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Feast of Corpus Christi
The feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, traditionally known by the Latin, Corpus Christi, is a feast meant to bring home to us a respect for what we have — by the most generous gift of Christ — His Body and Blood in the Eucharist that we daily celebrate at His altar.
After the sacrifice, we have the Real Presence of Jesus continuing to be present in the Sacred Species of the Consecrated Body and Blood. Familiarity breeds contempt as the saying goes, but also breeds a taking for granted. Such was the case during the Middle Ages when the Church established the annual feast built around recognizing the sacredness of Christ’s Real Presence among us.
Although the universal recognition of the feast goes back only to the 13th century, the need for the feast and its appropriateness continues for each generation. It is necessary to balance the availability of the Eucharist as our daily food with the sacred mystery of the Lord’s presence. The cathedrals that have been built and works of art and music that have been dedicated speak to that dedication and respect.
The feast is the one day in the year that it is appropriate to have a procession carrying the Blessed Sacrament at the end of Mass. Such processions mark festivals throughout Western Europe at which people dress in their finery as when a distinguished visitor comes to their village or home. Their internal and external preparations seem to exclaim, “Christ is coming - Let us adore.”
Here in Brooklyn and Queens we also have the opportunity to be part of an outdoor Corpus Christi procession. On Sunday, June 10, a procession follows 12:30 p.m. Mass at the Church of the Guardian Angel, Brighton Beach, and at 2:30 p.m. there will be a procession at SS. Joachim and Anne parish, Queens Village.
Be a part of the celebration and a witness to the community.
A Disaster Averted
The latest threatened disaster in our city, a planned attack on fuel tanks at John F. Kennedy International Airport, is unique in several ways although similar to 9/11 in the death and destruction that was planned.
We are reminded that we can never become complacent. In this new world since 9/11 we can never take for granted that a potential terrorist fits a stereotypical profile being looked for by airport security guards.
The alleged perpetrators of this event were American citizens, immigrants from a country not seen as a threat to our own. Evidently they planned in great detail but were unable to gather the means and materials of destruction. They were foiled by expert and intent police work and surveillance and thwarted at the right time.
Sufficient material had been gathered for the prosecution of these men but not they had not made enough progress to actually execute of their plans.
Yet the names, places, and neighborhoods are familiar to us. One suspect was picked up at a neighborhood diner.
We drive by the targeted storage tanks daily or see them as we head into JFK for a vacation trip. The tanks are a lifeline for our transportation industry on which we depend so heavily.
It was truly a planned, home-grown terrorist plot that can alert us but should not reduce us in fear. These are the means and mechanics of modern life which we live by and enjoy. Part of our safe life is the expert protection and ever vigilant police work for which we must always be grateful. Police work is an ever-present God-given gift.
We must keep a watchful and respectful eye on those men and women who follow that vocation. There are occasions like this when their work will shine and we can breathe easier. For the long, lonely and dangerous days and nights they are on patrol we also should remain grateful.
Puerto Rican Day
Sunday, June 10, is also Puerto Rican Day and that may mean for many people the chance to get together with family and celebrate their heritage, have a barbecue, go into the city and see a parade.
It is a June day when the Puerto Rican flag is evident up and down many avenues in the diocese, flying from cars and hanging from windows. It is a day of great pride.
Hopefully, as part of the day there will also be the chance to celebrate the Catholic faith which many Puerto Ricans brought with them to New York and which sustained them in hard times when they were building a new life here.
We hear stories of Puerto Rican families in which all of the youngsters had to be home by a certain hour when the family gathered to say the rosary together. No one dared miss that appointed time.
It was the prayers of the mothers that kept these families going and hopefully that faith is part of this day of celebration.
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