What were once two feasts, Corpus Christi and Precious Blood,
are now one celebration. Originally one feast honored the body
of Christ, which was first broken, then glorified and is now
given to us in sacramental form. The other feast praises the
blood of Christ, poured out for our salvation. Together, they
celebrate the incomparable love that Christ has for us. They
remind us that “the mercies of the Lord are new every morning.”
Breaking bread together is a familiar act. Besides satisfying
our hunger, this basic act of survival signifies that we share
the very means of our sustenance. In a sense, we are bound
together by this simple yet profound communal action. When Jesus
took bread, broke it and gave it to his disciples to eat, he was
enacting this fundamental ritual—people surviving together on
the same food. Though he must have performed this ritual on
numerous occasions, it took on extraordinary meaning when he did
it the last time. The ritual was the same; the original meaning
was not lost. It was the