The Solemnity of Corpus Christi is a sign of the Church’s pilgrimage, says Archbishop Gilbert.

“This is not a public sign of triumphalism but a witness of faith as we are pilgrims in the world. We are a pilgrim people never alone but with the Lord, and the Lord is with us by choice.”

The Archbishop said this as he preached the homily at the June 7 Corpus Christi celebrations at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Similar celebrations were held across the Archdiocese, including Arima and San Fernando.

The Archbishop noted, at the start of his homily, that similar celebrations had already taken place or were taking place around the Catholic world.

“Why are we present witnessing to the nation? The answer is the faith of the people in the reality of the Eucharist”, he remarked. “The Eucharist lives in our hearts - and it is there to stay.”

His homily focused on different aspects of the Eucharist - as sacrifice, as sacrament, as food, as presence, and as a pledge of future glory.

As he spoke on Eucharist as sacrament, Archbishop Gilbert told the congregation inside the Cathedral, its courtyard and its precincts, that the Church would find a way to keep churches open during the day. “It doesn’t make sense having these magnificent churches which are closed because of the crime.”

He also urged parishes to continue building adoration chapels. “Eucharistic Adoration is a natural consequence of the Eucharist. Continue to build Blesssed Sacrament chapels and keep them open for people”.

The Archbishop incenses the Eucharist at Benediction

On Eucharist as food, he said if we did without actual food, we would become weak. Similarly, those who believed in the Eucharist would become weak in their spiritual life if they did not feed on the Eucharist.

“When death is near we don’t want to eat. This is also true in the spiritual life. No Eucharist, no food for life, no hope for the future.” He lamented that many Catholics have “moved into distancing themselves from Christ” in the Eucharist.

He said a pastoral problem of the world today is loneliness and this is because the fibre of God’s plan has broken down. “We need to rebuild God’s plan for society as a community.” He said many forces would like us to forget about heaven and hell, but the Church and other faiths challenge that secular viewpoint.

Before ending, he invited all to familarise themselves with the Pastoral Letter, ‘Deepening the Spirit of Solidarity in the Archdiocese’, released June 3, and give their feedback.

Hundreds participated in the procession with the Eucharist after communion. At the front were altar servers, scouts, Corpus Christi Carmelite Sisters and students and teachers of Diego Martin’s Corpus Christi College. Parishes in the Northern Vicariate, church organisations and groups followed.

The faithful prayed the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary as they walked. Across from the Central Bank on the Brian Lara Promenade, the procession gathered for Benediction. Celebrations concluded with the second Benediction after the procession return to the Cathedral.

Giving final comments before dismissal, Archbishop Gilbert thanked the congregation for their “witness to the nation” and recommended that they reflect for the rest of the day on the Eucharist and its importance in their lives as Catholics. - RS

See Archbishop's Column for homily