Corpus Christi

Then He took the bread,
said the blessing, broke it,
and gave it to them saying,
“This is my body,
which will be given up for you;
do this in memory of me.”

Luke 22:19

Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi which is the feast of the Body of Christ or the Eucharist. At St. Teresa Parish we celebrated with a long procession that paraded through the village, stopping at the parish primary school, the local hospital and HIV/AIDS Testing Center, and finally the police station. At each stop the parish members gathered around to pray for the school children, the people of Malava who are sick or dying, and the police who the protect the village. Many from the village, not from our parish, heard and saw the singing and dancing and came out to see what was happening. Father Paul, the pastor, held the Eucharist high so everyone in village could see. Unfortunately, many of the onlookers had no idea what it was Father Paul was holding. Some of the small children that came out to see the parade and saw me and began shouting, “Mzungu, mzungu, how are you!!!?” Mzungu is “white person” in Swahili. When they began shouting, all of the children and some of the adults came out see…me, not the Body of Christ. I started to get concerned stares from those in the procession. I began to walk slightly faster and as I looked down at the ground, feeling very awkward and embarrassed, I said to the children with a forced smile, “I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Father Paul and altar boys kneel before the blessed sacrament and pray at the parish school

School children lead the procession through the village

Father Paul holds the Eucharist high so everyone can see

Parishioners dance in the procession

All gather around to pray for those sick and dying at the local hospital

Father Paul prays in front of the blessed sacrament

Children come out of the shops to see the parade

Prayer at the Kenyan Police Station

The procession heads back to the church

Benediction at St. Teresa Church