Hey Deacon!

In reflecting on this beautiful feast day celebration, I came across an article posted by Catholic Answers. The following are some key points about the feast that I wish to share.
 
The Feast of Corpus Christi, also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a Catholic celebration of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist—and thus a sacred reminder that, in every Mass, Jesus’ one sacrifice on Calvary is sacramentally made present and offered anew for “the forgiveness of the sins we daily commit.” (CCC 1366)
 
While Holy Thursday recalls Christ’s institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, Corpus Christi gives Catholics a joyful opportunity to honor our Eucharistic Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This includes public devotion apart from Mass.
 
When Is the Feast of Corpus Christi celebrated?
 
Corpus Christi was celebrated on the Thursday following the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. However, in the United States, and in many other countries, the celebration was transferred to the following Sunday so that more of the faithful can participate. (This year it is on June 25.) And despite the move to Sunday, the feast remains anchored in its traditional Thursday observance on the Church’s liturgical calendar -- as a second remembrance of Holy Thursday and the Last Supper.
 
Why does the Catholic Church celebrate Corpus Christi?
 
The Church celebrates Corpus Christi to profess and adore our Eucharistic Lord. Jesus is truly present body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist. At every Mass we partake of the Lamb of God, the New Covenant Passover sacrifice. This feast highlights the sacramental and sacrificial reality of Christ’s presence and affirms the Church’s teaching on transubstantiation. It invites the faithful into deeper Eucharistic devotion.
 
How did the feast begin?
 
The visions of St. Juliana of Liège (modern day St. Juliana) inspired the Feast of Corpus Christi. St. Juliana, a 13^th century Norbertine religious, saw a moon with a dark spot in a vision. This symbolized to her the absence of a liturgical feast to specifically honor the Real Presence. With the support of theologians and other Church leaders, particularly Archdeacon Jacques Pantaléon—the future Pope Urban IV—Corpus Christi was first celebrated in the Diocese of Liège in 1246.
 
Fast forward to 1263, when a Eucharistic miracle occurred in Bolsena, Italy. Pope Urban IV was so convinced of this miracle that he instituted Corpus Christi as a universal feast in the Church the following year. He did so through his papal bull ‘Transiturus de hoc mundo’.
 
So, what was the miracle of Bolsena?
 
The Miracle of Bolsena occurred when a German priest known as Peter of Prague was struggling with doubts about the Real Presence. He prayed fervently against these doubts. Then during one Mass, right after he pronounced the words of consecration, he noticed blood seeping from the host. The blood stained the corporal (a small linen cloth on the altar), Fr. Peter later brought the host and corporal to Pope Urban IV who was residing in nearby Orvieto.  This Eucharistic miracle further affirmed Catholic teaching on the Real Presence, while directly leading to the global celebration of the Corpus Christi Feast.
 
Many pilgrims and tourists today continue to visit the Basilica of St. Christina in Bolsena, where this Eucharistic miracle took place, and the Cathedral of Orvieto where the miraculous, blood-stained corporal is reserved.
 
The feast of Corpus Christi is a testament to the Catholic Church’s belief in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist – the source and summit of our faith. May it continue to nourish our minds and souls.
Author Bio:
 Deacon Dan Vaughn