Saint of the Day for 2 June: Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi: Meaning, History and Traditions of the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Name
Corpus Christi
Title
Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
Recurrence
2 June
Martyrology
2004 edition
Prayer
Most lovable Jesus, who in order to remain with us until the end of the ages wished with an excess of love to institute the Eucharistic Sacrament, and under the Sacramental azimas made you the salutary food and drink of our souls, deh! grant that we may worthily correspond to so great a bounty, continually, with purity of conscience and with the liveliest ardor of charity yearn for your Divine Table, adoring you with all love reverence and gratitude in the Sacred Host. We hope to be blessed, sanctified and beatified by You, so that after having been our sweetest comfort in life You may also be our viaticum for blissful eternity. So be it.
Roman Martyrology
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ: with his sacred nourishment he offers remedy of immortality and pledge of resurrection.
The Saint and Mission
Corpus Christi, also known as the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a celebration that highlights the heart of the Catholic faith: the Eucharist. This solemnity is not only a time of adoration and thanksgiving, but also represents a call to mission for all believers. The Eucharist, as the source and summit of Christian life, nourishes the faithful with the real presence of Christ, empowering them to carry out the Church’s mission in the world. During Corpus Christi, the Eucharistic procession through the streets symbolizes bringing Christ into the heart of daily life. It is a powerful reminder to live the teaching of Jesus, to be witnesses of his love and presence in our communities. The celebration reminds us that as we feed on the Body and Blood of Christ, we are called to be the Body of Christ in the world, responding with generosity and compassion to the needs of others. The mission of Corpus Christi is therefore twofold: to worship Christ present in the Eucharist and, through this worship, to be transformed to live a life of service and witness. Each participant is invited to reflect on how an encounter with the Eucharistic Christ can inspire actions of love, justice and mercy, helping to build a community more faithful to Gospel values.
The Saint and Mercy
Corpus Christi is a celebration that highlights God’s infinite mercy, manifested through the gift of the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, Christ offers himself to us, giving himself completely for our salvation and spiritual nourishment. This act of self-giving is the essence of mercy, a love that sacrifices itself for the sake of another. The Eucharistic procession during Corpus Christi is a visible symbol of this divine mercy reaching out from the confines of the church to the world. Taking the Eucharist through the streets and squares is a way to show that God’s love and mercy are not confined to the altar, but are meant for everyone, wherever they are. It is an invitation to reflect on how we can be vehicles of that same mercy in our daily lives. By participating in Corpus Christi, we are called to imitate this Eucharistic mercy by living a life of love, forgiveness and service toward others. It is a reminder that as we feed on the Body of Christ, we are also called to be his Body in the world, showing compassion and care for everyone we encounter. In this way, Corpus Christi not only celebrates the mystery of faith, but challenges us to embody that faith through tangible acts of mercy.
Hagiography
“So God loved the world, that he gave us his Only Begotten Son.” These wondrous words we see shining on the hut of the Infant of Bethlehem where Christ was born on a bed of leaves…