June 19th, 2022

The Solemnity of the
Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

by Fr. Clement Dickie, O.P.

—

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Corpus Christi, shorthand for The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, celebrates Jesus’s ongoing gift of himself in his presence of the Eucharist. While we primarily mark the occasion with a Mass—the celebration of the Eucharist—today is connected with the worship of the Body of Christ outside of Mass. The continuing presence of Christ in the Eucharist will become even more significant for our parish when we begin hosting a perpetual adoration chapel.

If I were to ask you, “How do you receive Communion?” you would probably go into some explanation of the posture for physical communion. Because we are tactical people, physical communion can seem primary, but in reality, the communion we seek is spiritual communion.

Spiritual communion is the sacramental unity of the soul with the body of Christ, Jesus and his Church. It is an interior transformation of you and me into the Body of Christ. We seek the Eucharist to change our hearts and make us Holy.

There are many opportunities for us to make acts of spiritual communion. At Mass, the priest elevates the Body and Blood of Christ immediately after the consecration in order for us to receive Holy Communion at that moment. We can also simply pray before the tabernacle or the monstrance outside of Mass. Today’s procession, after the 11:30 Mass is another opportunity to make a spiritual communion with Jesus Christ, and to mark our neighborhood as claimed for him.

Pray that construction moves smoothly for our new adoration chapel, so that the presence of Christ may transform Greenwich Village, Manhattan, and the world.

Odds are that Fr. Boniface will return by next week. He has been in Providence, R.I. where he participated in the election of our new provincial, Fr. Darren Pierre, O.P.

In Christ,
Fr. Clement Dickie, O.P.
Parochial Vicar