Dear St. Catherine Parish Family,
This Sunday, the Church celebrates the feast of Corpus Christi, which is an especially important day for us to reflect on the sublime gift the Lord has given us in the Eucharist, and how privileged we are as Catholics. Our belief regarding the Eucharist should be reflected, particularly, in our demeanor when we come to Mass. Although we could certainly say that the Lord doesn’t need anything from us, our reverence and our respect for the sacred mysteries celebrated, more than anything, help remind us that God truly is present in the Eucharist, and that He deserves our utmost devotion. This is why Catholics have always had certain traditions and practices that demonstrate our devotion: like maintaining an attitude of prayer and silence while in the church, genuflecting toward the tabernacle as we enter into our pews, and receiving the Lord at Holy communion with reverence (either on our tongues or by making the throne for Him with our hands), and not receiving the Lord if we are in a state of mortal sin and have not gone to confession.
Another way by which we demonstrate our respect for the Eucharist is by the way that we dress. As I mentioned, the Lord doesn't need anything from us. And He certainly doesn’t need us to dress in a particular way for Mass. The way we dress, however, reflects the fact that we really recognize the great dignity of what we are doing at Mass, and that the Mass is something very different from a regular informal type of gathering. I have to confess that I think it is rather unfortunate that our modern culture has lost a sense of “Sunday best” clothes. Additionally, as the weather gets warmer, I think it is especially important that we are conscience that our clothes for Mass are modest and appropriate.
On this great feast of Corpus Christi, may the Lord open our hearts and minds to recognize the great beauty of this sacrament, so that the Eucharist might bear greater fruit in our lives and help us to grow in deeper holiness and love.
