Corpus Christi Sunday

It is a perfect time to remind ourselves of the precious gift Christ gave us through the hands of the priests. On June 23rd, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, known in Latin as Corpus Christi. Below is a message from one of our ministry leaders that encourages reverence in the presence of the Most Holy Eucharist. It was beautifully written, and I want to share this with everyone. 

Whenever I serve as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, I can't help but notice how reverently and gracefully our newest Communicants receive the Blessed Sacrament. Perhaps today, Corpus Christi, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, these seven-year-old children can be a good example to us adults. There are three distinct steps in receiving the Most Holy Eucharist: 
Adoration
Statement of Faith
Reception
We don't want to rush through the sacrament by combining or skipping these steps. 
As we approach the Blessed Sacrament, the minister holds up the host or the cup. We express our reverence by bowing our head. This is a profound moment of Adoration, just for you. It is a moment shared between you and your Savior Jesus Christ. Yes, there is a line behind you; but we are not in a hurry. 
The minister says: "The Body (Blood) of Christ" and we respond "Amen". When we say "Amen" we are saying: "yes, I believe". This dialogue is our creed: we know that the sacrament, under the appearance of bread and wine, is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Saint Paul describes this belief as a qualification to receive the Most Holy Eucharist (1 Corinthians 
11:29). 
Then we are given the Holy Eucharist. We receive the host either in our hand or on our tongue. If receiving in your hand, when stretching out your hands to receive, remember the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem (386 AD) " ... place your left hand as a throne beneath your right, as befits one who is about to receive the King." 
If you choose to also receive from the cup, please use both hands to carefully take just a sip from the cup. Remember that both species are Jesus Christ, whole and entire, undivided and undiminished. Please don't try to "grab" the host or cup from the minister - we do not take sacraments, they are given. 
As we reflect today on this most holy sacrament, the source and summit of the Christian life, we should all try to recapture that faith of a child and approach the great mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist with reverence and awe.