The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
06/21/25-06/22/25

 A basic truth of our Catholic faith is that the gifts of bread and wine presented on the altar at the offertory are prayed over at the words of consecration and become truly the Body and Blood of Christ through the miracle of transubstantiation. We believe that what we take, eat, and drink at the time of the Communion ritual is the actual Body and Blood of Christ presented to us for our sanctification. This week's Sunday celebration is commemorated as the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, formerly and traditionally known as the celebration of Corpus Christi. Parishes around the world have celebrated such traditionally with a movement throughout their churches in which the Host is displayed in a monstrance and walked through the congregation in a way which allows parishioners to acknowledge with reverence the fact of the reality of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, as we will do at Masses this Saturday and Sunday.     

The presence of Christ in the Eucharist is anticipated in our first reading taken from the Book of Genesis, in which the priest Melchizedek brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram with the fortune of God. St. Paul as well acknowledges the importance of Jesus' words of institution at the Last Supper in calling disciples to remember Him as often as they take and eat of His Body and Blood. The Gospel of Luke recalls the miracle of the loaves and fishes, which were distributed in a miraculous way by Jesus with abundance to feed the five thousand. Each of these readings encourages belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, which we celebrate this Sunday.     

We thank you for surpassing our assessment in the Grand Annual Collection, and we anticipate the return of a percentage of our overage to be applied to the needs of our parish. We look forward to the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass on the first weekend of August, and to our invitation to all who attend that Mass to come downstairs to enjoy friendship and coffee, and so that we might get together to introduce ourselves and possibly volunteer for involvement in our weekly liturgies.  

Thanks and have a great week. 
God Bless,      

 Fr. Joe