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Corpus Christi - a celebration of the Eucharist

The Feast of Corpus Christi is a movable feast celebrated a week after Pentecost Sunday which was yesterday June 26, 2011. It is is a celebration of the Eucharist. Often it is called Communion, the Mass, and the Lord’s Supper.


The Last Supper painted by Leonardo da Vinci

Although the Feast of Corpus Christi was instituted as a Catholic holiday in the 13th century, the Sacrament of Holy Communion dates back to Maundy Thursday, when Jesus shared the Last Supper with the disciples. Of all the sacraments of the Christian faith, the Eucharist is regardedas special and unique.

The Feast of Corpus Christi has an interesting history. Its inspiration is due to two things: the first is the Miracle of Bolsena, which happened in A.D. 1263. Peter of Prague, a German priest, during a pilgrimage to Rome, stopped at the Church of St. Christina there to offer Mass. Whilehe was a holy and devout man, he harboured doubts about the Real Presence - doubts which were completely resolved when the Host he consecrated during that Mass began to bleed. He rushed to meet Pope Urban IV in Orvieto, bringing the Host with him. The miracle was declared, and the Host is still on display at the Cathedral of Orvieto today.

The second source of inspiration was an Augustinian nun, a Belgian named St. Juliana of Mont Cornillon (A.D. 1193-1258). She had a vision of the Moon that was full and beautiful, but marked by a black spot that signified that there was no joyous celebration of the Eucharist in the entire Church calendar.

She claimed that she had visions of Christ telling her that a feast should be celebrated in honor of the Holy Eucharist. In a vision, she saw the Church under a full moon with a lone dark spot on it, representing the absence of such an observance. In 1208, she revealed that in her first vision she was instructed to beseech the Church for the establishment of the Feast of Corpus Christi. This vision was repeated for twenty years. For twenty years, Juliana kept them secret, until finally revealing them to her confessor, who in turn relayed her accounts to the bishops Hugh of St-Cher, Jacques Pantaléon, and Robert de Thorete. However, they were only successful in conducting this feast in their dioceses.


St. Juliana of Mont Cornillon

At this time in history, bishops had the authority to institute feasts in their own dioceses. So, Juliana beseeched Robert de Thorete, Bishop of Liege, Bishop Hugh of St-Cher, and Archdeacon Jacques Pantaleon, who would later become Pope Urban IV. It was Bishop Robert that convened a synod in 1246, and decreed that the Feast of Corpus Christi be would be observed every year.

It was not until after the deaths of Juliana and Robert de Thorete that the observance of Corpus Christi began to spread throughout the church. In 1263, Pope Urban IV ordered the investigation of a reported miracle of stigmata experienced by a consecrated host during the feast in Bolsena. The following year the pope made Corpus Christi a universal feast to be observed throughout the whole of the Latin Church. It is the first feast sanctioned by a pope to be added to the Christian calendar.

For several centuries the celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi included a Eucharistic procession in which the Sacred Host was carried throughout the village or town. As the procession passed by them, worshipers would venerate the Body of Christ. Many parishes have discontinued the procession through town, opting instead for a short procession outside of the church.

The late Pope John Paul II organized a procession from the Vatican to the people in the city of Rome. This set an example for churches all over the world to do similar processions. However, events and celebrations tend to differ from country to country, or even from church to church.

Different customs surrounded this feast dating back to the time of the Middle Ages. These included pageants, processions and wreaths. In America towns and bodies of water were named in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. In America the Feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with the usual solemn observance, by the missionaries and their native converts in Florida, California, Texas, New Mexico, and in the missions of New France (Canada and the Great Lakes region).

In honour of the festival the Franciscans named a bay of the Gulf of Mexico “Corpus Christi Bay.” Later a town, founded on the shore of that bay, was given the same title — Corpus Christi, Texas. In a similar way the capital of California was named Sacramento after the river on whichit is situated, which had been named by the missionaries in honour of the Holy Eucharist.

The traditional Mass includes the ‘Lauda Sion’ Sequence by St. Thomas Aquinas, and aprocession followed by the greatest Eucharistic hymns of the Church, also written by St. Thomas especially for this Feast.

These include ‘Sacris Solemnis’, ‘Ave Verum’, ‘Adoro Te’, and ‘Verbum Supernum’.


Cardinal hosted by New York faithful

Sri Lankans in the tri-state area had a rare opportunity to witness the first visit of the His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith to celebrate the Holy Eucharist with nine co-celebrants at St. Rita’s Church in Staten Island, New York, USA on June 17, 2011.

The Cardinal’s message to the community was to reach out to every individual, especially to the affected parties of the conflict. He stressed the importance of appreciating their contribution to bring true permanent peace to their mother nation.

The popular Sri Lankan Catholic Choir of New York and New Jersey sang praise worship on this historic occasion. Venerable Bhante Kondanna Thero, Chief Abbot of Staten Island Buddhist Vihara, Dr. Palitha Kohona, Permanent Representative and Major General Shavendra Silva, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations also graced this great occasion.

The Sri Lankan Catholic Community hosted the Cardinal and his entourage to a reception and fellowship. The event was well attended by over 450 Sri Lankans and well-wishers around the tri-state area, and was co-ordinated by Rev. Fr. Neville Joe Perera, the Coordinator Sri Lanka Archdiocese for Italy.

Trevor L


WEEKLY DEVOTIONS :

When life weighs you down…

I have heard people say: “I am tired of living – I can’t take it anymore… life is tough….. at the end of it. What do we gain?” Did God intend life to be so? At some stage in life we feel this way. There is an answer to this if we really seek God’s word and ask the Holy Spirit to show us the way.

When we read the Creation Account in The Book of Genesis, we understand that God created a perfect world. Once everything was created God was pleased and Genesis 1:31 says - God saw everything that He made and indeed it was very good. Everything God created reflected the message of goodness as God is good.

However, before the creation of the world and us humans a spiritual realm was created by God, where a terrible catastrophe took place. That was when Lucifer the most beautiful and powerful Arch Angel rebelled against God, and he, together with one third of the angels who took his side were cast out by God from His presence.

Once he is cast out, he is bent on bringing evil into God’s creation. When he learns that God has created man and woman in His image with a specific reason of communicating with them and these humans are going to live forever, and they are the crowning glory of God, he is furious. He spends his time with the other evil spirits, who are the cast out angels to bring about disharmony and destruction to God’s creation.

We know how Adam and Eve fall prey to Lucifer’s schemes and due to the fall of man God actually loses the world and the humans and everything in it to Satan. God wanted to bring about salvation - and a plan to redeem the world is set in motion.

He and He alone was able to do this as the fallen state of mankind simply destroyed every possibility of coming up to God’s standard of holiness. A big gap between man and God, which only could be bridged by God Himself. God in the form of a perfect man enters into the world to make that perfect sacrifice.

And His death will atone to bring us back to God, just by accepting this truth and acknowledging , and repenting concerning our sinful ways. All the work is done by Jesus and salvation is given to us as a gift on a platter. God never intended life to weigh us down. We are caught between a spiritual warfare.

However, when we really follow instructions from our Maker, life is filled with joy and an inner peace does persist – come what may.

The major work of salvation is over – the retrieving has been done. It is a matter of time when Christ shall come again - and this time to bring back God’s rule where everything is going to be perfect again.

Sunitha Sahayam


Prayer

Lord, teach me to live my life under your shadow as you show me how my burdens become lighter and my strength is renewed. Help me to be focused on you and not this world. You alone hold the key to life’s problems - You alone know the pathway to a better life. A life hid under the shelter of your wings. Yes Lord, as I take shelter under your wings, I can soar on wings of an eagle. Thank you Jesus for thy word – thank you Holy Spirit as you give me inner strength. Come Lord Jesus, and rule my life this day and for ever more. In Jesus’s name, Amen


A brief history:

The Infant Jesus Church, Imbulgoda

In the heart of a coconut estate, away from the hustle and bustle of the town, stands the Infant Jesus Church of Imbulgoda.


Infant Jesus of Prague

It had its beginning as a hut in the early seventies. The late Rev Fr Lugie Hettiarachchi with the help of the parishioners and generous benefactors managed to construct a small church in this predominantly Buddhist area. Since it’s in a dilapidated condition the present parish priest Rev Fr Rowin Sandasiri Perera decided to erect a new building.

Although the estimated cost of the new church was nine million rupees, with trust in His Providence Fr Rowin took the initiative with only 1.2 million rupees in hand. The good part of it was achieved by various ways. The donations of parishioners, generous donations of benefactors – tithes (one tenth of your monthly income which belongs to the Lord. From the Bible – Malachi chapter 3 – verses 7-12, Proverbs Chapter 3 Verses 9-10, Luke Chapter 6, Verse 38, 2 Corinthians Chapter 9 Verses 5-9 gives the answer – the blessings and curses very clearly).

This Church caters to a few Catholic families in this village, but majority of them belong to the less fortunate category. Yet Fr Rowin won their hearts in an inspiring manner. First and foremost our sincere thanks go to Fr Rowin who struggled night and day with one aim and also to the parishioners who rallied round him to bring this church to this stage.

On the December 15, 2009. His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith blessed and dedicated this church to the Infant Jesus. A very large gathering was present on this occasion. Yet there is a balance of Rs 1.5 million rupees to be settled. Fr Rowin with the parishioners pray and hope that this amount too will be settled soon. Therefore he gladly welcomes donations from one and all who are willing to aid this worthy cause.

The donations may be large or small, but like the widow’s mite to Jesus it will be accepted by Fr Rowin with abundant blessings. The fragrance of love and thoughtfulness of all these who contributed in various ways to achieve this target will never fade away from the memory of the parish priest or the parishioners.

You’ll be blessed now and in generations to come - “For if you give, your gifts will return in full and overflowing measures, press down and shaken together, to make room for more running over,” said the Lord. From the Bible Luke Chapter 6 Verse 38.


Thou, the Lord and giver of life
Holy Spirit, Thou third within the Triune Godhead
Proceeding in unison with the Father and Son
And wielding equal power, might and majesty,
Yet three distinct Persons, but one true God.
Thou are the Lord and Giver of life,
Didst appear then in divers forms and expressions
At various times and situations
Once as a spotless white dove over the Jordon River
And as tongues of fire on Pentecost Day
Through the prophets of old Thou didst clearly speak
And continuing to guard and guide
Thy church and people
Specially in these times of travails and uncertainties.


Happenings

The Chairman, Old Boys Association, 80 Group of the St Anthony’s College, Wattala, Numaal Perera unveils the memorial plaque to declare open the newly constructed St Anthony’s statue at the college premises recently. College Principal Rev Fr Maal Fernando, chief organizer Nalaka Perera and the 80 Group members look on. Pic: A Maduraveeran

The annual festival of the St Anthony’s Church, Kimbura Ela, Modera, Colombo 15, held under the patronage of Episcopal Vicar for the Tamil Apostolate, Very Rev Fr Emmanuel Fernando recently. Here the chief guest and the Parish Priest Rev Fr Ernest de Mel are performing special Mass. Picture: A Maduraveeran

St Anthony’s Girls School, Colombo 3 held a procession in honour of St Anthony’s feast organized by the Principal of the school, Sr Sonalie, parents, students and well-wishers of the school participated in the celebrations. Pic by A S M Irshad, Colombo Fort correspondent

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