“ICE Raids” on Corpus Christi

The Feast of Corpus Christi, with its traditional public processions, is a call to all people to turn away from worldly cares and worship Christ as a mystical body.

Political obsession is a reality we all have to live with. On any given day, even when we intentionally avoid the news, it seems that we hear Trump’s name at least three times a day. If only people would speak as passionately about our Blessed Lord! Perhaps then we would all be just as Jesus-focused as we currently are Trump-focused. A personal anecdote from the Feast of Corpus Christi highlights this fixation on political disagreements. Globalistan: How the G... Pepe Escobar Best Price: $17.22 Buy New $20.83 (as of 07:20 UTC - Details)

In my local Latin Mass church, we have a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and every year we are blessed to celebrate Corpus Christi with a solemn procession. Starting from our TLM church, we process to two other Catholic churches that are within walking distance. It’s a beautiful coordination between three Catholic communities that synchronize their Mass times to participate in a shared procession. We arrive with the Blessed Sacrament to each church as they end their Mass. Then we spend time with the Blessed Sacrament, placed on an altar prepared outside of each church. The procession ends back at the first church, and all participants can spend time afterward in fellowship.

Note that only one of these churches celebrates the Latin Mass. The second church celebrates the Novus Ordo in English while the third church celebrates the Novus Ordo in Spanish. Because of this, our Corpus Christi procession is a beautiful celebration exemplifying what true unity inside the Catholic Church should look like. Diversity of race, language, or liturgical preference have no importance when it is time to adore our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, for whom we all prepare a special place of honor in our churches.

Nevertheless, the diversity of race is precisely where the political friction was trying to disrupt our prayer. The third church, as noted above, celebrates Mass in Spanish for a large Hispanic community. As the procession was approaching this church, we began singing prayerful songs in Spanish in admiration of their patron saint. As we arrived, the Hispanic community was joyfully waiting outside for the Blessed Sacrament. The monstrance was placed on their prepared altar, which was generously decorated with flowers. The small children from their community stood behind the altar and threw rose petals beside the altar. Economy, Society, and ... Hoppe, Hans-Hermann Best Price: $3.89 Buy New $11.95 (as of 08:31 UTC - Details)

In the middle of adoring the Blessed Sacrament, as rose petals gently flew from the hands of the little ones and hundreds joined in praising God with Spanish songs, we heard a shout from behind us: “ICE is coming!” Many of us did not notice the shout, as it was muffled by the voices singing. However, the same shout was heard a second time from the same voice: “ICE is coming!” And then a third time: “ICE is coming!”

The truth of the matter was ICE was not coming. ICE was nowhere in sight. An actual arrest by an ICE official in our town is practically unheard of, despite the frequent talk about Trump trying to deport every single Hispanic immigrant. Nonsense, of course, and unfounded exaggerations from propagandists. Nonetheless, it still came up in one of the most sacred moments of worship on the Feast of Corpus Christi. In the midst of what should have been an intimate moment of experiencing Heaven on Earth, encouraged by the beautiful assembly of hundreds from different Catholic church communities, someone had to raise political frictions.

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