De sacratissimo corpore Christi
The Institution of Corpus Christi
Pope Urban IV establishes the feast of Corpus Christi, supported by the liturgical compositions of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Pope Urban IV. Moved by his devotion to this most celebrated Sacrament, he decreed and established the feast of the most sacred Body of Christ to be celebrated by all the faithful on the first Thursday after the octave of Pentecost. He did this so that we, who use this Sacrament for our salvation throughout the entire year, might specifically recall its institution at that time when the Holy Spirit taught the hearts of the disciples to fully understand the sacred mysteries of this Sacrament. And so that the aforementioned solemnity might be celebrated more devoutly by Christ's faithful, in place of the material distributions that are given out in cathedral churches to those present for the canonical hours—both night and day—the aforementioned Roman Pontiff granted spiritual rewards through apostolic generosity to those who were personally present in the churches for these hours during this solemnity, so that the faithful would come more eagerly and in greater numbers to the celebration of such a great feast. To all who are truly penitent and have confessed, and who attend the designated office of the day, he granted an indulgence of one hundred days; to those who attend the Mass, the same; to those who attend the first Vespers of this feast, likewise one hundred; to those who attend the second, the same; to those who attend the offices of Prime, Terce, Sext, None, and Compline, forty days for each of those hours. To those who are present for the Matins, Vespers, Mass, and the aforementioned offices of the hours throughout the octave of the feast, he granted an indulgence of one hundred days from the penances enjoined, to last for all time. The most profound doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, who composed the entire office for the devotion and honor of this solemnity, exhorts all those redeemed by His blood to spiritual joy and gladness, saying: 'At the sacred solemnities, let joys be joined, and from the depths of the heart let praises resound; let the old things depart, let all things be new, hearts, voices, and works. The last supper of the night is recalled, in which Christ is believed to have given the lamb and unleavened bread to the brothers according to the laws granted to the ancient fathers; after the typical lamb, the feast being finished, the Lord's body was given to the disciples, thus whole to all, which whole to each, as we believe, He gave with His own hands. He gave to the weak the food of His body, He gave also to the sad the cup of His blood, saying: Receive the vessel that I hand over, all of you drink from it. The angelic bread becomes the bread of men, the heavenly bread gives an end to figures: O wondrous King, the poor, humble servant eats the Lord.'
Preparation of the Heart
The faithful are exhorted to approach the Eucharist with purity, reverence, and a deep understanding of the majesty of the Sacrament.
O therefore sacred banquet, in which Christ the Lord is received, the memory of His passion is recalled, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us! For this reason, the doctor of the Gentiles, blessed Paul, that vessel of election, warns us that we should approach that most worthy banquet with honor, reverence, and devotion, for he said: 'But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup; for he who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself.' The devout person must indeed prove three things: first, himself, as to what purity he possesses, for he ought to be pure, just, and holy, as the Lord God says in Leviticus. 'Be holy, for I am holy.' Indeed, he must be clean and pure from carnal delight, from the affection for earthly things, from vain thought, and even from negligence and sloth. Second, you must examine the Body of the Lord to see how great its majesty is; for you don't receive material bread, but celestial bread—the very One who said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven." This bread possesses a great and fruitful perfection, since the living bread has a long and virtuous duration, because "I am." Indeed, three things are considered in any given thing: its being, its operation, and its end. Third, you must examine the manner of receiving it to see how great its holiness is, for that saving Sacrament must be received with purity of conscience, with true faith, with great longing, and with deep devotion. Even John the Baptist, who was sanctified in the womb as the Gospel says, was afraid because he was to baptize Him, and he didn't dare to touch the holy head of God. How much more, then, should a person fear who is not sanctified in the womb, but is entirely conceived in sins, born and raised, and who must not only touch Him, but receive Him within himself?
The Necessity of the Sacrament
Theological reflection on why the Eucharist was instituted, emphasizing the memory of the Passion, the gift of eternal life, and the remedy for daily sin.
You must, indeed, with great humility, faith, and devotion, say what the centurion said to the Lord (Matthew 8): "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed," and likewise for my soul. The holy doctors, however, ask whether the institution of this most worthy Sacrament was necessary. Blessed Thomas the doctor answers in the Fourth Book of the Sentences, distinction... VIM, and art. HI. And Lord Peter of Tarentaise, Pope Innocent V, of the same Order of Preachers, said that the institution of this Sacrament was necessary for three reasons. First, so that we might always have a memory of the Passion, as Paul says: "Do this in remembrance of me." Therefore, blessed Thomas says: "The immense benefits of divine generosity shown to the Christian people confer upon it an inestimable dignity; for there is not, nor has there ever been, so great a nation that has gods drawing near to it." Our Lord God is present to us, the only-begotten; for the Son of God, wishing us to be partakers of His divinity, assumed our nature so that He might make men gods, having become man; and furthermore, He bestowed upon us for our salvation everything He took from our nature. For He offered His own Body as a sacrifice to God the Father on the altar of the cross for our reconciliation, and He poured out His blood as both a price and a washing, so that, redeemed from a miserable slavery, we might be cleansed of all our sins. The second reason is that, just as the first man brought death upon himself by eating food forbidden by God's will, so now he might possess eternal life through this food—that is, the Body of Christ—since, as the evangelist John testifies... 6: 'If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.' The third reason is that, just as we sin daily—at least venially—so we ought to receive or adore Him daily, because by adoring Him with devotion, venial sins are forgiven, as Ambrose writes in his work on penance.
Devotion and the Royal Example
The chapter concludes with the example of King Louis XII and the introduction of the 'O Salutaris Hostia' prayer as a sign of royal devotion.
2: 'As often as I sin, I must always receive the medicine.' Louis XII had no small devotion to this most sacred consecrated host, under which the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord is contained. The King of the French, having been abandoned by his doctors for many days, called upon the Lord Jesus and recovered from an incurable illness; he then ordered that, in the kingdom of France, out of reverence for the sacred host, a devout prayer be sung during the elevation of the Body of Christ at Mass, namely: 'O saving Victim, who opens the gate of heaven, hostile wars press upon us; give strength, bring aid.' Amen.
Read the original Latin
Urbanus pontifex summus hujus nominis quartus. celeberrimi hujus sacramenti affectus pie statuit et festuin sacratissimi corporis Christi ordinavit prima quinta feria post octavas pentecostes a cunctis fidelibus celebrari, ut, qui per totum anni circulum hoc sacramento utimur ad salutem, ejus instilutionei illo specialiter tempore recolamus, quo spiritus sanctus corda discipulorum edocuit ad plene cognoscendum sacra mysteria hujns sacramenti, et ut praedicta sollemnitas devotius a Christi fidelibus celebrior habeatur, loco distributionum materialium, quae in ecclesiis cathedralibus largiuntur existentibus in canonicis horis nocturnis pariter quam diurnis, Praefatus Romanus episcopus iis, qui hujusmodi horis in hac sollemnitate personaliter in ecclesiis exstiterint, stipendia spiritualia apostolica largitione concessit, quatenus fideles ad tanti festi celebritatem avidius et copiosius advenirent, Omnibus igitnr vere poenitentibus et confessis, qui malnlinali officio diei aderunt, centum dies, qui vero missae, totidem, illis antem, qui interfuerint in primis hujus festi vesperis, similiter cenlum , qui vero in secundis, totidem, iis quoque, qui primae, tertiae, sexlae, nonae ac completorii aderunt officiis, pro qualibet horarum ipsarum quadraginta, Hlis vero, qui per ipsius festi octavas in inatulinalibus vesperis missae ac horarum praedictammun officiis praesentes exstiterint, singulis diebus octavarum ipsarum centum dies de injunctis poenitentiis relaxando indulgentiam tribuit perpeluis temporibus duraturam. Hoc profundissimus doctor sanctus Thomas de Aquino, qui ad hujus sollemnitatis devotionem et honorem totum officium composuit, ad gaudium et laetitiam spiritualem cunctos sanguine redemtos hortatur dicens: sacris sollemniis juncta sint gaudia et ex praecordiis sonent praeconia, recedant vetera, nova sinl omnia, corda, voces et opera, Noctis recolitur coena novissima, qua Christus creditur agnum et azima dedisse fratribus juxta legitima priscis indulta patribus: post agmwm typicum expletis epulis corpus dominicum datum discipulis sic totum omnibus, quod totum singulis ejus fate mur manibus, Dedit fragilibus corporis ferculum, dedit et tristibus sanguinis poculum dicens: accipite, quod trado vasculum, omnes ex eo bibite, Panis angelicus fit panis hominum, dat panis coelicus figuris termimun: O rex mirabilis, manducat dominum pauper servus et humilis. O igitur sacrum convivium, in quo Christus dominus sumitur, recolitur memoria passionis ejus, mens impletur gratia et futurae gloriae nobis pignus datur, Ob eam rem doctor gentium beatus Panlus et vas electionis nos admonet, ut digne ad illud dignissimum convivium cum honore, reverentia et devotione accedamus, quoniam dixit 1. Cor, XT: probet autem se ipsum homo et sic de pane illo edat et de calice bibat; qui enim manducat et bibit indigne, judicium sibi manducat et bibit. Devotus siquidem tria debet probare: primo se ipsum, quantae sit puritatis, quoniam debet esse purus, jüstu et sanctus, ut dicit dominus Dens, Levilic. XIX: sancti estote, quoniam ego sanctus sum. Nempe debet esse mundus et pams a carnali delectatione, a terrenorum affectione et vana cogitatione, etinm a negligentia et torpore.
Secundo debet probare corpus dominicuin, quantae Sit majestatis: non enim recipit panem materialem, sed coelestem, illuin videlicet, qui dixit: ego sum panis vivus, qui de coelo descendi. Panis enim iste habet magnan et fructuosam perfectionem, quoniam panis vivus habet longam et virluosam durationem, quia ego sum. Etenim vero iria in re qualibet considerantur: esse, operatio et finis. Tertio probet recipiendi modum, quantae sit sanctitatis, quoniam illud salvificum sacramentum est recipiendum cun conscientiae puritate, cum vera fide, cuim multo desiderio et magna devotione, i enim beatus Johannes baptista sanclificatus in utero, ut dicitur in sancto evangelio, timebat, quoniam debebat eum baptizare et non audebat sanctum Dei caput tangere, quanto magis homo debet timere, qui non est sanctificatus in utero, sed est totus conceptus in peccatis, natus et nutritus, qui non solum tangere ewm debet, sed intra se recipere. Debet equidem cum magna humilitate, fide et devotione dicere illud, quod centurio dicebat domino, Matth, VII: domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub teclum meum, sed tamen dic verbuin et sanabitur puer meus, item anüna mea, Sancti autem doctores quaerunt, utram institutio hujus dignissimi sacramenti fuerit necessaria, Respondet doctor beatus Thomas in IV, di. VIM, et art. HI. et dominus Petrus de Tarentasia pontifex Innocentius quintus ejusdem ordinis praedicalorum, quod fuit talis institutio hujus sacramenti necessaria propter tres causas, Primo, ut memoriam semper habeamus de passione, unde Paulus ait: hoc facite in meam commemoralionem, ldeo beatus Thomas dicit: immensa divinae largitatis beneficia exhibita populo christiano inaestimabilem ei conferunt dignitatem, neque enim est aut fuit aliquando tam grandis natio, quae habeat Deos appropinquantes sibi, Adest nobis Deus noster unigenitus, "siquidem Dei filius suse divinitatis volens nos esse participes, nostram naturam assunsit, ut homines Deos faceret, factus homo et hoc insuper, quod de nostro assumsit, totum nobis contulit ad salutem.
Corpus namque suuin pro nostra reconciliatione in ara crucis hostiam obtulit Deo patri et sanguinem summ fudit in pretium simul et lavacrum, ut redemti a miserabili servitute a peccatis omnibus mundaremur. Secunda causa, ut, sicnt homo primns incurrerat mortem ratione cibi veliti sumti contra voluntatem Dei, Genes, II, nunc autem vitam aeternam possideat ratione hujus cibi, id est corporis Christi, quoniam teste evangelista Johanne c. VI: si quis manducaverit ex hoc pane, vita vivet et in aeternum, Tertia, ut, sicut quotidie peccamus saltem venialiter, ita quotidie eum recipere aut adorare debemus, quoniam eum adorando devote peccata venialia remiltantur, Idro Ambrosius de poenitentia dist. II; quotiescunque, qui semper pecco, semper medicinam recipere debeo, Ad hanc sacratissunam hostiam consecratam, sub qua continetur veruin corpus et sanguis Jesu Chrisli domini nostri, devotionem non modicam Ludovicus XII. Francoruim rex habebat, qui a medicis per plures dies derelictus dominum Jesum invocavit et ab incurabili aegritudine convaluit ordinavitque, ut in regno Franciae ob reverentiam sacrae hostiae in elevatione corporis Christi in missa devota oratio cantaretur videlicet: o salutaris hostia, quae coeli pandis ostium , bella premunt hostilia, da robur, fer auxilium, Amen,
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