3 June: Happy Feast of Corpus Christi…
O Bread of Heaven is one of several Eucharistic hymns traditionally sung in churches across the land on this great Feast day (as well as being a regular favourite on Sundays after Communion). Also, below, two Latin favourites, also most fitting to mark this hugely important Feast if the Body of Christ, Corpus Christi…
Thou dost my very God conceal:
My Jesus, dearest treasure, hail!
I love Thee and, adoring, kneel;
Each loving soul by Thee is fed
With Thine own Self in form of Bread.
O Food of life, Thou Who dost give
the pledge of immortality;
I live, no ’tis not I that live;
God gives me life, God lives in me:
He feeds my soul,
He guides my ways,
and every grief with joy repays.
O Bond of love that dost unite
the servant to his living Lord;
Could I dare live and not requite
such love – then death were meet reward:
I cannot live unless to prove
some love for such unmeasured love.
Beloved Lord, in Heaven above
There, Jesus, Thou awaitest me,
To gaze on Thee with endless love;
Yes, thus I hope, thus shall it be:
For how can He deny me Heaven,
Who here on earth Himself hath given?
Panis angelicus
Bread of Angels
fit panis hominum;
Is bread for all mankind;
dat panis coelicus
that bread of Heaven
figuris terminum;
ends symbols
o res mirabilis!
O wonder! Miracle!
Manducat Dominum
This Body of the Lord will nourish
pauper, pauper
even the poorest
servus et humilis.
and most lowly servants
pauper, pauper
even the poorest
servus et humilis.
and most lowly servants
Ecce panis Angelorum,
Hail, the Bread of angels
Factus cibus viatorum,
Now food of the travellers
Vere panis filiorum
True Bread for the sons
Non mittendus canibus!
Not to be thrown to the dogs
In figuris praesignatur,
In advance it is significed in figures
Cum Isaac immolatur, Agnus
When Isaac is immolated,
that the Paschal Lamb is sacrificed
deputatur, Datur manna patribus.
That Manna is given to our Fathers
Comment:
Share your own favourite hymns, prayers and stories to mark this beautiful and centrally important Feast. I have been unable to find a good rendering of another favourite – O Godhead Hid (devoutly I adore Thee – St Thomas Aquinas), so if you can unearth one with the traditional music (not a pop version!) please post it – like the above hymns, it is spiritually uplifting, wonderful nourishment for the soul in these days when life is spent mostly in the desert! Not today, though! Happy Feast everyone!
Comments (20)
I love all three hymns in the introduction – they do touch the soul.
A very happy Feast Day to everyone today!
Lily,
Thank you for that – it’s good to know that the intro hymns are appreciated.
A very happy Feast to you, as well.
Lily, I too love the three hymns in the introduction – and they do touch the soul.
I also like the hymn O Salutaris Hostia. It is a hymn usually sung at Benediction, in adoration of the Body of Christ within Consecrated Host.
Theresa Rose,
That’s a different tune from any of the others that I’ve heard but I like it – it’s beautiful!
Theresa Rose,
That’s a very nice version of O Salutaris Hostia – I’ve never heard if before. Thank you for posting it.
Happy Feast to all at CT.
I, too love all the hymns. I also love to hear of eucharistic miracles, like the story of Lanciano.
https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-miracle-of-lanciano.html
It’s sad that this important Feast has been downgraded so that it isn’t celebrated as a Holy Day any more – it’s been transferred to the next Sunday. That says it all, to me, about belief in the Real Presence.
Josephine,
Thank you for that link – the story of the Lanciano miracle is truly astounding.
Happy Feast of Corpus Christi everyone!
“O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment, Thine.”
Laura,
I meant to do a YouTube search for that – yet another – old favourite. My memory is getting worse…
https://thefunnybeaver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/minion-memory.jpg
I couldn’t think of what to type at YouTube when I went to look for a hymn to post here, so I just searched for “Corpus Christ hymns” and the very first one to come up was one of my favourites from years ago which I’d totally forgotten about, it’s been so long since I heard it. These popes, bishops and priests will pay dearly some day for having taken away our Catholic heritage.
Happy Feast to everyone at CT.
Fidelis,
It seems to be quite sometime since I have heard that hymn. Like the hymn O Salutaris Hostia, the tune is different from what I remember, but I like too.
Fidelis,
Many thanks for posting that old favourite – yet another hymn with which I grew up. It’s beautiful. Thank you.
Here is St. Gertrude’s prayer to the Sacred Heart:
“Hail! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and quickening source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and burning furnace of divine love. Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, O my amiable Savior. Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, and mine in all things be conformed to Thine. May Thy divine will be equally the standard and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. Amen.”
RCA Victor,
I love the writings of St Gertrude, and that is a lovely prayer.
My mother’s middle name was Gertrude so she’s a very special saint in my life.
N O T I C E . . .
Your prayers are requested for a long-time reader and supporter of our newsletter, a native of Manchester, John Baxter, who has been diagnosed with lung cancer (despite never having smoked). Sadly, John does not think he will see out the year.
His wife wrote with this news earlier this week, and asked for our prayers. Catholic Truth then contacted Father Stephen Dunn to ask if he would offer Mass for John. Father immediately said “yes” and that he would offer the Mass on today’s Feast, Corpus Christi.
Members of the Catholic Truth team will be present, and if anyone would like to attend the details are as follows:
Traditional Latin Mass, to be offered in the Sacred Heart, 50 Old Dalmarnock Road, Glasgow, G40 4AU at 7pm this evening, 3rd June, Feast of Corpus Christi. Confessions before Mass, from around 6.15pm On street parking.
Apologies for this late notice. I should have published it earlier.
PS I know some of you might be concerned about the Covid-restrictions, such as signing in… but… Oh, that reminds me, I need to make a proper note of my phone number, I keep getting one of the digits wrong. What am I LIKE? As I was saying, not to worry about the signing in – it’s all in a good cause…We want to save lives, don’t we? Obey the law, don’t we? Not like this cheeky beggar…
https://www.askideas.com/media/15/Funny-Cop-Saying-Picture.jpg
Editor
Happy Feast to you and to all.
I am truly sorry to hear the news about John, but so pleased that you have arranged to have a Mass offered for him by Fr. Dunn.
Sadly, I won’t be able to make the Mass tonight but I will certainly remember John and his wife in my prayers.
Athanasius,
Thank you for that. I didn’t leave much time for anyone to make arrangements to attend, so it’s I who should be apologising. There was, in any case, a healthy attendance.
Happy Feast!
In the Autumn of 1916, the Angel of Portugal appeared to Lucia 9 years old, Francisco who 8 and Jacinta 6 years old, for the third time. We have much to contemplate on the Mystery of Corpus Christi.
https://fatima.org/news-views/the-feast-of-corpus-christi-and-the-angel-of-portugal/
Theresa Rose,
A brilliant connection, between the first apparition of the Angel to the little Fatima seers, to reinforce the teaching on the Real Presence. Many thanks for reminding us of that important apparition, and its purpose – which is, of course, to emphasise the dogma of the Real Present of Our Lord in the Eucharist.
This thread is now closed to comments, with sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed. Thank you for giving of your time to honour Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. God bless. .
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