The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Authority level: Authoritative doctrine
Disciplinary status: Church discipline
Theological status: Theological synthesis
GuideThe entry combines Catholic doctrine about worship with approved liturgical discipline and theological explanation; the labels do not make every ceremonial norm irreformable.
Contents

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is a solemnity in the Roman Rite on which the Church confesses and adores Jesus Christ truly, really, and substantially present in the Eucharist and gives thanks for the sacrifice and banquet of the New Covenant.[1]

Mystery celebrated

The Church confesses and adores Jesus Christ truly, really, and substantially present in the Eucharist and gives thanks for the sacrifice and banquet of the New Covenant.

The celebration belongs to the Church's objective liturgical worship; its doctrine is expressed in the proper prayers, readings, chants, and ritual observance appointed by the liturgical books.[2]

Date and calendar

It is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday or, where lawfully transferred, on the following Sunday.

Its actual observance in a given year follows the universal table of liturgical days, including the rules for concurrence, occurrence, omission, and transfer.[3]

Celebration

The Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours use the propers assigned to the day. The rank determines whether the celebration begins with First Vespers, includes the Gloria or Creed, and supersedes another observance.

References

  1. 1.General Instruction of the Roman Missal — Universal norms for celebrating Mass in the Roman Rite
  2. 2.Lectionary for Mass — The Roman Rite cycle of readings for Sundays, solemnities, feasts, and weekdays
  3. 3.Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar — Universal norms governing seasons, Sundays, ranks, precedence, and the calendar