Familia The Newsletter of the Ascension Parish Family
IN THIS ISSUE Summer Education Opportunities Page 2
Music Notes Page 3
Ascension Family Spotlight Page 4
Birthdays and Anniversaries Page 5
June Ordo Kalendar Page 6
June Lectionary Page 7
June 2012
Bringing the Body of Christ to the World
T
he Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ—or Corpus Christi—is a relatively late addition to the Church’s liturgical calendar. After gaining popularity in the first part of the thirteenth century, Pope Urban IV officially instituted the observance in 1264 and directed that it be celebrated with a special procession. Almost 750 years later, we are still observing the feast in much the same way Pope Urban envisioned—with a solemn procession, with the great hymns of St. Thomas Aquinas (Laude Sion and Pange Lingua), and with devotion to the saving Body of Christ. This year, we celebrate the feast as an external solemnity on June 10. As always, Corpus Christi forms a sort of capstone to our liturgical year, concluding the great Easter cycle that began with Ash Wednesday’s solemn call to repentance and led, ultimately, to the awe of Holy Week, the joy of Eastertide, the celebration of the power of the Spirit at Pentecost, and the
core of our faith on the festival of the Holy Trinity. So it is appropriate that, before we begin the long “green season” of the Church’s year, we celebrate one last festival that recapitulates all the others. In the great festival of Corpus Christi, we honor Our Lord’s incarnation, His sacrifice on the cross, and the resurrected life He grants us through the power of the holy sacrament of the altar. And, together with blessed Aquinas, we sing: “Therefore we, before Him bending, this great Sacrament revere. Types and shadows have their ending, for the newer right is here.” As usual, Corpus Christi also marks the end of our choir season for the year, as they begin their much deserved break until Michaelmas. But this year, the feast also marks another leave-taking: the retirement of our rector, Father Gary Fertig. There will be a reception to honor Fr. Fertig after the 11:00 Solemn High Mass— please plan to attend as we say farewell to Father and thank him for his many years of faithful and dedicated service.