The Feast of Corpus Christi takes place the Thursday following Blessed Trinity Sunday, or it can be transferred to the following Sunday.  The date changes every year, according to the date of Easter.  One of the best ways to make a novena in honor of The Body of Christ, or The Most Holy Eucharist, is to go to Holy Mass daily for nine days before the Feast.  We could also go to an Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, to spend a Holy Hour with our Lord, daily.  Or, we could offer up one of the prayers at the bottom of this page to our Lord, especially in reparation to Him for sins committed against His Sacramental/ Real Presence in The Most Holy Eucharist, to ask Him urgently to put an end to them, and to request that He inspire in us an ever-greater love and adoration for Him-Looking-Like-Bread.

Jesus, God The Son, Himself, told His Apostles and us, “I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. (St. John, Ch. 14: Verse 18)

How did He carry this out?  He did it in two ways:  He left Himself behind for us, Looking-Like-Bread-and-Wine, after the Last Supper, when He instituted The Most Holy Eucharist.

He also promised to send The Paraclete — The Holy Ghost/Spirit — Who would give us the grace/power, through His Gifts, Fruits, and Inspirations, to live as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded us to live.

How do we know that Jesus left Himself behind for us, Looking-Like-Bread-and-Wine, and how do we know that He really wanted us to receive His Most Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, Looking-Like-Bread-and-Wine?  Let’s take a look at what The Bible, The Inerrant Word of God, says:

[Jesus said,] “ ‘[46] Not that any man hath seen The Father; but he who is of God, he hath seen The Father. [47] Amen, amen I say unto you: He that believeth in Me, hath everlasting life.  [48] I Am The Bread of Life.  [49] Your fathers did eat manna in the desert, and are dead. [50] This Is The Bread which cometh down from Heaven; that if any man eat of it, he may not die.  [51] I am The Living Bread which came down from Heaven. [52] If any man eat of This Bread, he shall live for ever; and The Bread that I will give, Is My Flesh, for the life of the world.’ [53] The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: ‘How can This Man give us His Flesh to eat?’  [54] Then Jesus said to them: ‘Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat The Flesh of The Son of Man, and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you. [55] He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.     (St. John, Ch. 6: Verses 46–55)

(Explanatory Note:  [54] Eat The Flesh of The Son of man and drink His Blood: To receive The Body and Blood of Christ, is a divine precept/command, insinuated in this text; which the faithful fulfil, though they receive but in one kind; because in one kind they receive both Body and Blood, which cannot be separated from Each Other. Hence, life eternal is here promised to the worthy receiving, though but in one kind.)

[56] For My Flesh Is Meat indeed: and My Blood Is Drink indeed. [57] He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me, and I in him. [58] As The Living Father hath sent Me, and I live by The Father; so he that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me. [59] This Is The Bread that came down from Heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth This Bread, shall live for ever. [60] These things He said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum.  [61] Many therefore of His Disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard, and who can hear it? [62] But Jesus, knowing in Himself, that His Disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you? [63] If then you shall see The Son of Man ascend up where He was before? [64] It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life.’ ”     (St. John, Ch. 6: Verses 56–64)

(Explanatory Note:  [63] If then you shall see: Christ by mentioning His Ascension, by this instance of His Power and Divinity, would confirm the truth of what He had before asserted; and at the same time correct their gross apprehension of eating His Flesh, and drinking His Blood, in a vulgar and carnal manner, by letting them know He should take His Whole [Living] Body…with Him to Heaven; and consequently not suffer it to be, as they supposed, divided, mangled, and consumed upon earth.)

 

“[66] And He said: Therefore did I say to you, that no man come to Me, unless it be given him by My Father.  [67] After this many of His disciples went back; and walked no more with Him.  [68] Then Jesus said to the Twelve: Will you also go away?  [69] And Simon Peter answered Him: Lord, to whom shall we go?  Thou hast the words of Eternal Life.  [70] And we have believed and have known, that Thou Art The Christ, The Son of God.’ ” (St. John, Ch. 6: Verses 66–70)

Now, wouldn’t our Lord have called after these Disciples and said that He was just joking, that they should come back and continue to follow Him, if He had not been deadly serious about the necessity to eat of His Flesh and to drink of His Blood-Looking-Like-Bread-and-Wine?  Do the following verses from the Bible, the Inerrant Word of God, sound as if our Lord Jesus were joking or were speaking symbolically when He said after the Last Supper — the Paschal meal, which He had eaten with His Apostles:

“[26] And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to His Disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This Is My Body. [27] And taking the chalice, He gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of This. [28] For This Is My Blood of the New Testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins.”     (St. Matthew, Ch. 26: Verses 26-28)

“[22] And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke, and gave to them, and said: Take ye. This Is My Body. [23] And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, He gave it to them. And they all drank of it. [24] And He said to them: This Is My Blood of the New Testament, which shall be shed for many.’ ”     (St. Mark, Ch. 14: Verses 22–24)

[19] And taking bread, He gave thanks, and brake; and gave to them, saying: This Is My Body, which is given for you.  Do this for a Commemoration of Me. [20] In like manner the chalice also after He had supped, saying: This Is The Chalice, the New Testament in My Blood, which shall be shed for you.”     (St. Luke, Ch. 22: Verses 19–20)

(Explanatory Note:  [19] Do this for a Commemoration of me:  This Sacrifice and Sacrament is to be continued in The [Catholic] Church, to the end of the world, to show forth The Death of Christ, until He cometh.  But this Commemoration, or Remembrance, is by no means inconsistent with The Real Presence of His Body and Blood, under these Sacramental Veils, which represent His Death; on the contrary, it is the manner that He Himself hath commanded, of commemorating and celebrating His Death, by offering in Sacrifice, and receiving in the Sacrament, That Body and Blood by which we were redeemed.)

Three out of the Four Gospels recount our Lord’s leaving Himself behind for those in His Church, now called The Catholic Church, and the fact that He wanted us to receive Him-Looking-Like-Bread-and-Wine, because we are NOT cannibals, and we are not ever allowed to eat human flesh or drink human blood.  Why didn’t St. John, the Beloved Disciple, give an account of our Lord instituting The Most Holy Eucharist/The Blessed Sacrament?  For a very good reason.  St. John lived until he was about 90 years old, so he had seen all of the Gospels, which were written before then.  He knew that he did not need to repeat what the other Evangelists had said, so he often wrote about things, which they had not already written — he filled in the blanks.  Instead of writing about The Most Holy Eucharist, St. John wrote about the long discourse, which our Lord gave, telling His Apostles that Unity and Charity (Sacrificial Love) would be the two greatest hallmarks of His New-Covenant Church and of the members of His New-Covenant Church: 

[21] That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me, and I in Thee; that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.  [26] And I have made known Thy Name to them, and will make it known; that The Love wherewith Thou hast loved Me, may be in them, and I in them.  (St. John, Ch. 17: Verses 21 & 26)

Then, St. Paul the Apostle, as he is called, also gave us an account of what our Lord said and did after the Passover Supper — the Last Supper:

’ ”[23] For I have received of The Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that The Lord Jesus, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread.  [24] And giving thanks, broke, and said: Take ye, and eat: This Is My Body, which shall be delivered for you: this do for the Commemoration of Me. [25] In like manner also the chalice, after He had supped, saying: This chalice is the New Testament in My Blood: this do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the Commemoration of Me.  [26] For as often as you shall eat This Bread, and drink The Chalice, you shall show The Death of The Lord, until He come.  [27] Therefore whosoever shall eat This Bread, or drink The Chalice of The Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of The Body and of The Blood of The Lord.  [28] But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of That Bread, and drink of The Chalice.  [29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning The Body of The Lord.’ ”     (1st Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, Ch. 11: Verses 23–29)

(Explanatory Note:  [27] “Or” drink: Here erroneous translators corrupted the text, by putting “and” drink (contrary to the original) instead of “or” drink.   [27] “Guilty of The Body”: not discerning The Body.  This demonstrates The Real Presence of The Body and Blood of Christ, even to the unworthy communicant; who otherwise could not be guilty of The Body and Blood of Christ, or justly condemned for not discerning The Lord’s Body.  [28] “Drink of the chalice”:  This is not said by way of command, but by way of allowance, viz., where and when it is agreeable to the practice and discipline of The [Catholic] Church.)

Also, by the way, has anyone ever noticed what St. Matthew says in his version of the “Our Father” or The Lord’s Prayer? 

“Give us this day our Supersubstantial Bread.”     (St. Matthew, Ch. 6: Verse 11)

This shows very clearly that our Lord actually wanted His Followers to receive Him in The Most Holy Eucharist EVERY day!  He knew that we would need to receive The Bread of Life and The Food for our souls every day, so that we could remain close to Him and grow closer with every Union in Holy Communion.  What should be the fruit of our daily Unions/Holy Communions with Jesus?  Caritas or Sacrificial Love.  We will become closer to Jesus, as we imitate Him more closely, and, He let us know that above all of the virtues we can have, Caritas is the most important.

[1] If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. [2] And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. [3] And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.  [8] Charity never falleth away: whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be destroyed.  [13] And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.     (1st Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, Ch. 13: Verses 1–3, 8, & 13) (Bible verses taken from: drbo.org)

After all, it was Caritas/Sacrificial Love, that drove God The Father to send His Son to earth to die for us.  It was this same Caritas, which drove God The Son to take The Form of a Human Being, to live a Hidden Life, to live, suffer, and die for us, His creatures, when He had never sinned and did not deserve to suffer at all.  He, being Love/Caritas Itself, wanted to continue to strengthen us, spiritually, giving us The Fruit of His Most Sacred Death upon The Cross for us:  His Most Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, Looking-Like-Bread-and-Wine.  Knowing that we are very sense-oriented and have a hard time believing in Someone, Whom we cannot see, touch, feel, hear, or smell, Jesus Christ wanted to give us not only a Reminder of Himself, but Himself Completely, just as He gave Himself up completely on The Cross for us.  Can we afford to ignore His Gift and, thus, miss out on Life Eternal with Him?

Novena Prayers for Corpus Christi:

“Throughout the year, O Jesus, Thou dost remain Humbly Hidden within the tabernacle, awaiting, receiving, and hearing the souls, who come to Thy Feet in search of sympathy and consolation in their sorrows, light and support in the trials of life.  Only on this day, leaving Thy Silent Loneliness, Thou goest forth, passing in Triumph and Benediction through the streets and squares of the cities in a maze of lights and music, incense and flowers, in the midst of joyous multitudes, who fall down in adoration before Thee.

In the synagogue of Capharnaum, the unbelieving throng, rebelling against Thy Words of Faith and Love, deserted Thee; but in the Upper Room that last evening of Thine Earthly Life, when the dark clouds of betrayal were already settling upon Thy Sorrowful Soul, Thou didst make Thy Divine Promise a Reality, perpetuating in The Institution of The Holy Eucharist, as in a Living Memorial, The Infinite Love, with which Thy Heart was overflowing towards mankind.  By means of This August Sacrament, Thou wouldst prolong Thy Presence in the world even to the end of time; and the souls of men, seated at Thy Heavenly Banquet, were to taste inwardly The Sweet Irradiations of Thy Grace and The Ineffable Delights of Thy Love.

O Jesus, make me feel the overwhelming attraction of Thy silent tabernacle, which has ever drawn not only the little ones, but has always been and will continue to be the joy of pure and great souls.  Grant me a living faith and an ardent love for Thee, Hidden under the Sacramental Species, so that, frequently drawing near to Thy Table, where The ‘Bread of Life’ is set out, I may receive the germ of a life, that will not die.”     (Raccolta, #185)

“Behold, O my Most Loving Jesus, how far Thine Exceeding Love hath reached!  Of Thine Own Flesh and Most Precious Blood Thou hast prepared for me a Divine Table in order to give Thyself Wholly to me.  What hath impelled Thee to such transports of Love?  Nothing else surely save Thy Most Loving Heart.  O Adorable Heart of my Jesus, Burning Furnace of Divine Charity, receive my heart within Thy Most Sacred Wound; to the end that in this School of Love, I may learn to make a return of love to The God, Who hath given me Such Wondrous Proofs of His Love.  Amen.”     (Raccolta, #182)

An Act of Reparation:

“With that profound humility, which The Faith itself inspires in me, O my God and Savior Jesus Christ, True God and True Man, I love Thee with all of my heart, and I adore Thee, Who Art Hidden here, in reparation for all of the irreverences, profanations, and sacrileges, which Thou receivest in the Most Adorable Sacrament of the Altar. 

I adore thee, O my God, if not so much as Thou Art Worthy to be adored, nor so much as I am bound to do, yet as much as I am able; would that I could adore Thee with that perfect worship, which the Angels in Heaven are enabled to offer Thee.  Mayest Thou, O my Jesus, be known, adored, loved, and thanked by all men at every moment in This Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.  Amen.  (Raccolta, #179)

“Anima Christi

Anima Christi, sanctifica me.  Corpus Christi, salva me.  Sanguis Christi, inebria me.  Aqua lateris Christi, lava me.  Passio Christi, conforta me.  O Bone Jesu, exaudi me.  Intra Tua Vulnera absconde me.  Ne permittas me separari a Te.  Ab hoste miligno defende me.  In hora mortis meae voca me:  Et iube me venire ad Te, Ut cum Sanctis Tuis laudem Te.  In saecula saeculorum.  Amen.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.  Body of Christ, save me.  Blood of Christ, inebriate me.  Water of Christ’s Side, wash me.  Passion of Christ, strengthen me.  O Good Jesus, listen to me.  In Thy Most Sacred Wounds, I fain would hide.  Never to be parted from Thy Side.  Guard me, should the foe assail me.  Call me when my life shall fail me.  Bid me come to Thee Above, with Thy Saints to sing Thy Love,  world without end.  Amen.”  (Raccolta, 131)

“O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine!  All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine!”  (3 times)  (Raccolta, #136)

“O Jesu in Sanctissimo Sacramento, miserere nobis! /  O Jesus in The Most Blessed Sacrament, have mercy on us!”  (Raccolta, #134)

“Laudetur et adoretur in aeternum Sanctissimum Sacramentum. / Praise and adoration ever more be given to The Most Holy Sacrament.”  (Raccolta, #135)

“I adore Thee every moment, O Living Bread from Heaven, Great Sacrament!”  (Raccolta, #137)

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