Corpus Christi is a festival that has been celebrated by
many Christians, particularly the Catholic Church, in honor of the
Eucharist since 1246. The name “Corpus Christi” is a Latin phrase that
refers to the body of Christ. Corpus Christi 2018 is
on Thursday, May 31, 2018
Corpus Christi is a
Christian feast celebrated every year on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday in
commemoration of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles before
his crucifixion on Holy Thursday. Due to the somber
atmosphere of Holy Week, Holy Thursday, leading to Good Friday, does not allow
for a splendid unfolding of festivities.
Corpus Christ is Latin
for "Body of Christ" and is celebrated particularly by those of
Catholic faith, while most protestant denominations don't recognize the feast.
It is a moveable celebration that depends on the date of Easter and can occur
as early as May 21 or as late as June 24.
Corpus Christi is a
public holiday in many countries (or parts of countries) with predominantly
catholic populations. In countries where Corpus Christi is not a public holiday
the feast is often celebrated on the following Sunday.
This year I
have come to understand some of the readings of the New Testament that were
obscure to me until now. One is in Luke
about Zacchaeus.
Luke 19 New
International Version (NIV)
Zacchaeus
the Tax Collector
19 Jesus
entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of
Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who
Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he
ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming
that way.
5 When
Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately.
I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him
gladly.7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the
guest of a sinner.”8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord!
Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated
anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”9 Jesus said to
him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son
of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” I now
understand that a second chance is given even to the rich or dishonest and how
man can make a conversion even when they are very wealthy. This relates to the reading about a camel
being able to go through the eye of a needle!
The Rich and
the Kingdom of God
18 A certain ruler asked him,
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me
good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit
adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false
testimony, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
21 “All these I have kept
since I was a boy,” he said.
22 When Jesus heard this, he
said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow
me.”
23 When he heard this, he
became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is
for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 Those who heard this asked,
“Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus replied, “What
is impossible with man is possible with God.”
28 Peter said to him, “We have
left all we had to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell
you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or
brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of
God 30 will fail to
receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal
life.”
These were
readings that were hard for me to understand and now I have been illuminated to
understand that truly humans (with God’s help) can reach what seems to be
impossible. Stalin said that the rich
will not self destruct, yet I truly believe that there is a promised conversion
of humanity and that we must believe in the intelligence of our brains to
realize the need to survive together as a species, with animals and all of
creation. With this renewed inspiration
and illumination that I feel in these days I wish to greet all of you and
expect a very beautiful and forceful Corpus Christi this year, 2018! AUGURIOS AND BLESSINGS TO ALL!
And be sure to eat some delicious homemade bread! I can give you some recipes if you need them! Also, (a little humorously) my son’s initials are PAN!!! Which is bread in Spanish! I did not name him with that intention, but later realized his initials formed the word! So with a bit of fun in it, I present to you this year, my son so you can expect even more contemplations in the future!
And be sure to eat some delicious homemade bread! I can give you some recipes if you need them! Also, (a little humorously) my son’s initials are PAN!!! Which is bread in Spanish! I did not name him with that intention, but later realized his initials formed the word! So with a bit of fun in it, I present to you this year, my son so you can expect even more contemplations in the future!
CORPUS
Corpus
Christi is a real place,
A physical
union between the heavens and land.
It is a
real body, living and with breath,
In a
material shape, in an able man!
Corpus is
reachable, teachable, and flexible
Enough to find
reason and possibilities
Where even
hope has thrown in the rope.
It is
waiting in a real place, in a true being,
For us to
discover its existence!
By: Karla
The poetic
devices in these readings are subtle and multiple. How wonderful to actually “feel” and “sense”
the deeper meanings and to be able to transmit them to others!
The other day I had a dream I would like to
share that relates to all this! On April
23, 2018, I was half awake and half asleep and was dreaming. I sensed and actually could see! the Spirit and I saw it moving like
a cloud and floating softly along, in multiple movements. It was like a living being. It was really very beautiful, and gave me
desires to live, renewing me and filling me with hope! I understood from this that in the future all
good will come forth. It was really very
special and beautiful! Earlier on that
Monday, we had read about Jesus Misicordioso (Merciful Jesus) in my group of
Legion of Mary!
