Pope celebrates feast of Corpus Christi

(June 08, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday solemnized the Feast of Corpus Christi, or the Body and Blood of Christ, by celebrating an evening Mass on the steps of Rome’s St John Lateran Basilica and then leading the faithful in a Eucharistic adoration during a public procession along a main thoroughfare to the Basilica of St Mary Major. In his homily at Mass, the Holy Father spoke of the need to find the right balance between Eucharistic celebration, i.e. the Mass and Eucharistic adoration, saying they are complementary and equally necessary for a healthy and balanced spiritual life, for individuals and believing communities alike. He explained that it is wrong to oppose Eucharistic celebration and adoration, as if they were in competition with each other. In fact, he said, “It's just the opposite: the cult of the Blessed Sacrament is like the spiritual 'environment' within which the community can well and truly celebrate the Eucharist.” The Pope went on to say, “Only if it is preceded, accompanied and followed by this inner attitude of faith and worship, can the liturgical action express its full meaning and value.” But if Christ is seen as present in the Eucharist only during Mass, "this imbalance has repercussions on the spiritual life of the faithful," who need to be aware of "the constant presence of Jesus among us and with us," the pope said.
The Pope said that “the sacrament of the charity of Christ must permeate all one's daily life." Spending time in prolonged silence before the Eucharist "is one of the most authentic experiences of our being church," and it finds its complement at Mass when Catholics "celebrate the Eucharist, listening to the word of God, singing, approaching together the table of the bread of life." Truly entering into communion with someone, he said, is accompanied by "exchanging glances and intense, eloquent silences full of respect and veneration." "If this dimension is missing, even sacramental communion can become a superficial gesture on our part," the pope said.
Pope Benedict spoke about another misunderstanding that with the coming of Christ, rituals and sacrifices no longer have meaning. Basically, he said, some people believe "the sacred no longer exists." It is true that Christ inaugurated a new form of worship, one tied less to a place and a ritual and more to his person, but people still need "signs and rites," the pope said. In fact, without its annual Corpus Christi procession, "the spiritual profile of Rome" would change.
At Thursday evening’s Eucharistic procession, Pope Benedict rode on the back of a flatbed truck facing the Blessed Sacrament, which was held in a gem-studded gold monstrance. He was preceded by members of parish Eucharistic associations, children who recently made their first Communions, religious, seminarians, priests, bishops and cardinals walking to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. Thousands of people carrying candles walked behind the pope. People watching from the sidewalks behind metal barriers tossed flower petals in front of the truck and joined in singing hymns and reciting litanies. The procession concluded with the Pope blessing the crowd with the Blessed Sacrament.