Fr. Mark, earlier in the day, celebrating Corpus Christi (and priests' day off) by a spin in the San Francisco Bay. It is best to celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi on the Thursday after Pentecost, because Thursday commemorates Holy Thursday, when the Eucharist was instituted. But while we processed the Sacrament inside the church before Pentecost, after Pentecost the Holy Spirit boldly inspires us to take the Eucharist into the streets. And so we did last Thursday.
Now, if you ask just about anyone in San Francisco what great thing happened last Thursday, they will say that our team, the amazing Warriors, won our first game against Cleveland for the NBA championship. But few know what I know, and what you are about to know.
We began our Corpus Christi procession at 8:15pm. Fr. Mark and I had torn ourselves away from the game with only five minutes remaining and the score just about even. We were worried. We were not concerned about the Warriors losing (how could they?), but that 50 Catholics would be processing past the sports bars on Clement Street just as the game was getting out. It could become awkward or even sacrilegious as fans in various stages of inebriation pushed their way through the narrow sidewalk.
But as we turned the corner onto Clement Street, we found it deserted. I’m pretty sure we were the only Eucharistic Procession winding through San Francisco at 8:30pm, which (we discovered later) was just when the Warriors drove the game into overtime. The game was in pitched contest as Fr. Fewel carried the heavy monstrance bearing the Eternal God. He was blessing the City at the very time the Warriors pulled ahead to a stunning victory. Little did Fr. Fewel know (he’s not even basketball-aware) that he bore the fate of the NBA Finals in his arms.
Facetious? Yes and no. The mystery of Corpus Christi is that God pitched his tent among us, and still walks with us, blessing every dimension of our lives. Jesus concerns himself even with the NBA finals, because he is the lover of mankind and everything human fascinates Him. I would say it is fortuitous that San Francisco’s first game was played on Corpus Christi Thursday, as the parishioners from Star of the Sea blessed the City with Christ’s loving presence.
Now, if you ask just about anyone in San Francisco what great thing happened last Thursday, they will say that our team, the amazing Warriors, won our first game against Cleveland for the NBA championship. But few know what I know, and what you are about to know.
We began our Corpus Christi procession at 8:15pm. Fr. Mark and I had torn ourselves away from the game with only five minutes remaining and the score just about even. We were worried. We were not concerned about the Warriors losing (how could they?), but that 50 Catholics would be processing past the sports bars on Clement Street just as the game was getting out. It could become awkward or even sacrilegious as fans in various stages of inebriation pushed their way through the narrow sidewalk.
But as we turned the corner onto Clement Street, we found it deserted. I’m pretty sure we were the only Eucharistic Procession winding through San Francisco at 8:30pm, which (we discovered later) was just when the Warriors drove the game into overtime. The game was in pitched contest as Fr. Fewel carried the heavy monstrance bearing the Eternal God. He was blessing the City at the very time the Warriors pulled ahead to a stunning victory. Little did Fr. Fewel know (he’s not even basketball-aware) that he bore the fate of the NBA Finals in his arms.
Facetious? Yes and no. The mystery of Corpus Christi is that God pitched his tent among us, and still walks with us, blessing every dimension of our lives. Jesus concerns himself even with the NBA finals, because he is the lover of mankind and everything human fascinates Him. I would say it is fortuitous that San Francisco’s first game was played on Corpus Christi Thursday, as the parishioners from Star of the Sea blessed the City with Christ’s loving presence.
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