"The one great thing to love on earth. . . ."
A brief Tolkienian meditation for Corpus Christi Sunday.
For his latest Substack “Question of the Week,” my friend
, who writes , asked “How have you leaned on Jesus in times of suffering?”With the Roman Catholic Solemnity of Corpus Christi on my mind, an answer came to me almost at once:
Jesus has been “my rock and my salvation” (cf. Psalm 62:6) at many moments in my life, but I seem to be especially aware of His presence at those times when I thought I was drowning in depression and hopelessness. The Eucharist has fed my soul and sustained me when all other things seemed profitless and empty. In this Sacrament, where Catholics like myself believe we really truly experience Communion with the Risen Lord in his Body and Blood... the consolation of that experience is hard to describe. Of course, I don't feel that way at every Mass or every time I receive the Sacrament, but those moments of grace and spiritual awareness of God's immediate and intimate presence do occur sometimes, especially when I'm at my lowest.
In this month’s issue of Magnificat Magazine, the pre-Mass reflection for Corpus Christi Sunday includes this remarkable quote from J. R. R. Tolkien that expresses far more eloquently than I ever could the awesome power of the Eucharist:
“Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament. . . .
There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth.”
Corpus Christi Resources
The Daily Mass readings for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.
The official website of The National Eucharistic Revival.
“The Solemnity of Corpus Christi” by Dr. Richard DeClue for Word on Fire.
Bishop Robert Barron’s Corpus Christi Sermon:
Digital Disciple: Carlo Acutis and the Eucharist, this comic book from Voyage Comics “highlights the final years of Blessed Carlo Acutis’ life and how he became a digital disciple, creating a dynamic website and stunning display that taught others about the many remarkable Eucharistic miracles around the world.”
A fantastic episode of my favorite podcast, Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World, all about Eucharistic miracles:
My friend
has written a lovely Corpus Christi reflection on his newsletter : “More Than a Symbol.”