Eucharistic Procession of the 2018 celebration of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
Archived photo
The Eucharist is also the sacrament of unity. The celebration is an opportunity to show unity, as a sign of common faith in adoration and worship of the sacrament of the Eucharist. This sense of unity has found a deep echo in the ideals of Bishop Michael Mulvey who often quotes, “Father, may they be one, as you and I are one” (John 13:34).
“By saying that we are Catholics, we are saying that we are part of a very large family – not only of Catholics, but of a family where we are all connected, and that is the dream of the bishop, that we can be one,” Reyna said. “That’s why we have to have a big celebration representing different cultures, languages and traditions. It’s important to recognize that we are not only Alice, Robstown or Refugio,” Reyna said. “But we are a big family, that includes us all.”
“When I was investigating how the Feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated in other countries in the world, I realized that they do it in a big way, that they close streets and shops and everybody walks behind the priest carrying the monstrance containing the Body of Christ, thus manifesting a living community that goes out to the streets to celebrate the presence of Jesus.
“That is why I encourage parishioners to ask themselves during this entire week, ‘How can we celebrate? How can we be Christ’s hands and feet? How can we renew ourselves and be part of the responsibility to live the Gospel?’” Reyna said.
Msgr. Marcos Martinez, the pastor at Our Lady of Pilar Parish, remembers with joy the processions in Spain. “...walking in procession with the Blessed Sacrament, we could think and feel the emotion of walking with Jesus, living the joy of sharing in community. In Spain, it’s a very big day.”
Even in the small town where he grew up, Almonacid de la Cuba in the province of Zaragoza, they had a spectacular celebration on the Feast of Corpus Christi. The whole town went out into the streets and walked in the procession. As a boy he remembered when other boys and girls dressed in their first Communion clothes, heading the procession, throwing flowers and rose petals from baskets held by their mothers to ready the streets for the passage of Jesus.
Everyone prepares for this procession. In January, Msgr. Marcos went to visit his hometown; he heard young people rehearsing their drums. “They do it because they believe that Jesus will soon be passing by.
“The Church is a divine institution, not only human, and Jesus did not come to condemn, but to forgive. The Feast of Corpus Christi encourages us to feel the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist,” said Msgr. Marcos. “God is here with us, but in the Eucharist, he is more present.
“As we talk about him, we get closer to him. When we share his presence, we get closer to him. The only condition Jesus asked of us was to go with him in faith. Jesus said, ‘He who believes in me will never die,’” Msgr. Marcos added.
For Reyna, coordinating and preparing for the Feast of Corpus Christi is an opportunity to encourage people not only to be a part of the procession, but also to fall in love with Jesus Christ. “Sharing that experience of worship is sharing a treasure so that others can feel that fire the Lord gives you, and perhaps discover what Jesus wants from each one of us,” he said.
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ will begin in Corpus Christi Cathedral at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 20 and will conclude in the parking lot of the cathedral where food will be offered for free.
This year the procession will be done in a traditional way; the children who have just made their first Communion, as well as those recently confirmed, will lead the procession and open the door to the presence of Christ in the monstrance held by Bishop Mulvey who will walk with two newly ordained priests under a canopy.
They will travel one and a half miles, stopping at three places, where they will pray, sing and Bishop Mulvey will bless all who frequent these places. The group will stop first at the Mother Teresa Day Shelter, then at Sacred Heart Church and finally outside the county jail, where the procession will be visible to prisoners looking from their windows.
“We will be multicultural, united also in the richness of our diverse cultures, as some parishioners will wear the clothes representative of their native country,” Reyna said. There will be three choirs, singing in three different languages: Vietnamese, Filipino and Spanish.”
Let us celebrate the privilege of living and being part of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, the only diocese with the name ‘Body of Christ’ that invites us all to live the experience of walking with Jesus.
Q & A with Bishop Mulvey: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Q – What does the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ mean to you?
A – The feast really points to the love of God for all of us. We see this love fully expressed in Jesus’ action at the Last Supper when he gave us his body and blood. This sacrament is the living memorial of his sacrifice on the cross. In centering our lives on participating in this perfect act of God, we are transformed by God’s grace into who we are individually and who we are together in Christ: his body – the Church. So, the feast celebrates both Christ’s total love for us and us who are his body.
Q – Why is it important to have participation from all the parishes and religious communities with expressions of their various cultures?
A – The Church is catholic (universal) in nature. We profess this each Sunday in the Nicene Creed – “one, holy, catholic [universal], apostolic Church.” Because the body of Christ is present universally, our simple expression of this nature of the Church can be expressed by bringing together people from throughout the diocese and those of us who are of various cultures. This is a true expression of the beauty of the body of Christ.
Q – What does it mean to you, personally, to be Bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi?
A – As Bishop of Corpus Christi, the only diocese in the world that bears the name, I am reminded daily of the source of the Church’s identity and mission – the Eucharist. Secondly, I am reminded constantly of the call to be the Body of Christ – to be who we are meant to be. Although I am entrusted with this portion of the Body of Christ, the name Corpus Christi reminds me constantly that the entire Church is in our care and concern.
Q – Could you share with us your thoughts when you carry the Body of Christ, during this procession?
A – I am particularly aware of this – I carry in my hands the body of Christ who is present among us sacramentally. In the procession or while offering the blessing with the monstrance, I recognize that I am surrounded by the people of God who are his body. I know that I too am a member of his body with my brothers and sisters and have a responsibility to and for them. Having him in my hands either at the altar or in procession, I ask the Holy Spirit to create in us a new heart so that we may be a Church that witnesses to being his body and his presence everywhere.
Q – Do you have a special prayer or incantation when you are before the Body of Christ?
A – I cannot but recall constantly the words of Jesus himself: “This is my body, given up for you.” I find great solace as a child of God that he loves me in this personal way. I am also enthralled with the last two words “for you.” As a priest and bishop, I also experience the mission of being Eucharist for others – to sacrifice myself for others – my life given for you, for every person I meet daily. These simple yet, profound words, call me constantly, as imperfect as I am, to live the love I celebrate.
Q – What do you recommend we pray?
A – The Eucharist is also the sacrament of unity. My prayer, and I invite all of us in the Diocese of Corpus Christi to this prayer, is the words of Jesus addressed to the Father before he went to Calvary. “Father, may they all be one as you and I are one.” As the body of Christ, I invite all of us to repeat each day and constantly using Jesus’ words: “Father, may we all be one in your Son.”
Q – Do you think there is a connection between the celebration of Father’s Day and the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ?
A – Typically, the figure of the father makes us think of stability, safety, love, and support. God is depicted in Scriptures mostly as Father. And just as a father is willing to do the impossible to keep his children safe, so in the celebration of the body and blood of Jesus, we see that God loves us with the gift of his own life.
Q – Would you like to share a spiritual experience regarding the Sacrament of the Eucharist or the Solemnity of the Body of Christ?
A – Personally, when I celebrate the Mass, I know that I stand in eternity. I am “in” God who is past, present and future. I feel that I touch what is beyond me; I touch love. Together with this, I know that I am in the presence of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and I am part of the Church that I cannot see, but in Jesus, I can enjoy. That is, the Communion of saints beginning with Mary, the saints I admire, and saints that I have personally known. The Eucharist is “home” for me.