Today's feast is always special, even without the processions that take place in so many countries where the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance is carried through the streets.
Let us look at the beautiful liturgy for today:
The Collect: O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament have left us a memorial of your Passion, grant us, we pray, so to revere the sacred mysteries of Your Body and Blood that we may always experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption.
This is one of the few feasts that has a Sequence, Lauda Sion, which may be sung before the Alleluia - the shorter form still has four verses but there are 24 verses. Here are some of my favorite: "Bring him all the praise you know,
He is more than you bestow,
Never can you reach his due.
Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
Christ entire we know to be.
Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,
Jesu, of your love befriend us,
You refresh us, you defend us
Your eternal goodness send us
In the land of life to see.
The Gospel is Mark's account of the last supper when Jesus gave his apostles the gift of the Eucharist. What a gift this is for us to have Jesus really present in every Mass and in countless tabernacles.
The Communion Antiphon: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment