Sermon
The Feast of Corpus Christi Sunday, June 18, 2006 Year B
By Father Aidan Hix+
St. Aidan’s Charismatic Episcopal Church
Tradition Care Chapel, Antioch, CA
Title:
The Feast of Corpus ChristiReadings: Ex. 24. 3-8; Ps 116; Heb. 9. 11-15; Mk. 14. 12-16, 22-26
INTRODUCTION
The Feast of Corpus Christ
The Commemoration of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Actual Feast Day- Thursday after Trinity Sunday
Celebrated for Eight Days- Thursday through Thursday
It is thus, an Octave Feast or rather, A Feast of Our Lord with its Octave.
Octaves- (Latin, Octavus= eighth)
The Origin of Octave Feasts is OT Jewish
Feasts of Pash (Passover), Pentecost, and Tabernacles were Octaves.
“Christian Church adopted this method of showing great honor and glory to the principal festivals of the Christian Year…” -(Rev. Quigley’s “Divine Office”)
Christian Octaves (Three Orders)
1st Order- Easter & Pentecost
2nd Order- Epiphany & Corpus Christi
3rd Order- Nativity & Ascension
A LOOK AT THE FEAST
The Humanity & Passion of Christ
The Institution & Celebration of Holy Eucharist (His Body & Blood)
The Doctrine of the Holy Eucharist From a Sermon by St Thomas Aquinas:
“Concerning this dignity which was bestowed upon us, let us remember that the only-begotten Son of God was pleased to make us partakers of the divine nature…he took our nature upon him, being himself made man that he might (as it were) make men into gods. And this body, which he took from us, he gave wholly unto our salvation. For, on the Altar of the Cross, he offered up his body to God…as a sacrifice for our reconciliation, and …he shed his own blood for our redemption…and for a noble and abiding Memorial of this his so great work of goodness, he hath left unto his faithful ones the same his very Body for Meat, and the same his very Blood for Drink, with which we are fed under the forms of Bread and Wine…
…there is put before us for meat, not, as of old time, the flesh of bulls and goats, but Christ himself, our very God….it is that Bread and Wine become unto us the very Body and Blood of Christ…Christ himself is there under the veils of a little bread and wine…All that the senses can reach in this sacrament, (all that the senses can see, taste, touch, feel, smell, and the like,) all these abide of bread and wine, but the Thing is not bread and wine. And thus room is left for faith…For this sacrament is the everlasting forth-shewing of his death until he comes again; this Sacrament is the embodied fulfillment of all the ancient types and figures…”
APPLICATION & CONCLUSION
From a Sermon by St. John Chrysostom
“Dearly beloved, it behooveth us to learn about this most wonderful of mysteries, what it is, and why it was given, and of what use it is. We, being many, are one body, saith the Apostle Paul. And again, We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. …That this union may take place, not by love only, but verily and indeed, we ought to mingle our own with his flesh. And this is done by eating that Food which he hath given unto us…To this end he hath mingled himself with us, and infused his Body into our bodies, that we may be one thing together with him…[he recounts the Institution Narrative]…We enjoy great blessings, and therefore, dearly beloved, let us take good heed to ourselves; and when any foul word springeth to our lips, or we feel anger taking possession of us, or the sting of any other sinful passion, let us call to min of what we have been counted worthy, and let the remembrance thereof still the unruly motion. As often as we take that Body, as often as we taste that Blood, let us think how we might feed on him who is sitting on high, adored of angels, at the right hand of the Almighty and Everlasting God. How many means of salvation are open to us! He hath made us one body with him; he hath given his Body unto us; and we still are not turned away from evil!”
Hymn. Pange, lingua, gloriosi.
Of the glorious Body telling,
O my tongue, its mysteries sing,
And the Blood, all price excelling,
Which the Gentiles’ Lord and King,
In a noble womb once dwelling,
Shed for this world’s ransoming.
Given for us, for us descending
Of a Virgin to proceed,
Man with man in converse blending,
Scattered he the Gospel seed,
Till his sojourn drew to ending,
Which he closed in wondrous deed.
At the last great Supper lying,
Circled by his brethren’s band,
Meekly with the Law complying,
First he finished its command,
Then, immortal Food supplying,
Gave himself with his own hand.
Word-made-flesh, by word he maketh
Very bread his Flesh to be;
Man in wine Christ’s Blood partaketh,
And if senses fail to see,
Faith alone the true heart waketh
To behold the Mystery.
Therefore we, before him bending,
This great Sacrament we revere;
Types and shadows have their ending,
For the newer Rite is here;
Faith, our outward sense befriending,
Makes the inward vision clear.
Doxology
Glory, let us give, and blessing,
To the Father and the Son;
Honor, might, and praise addressing,
While eternal ages run;
Ever too his Love confessing,
Who from Both, with Both, is One. Amen.
Hymn. Sacris solemniis.
At this our solemn Feast let holy joys
Abound;
And from the inmost breast let songs of
Praise resound;
Let ancient rite depart, and all be new around,
In every deed, in voice, in heart.
Remember we that night, when, the last
Supper spread,
Christ, as we all believe, the lamb, with
Leavenless bread,
Amongst his brethren shared, and thus
The Law obeyed,
Of old unto their sires declared.
The typick lamb consumed, the Paschal
Feast complete,
The Lord unto the Twelve his Body
Gave to eat;
The whole to all, no less the whole to
Each, did mete
With his own hands, as we confess.
He gave them, weak and frail, his Flesh,
Their food to be;
On them, downcast and sad, his Blood
Bestowed he:
And thus to them he spake: Receive this
Cup from me,
And all of you partake.
When he this Sacrifice to institute did
Will,
He to his priests alone that office to
Fulfill,
On this wise did confide-to whom
Pertaineth still,
To take, and to the rest divide.
Lo! Angels’ Bread is made the Bread of
Men today:
The living Bread from heaven with
Figures doth away:
O wondrous boon indeed! Though poor
And lowly, may
The servant on his Master feed.
Thee, therefore, we implore, O Godhead,
One in Three,
So mayest thou visit us as now we
Worship thee:
And lead us on thy way that we at last
May see
The Light wherein thou dwellest
Aye. Amen.
Hymn. Verbum supernum prodiens.
The Word proceeding from above,
Yet leaving not the Father’s side,
Went forth upon his work of love,
And reached at length life’s eventide.
Ere a disciple him betrayed,
To die the death of pain and strife,
He first for all disciples made
Himself their living Bread of Life.
In two-fold form of Sacrament
He gave his Flesh, he gave his Blood,
That man, of two-fold substance blent,
Might wholly feed on him as food.
Our Brother thus in birth was he,
Our Food while seated at the board:
He died our Ransomer to be,
He reigns to be our great reward.
O Saving Victim opening wide
The gate of heaven to man below:
Our foes press on from every side;
Thine aid supply, thy strength bestow.
All praise and thanks to thee ascend
For evermore, blest One in Three;
O grant us life that shall not end
In our true native land with thee. Amen.
