Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within thy wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from thee.
Amen.
Amen.
"You come to me and unite Yourself intimately to me under the form of nourishment. Your Blood now runs in mine, Your Soul, Incarnate God, compenetrates mine, giving courage and support. What miracles! Who would have ever imagined such!"
-St. Maximilian Kolbe
This Sunday is the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (in many parts of the world, including Rome, it was celebrated yesterday). This great feast is a grand celebration of the Body and Blood of Our Lord. Many have made it their custom to make a special visit to an Adoration chapel in commemoration of this feast and many churches hold Eucharistic processions on this day.
So often, especially in our American culture, we miss the grandeur in our celebration of solemnities. Each solemnity marks the opportunity for us to stop from our busy schedules and delve deeper into our relationship with the Lord through prayer, Liturgical celebrations, and filial celebrations. Occasions such as these also provide for us a great spiritual challenge. We are challenged to 1. take the day set aside for a particular reason (such as Corpus Christi on Sunday) and on that day grow a deeper appreciation in that area of the spiritual life. And to 2. take what we have received through the celebration and carry it with us throughout all our days.
Our life in Christ is meant to be a relationship where selfless mutual gift of self is exchanged. Obviously, not to sound harsh, but if someone messes up in this relationship it is always us! This is why we have the opportunity to take solemnities and grow in deeper appreciation for their Source as a means of giving our hearts to the Lord. This same premise can be explained with the example of celebrating our mom's birthday, and Mother's Day. On our mom's birthday and Mother's Day we stop our normal schedule and do something nice for her, eat a special meal, and/or buy her a gift. But none of us, just because we do these things on her birthday and Mother's Day, should ignore our mother the rest of the year or treat her badly. No, setting that time aside to show our mother we love and appreciate her should till the soil of our hearts to love and appreciate her all the more. The same is true for solemnities.
How will you take this solemnity of Corpus Christi and bring it into your daily life of prayer? I challenge us all to listen to the challenge of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati...
"With all the strength of my soul I urge you young people to approach the Communion table as often as you can. Feed on this bread of angels whence you will draw all the energy you need to fight inner battles. Because true happiness, dear friends, does not consist in the pleasures of the world or in earthly things, but in peace of conscience, which we have only if we are pure in heart and mind."
Let these words burn in our hearts and draw us into a deeper relationship with Christ in His Eucharist this Sunday! Amen.
Written by Nicolette
