What is it and why is celebrated Corpus Christi?
By João Pinheiro
Corpus Christi is one of the biggest festivals of the Catholic Church. During the Corpus Christi, Catholics around the world celebrate the “Body of Christ”. But what does it mean and why this holiday is not celebrated on the same day in every year? See below!
The celebration of Corpus Christi celebrates the presence of the body and blood of Christ, one of the sacraments of the Eucharist. According to the Christian religions, on Holy Thursday, the day preceding his death, Jesus met the apostles for the Last Supper, when he said: “This is my body [pointing to the bread], and this is my blood [pointing to the wine]”. Catholics around the world acknowledge the gift of the Eucharist, in which they believe that God is the food of the soul.
Bread and Wine
The celebration of Corpus Christi began in 1193, on the initiative of the Belgian Juliana of Cornellon, who claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary asking her to do a big party for the purpose of honoring the body of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Some years later, in 1264, Pope Urban IV established the feast [that has happened] to the Universal Church, through the bull Transiturus de Hoc Mundo, decreeing the celebration as an officer, and for three purposes:
— Honoring Jesus Christ;
— Ask for forgiveness from Jesus for what was done to him;
— Protesting against those who denied the presence of God in the sacred host.
According to the Catholic Church, during Mass, when the priest proclaims the words “This is my body and this is my blood”, is the act of transubstantiation, whereby the substance of bread and wine [this case, the wafer and wine] becomes the body and blood of Christ. This is the most important moment of the entire celebration of Corpus Christi — the, until then, unconsecrated hosts become consecrated.
>>> THE HOSTS are made of flour and water. Formerly done only by religious, but nowadays, there are plants around the world that produce only hosts. They are sold in packages of one thousand units. There is no “secret formula” because the ingredients do not vary, however, according to the manufacturers, the key is to hit and cut the dough, so that it is consistent and does not crumble when starting by the priest during Mass . The hosts still have a shelf life — 6 months — and currently are marketed to the Internet. But, remember, only the consecrated host even after the transubstantiation.
Corpus Christi processions
After Mass, another strong point of the day of Corpus Christi is the procession. In many cities it is customary to adorn the streets through which the faithful pass. For this colorful rugs are made and made with various materials such as paper, colored sawdust, Styrofoam, bottle caps, flowers, leaves and ground glass. In this carpet are made drawings that resemble the figure of Jesus, the cup and the bread.
In some cities, the path is made of a material prominent in these places. An example is the Brazilian city of Ibitinga (SP), National Capital of Embroidery, decorating their streets with materials made by large and small embroidery factories the city, taking the opportunity to publicize the services rendered. The above photo is the procession of 2013.
In Brazil, some processions are famous, such as the historic city of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, which was the first Brazilian city to adorn the streets on that date. The towns in Brazil are the most distinctive in the “item” processions. Matão, in São Paulo, also performs one of Brazil’s most famous processions. Highlights also include processions of Castelo (ES), São José do Rio Preto (SP), Rodeio (SC), Cabo Frio (RJ), among others.
>>> THE CORPUS CHRISTI HOLIDAY is one of the mobile festivities that revolve around Easter. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon of March 21. See how these festivities furniture that are calculated from Easter:
— Lent: the period that comprises the 40 days preceding Easter;
— Palm Sunday: the Sunday before Easter Sunday;
— Pentecost: celebrated 50 days after Easter Sunday;
— Corpus Christi: celebrated on Thursday after Pentecost Sunday.
Source: HowStuffWorks Brazil
