Corpus Christi Explained

Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ) is a Christian feast in honor of the Holy Eucharist. It was originally assigned to the Thursday following Trinity Sunday, thereby mirroring Holy Thursday, the Thursday of Holy Week, the day on which Christians commemorate The Last Supper of Jesus Christ and his apostles, seen as the first Holy Eucharist. Many English-speaking countries celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday — on the Sunday after the traditional Thursday celebration in other countries. It is customary on this day, after Mass, to hold processions (often outdoors) with the Host followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

The appearance of Corpus Christi as a feast in the Christian calendar was primarily due to the petitions of the thirteenth-century Augustinian nun Juliana of Liège. From her youth she claimed that God had been instructing her to establish a feast day for the Eucharist and later in life petitioned the learned Dominican Hugh of St-Cher, Jacques Pantaléon (Archdeacon of Liège and later Pope Urban IV) and Robert de Thorete, Bishop of Liège. At that time bishops could order feasts in their dioceses, so in 1246 Bishop Robert convened a synod and ordered a celebration of Corpus Christi to be held each year thereafter. The decree is preserved in Anton Joseph Binterim's Vorzüglichsten Denkwürdigkeiten der Christkatholischen Kirche, together with parts of the first liturgy written for the occasion. In 1264 the pope issued the papal bull Transiturus in which Corpus Christi was made a feast day. A new liturgy for the celebration was written by Thomas Aquinas.

Corpus Christi is primarily celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church but it is also included in the calendar of a few Anglican churches, most notably the Church of England. Anglo-Catholic parishes in other countries observe it but properly do so only with the sanction of their Diocesan bishop.

In the Episcopal Church, there has been a hesitance to make Corpus Christi an officially sanctioned observance.  The 39 Articles of the Book of Common Prayer originally prohibited the “carrying about” of the sacrament.  Another reason was that the “Low church” or evangelical movement has been uneasy with that type of ceremonial which they see as somewhat “romish”.  The 39 Articles are no longer binding for Anglicans but if one reads between the lines, it is apparent that Adoration of the sacrament might not be problematic inasmuch as it does not replace the reception of the elements bodily.

In Roman Catholic parishes that use the Vatican II Mass, the feast is known as "the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ". In the Church of England it is known as The Day of Thanksgiving for the Institution of Holy Communion (Corpus Christi) and has the status of a Festival. It is also celebrated by the Old Catholic Church, the Polish National Catholic Church, and is commemorated in other liturgical calendars of some eastern rite churches.

In some predominantly Roman Catholic countries it is a national holiday. The Feast of Corpus Christi, which is a moveable feast, is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday or, in countries where it is not a Holy Day of Obligation, on the Sunday after Holy Trinity.

What do we gain by processing the sacrament into the world and of adoring the presence of Jesus Christ in His Body?  Primarily, we are making a public statement of the following understandings:  1)  Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord.  2) We believe that Jesus Christ is present, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the consecrated elements of Holy Communion.  3) We participate in the evangelical truth that just as Jesus was lifted high upon the cross to draw all men unto himself, likewise, we life his Sacred Body high in the Monstrance that the faithful may be quickened to devotion and the non-believing world may be invited through the mysteries and beauty of the public liturgy.