The Feast of Corpus Christi
The Feast of Corpus Christi
The Feast of Corpus Christi is a celebration of the Eucharist. Often times it is called Communion, the Mass, and the Lord's Supper. Although the Feast of Corpus Christi was instituted as Catholic holiday in the 13th century, the Sacrament of Holy Communion dates back to Maundy Thursday, when Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Holy Communion when he shared the Last Supper with the disciples. Of all the sacraments of the Christian faith, the Eucharist is regarded as special and unique.
Corpus Christi is most often observed on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday, although in some places it is observed on the Sunday, three days later. It is a moveable feast, which is a holy day that is not designated a specific date in the calendar, but moves in relation to the date of Easter Sunday. The earliest possible date of observance in any year is May 21, and the latest date is June 24. Where the feast is celebrated on Sunday, those dates are May 24 and June 27.
History of the Feast of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi is attributed to Juliana of Liege, and Augustinian nun. It is said that Juliana, from a very young age, developed a strong devotion to the Eucharist, and longed for a feast to celebrate the Lord's Supper. In a vision, she saw the Church under a full moon with a lone dark spot on it, representing the absence of such an observance. In 1208, she revealed that in her first Vision she was instructed to beseech the Church for the establishment of the Feast of Corpus Christi. This vision was repeated for twenty years. For twenty years, Juliana kept them secret, until finally revealing them to her confessor, who in turn relayed her accounts to the bishop.
At this time in history, bishops had the authority to institute feasts in their own dioceses. So, Juliana beseeched Robert de Thorete, Bishop of Liege, Bishop Hugh of St-Cher, and Archdeacon Jacques Pantaleon, who would later become Pope Urban IV. It was Bishop Robert that convened a synod in 1246, and decreed that the Feast of Corpus Christi be would be observed every year.
It was not until after the deaths of Juliana and Robert de Thorete that the observance of Corpus Christi began to spread throughout the church. In 1263, Pope Urban IV ordered the investigation of a reported miracle of stigmata experienced by a consecrated host during the feast in Bolsena. The following year the pope issued the papal bull, "Transiturus de hoc mundo", making Corpus Christi a universal feast to be observed throughout the whole of the Latin Church. It is the first feast sanctioned by a pope to be added to the Christian calendar.
The Eucharist is always celebrated on Maundy Thursday; however the liturgy of Holy Thursday also includes that of Christ's new commandment to love one another, Christ's washing of his disciples' feet, the priesthood and the agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Because the Lord's Supper is somewhat overshadowed by the nature of Holy Week, The Feast of Corpus Christi was instituted as an observance which would focus solely on the Eucharist. St Thomas Aquinas is credited with composing the liturgy of Corpus Christi.
For several centuries the celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi included a Eucharistic procession in which the Sacred Host was carried throughout the village or town. As the procession passed by them, worshipers would venerate the Body of Christ. Many parishes have discontinued the procession through town, opting instead for a short procession outside of the church.
At some point in history, mystery plays became associated with the celebration. These plays represented the struggle between good and evil and between heaven and hell. They featured dancers and other players who would often wear masks depicting their character's nature. Many towns in Spain continue to include these performances in their Corpus Christi celebrations. In Brazil, where the holiday is a national celebration, intricate carpets, or tapetes, made of salts, flowers and wood chips, are laid along the procession route. The tapetes often feature religious themes and can be several kilometers long.
Corpus Christi is a national celebration in many predominantly Catholic countries, some of which are Austria, Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Trinidad. Although Corpus Christi is primarily celebrated within the Catholic Church, it is also observed in some Anglican churches including the Church of England. It is still observed by some Lutheran churches; however, it was removed from the Lutheran calendar sometime around 1600.
