Subject: Worldwide Eucharistic Holy Hour!! Please share! A Great Event of the Year of Faith : Worldwide Solemn Eucharistic Adoration What a wonderful way to show our faith in Christ during this Year of Faith! June 2, 2013, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, is the date for a worldwide hour of Eucharistic Adoration. From the official Year of Faith web site: On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Holy Father will preside over a special Eucharistic adoration that will extend at the same time all over the world involving the cathedrals and parishes in each diocese. For an hour, at 5pm (Rome time), the whole world will be united in prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Julie Buresh Children of the Tears http://www.childrenofthetears.blogspot.com/ "The most radical and elevating affirmation of the value of every human being, was made by the Son of God in his becoming man in the womb of a woman." Pope John Paul II
I was thinking about this worldwide Eucharistic Adoration event that Pope Francis has announced, and wondering how many thousands/millions of people will be kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament at the same time throughout the world, adoring Jesus, and I thought, wouldn't that be such an opportune time for the Illumination/Warning to take place? It's also happening just a few days after the supposed near-miss of a major asteroid... not that I would be one to speculate or anything!
For those parishes that offer Eucharistic Adoratio infrequently it may be an idea to print off a copy and post it to the parish priest.
Wow! On Saturday evening, our parish is having an evening meal at our parish center followed by a movie on Eucharistic Miracles! Tomorrow, I'll bring this up with my pastor and suggest that after the 9:15 Holy Mass, we can have Adoration from 10:15 to 12 Noon! Pray that it flies! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
Question. How many of you reading the 1st post were aware that June2nd falls on Sunday. I wasn't. I just assumed it was Thursday. So when I read our parish's newsletter I had mixed feelings: Happiness that our pp had arranged an 'extraordinary' Eucharistic Adoration for next Sunday beginning at 4pm BST ; sadness that the UK was celebrating Corpus Christi on the 'wrong' day and so the worldwide Eucharistic Adoration would not be worldwide as countries celebrated on different days. Lucky I looked at a calendar before posting a moan.
I'm quite surprised that there's not more excitement/chatter about this on the web. Here is the response from the USCCB: The U.S. bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship has advised that because of normal Sunday Mass schedules, it may be challenging to schedule such a gathering simultaneously in the various time zones of the United States. The Rome time translates to 11am Eastern, 10am Central, 9am Mountain, 8am Pacific, 7am in Alaska and 5am in Hawaii. The bishops recommend keeping the spirit of the gathering by holding the Holy Hour “at a more convenient time on that day, such as on Sunday afternoon following the last Mass of the day.” A statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says such a celebration “could include a traditional Eucharistic procession,” and it would also be appropriate “to mark the celebration of regularly scheduled Masses at that particular hour (11am Eastern) with special solemnity,and to note the unity of prayer with the Holy Father at that time through the homily and Prayer of the Faithful.” (http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-francis-to-lead-global-holy-hour/#ixzz2UmTYRQcM) My sense is that professional religious types have their noses out of joint that this was sprung on them. "We need time to prepare! Something like this can't be pulled off on the spur of the moment!" (At least I hope it's that, and not something darker, like an aversion to adoration). And there's our Papa, dear Francis, with his ear tuned to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and our Blessed Mother: "Hey, everybody - let's all pray together!" Such a brilliant, simple plan. The power of Catholics world-wide adoring our Lord AT THE SAME TIME just gives me shivers. On second thought, no surprise, really, that it's being opposed, at least passively. Kathy
I take the opportunity to bring to the attention of the forum a lovely church where Eucharistic Adoration is available during the week days. It is beside the London train terminus of Liverpool Street Station. Convenient for those passing thru London. Church Services Mass Sunday: 10am Monday to Friday: 8.05am and 1.05pm (Friday Mass at 7.45am and in the ‘Extra-ordinary Form’) Holy Days: Vigil (the evening before) 7.00pm. 8.05am, 12noon, 12.30pm, 1.05pm, 5.30pm Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) Monday to Friday: 12.30-12.55 pm and 1.30-1.50 pm Benediction Mondays and Thursdays after Evening Prayer Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Monday to Friday: 8.30am-6.00pm Morning and Evening Prayer Monday to Friday: 7.45am and 6pm Rosary Monday to Friday 12.30pm and 5.30pm Pasted from <http://www.stmarymoorfields.net/index.php/information/> While the UK and the USA? among others will celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi on Sunday - it is my understanding that most countries are celebrating today Thursday, as has been traditional. I find that this favourite church of mine is to be celebrating the feast of Corpus Christi in the EF (Latin rite) this evening. I am looking forward to attending the Mass in this solemn form for the first time.
Corpus Christi Find the date for Corpus Christi 2013 in the multifaith calendar Introduction The festival of Corpus Christi celebrates the Eucharist as the body of Christ. The name 'Corpus Christi' is Latin for 'the body of Christ'. This jubilant festival is celebrated by Roman Catholics and other Christians to proclaim the truth of the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the actual body of Christ during Mass. In some countries in the world, Catholic churches still celebrate the festival, not only with a Mass, but also with a procession that carries the consecrated wafer through the streets as a public statement that the sacrifice of Christ was for the salvation of the whole world. Corpus Christi falls between late May and the middle of June, on the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday (60 days after Easter). In some countries the festival is celebrated on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday. In the Church of England this feast is also kept on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday and known as the Day of Thanksgiving for the Institution of Holy Communion (Corpus Christi). It's worth noting that Christians already mark the Last Supper, when Christ instituted the Eucharist, on Maundy Thursday (the day before Good Friday). Because Maundy Thursday falls during the solemn period of Holy Week, it was thought necessary to have a separate festival of the Eucharist that would allow the celebration not to be muted by sadness. Eucharist wine cup and wafers © The celebration The main feature of Corpus Christi celebrations is the triumphant liturgical procession in which the sacred host (the wafer that has been consecrated during the Mass) is carried out of the Church "for the Christian faithful to make public profession of faith and worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament". The practice is no longer common in the UK, where traditional processions started to wane in the 1970s after the Second Vatican Council. Attempts have been made to revive the tradition in some UK towns and villages in recent years. During his papacy, Pope John Paul II led an annual Corpus Christi procession from St Peter's Square in the Vatican to the streets of Rome. Many traditional Catholics are keen for such processions to be promoted everywhere in the world in the light of the late Pope's example. Since, for Catholics, the host contains the real presence of Christ, it is treated as Christ in human form would be treated, with reverence, ceremony and adoration. The host is displayed on a 'monstrance' and protected from the sun by a canopy. The procession moves through local streets, either to another church, or back to the church where it began. The Church states that ...the devout participation of the faithful in the eucharistic procession on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is a grace from the Lord which yearly fills with joy those who take part in it. Redemptionis Sacramentum 143 The structure of the procession is often designed to demonstrate the hierarchy of heaven in that the sacred host is followed in procession by various Church organisations carrying the banners of their patron saints. Churches may prepare for the festival in the days before by various smaller-scale ceremonies such as the Adoration of the Sacrament, and services which explore the 'eucharistic dimension' of various elements of parish work. The liturgy Corpus Christi is marked by a service originally devised by Thomas Aquinas. It includes five great hymns, including Panis Angelicus (part of a longer hymn called Sacris Solemniis, 'At this our solemn feast'): Panis angelicus Fit panis hominum Dat panis coelicus Figuris terminum O res mirabilis Manducat Dominum Pauper, pauper Servus et humilis Thomas Aquinas, Sacris Solemniis Juncta Sint Gaudia (Matins hymn for Corpus Christi), stanza 6 Thus Angels' Bread is made the Bread of humankind today: the Living Bread from heaven with imaginings does away: O wondrous gift indeed! the poor and lowly may upon their Lord and Master feed. Aquinas's English translation and Pange lingua ('Sing, my tongue'): Pange, lingua, gloriosi Corporis mysterium, Sanguinisque pretiosi, quem in mundi pretium fructus ventris generosi Rex effudit Gentium. Thomas Aquinas, Pange Lingua (hymn for Vespers on the Feast of Copus Christi), stanza 1 Sing, my tongue, The mystery of the glorious body, And of the precious Blood, Shed to save the world, By the King of the nations, The fruit of a noble womb. Literal English translation Pange lingua includes the Tantum Ergo: Tantum ergo Sacramentum Veneremur cernui: Et antiquum documentum Novo cedat ritui: Praestet fides supplementum Sensuum defectui. Thomas Aquinas, Pange Lingua (hymn for Vespers on the Feast of Copus Christi), stanza 5 Down in adoration falling, Lo! the sacred Host we hail, Lo! o'er ancient forms departing Newer rites of grace prevail; Faith for all defects supplying, Where the feeble senses fail. Aquinas's English translation Aquinas also wrote a powerful prayer for the festival, that encompasses many aspects of the doctrine of the Eucharist: O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament left us a memorial of your Passion: grant, we implore you, that we may so venerate the sacred mysteries of your body and blood, as always to be conscious of the fruit of your redemption. Thomas Aquinas History The festival was inspired by the religious experience of St Juliana (1193-1258), a Belgian nun, who dreamed repeatedly of the Church under a full moon with a black spot. According to legend, the dream was interpreted to her in a vision by Christ. The moon, she said, was the Church's calendar of festivals and the black spot was the lack of a festival to celebrate the holiest element of the Church - the Eucharist. Juliana shared this with her local bishop, who in 1246 issued a decree for such a festival to be celebrated in his territory. The festival was instituted throughout the Church by Pope Urban IV in 1264. Before that there had been no universal festival to mark the sacrament of the Eucharist. Corpus Christi was made an obligatory feast for Roman Catholics by Pope Clement V in 1311 at the Council of Vienne. Corpus Christi was celebrated in England from 1318 onwards. In 1551, the Council of Trent described the festival as a 'triumph over heresy'. They meant by this that when Christians celebrated the festival they affirmed their belief in the doctrine of transubstantiation, and thus the victory of the Church over those heretics who denied that the consecrated wafer became the real body of Christ during the Mass. From the Middle Ages onwards, special Corpus Christi plays were staged to mark the occasion. .... Pasted from <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/corpuschristi.shtml>
