Detroit — At 11 a.m. Eastern Time on June 2, for the first time in history, the whole world at one time paused, worshipping the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
And nowhere was it more fitting than in inner-city Detroit, at the aptly named Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, where Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron reminded a congregation of the faithful gathered for the Feast of Corpus Christi that the Eucharist touches every corner of the world and all times and seasons — especially in those areas that need it most.
“There are many things that need to happen for a community to be healthy,” the archbishop said. “But above all, the world needs Christ.”
Archbishop Vigneron said the procession with the Blessed Sacrament, carried in an ornate monstrance around the neighborhood of the cathedral following Mass, was significant because Christ’s Body and Blood recalls and is present in all dimensions of space and time.
“Past — the memory of his Passion is recalled. Present — the mind is filled with grace. Future — a pledge of future glory is given to us,” the archbishop said.
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Around the world, Catholics of all stripes held Masses and adoration simultaneously, heeding Pope Francis’ call for the first-ever worldwide hour of prayer centered on the Holy Eucharist. The pope led worship services at the Vatican at 5 p.m. Rome time, offering praise and petition for the Church’s mission of mercy and for all those who suffer.
Archbishop Vigneron said the actions of the Mass are a visual reminder of the suffering of Jesus by his death, always touching both the past and present.
“The separation of the bread and the wine of the holy species are always a memorial that Jesus’ blood was poured out from his body. And the breaking of the bread is always a memorial to us — that simple symbol that Jesus let himself be broken on the cross for love of us,” the archbishop said.
“So whenever we celebrate the Eucharist, we touch the past, this past sacrifice now made present. Jesus of course does not die in the Eucharist — he died once for all — but the gift is here as it was once given on the cross.”
And Jesus is eternally offering that gift to the Father in heaven, Archbishop Vigneron continued, constantly showing the Father his wounds, gloriously offered in his risen flesh.
As for the future, he said, because of Christ’s victory, it’s already here.
“The future, the eternal triumph of Jesus Christ, breaks into our world every time we celebrate the Eucharist” the archbishop said. “The end of the world is here, in Blessed Sacrament Cathedral. The end of the world is everyplace the Eucharist is celebrated.
“What is the end of the world? It is the triumph of Jesus Christ, bringing everything back to the Father, where it belongs.”
