John 6:51-58 | Jules Breton | Solemnity of Corpus Christi

John 6:51-58 Solemnity of Corpus Christi

The Blessing of the Wheat in Artois, Painted by Jules Breton (1827–1906), Painted in 1857, Oil on canvas © Musée des Beaux Arts d’Arras, France Jesus said to the crowd: ‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’ Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied: ‘I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him. As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me. This is the bread come down from heaven; not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’ READ MORE Reflection on the Painting Today is Corpus Christi Sunday, when we celebrate the real presence of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. The feast of Corpus Christi was initially proposed by Saint Thomas Aquinas to Pope Urban IV, to create a feast focussed solely on the Holy Eucharist. It is also a day where normally processions would take place cities and villages throughout the world where the blessed sacrament would be displayed in a monstrance. Our painting shows such a procession, this one taking place through the wheat fields of Artois, France. We see people genuflecting; children carrying a four pole baldacchino; village officials praying, etc… In 1551, the Council of Trent described the Feast of Corpus Christi as a 'triumph over heresy'. They meant by this that when Catholics celebrated this day, they affirmed their belief in the doctrine of transubstantiation of bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Christ during Mass. It was thus seen as a true celebration of the core Catholic belief over those heretics who denied that the consecrated host became the real body of Christ during the Mass. The Anima Christi Prayer:  Soul of Christ, sanctify me.  Body of Christ, save me.  Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me.  Passion of Christ, strengthen me.  O good Jesus, hear me.  Within your wounds, hide me.  Let me never be separated from you.  From the malignant enemy, defend me.  In the hour of my death, call me,  And bid me come to you,  That with your saints I may praise you  Forever and ever. Amen. — attributed to Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) by Patrick van der Vorst