The Feast of Corpus Christi

What is Corpus Christi, and why do Catholics joyfully carry Jesus through the streets in Eucharistic processions?

In this gentle tea time, Miss Katie invites children and their grown-ups to discover the beauty of the Feast of Corpus Christi. Together, we'll journey back to the desert with Moses and the gift of manna from Heaven, learn how Jesus revealed Himself as the Bread of Life, and listen to the story of the Last Supper where He gave us the Holy Eucharist.

Children will learn a simple catechism question about the Eucharist, hear why Catholics are not ashamed to honor Our Lord truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, and be guided through a peaceful imagination prayer before praying the beloved Eucharistic prayer:

O Sacrament Most Holy,
O Sacrament Divine,
All praise and all thanksgiving
Be every moment Thine.

Perfect for families, homeschoolers, grandparents, classrooms, and anyone seeking a quiet corner of the week to learn about the Catholic faith together.

Don't forget to visit www.reginabooks.com for family extension activities designed to accompany each episode of Tea Time for Little Catholics. You'll find printable resources, catechism cards, copywork pages, coloring sheets, and other faith-filled activities to continue the conversation at home.

Until next tea time, may the Lord's peace and goodness be with you, and may Our Lady's gentle beauty shine in your hearts for the whole world to see. ☕✝️📖💕

Catholic printables from each episode?! Yes!

Check out Tea Time for Little Catholics Podcast — Regina Books to purchase a printable bundle of feast day activities to go along with today's podcast. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome, dear hearts, to tea time for little Catholics. I am so excited for our very first tea time together. And what an enormous gift that our first tea time includes my very favorite feast of all feast in the Catholic calendar. Today we are going to talk about the feast of Corpus Christi. Can you say that after me? Corpus Christi. Yes, very good. Corpus Christi is a Latin name that means the body of Christ. This feast is all about Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. It is about the wonderful mystery that Jesus did not leave us alone. He found a way to remain close to us always for all time. At Mass, Jesus comes to us hidden under the appearance of bread and wine in the blessed sacrament. And it is because of this great gift and on this feast of Corpus Christi that churches all around the world celebrate with candles, bells, flowers, incense, singing, and joyful processions. Sometimes people even scatter flower petals before Jesus in the monstrance as he passes by. Oh wow, that's a big word. Monstrance. Do you know what a monstrance is? It is a sacred vessel. Think of a throne that Jesus in the Holy Eucharist rests gently in for all the world to see. It's usually very large and sometimes golden. It is very beautiful because it is the throne of the king of the universe, of heaven and of earth. The priest holds it, and there's normally a tent above the priest, above our Lord Jesus in the monstrance. It is a very exciting and beautiful thing to experience, and I hope for each one of you that you can experience it as well. Think of the happiest time that you have ever had in your life, a birthday party or a wedding. Anything that made you so happy. And the Eucharistic processions on Corpus Christi are beyond that. It's like going to the best birthday party or the best wedding that there ever was, because we're celebrating our King in heaven who has come down to earth to us. Why do we do this? Why do we have such a big feast and a big procession? Why do we do it? Because Jesus is truly there. And dear hearts, we as Catholics are not ashamed of our Lord truly present in the Eucharist. That is why on the feast of Corpus Christi we carry Jesus through the streets in joyful procession and adoration. We do not hide our love for him. We follow him like sheep following their good shepherd, or like people following their good king. We sing, we kneel, we ring bells, we cover his path with flowers, and together we tell the world Jesus is here. Now let's stop for a moment and go back in time to a once upon a time. Now this is a true story, dear friends. So long before Jesus was born, long before the apostles and Bethlehem and our blessed mother, we have our story beginning in the desert. Long, long ago God's people wandered through the wilderness with Moses. The desert was hot and dry. The people were tired and hungry, and they began to worry. How will we eat out here? They asked. But God loved his people and would not abandon them. It's important for us to remember that God always keeps his promises. So one morning when the people awoke, they found tiny flakes covering the ground like frost upon the sand. It was bread from heaven. Each and every morning God fed his people with his heavenly bread during their long journey through the desert. He provided for them, he kept his promise. But dear hearts, it only gets better. The manna was the beginning, there's more. Many years later Jesus came into the world. You know what he said one day to his people? He said I am the bread of life. Wow. The people remembered the manna Moses had given them in the desert. But Jesus explained that he was giving something even greater, not just bread for hungry bodies, but heavenly food for hungry souls. Then on the night before he died, Jesus gathered with his apostles at the Last Supper. The room glowed softly with lamp light. The apostles sat close beside him. Jesus took bread into his hands. He blessed it, he broke it, and then he said something astonishing. This is my body. Then he took the cup and said this is my blood. Jesus was giving himself completely to his people, and he told the apostles, do this in memory of me. And dear hearts, that is why we still have the holy mass today. At every mass the miracle of the Eucharist continues. The priest repeats the words of Jesus from the Last Supper, and through the power of God, ordinary bread and wine become the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Jesus becomes truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. And that is why we kneel when we go into a church. Did you know that? It's because Jesus is truly present. That is why churches are quiet and beautiful, because Jesus is present in the church. That is why the little red sanctuary lamps glow near the tabernacle. I know you've seen them. The red lamps. The red lamp tells us that Jesus is there. And now dear hearts, let us practice a little catechism question together. Are you ready? What is the Holy Eucharist? The Holy Eucharist is the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Are you ready? Again. What is the Holy Eucharist? The Holy Eucharist is the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Very good. Just as God fed his people with manna in the desert, Jesus now feeds us with the bread of heaven for our journey toward our true home in heaven. Sometimes on Corpus Christi, the priest carries Jesus beneath a beautiful canopy through the streets around the churches. Do you remember? Candles flicker and the bells ring, and you can see the incense rising into the air. And remember sometimes children scatter flower petals before him. All of us people follow closely behind Jesus the King. Oh dear hearts, what a beautiful thing it is to belong to a church that loves Jesus so much. Before we end our tea time today, I want you to close your eyes and open your hearts and minds. Are you ready? Close your eyes. Now I want you to picture your church. Do you have the image in your head? What does your church look like? Does it have beautiful windows and statues and a beautiful altar and candles? Now I want you to picture your family and all of your friends there at church. Now picture the altar. And I want you to picture on top of the altar we have Jesus in the monstrance in the big golden vessel where he sits on his throne to love us and for us to love him. But something very magical is happening that we cannot see with our own eyes. Dear hearts, did you know that every time Jesus sits upon the throne or Jesus comes to us in mass, that all of the choirs of angels and all of the saints in heaven come to adore Jesus too? Yes, can you believe that? We can't see it with our eyes, but we can feel it with our hearts. Your heart is so happy, and you want to praise Jesus with everyone. Now, dear hearts, you can open up your eyes, and I want to teach you a little song. It's a song that we can use to sing to Jesus, to show him that we love him in the Holy Eucharist. It goes O sacrament most holy O sacramenti All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine again are you ready? O sacrament most holy O sacrament divine all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine. Until next tea time, may the Lord's peace and goodness be with you, and may our lady's gentle beauty shine in your hearts for the whole world to see.