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<img height='300' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1518.jpg'> 
750th Anniversary of the Miracle of Bolsena 
Scott 1518 (2013)</center>
 
Today the Church celebrates Corpus Christi Sunday, which is more formally titled the “Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ”. The feast honors Our Lord by celebrating the “real presence of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist”. The term “Corpus Christi” is Latin for “Body of Christ.”
 
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<img height='300' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1216.jpg'> 
"The Last Supper" by Cosimo Rosselli 
Restoration of the Sistine Chapel 
Scott 1216 (2002)</center>
 
The roots for today’s feast are found in the acts of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, where he celebrates the first Eucharist. Christ deviates from the traditions of the Passover meal when, instead of invoking the traditional Jewish blessing over the bread, he says “take and eat this bread, for this is my body.” Over the cup of wine, he says “take and drink this, for this is my blood.” He then commands his disciples “do this in memory of me” for all time. With this, Christ establishes the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, where at each Mass the bread (host) and wine are transformed through transubstantiation into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
 
Moving to the 13th century, the feast of Corpus Christi was originally proposed by Saint Juliana of Liège, a Belgian nun. Early in her life, she developed a special veneration for the Blessed Sacrament, a veneration that was enhanced by a vision she experienced for over 20 years. She eventually confided in her confessor regarding the vision, and he relayed it to Bishop Robert de Thorte of Liège. This led to the first celebration of the feast on the local level in 1246.
 
Shortly thereafter, an event closely tied to the Feast of Corpus Christi took place. In 1263, the “Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena” occurred in the Italian commune northwest of Rome. According to the history of the event, a priest who was struggling with his beliefs celebrated Mass at the Basilica di Santa Cristina in Bolsena. During the Mass, the consecrated host began to bleed, staining his hands, the marble altar, and the altar cloth (corporal). The miracle is remembered on the stamp shown at the top of the article, issued by Vatican City in 2013. It depicts the masterpiece by Raphael entitled “Mass at Bolsena”, located in the Stanze de Raphael in the Vatican Museums. The investigation and confirmation of the miracle prompted the extension of the Feast of Corpus Christi to the universal Church in 1264 by Pope Urban IV. The pope commissioned Thomas Aquinas to write the liturgical texts and hymns for the feast.
 
The Feast of Corpus Christi is a moveable feast on the liturgical calendar. For years, it was exclusively observed on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, aligning it with Holy Thursday and the first Eucharist. In 1970, it was shifted to the Sunday after Trinity Sunday in the United States and in many dioceses around the world as changing demographics and the demands of work prevented most people from attending the celebration during the work week. Traditionally, the feast includes a procession where the monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament is carried from the church through the neighboring streets. In Rome, the pope usually presides over a Eucharistic procession which begins at the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran and proceeds to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. However, Pope Leo XIV will be in Spain this year and will not be participating in the celebration.
 
REFERENCES: 
<li>Catholic New Herald, June 8, 2023, <a href='https://catholicnewsherald.com/news/world/101-news/faith/9339-what-is-corpus-christi-all-about'>What is Corpus Christi all about?</a> 
<li>Wikipedia, <a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_Corpus_Christi'>Feast of Corpus Christi</a> 
<li>UFN, February 28, 2013, <a href='https://vaticanstamps.org/UFN/images/2013-2-03-1.jpg'>750th Anniversary of the Miracle of Bolsena</a> 
<li>Vatican Philatelic Society website, www.vaticanstamps.org, Stamp Database Search

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