I’m a bit early but all the same, “Happy Thanksgiving to you!” Hopefully this message finds you doing well. Normally our national celebration of Thanksgiving takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month of November. It is a festive time for family and friends to gather together, to share food and fellowship, and to give thanks to God for His abundant blessings. On the fourth Saturday and Sunday of this month of June we as Catholic Christians have a particularly significant reason to celebrate Thanksgiving early: Corpus Christi.
For all of you Latin experts out there in Reader Land you’ll recognize “Corpus Christi” as the phrase which could be translated into English as, “Body of Christ.” Traditionally it is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. This day has been designated with Eucharistic significance because we believe that it was on a Thursday evening wherein Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples. Through his words and actions he instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist. As it turns out, in God’s Providential Orchestration, it is on the fourth Thursday of this month - today - that many parts of the Catholic world will celebrate Corpus Christi.
Here in the United States the celebration has been transferred from today to this Sunday, June 23
rd
. This was done out of pastoral consideration so that the majority of the faithful would be able to participate in the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, that is to say Corpus Christi. We will gather together with our spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ to share heavenly food and fellowship and to give thanks to God for His abundant blessings.
For all of our Greek experts out there you’ve probably been thinking about the word, “εὐχαριστία” - pronounced
eucharistia
, that could be translated into English as “Thanksgiving” (
etymonline.com/word/eucharist
). Based on that beautiful truth about the Eucharist it is very appropriate and even fitting then that we would greet one another today and this weekend with the words “Happy Thanksgiving!”
