Watching the Holy Father’s pastoral trip to Madrid, from Perth Western Australia (approximately 14,600 kms) on YouTube, I spent most of my time crying. Not tears of sadness, or anger, or anything negative but tears of Joy. I never thought I could love another Pope as much as Pope Francis, but I do. I watched the close ups and Papa Leone’s face so emotional that I thought “he is walking the same steps as Pope Francis but more emotionally” continuing the walk, and I imagine his vision of over a million souls, he saw that the church is alive, healthy, and in love with the Lord. Through its many failings, fallings, wounds, mistakes along the road, it stands strong and very much in love with its founder and the Lord, Jesus.
Madrid experienced something extraordinary this week, the holy Father Papa Leone, carrying our Eucharistic Lord through its streets on the feast of the solemnity of Corpus Christ. The solemnity of the Body and Blood of our Lord.
As thousands followed in prayer and adoration, the scene reflected the beauty of this ancient feast. No less worshipped and adored now than when it began in the year 1246 in Liège, Belgium.
But Madrid is not the lone beneficiary of this magnificent feast. Across the world catholics gathered to carry Jesus in the Eucharist around their own streets, publicly proclaiming their faith in his very real presence here on earth, now, in real time and not simply two thousand years ago. The presence of our Blessed Lord in his body and blood, soul, and divinity, though some would say, there was nothing there but a beautiful precious article or sacred vessel of pure gold and a white wafer raised up high in what the catholics call monstrance, ostensorium, tabernacle, or in Spanish mänztr(ǝ)ns but there was no body and blood to be seen, and my simple response to this would be “do you breathe in air to live? Can you see the air you breathe? It’s there but you cannot see it. It’s real, and important for life.” Jesus is here, like the air we breathe for our life to continue, though unseen. He is resident in all the beautiful places (tabernacles) to be seen and worshipped and adored. We remember his words to his apostle Thomas, “blessed are those who do not see yet believe (Jn 20:29). We are as equally blessed as those who saw him walk around his own land. He promised that he would not leave us alone (Jn 14:18)) and he has kept his promise in such a way that we can see and believe through all ages but not see. There is a “burning in our hearts” (lk24:32) just like the hearts of those two men who walked with him to Emmaus. Looking at the serenity of those who pray or rejoice we know he is very present.
He awaits every day and every night with us in his tabernacle or home waiting for a visit from his loved ones. He is here on this earth, as he was long ago in Judea, Galilee, Jerusalem, and all around his homeland. If we could see that he is present in all the tabernacles around the world we would know that he hasn’t abandoned us and holds our earthly home in his hands.
Corpus Christi is not just a tradition begun over 800 hundred years ago; it’s the pinnacle of our faith. We can say that it’s living because at its centre is living flesh and blood upholding the world. It’s the tradition made visible. Wherever the Eucharistic living Lord is carried in procession, today in Madrid, and seen globally via media and in small place where media has not shown, still he is there and across the globe it was and is a witness to his presence covering the globe with his love, and his peace. Without discrimination here we see the very heart of the catholic church. The church which He himself founded and placed under the governance of one he chose “Peter” whose spirit has guided every future “Peter” until the end of time.
For some reason unknown to me this year’s celebration touched me deeply. In my own place of worship in the Perth, Western Australian Cathedral, a similar but in much smaller than Madrid in numbers, the same celebration occurred. First Holy Mass then walk around the cathedral streets and stopping to bless our state. At different points, north, south, east, and west. Because our Cathedral is opposite major hospital in Western Australia, our priest, stopped and for a brief time, and blessed the hospital, its, patients, staff, ambulances outside and its responders, and those around both within and without the cathedral, and those encircling the streets looking and taking photographs. Not speaking but smiling. Not noisy or rude but it seemed inquisitive and reverent as if they hadn’t ever seen such a thing, and my prayer as I walked in the procession, was that those who were watching would “see” and join with the Lord and us. As the Jewish people say after Passover “next year in Jerusalem” I hoped that “next year” they too would walk with the Lord, witnessing to others that they had seen and believed his presence amongst us.
The moment most sacred (apart from consecration) for me was when our Archbishop, during Mass, raised the Sacred Body and Blood and the words “behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29) and again during the singing of the hymn Panis Angelicus sung by Cathedral choir and congregation also in reverence joined in. Tears rolled down, both in my Cathedral parish and then watching (on screen) same hymn being sung again during distribution of the blessed eucharist in Madrid. The same hymn would have been sung in other Cathedrals and churches throughout Australia and the world. It didn’t matter if it was a Cathedral, smaller parish church, even smallest church in the farthest reaches it would be equally exquisite. Panis Angelicus Bread of Angels It means that the Lord is reaching the ends of the earth.(Mt.28:19-20) He is seen with the eyes of the heart and accepted as present even in distant lands, those whom we do not know. The fulfilment of the Great Commission to:
“Go out into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:19-20) The gospel is preached even to the most distant lands and the celebrations of His most precious body and blood is celebrated openly and with great honour
This great feast of Corpus Christi is the fulfilment of the Lord’s words which at the time of His saying them were not understood (Jn 6.53) “Truly I say unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink of his blood you do not have life in you” Corpus Christi is the witness that we believed and believe him and the words he uttered so we can have life in us as he promised over two thousand years ago, and now we still believe. The first hearers of these words could not understand them because the Holy Spirit had not yet descended upon them to teach them and help them to understand all things.
Madrid, Spain, you did yourself proud. The great commission is being fulfilled in you as we saw Jesus being carried and raised up high in the hands of “Peter” now Papa Leone, who was seen on screens, globally, to be very emotional during this procession. He knew he was carrying Jesus in his blessed ordained hands.
Congratulations Madrid, beautiful city, (I have been there-conference) and all its people especially the young who, far from showing disinterest, showed visibly great love and respect for both Jesus and Papa Leone with the chant, “Viva el Papa!” God bless you all.
