Look, today is Thursday, the Thursday right after Trinity Sunday, which means if you’re following the traditional calendar of the Church, today is the great Feast of Corpus Christi. And honestly, it’s one of those days where we really need to stop, look at what we’ve lost, and reclaim it.
Historically, one of the most breathtaking, deeply Catholic traditions we have for this feast is the Corpus Christi procession. I mean, picture it: the priest carrying the monstrance under a canopy, the incense rising, and the faithful walking through the public streets. In the old days, and still in some traditional spots today, people would spend hours laying down these intricate, beautiful carpets of colorful flower petals on the pavement just for the Blessed Sacrament to pass over. It was an act of pure, lavish love for Our Lord.
Sadly, so many parishes today don't even bother with the procession anymore. They just skip it entirely, treating Corpus Christi like any other ordinary day. It’s heartbreaking because when we drop these traditions, we lose the catechesis that goes with them. This procession isn't just a nice parade; it’s a public declaration of our faith. It teaches us, and the world, that the Blessed Sacrament isn't a symbol. It is Christ Himself; Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. By processing Him through the streets, we are quite literally telling the world, "Look, God is here. He is present with you in the midst of your daily life."
We’ve lost so much of that public reverence. It used to be that when the Blessed Sacrament passed by, everyone on the street would stop what they were doing and drop to their knees right there on the pavement. Catholic or not, there was a profound respect, and for the faithful, it was an automatic reflex of adoration. Now? You almost never see that anymore. People just stand there, or worse, they look confused.
So, look, today is Corpus Christi. If you are blessed enough to be at a parish that still does the procession, or whenever you are in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, I am begging you: please kneel. Kneel when He passes in front of you, even if you’re out on the sidewalk, and don't care about who is watching. Because that is not a piece of bread. That is the King of the Universe. That is the One who spoke the heavens and the earth into existence, and He is your God, humbled under the appearance of bread just so He can be close to you. Let's start acting like we actually believe it.