Corpus Christi Definition and SummaryCorpus Christi is the feast day celebrating the Institution of the Mass, occurring on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday. Prayers: Communion Prayers Basic FactsLiturgical Color(s): White IntroductionThe Feast of Corpus Christi is the feast celebrating the institution of the Holy Eucharist, also called Communion, the Lord's Supper, or the Mass. Maundy Thursday would seem to be the best day to celebrate the institution of the Eucharist, because that is the day it was actually instituted. However, the emphasis on the passion themes present in the Maundy Thursday celebration created the need for another day to focus entirely on the institution of the Mass. The Thursday after Trinity Sunday was chosen because it is a Thursday (the same day Christ instituted the Eucharist) and it is the first free Thursday after the Easter season. Thus Corpus Christi falls within Ordinary Time. Typically Corpus Christi services consist of singing traditional hymns, Lauda Sion and Pange Lingua, both attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas. These hymns are also present in the Anglican Tradition, and are in the current Hymnal of the Episcopal Church (pp. 320, 165). Outdoor processions of the Blessed Sacrament are common in some countries as a way to celebrate Corpus Christi. Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction are also common in many churches. Corpus Christi is primarily thought of as a Western holiday, although the Syrians, Armenians, Copts, and other Eastern Churches have similar festivals. Some regions (including the American Catholic Church) celebrate Corpus Christi on the Sunday after the traditional feast date, i.e. on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday. HistoryIn some ways every Sunday is a feast of the Institution of the Eucharist, because in receiving Communion, we are recalling its institution. The feast of Corpus Christi owes a rather large debt to Juliana, a nun of Liege who was led to start a celebration of the Mass around AD 1230. In AD 1264 a bull of Pope Urban IV commanded the observance of the feast. By the 14th century, the feast became universally celebrated in the West. St. Thomas Aquinas is given credit for many of the customs and hymns associated with Corpus Christi. Scholars have questioned this. However, the hymns and prayers certainly are in the tradition of Aquinas, and many defend the traditional ascription based on internal evidence. The feast is still celebrated in the Catholic Church, although the feast is not officially observed in Protestant churches, although some Anglican churches observe it. Worship And Prayer ResourcesCorpus Christi and Communion Prayers Corpus Christi, Eucharist, and Church Year Books
The Mass of the Early Christians (Aquilina) Traditions and SymbolsTraditions Symbols Frequently Asked QuestionsComing soon! Art and PoetryProcession of the Corpus Christi (From The Breviary of Martin of Aragon) General Links"Feast of Corpus Christi" from the Catholic Encyclopedia About ChurchYear.NetIn the course of a year, the Church celebrates the unfolding of the mystery of Christ, beginning with Advent, anticipating his first coming, and reaching a high point at Easter, the feast of feasts, celebrating Christ's resurrection. Through the Church Year, which includes the seasonal, daily, and yearly cycles of Christian time, we live into the events of Jesus and his followers through sanctified time. Thus, we experience in symbol what Jesus and his followers did in reality. We do this through daily prayer (The Liturgy of the Hours), worship, the Eucharist, the sacraments, art, changing colors, canticles, psalms, antiphons, symbols, and other means. The Church Year, including all liturgical celebrations and times of prayer, is one of the most meaningful dimensions of the Catholic faith. Many Christians of all traditions feel drawn to this system of holy time, and prefer to orient their lives around the Christian calendar instead of the secular calendar. Postmodern men and women feel especially drawn to many elements of Sanctified Time: mystery, connection to the past, and a multitude of religious symbols and experiential elements. Thus the Church Year is a postmodern Catholic evangelism tool, and a means of spiritual growth for all who use it. We now have All About...! pages for every season of the Church Year, and have many All About...! pages for various feasts, fasts, and holy days of the Church Year. Each All About...! page has a history, general facts, scriptural references, traditions, symbols, links, worship resources, sermons, an FAQ, and more material related to the particular season or holy day. We also have a helpful Church Year and Liturgy Dictionary, to define certain unfamiliar terms and practices. We are expanding our resources to include general prayers, language resources, and other tools peripherally related to celebrating the Church Year, but still important to its celebration. Enjoy! If you have any suggestions or information you would like to add to our Church Year. Net pages, please contact us. This page written by David Bennett. Last updated 06-03-2007.
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