The Solemnity of the Most Body and Blood of Christ commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist. This liturgical celebration calls the faithful to focus on the manifestations of the Body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and in the Church.
This feast day introduced in the 13th century to encourage the Catholic faithful to give special honor to the institution of the Holy Eucharist and to the Blessed Sacrament. Pope Urban IV asked great theologian St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) to compose the Mass and the Office of this feast day in the year 1264. Our worship of Jesus in his Body and Blood calls us to offer God the Father our undivided love and an offering of ourselves in service to others.
The great theologian St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) said the following to recent coverts about the Eucharist: "Until now, as you see, it is bread and wine, but once the consecration is added, this bread will be the body of Christ and this wine will be the Blood of Christ.” Like other Early Church Fathers, St Augustine notes the importance of distinguishing between what is seen from what is believed. In the days of the Early Church, people would often bring ordinary bread and wine from their homes to celebrate the Eucharist. The true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is one of the defining beliefs of the Catholic faith, a belief that distinguishes us from most other Protestant denominations.
As the reception of the Eucharist calls us to live out the true presence of Christ in our lives in our humble service to God, to the Church, and to our neighbor, I want to direct your attention to our need for volunteers here at St Jude, especially as catechists and helpers in the religious education program, as well as in different liturgical ministries. With the opening up of the parishes in our Diocese after the protocols that have been in place this past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the start our new year of religious education around the corner, the need for volunteers here at St Jude is more critical than ever. Please prayerfully reflect upon the ways God is calling you to help our parish meet our needs. Next week, we will be having a ministry fair concentrating on these areas of greatest need for volunteers.
Blessings to all of you as we celebrate the Body and Blood of Christ in a special way this weekend. Father Lincoln.
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