Today is the feast of Corpus Christi. Some Sundayise this feast day.
From the New Zealand Prayer Book page 541:
Praise and glory to you creator Spirit of God;
you make our bread Christ’s body
to heal and reconcile
and to make us the body of Christ.
You make our wine Christ’s living sacrificial blood
to redeem the world.
You are truth.
You come like the wind of heaven, unseen, unbidden.
Like the dawn
you illuminate the world around us;
you grant us a new beginning every day.
You warm and comfort us.
You give us courage and fir
and strength beyond our every day resources.
Be with us Holy Spirit in all we say or think,
in all we do this and every day.
Amen.
I’m glad we in the N.Z. Church have this opportunity of giving special attention to the Feast of Sacrament of Christ in the Eucharist. We at Saint Michael’s marked the Day with 3 separate Masses – the school Mass, the mid-day Mass with Anointing for Healing, and tonight’s Solemn Parish Mass. This latter was my choice. Our daily Masses are at the heart of our ministry.
One wonders in how many Anglican churches this day will be marked by even a simple Celebration of the Eucharist.
As you intimate here, Bosco, in your heading, our Roman Catholic friends – all too sadly – no longer celebrate this Feast on the day appointed, but defer it to the nearest Sunday. Is that a sign of being unable to muster a congregation on the actual Feast Day, which used at one time to be called a Holy Day of Obligation’?
An amigo who is the Provost of St Mary’s Cathedral* in Glasgow, Scotland had a glorious celebration.
Here is his blog post;
http://www.thurible.net/20110624/keeping-the-feast-3/
Here are photos;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gordonrasmith/sets/72157626907674895/show/
*The twin to Christchurch’s cathedral.
Sadly, very sadly, not all Catholic parishes mark Corpus Christi in any formal manner. And the Sacred Heart of Jesus seems to have gone out the window.
Thanks, Br Graham-Michoel, I had not realised there was any option…