From the RectorToday marks two unique observances, one religious and one more historical in nature. They don't always coincide, but this year June 19th marks the feast of Corpus Christi across the Church catholic, as well as the celebration of Juneteenth here in the United States. Corpus Christi is the feast of the Body of Christ. It is observed in some Anglican churches, though a proper collect and set of readings are not prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer. However, one can make it work by using "Various Occasions 5: Of the Holy Eucharist," but that's getting into the liturgical weeds. In other, more uniformly Catholic countries, it is a national celebration of great solemnity and pageantry. In 2015, Pete and I had the opportunity to experience the feast in all its glory in the cities of southern Spain. The faithful set up devotional altars around the churches, and homes and businesses compete to see who can put up the grandest displays. And the parades are nothing short of other-worldly. It was truly awe-inspiring to witness a people's outward and intense devotion to our Lord. Juneteenth, on the other hand, is specific to our country, and has been celebrated since 1866. Its name is a reference to June 19, 1865, the day of the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of chattel slavery in the United States. Sadly, it got little recognition outside of the Black community until recent times. Since 2021, it has been observed as a national holiday here, as well as a regional holiday in parts of northern Mexico. As I thought about the convergence of these seemingly disparate observances, I wondered how one might inform the other. My first thought was of bodies--a body given, bodies taken. I thought of sacrifice, whether willing or forced, that formed the bedrock of a faith and of a nation. And I thought about the final triumph of freedom, however imperfect, that we in our time are called to enhance, expand, and defend, remembering at what cost it came. Blessings,
Father Rick
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