Homily Annotations from A Laymen - Corpus Christi

In no way by these periodic posts of "Homily Annotations from A Laymen" is it my intention to disparage any Catholic priest or deacon.  I merely want to add some prayerful thoughts to the homilies presented to me.

While my experience with Sunday homilies are mostly local, I have attended Mass at enough parishes in many locations in this country to feel that the homily structures are very similar across the United States, mostly because our Catholic church suffers from modernistic and liberal approaches to saving souls.

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), June 22, 2014

I was happy to hear our newly ordained Deacon speak about how the Feast of Corpus Christi was first established as well as referring to the Eucharistic Miracle that occurred in Lanciano, Italy in the 8th Century A.D.

He also made reference to a recent survey about Catholics belief in the Real Presence in the Eucharist. I found this chart on the to substantiate what he said.

I believe that there are several factors that contribute to the results of this survey:

• While the Memorial of the Real Presence is celebrated each week at Mass, points made at today's homily are really repeated throughout the year.

• The elimination of the communion rail which affords the reverence of kneeling has resulted in the loss of faith in the Real Presence.

• Most importantly - receiving Communion in the hand has resulted in a HUGE loss of faith in the Real Presence.

As noted by Michael Voris of ChurchMilitant.tv's excellent series Sleight of Hand - Reception Deception, "Pope Benedict started distributing Christ's Body exclusively in this manner, directly on the tongue, since 2009 on the Feast of Corpus." 

Back in the early 60's when the abuse of communion in the hand was beginning in Europe, Pope Paul VI in Memorial Domini (Par 10) says:

...this practice [receiving Holy Communion on the tongue]... ensures more effectively that Holy Communion is distributed with all due respect, decorum, and dignity, so that the danger of profanation of the Eucharistic species is prevented, in which in a unique way, Christ, God and man, is present whole and entire, substantially and continually, so that finally the diligent care is preserved, which the Church always recommended regarding the fragments of the consecrated bread: What you have allowed to fall, think of it as though one of your own members were amputated.

These points should have been stated in his homily.  However, to do so would put himself in conflict with his Pastor and his Bishop.

I urge you to study Memorial Domini and return to receiving Communion on the tongue.

God bless.