Corpus Christi Sunday - Rector's Rambling for June 22, 2025

     

We are now in a new Church Season, known as Trinitytide, or the Ordinary Season.  It is called Trinitytide because the Sundays between now and November 30 are numbered as Sundays after Trinity.  It is the long season of teaching about the nature of God himself through parables, sermons, and miracles performed by Jesus.  It is called ‘Ordinary’ not because it is not special, but because it is an Ordered series of teachings between now and the restart of the Church Liturgical Year with the Advent Season.

Having said all that, we actually don’t dive into the ‘regular’ routine of this season quite yet.  This week and next we have two special occasions which delay the onset of the green vestments and pulpit/lectern hangings. 

Today are celebrating the External Solemnity of Corpus Christi.  This Feast Day actually falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, but is so special we celebrate it again today.  Back in Holy Week on April 17th we had Maundy Thursday where we remembered our Lord’s Last Supper.  It was then that he instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Communion.  In all the busy from Palm Sunday to Good Friday to Easter Day it often gets overlooked, as evidenced by the low attendance at Mass that Thursday Evening.

Yet it is in Jesus’ giving of self in the Sacrament that we continue to receive that assurance of Grace!  “This is my Body” and “This is my Blood” becomes possible in every celebration of the Holy Communion, in fulfillment of Jesus’ words that we  are to eat His Flesh and drink His Blood by which we have Eternal Life. (John 6:54)  Because of how important this is, the Church celebrates it again outside of Holy Week, at the beginning of Trinitytide.

And although we would normally be in the green vestments and hangings of Trinitytide the following week, the 2nd Sunday after Trinity, this year a Prayer Book Holy Day takes precedence.  June 29th is the Feast of St. Peter the Apostle, so we will once again don the red vestments and hang red on the pulpit and lectern. 

Several special feast days fall on a Sunday this year so we will have some deviation from a long ‘green’ season, with St. Bartholomew on August 24th, Holy Cross Day September 14, St. Matthew the Apostle September 21, The Solemnity of St. Michael and All Angels October 5th, and All Saints Sunday on November 2nd this year.

We give thanks to Almighty God for the gift of Himself in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.