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Views from the Choir Loft

Homily: Corpus Christi (Year A)

Guest Author · June 22, 2014

ODAY’S FEAST honoring the Body and Blood of our Lord is a good example of what the now Blessed John Cardinal Newman would call a legitimate “Development of Doctrine.” When Our Lord first gave the promise of the Eucharist as described in the sixth Chapter of St. John’s Gospel, or when our Lord so simply said at the Last supper as He took the bread and wine and said, “This is my Body”, “This is my Blood”, possibly not even He and certainly not his audience were envisioning Eucharistic processions or what we know as Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. These are all what Cardinal Newman would call legitimate development of doctrine or teachings.

The Old Testament: Spiritual writers and Biblical scholars have found many things in the Old Testament that prefigured events or happenings that would take place in New Testament times. And one of the most common of these was the manna or special food that God provided for his chosen people during their long journey through the desert from Egypt to the Promised Land. It was called ‘Manhu’ or ‘manna’ which literally was the Hebrew expression for ‘what is this.’ It was a flaky substance that fell every day for the people to eat, provided by God. New Testament writers and saints later on saw this as a prefigure of the Eucharist which Jesus gave us. That’s the reason why the First reading was chosen for today. Moses reminded the people how God took care of them. Needless to say how much more fortunate we are to have the Eucharist, the very flesh and blood of our Lord, for our daily sustenance if we only so desire.

Second Reading: In the second reading St. Paul uses the Eucharist as a reason why Christians should have unity among themselves. After all they are sharing in the same Body which is Christ. We do know from other sources that the Christians at Corinth were having problems at the time.

The Gospel: In some respects St. John’s presentation of Jesus’ promise of the Eucharist is one of the best proofs we have for Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist. From Jesus’ presentation we certainly gather that Jesus really meant what He said, even if that meant losing some of his followers. It may come as a surprise for some to hear that St. John does not give an account of the Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper as such. We can only conjecture as to the reason why. He mentions the washing of the disciples’ feet, the betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter, and then the long discourse which takes up three Chapters. After that they leave for the garden of Gethsemane.

The Sequence: At the beginning of this homily I mentioned the term “’the Development of Doctrine”. I see this teaching so fittingly exemplified in our teaching and belief in regard to the Eucharist. On the one hand we believe Jesus is God. On the other hand we believe that the Bread and wine when consecrated by a duly authorized minister becomes God. Therefore they too become worthy to be adored. Yes, it takes faith. In some respects one can’t be ‘argued’ into believing. I don’t know how many parishes or churches will opt to read or sing the sequence for today. Perhaps its meaning is too much above the average Catholic. I choose to read it here today, hoping that some at least will derive some benefit. If you have a prayer-book that has St. Thomas Aquinas’ prayer and Hymn the Adoro Te, I suggest you read and meditate on it today. Its presentation is perhaps simpler and easier to understand. All any of us can do on a day like this is say: “Lord, increase the Faith of all who believe in You.”


We hope you enjoyed this homily by Fr. Valentine Young, OFM.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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President’s Corner

    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Today the Church has made a big mistake, turning the clock back 500 years with guitars and popular songs. I don’t like it at all. Gregorian Chant is a vital and important tradition of the Church and to waste this—by having guys mix religious words with profane, Western songs—is hugely grave, hugely grave.”

— Maestro Ennio Morricone (10 Sept 2009)

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