Roman Catholics across the country did communion in observance of the Feast of Corpus Christi at their homes yesterday.
Due to the 10 am to 5 am curfew yesterday, worshippers were not present as was done last year, to go to churches to receive communion.
This was the second consecutive year that there were no Corpus Christi street processions.
During his virtual homily from the Port-of-Spain Cathedral, Archbishop Jason Gordon said, “I know some people thought that you were going to hold up your bread and I going to bless it for the Eucharist. No, we can’t do that. You can’t consecrate over television.”
However, he asked them to hold it up, say a Jewish prayer, break the bread, share it with each other and eat it.
As he delivered more of his homily, he also lamented that people have become ungrateful and called for a better understanding of the sacrifices we are called to make.
Archbishop Jason Gordon holds up the Blessed Sacrament outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conceptionon Independence Square, Port-of-Spain, after the Corpus Christi Mass, yesterday.
ROBERTO CODALLO
“Brothers and sisters we live in a strange time. Have you ever thought about these sacrifices that you do for each other...sacrifices that you make for each other? The sacrifice God made for us in sending his son and his son giving his body, his blood, that is the sacrifice that God has made for us...it is a ritual sacrifice. It is done on a alter.”
He pointed to the everyday sacrifices made in homes among family members.
“Do you ever consider the sacrifice that is made when mom or dad prepares a meal for you? Do you ever consider that? Do you ever thank God and thank parents and thank each other for the sacrifices that are being made every single day for you?”
He encouraged family members to thank each other for their sacrifices.
“Old people use to say ingratitude is worst than necromancy, worst than obeah, worst than conjuring the dead and we have become a people of ingratitude today. In this celebration of the sacrifice of meal of offering and of love, let’s become a people of gratitude. Let us recognise all the rich and many things we have done for each other. Let us thank each other.” However, he said all the sacrifices made in homes were nothing in comparison to God’s sacrifice. He implored them to meditate on the mystery of God’s love.
Wendell Constantine and Debra Bartholomew accompained by Reynold Woodroffe sing during the Corpus Christi Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Independence Square, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
ROBERTO CODALLO
What is Corpus Christi?
The Feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated by Roman Catholics and some Anglican Churches worldwide. Corpus Christi (Latin) means Body of Christ and recognises that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, Holy Communion. It is believed that the observance of Corpus Christi originated with St. Juliana, a nun of Liege, Belgium, circa 1230 AD in honour of the Eucharist. Corpus Christi is commemorated for one day with the traditional date being the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Thursday was chosen because it was the day on which the Last Supper was celebrated. In many regions Corpus, Christi is celebrated on the following Sunday so that more people can attend Holy Mass.
The Liturgical colour of Corpus Christi is white and some of the symbols associated with this holiday include Bread and Wine, Plate and Chalice, grapes, vines and any symbol of the Eucharist. Public processions with the Eucharist exposed takes place on this day after mass with the faithful professing their love and belief in Jesus Christ. In Trinidad and Tobago, Corpus Christi is a public Holiday and considered a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics, meaning that is they must attend mass. Keeping Corpus Christi as a public holiday was one of the conditions the Spanish settlers insisted upon when our country was being ceded to the British in 1797.
