Corpus Christi--and the banquet in heaven

June 6: The feast of Corpus Christi, or the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

This major feast dates from the 13th century. St. Thomas Aquinas--great theologian, great philosopher, great poet--wrote the entire Office.

There is such beautiful music for this feast! You can hear Aquinas's "Ave Verum," as composed by William Byrd at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvXMVAITwWg, and in Mozart's wonderful setting at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UXLKmhd920 . Many other beautiful recordings and settings are available as well. Would you like to mention ones you particularly love, in a comment?

The centuries-old tradition of Corpus Christi processions, as shown in the picture here, is a beautiful expression of our belief that Christ is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.

I have come to particularly love this prayer after communion, written by Aquinas:

Lord, Father all-powerful and ever-living God, I thank Thee, for even though I am a sinner, Thine unprofitable servant, not because of any merit of my own, but in the kindness of Thy mercy, Thou hast fed me with the precious Body and Blood of They Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

I pray that this Holy Communion may not bring me condemnation and punishment but forgiveness and salvation.

May it be an armor of faith and a shield of good will. May it purify me from my vices and put an end to my evil passions.

May it bring me charity and patience, humility and obedience, and growth in every virtue.

May it be a firm defense against the wiles of all my enemies, visible and invisible, and the perfect quieting of all my evil impulses, bodily and spiritual. May it unite me more closely to Thee, the one true God, and lead me safely through death to everlasting happiness with Thee.

And I pray that Thou will lead me, a sinner to that ineffable banquet where Thou, with Thy Son and Holy Spirit, art to Thy Saints true light, total fulfillment, everlasting joy, and perfect happiness.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Epiphany--and a king's cake, or "galette des rois"

Epiphany—from the Greek, “manifestation” or “showing forth.” This is the feast of the manifestation of Christ to the Magi, who symbolically represent the world of the Gentiles—the entire world; this is why the Magi are shown representing the different races, all come to adore Christ. Epiphany is a very ancient feast—older than Christmas itself—dating back to 3rd century Egypt. This year Epiphany is celebrated officially in the US on January 3; the actual date of the feast is January 6.

When my six children were young, each year we put on an Epiphany procession—with the Magi carrying jewelry boxes (emptied for the occasion!), and the Holy Family awaiting their arrival. (I must confess that sometimes the Christ Child wasn’t as quiet and holy as we might have liked.) It was great—and very memorable to them.

A Continual Feast contains several recipes for Epiphany cakes and drink (pp. 165-167) but let me give the recipe for a delicious, traditional French “king’s cake” here. The person who finds the bean in the cake is king for that day (this is a very old custom).

(Note: "Galette des rois" is pronounced gah-lette day rwa)
Ingredients:
1 cup finely ground blanched almonds
2 1/3 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
8 tablespoons butter, cut into little pieces
About 6 tablespoons cold water
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with a little water
A bean or dried pea

Directions:
Mix the almonds thoroughly with the flour, mix in the salt and sugar. Add the egg yolks, the butter, and water as needed to make a firm dough. Work the paste gently with your fingertips.
Form it into a ball, and let it rest in the refrigerator about about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the paste out into a galette (a circle about 3/4 inch thick). Insert a ban in the bottom surface of the galette. Cut the edges with a knife to make a perfect circle, with straight sides. With a sharp knife decorate the top with lozenge (diamond) shaped cuts or with arabesques.
Place the galette on the baking sheet. Brush with egg yolk, lightly beaten with a little water.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the galette is golden brown.