Catholic Fire

"The Eucharistic mystery is in fact the "summit of evangelization" (Lumen gentium, n. 28), for it is the most eminent testimony to Christ's Resurrection. " ~ Pope John Paul II, May 28, 1996 Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi, which was introduced in the late 13th century to encourage the faithful give special honor to the institution of the Holy Eucharist. Fr. Denis Meade, OSB, offers his thoughts on the Gospel for the Feast of Corpus Christi. The readings can be found HERE .

June 3, 2013. (Romereports.com) It was five o clock in the afternoon in Rome, when the Eucharistic Adoration began in St. Peter's Basilica. Simultaneously, the world followed. Given the fact that many countries, celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi on Sunday, the Vatican organized a global, simultaneous Eucharistic Adoration to mark the Year of Faith. Pope Francis prayed before the Blessed Sacrament and thousands of pilgrims came along as well to pray before the Eucharist for an hour. Throughout the world, in parishes and cathedrals, million of Catholics joined in, at that very moment. The ceremony in Rome was solemn and simple. It included liturgical hymns, prayers and readings from the Bible, but above all, still periods of silent prayer. In the Americas, the prayer was in the morning. In the Atlantic, Europe and  Africa, in the afternoon. In Asia it was night-time, while in the Pacific the prayer was in the overnight hours. The Pope didn't give a speech before o...

Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi , the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. This is the second of the three great feasts we celebrate immediately after we end the Easter season with Pentecost. The first was last Sunday’s Feast of the Trinity. Today (or this past Thursday in some locations) we celebrate Corpus Christi. This coming Friday we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart. From Pope Benedict's homily today on the Feast of Corpus Christi (Via CNA ): “Corpus Domini is a manifestation of God, proof that God is love,” the Holy Father explained, using the Latin for “Body of the Lord.” “In a unique and peculiar way, this feast speaks to us of divine love, what it is and what it does.” “It tells us for example that it is regenerated in the giving of oneself to another, that in giving we receive, it is never lacking, it never runs out. As the hymn of St Thomas Aquinas intones: ‘nec sumptus consumitur.’” Pope Benedict was alluding to the Angelic Doctor’s hymn “Lauda Sion.” The...