Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and Saint Rose,
This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi or The Body and the Blood of Christ.  We as Catholics believe that the bread and wine consecrated at Mass become the Body and the Blood of Jesus. This feast day affirms our belief in this mystery.
In many places this day, or the Thursday preceding it (in the U.S. this feast is transferred to a Sunday), there are processions where the Blessed Sacrament is carried through the streets as an expression of the belief that Jesus is present in the Eucharist.
This day is all the more important as in our times poll after poll seems to suggest that many Catholics have begun to doubt this central teaching of our Faith.  This is unfortunate because our whole religion is built on our belief that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. The Catholic who doubts this is experiencing a real crisis of faith. One who does not believe this core teaching will soon lose the belief in all other teachings.
So today is a day to celebrate the fullness of our Catholic Faith. We rejoice that Jesus is present to us in the Eucharist. We pray that we can receive Him worthily and that as we receive the Body of Christ that we will become a part of the Body of Christ.
This year because of the covid virus we had to postpone first Holy Communion. This weekend we will be celebrating first Communion with most of the second grade children in our parish. Again because of the virus, we will not have them all at the same Mass, but there will be a few children receiving first Communion at each of the Masses this weekend. It won’t be the way we usually are able to do it, but it is still a special day for these children.
I am always touched by their eagerness and excitement to receive our Lord Jesus in Holy Communion. May their tender faith inspire all of us to realize what a privilege it is to be able to receive Holy Communion. May we receive our Lord Jesus with greater love and devotion in our hearts.
Msgr. Cox