The Feast of Corpus Christi, also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, celebrates the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The idea of a feast focused solely on the Holy Eucharist, was proposed by Thomas Aquinas, who put this idea forward to the then Pope Urban IV. The feast is liturgically celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday or the following Sunday. At the end of the Eucharist, there is often a procession of the Blessed Sacrament, generally displayed in a monstrance, surrounded by a Corpus Christi wreath of flowers, followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Corpus Christi wreaths are also hung on the doors and windows of the Christian faithful, in addition to being erected in gardens and fields. Here in Spain, Corpus Christi is big. Some towns will have a festival of events for several days leading up to the Thursday with a solemn and magnificent procession bearing the consecrated host through the streets. This is especially the case here in Andalucia, where the most famous celebration is in Granada province, where Corpus Christi has become fused with the annual “féria”. The celebration of the feast was suppressed in Protestant churches during the Reformation, as they no longer recognised the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, but rather saw the Eucharist as a memorial or re-enactment of the last supper. In the Church of England, Corpus Christi was abolished in 1548, but later reintroduced as a feast of Thanksgiving for Holy Communion.
Music at St George's is delighted to present a Latin Jazz Trio (with a Cuban accent!), staring Daniel Amat (piano) and Francis Posé (bass), with special guest Jessie Valdés (drums).They will be performing on Friday 20th June, at St George’s Church in the historic gardens of the English Cemetery in Málaga.This concert is part of our season of Summer Picnic Concerts. This means there will be a 45 minute intermission during which you can enjoy a picnic, walk round the cemetery, meet the performers or visit the bar where food is also available.The concert starts at 8pm. Gates and the bar are open from 7.15 pm. Tickets are €25 and can be booked here.NB This concert is on a Friday, not our usual Saturday. Click here for our full programme of summer picnic concerts!
Fr Louis has recommended we read the book, ‘Humbler Faith, Bigger God’ by Rev Dr Samuel Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the- Fields. Is Christianity just a fairy tale for the infantile? Or worse, a cruel fantasy - the perpetrator of terrible harm and the cause of endless conflict? Or at most, one path among many? Such questions reflect the scepticism of outsiders and the doubts of insiders - some perennial, some underscored by recent events and movements. The answer to these objections isn’t a louder faith to shout them down - it’s a humbler faith that points to a bigger God. Samuel Wells shows the way through his generous, respectful, and earnest engagement with ten difficult questions about Christianity. In each case he portrays the traditional position and the scepticism of the modern age as two rival stories. Transcending both, he then offers a revitalised Christian story that better renders the radical, courageous, and vulnerable nature of authentic faith. Sam is unwaveringly honest about the failures of the institutional church and acknowledges many people’s negative prior experiences of Christianity - making this a book for both Christians and non-Christians who have found the stories of their lives disrupted and now seek a fulfilling and truthful story to live by.Sam Wells has been Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London since 2012. He has served as a parish priest for 25 years – 10 of those in urban priority areas. He also spent 7 years in North Carolina, where he was Dean of Duke University Chapel. Sam’s book is available from Amazon here.
