This Is My Body

Thursday, May 22, 2008, is the Feast of Corpus Christi (and the traditional day to begin a Novena of Confidence to the Sacred Heart of Jesus). In the dioceses of the United States (and many other countries), however, the feast will be celebrated on Sunday, May 25. Unlike with Ascension Thursday, there's no obvious reason for transferring the celebration of Corpus Christi to Sunday: It isn't, for instance, a Holy Day of Obligation. So why do so?

The answer lies in the centrality of the mystery of the Eucharist to the Catholic faith. We believe that Christ meant what He said at the Last Supper on Holy Thursday: "This is My Body"; "This is the cup of My Blood." These aren't just words or symbols: Whenever we receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we receive Christ's Body and Blood. And that is good, because, as Christ told His disciples, "Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you shall not have life within you."

Baptism is the door to the Church, but Holy Communion is our lifeblood. The frequent worthy reception of the Eucharist brings us the grace we need to grow in the Christian life. It's appropriate, therefore, that all Catholics celebrate this feast, which, along with the celebration of the Trinity on Trinity Sunday, forms the cornerstone of our faith.