Corpus Christi Sunday: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
The solemnity of Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ) commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist, paralleling Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday). Corpus Christi was introduced in the late 13th century to encourage the faithful give special honor to the institution of the Holy Eucharist to the Blessed Sacrament. The official title of this Solemnity was changed in 1970 to The Body and Blood of Christ and it is still on the Roman Missal’s official Calendar for the universal Church on Thursday after Trinity Sunday; however, where it is not a day of obligation (as in the United States) it is usually celebrated on the Sunday following Trinity Sunday. From the Holy Father's Homily, Corpus Christi 2007: In his homily, the Holy Father said he wanted to put Christ "in the midst of our daily lives, so that he walks where we walk, so that he lives where we live." "We go through the streets of the world knowing that he is at our side, supported by the hope of one day ...