciborium, is another symbol often seen.

Things to Do:

The Directory on Popular Piety explains Eucharistic devotion and Eucharistic adoration.
Encourage your pastor to have a Eucharist Procession on the Feast of Corpus Christi.
Freshly baked bread would be a key dish at your celebratory Sunday dinner, as bread has always been symbolic for life giving and nourishment, as is the Eucharist. We have also highlighted a Christmas cookie recipe called Lebkuchen (life cake), which is rich in symbolism.
Two newer church documents to read:

The fourteenth encyclical letter of Pope John Paul II Ecclesia de Eucharistia (On the Eucharist in Its Relationship to the Church) released on Holy Thursday, April 17, 2003. The focus of the papal encyclical is the celebration of the Eucharist; the Pope reminds us that the Eucharist is the center of Catholic spiritual life.

Redemptionis Sacramentum (On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist), an Instruction released by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on March 25, 2004.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

“This is my body that is for you.” (1 Corinthians 11:24)

It’s the year 1263, and you are on a pilgrimage to Rome. On the road, you meet a priest from Prague. Struggling with doubts about his vocation, he too is on pilgrimage, seeking to deepen his faith. That evening, you both stop at a church about seventy miles north of the city. The pastor invites you both to spend the night in his rectory to rest and then celebrate Mass with him in the morning.

During the consecration at Mass, the pastor raises the Host and recites the familiar words: “This is my body. Do this in remembrance of me.” Just then, something amazing happens: the Host begins to bleed! The priest’s doubts vanish, and his love for Jesus begins to burn anew. This miracle led Pope Urban IV to institute the feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus the next year. The white cloth that caught the blood on that day remains on display in the cathedral of Orvieto, and every year on this day, a grand procession with the cloth takes place through the streets of the city.

What miracle do you need today? Anything is possible on a day like today. In fact, anything is possible every time you receive the Eucharist. That’s because at every Communion, Jesus pours his love into you just as he poured out his blood on the cross. Every time you receive him, his flesh and blood, his very life, mingles with your own flesh and blood and lifts you up. His perfect, divine presence enters into your fallen, human presence and offers healing, wisdom, salvation, and hope.

So let the Lord mend your broken heart today. Give him permission to heal an illness or walk with you through a challenging situation. Above all, let him show you how much he delights in you!

“Lord, I need a miracle today. Give me a deeper revelation of your love as I receive your body and blood.”

Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 110:1-4; Luke 9:11-17

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

1. In the first reading and the responsorial psalm, we are introduced to the Old Testament priest, Melchizedek. He is further described in Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of the book of Hebrews. In fact, the author of Hebrews quotes God as saying to Jesus, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:6)—quoting the text from Psalm 110:4. Why do you think Melchizedek is considered a symbol and foreshadowing of Jesus (hint: read Hebrews 7:1-17)?

2. The responsorial psalm also speaks prophetically of Jesus’ power, majesty, and rule. In the midst of trials, it is easy to forget that that Jesus has the power to “Rule in the midst of your enemies” (Psalm 110:2). What steps can you take to strengthen your faith in Jesus, and his victory in your life, even in the midst of trials and suffering?

3. In the second reading, Paul uses these words to describe the importance of receiving the Eucharist, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). What do these words mean to you?

4. The Gospel reading tells the story of Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand by the multiplication of the fish and loaves. Why do you believe the Church uses this reading on this feast of the “Body and Blood of Christ”? How does this event foreshadow the Eucharist?

5. The meditation speaks eloquently of the graces that are ours each time we receive the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist. It reminds us that “at every Communion, Jesus pours his love into you just as he poured out his blood on the cross. Every time you receive him, his flesh and blood, his very life, mingles with your own flesh and blood and lifts you up. His perfect, divine presence enters into your fallen, human presence and offers healing, wisdom, salvation, and hope.” Do these words describe your own experience when you receive Jesus’ body and blood in the Eucharist? How would you describe the importance of the Eucharist in your life? What are some additional steps that you can take to deepen the impact of the Eucharist on your life?

6. Take some time now to pray and ask the Lord to allow you to experience more deeply his love for you each time you receive him in the Eucharist. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as a starting point.