Religious Education and Social Justice
Feast of Corpus Christi
On Sunday 14th June, the Church celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi. The feast day is also known as the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. On this day we celebrate and commemorate the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
Although the liturgy on Holy Thursday remembers the celebration of the Last Supper, its focus tends to be more aligned with the events of the Passion rather than on the institution of the Eucharist. In the 13th Century, Pope Urban IV established the feast of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ) and it was St Thomas Aquinas who composed the official prayers of the Church for the feast day.
In 1970 the feast was changed to the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. In some countries it is celebrated on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday and in others on the following Sunday.
In Sunday’s Gospel reading Jesus repeatedly demands that his followers must eat his flesh and drink his blood. It is through these actions that his followers will share in eternal life. Jesus says that whoever does this will live in him and he will live in them. That is one of the fundamental beliefs about the Eucharist. When we receive the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist we become what we receive – we become Christ’s body in the world. When Jesus called his disciples, he called them to be like himself. He reissues that call to be like him every time we receive his body and blood in the Eucharist.
O Lord Jesus Christ,
we come before You today,
we thank You for the gift
of Your Holy Body and Blood
through which we get strengthened
body, soul and mind.
We solemnly pledge that we will offer You
our undivided love
and also service to our brothers and sisters
as it is Your Holy will.
We pray this
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
On Monday we celebrated our school feast day. (No actual "feast" to eat though!) We were also celebrating being back together as a community.
All the students participated in activities related to the Last Supper and Corpus Christi. Here are some photos of the stained glass window art work our Year Preps did in response to our feast day!
Sunday Mass Activities for Children
Jesus has been busy teaching the people, healing the sick and performing miracles. Now he has a very important teaching: he calls himself ‘living bread’…
Click on this link to explore the Gospel reading:
https://cathfamily.org/cathkids-corpus-christi-ya/
Explore the reading by clicking on the following tabs located on the main screen:
- The Word: video of the reading
- Look Closer: brief exploration of the reading in child friendly language
- Ponder: some questions to ponder or wonder about related to the Gospel and our lives
- Respond: an activity is provided to further give children the opportunity to reflect on the Gospel of the week
- Pray: a short prayer service for families to participate in.
May God bless us all and keep us safe.
Jane Wilkinson
Religious Education Leader