St. Juliana of Liège (Feast Day April 6)

1193 – 1258

St. Juliana and her twin sister Agnes were born in present-day Belgium. They were orphaned at the age of five and raised in a convent. Juliana had a great reverence for the Eucharist from her early youth and longed for a special feast day in its honor. When Juliana was 16, she had her first vision, which recurred several times. In her vision, Juliana saw a moon in its full splendor, crossed by a dark stripe. In time, she understood that the moon symbolized the life of the Church on earth, and the opaque line represented the absence of a liturgical feast in honor of Christ's Body and Blood. She eventually shared her visions with her confessor, who had many distinguished contacts that endorsed and helped institute the feast of Corpus Christi. Juliana was canonized in 1869 by Pope Pius IX and further celebrated by Pope John Paul II, who wrote a letter mentioning her on the 750th anniversary of the feast of Corpus Christi.

·      What do you think Jesus means when he says, “I am the living bread”?

·      What do you remember about your first holy Communion? If you haven’t made your first Communion yet, what do you look forward to about that day?

·      Do you realize that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist? How do you prepare to receive him?

·      St. Juliana had a vision from God. Share a time when you felt God spoke to you in a special way.

Attend a Eucharistic Procession

On the feast of Corpus Christi, many churches have Eucharistic processions. A Eucharistic procession is a public witness of the veneration of the Most Holy Eucharist, conducted through public streets. It takes place this way: A consecrated host—the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus himself —is placed in a monstrance, which is then carried by a priest who leads the faithful in procession. Like a pilgrimage, a Eucharistic procession normally starts at one holy place and ends at another. This earthly journey reminds the Catholic faithful of their spiritual journey toward eternal life with God.

Today, find a local Eucharistic procession and join in! Each year there is a Eucharistic Procession at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Detroit. Other parishes have them as well. 

Can’t make it to a procession? Visit Jesus at an Adoration Chapel. Many parishes have 24-hour chapels for perpetual (or continuous) adoration. As a family, spend time with the Lord in adoration. Spend time in silence and pray for the needs of your family and friends. Bring a journal to write down anything you hear the Lord speak into your heart.

Baked French Toast

Transform this bread into a delicious treat!

Base Ingredients:

2/3 to ¾ cup of melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Mix the above 3 together and pour in the bottom of a 9x13 pan

Egg Mixture Ingredients: 

7 eggs

2/3 cup of milk

Pinch of salt

Mix the above 3 together in a bowl.

Take 12 slices of square bread. Hold 2 pieces of bread together and soak quickly in above egg mixture. Lay in the pan so that there are 6 (2 deep) slices filling the pan. Take the rest of the egg mixture and pour over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bake at 350 F for approximately 30 minutes. When serving, cut in pieces and turn each piece upside on a plate so that the butter/sugar mixture is showing when serving.

Adoration

Listen and sing along with Matt Maher’s song, Adoration. You can find it on YouTube and most streaming sites. 

What is said to us when we receive holy Communion? How do we reply?

Search YouTube for a video on the Eucharistic Miracle of Buenos Aires and watch it as a family. Reflect on how each Mass is a Eucharistic Miracle.

The United States is in the midst of a three-year National Eucharistic Revival to remind the faithful of the Real Presence of Christ and the Eucharist and restore our understanding of and devotion to the Eucharist. Learn more details at: https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/