Feast of Corpus Christi:
Walking in the Footsteps of Prisca and Aquila today
Welcome
Welcome, beloved community, to our celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi.
Today we celebrate Christ’s presence among us in the bread and wine, in the gathered community, and in our call to become the Body of Christ in the world.
We remember the early Christian communities that gathered in homes to pray, share meals, and break bread together. We honor Prisca and Aquila, partners in ministry and leaders of a house church, whose witness reminds us that Eucharist is rooted in hospitality, shared leadership, and communities of love.
As we gather around this open table, may we recognize Christ in one another and recommit ourselves to becoming living signs of God’s inclusive love.
Opening Song: Table of Plenty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS6p-SPmlpo
Rite of Transformation
Corpus Christi: Becoming the Body of Christ
Presider:
Today we have shared the Bread of Life and remembered the witness of Prisca and Aquila, who gathered people around a table of welcome and love.
Now we are called not only to receive the Body of Christ, but to become the Body of Christ.
I invite you to extend your hands toward one another and pray
Response:
We will become the Body of Christ.
Presider:
Turn to someone near you and say:
“You are the Body of Christ.”
All:
You are the Body of Christ.
Presider:
May the bread we have share nourish us for service.
May the cup we bless strengthen us for love.
May the example of Prisca and Aquila inspire us to build communities of hospitality, equality, and Gospel joy.
Opening Prayer
Holy One, Source of Life and Love,
Today we gather around your open table grateful for the gift of Christ’s presence among us.
As the first followers of Jesus gathered in homes to pray, share their lives, and break bread together, so we gather today in the spirit of Prisca and Aquila, whose partnership in ministry nurtured communities of faith, hope, and love.
Open our hearts to recognize Christ in the bread we bless, in the cup we share, and in one another. May this Eucharist strengthen us to become the Body of Christ in our world—welcoming the excluded, healing the wounded, feeding the hungry, and building communities rooted in justice, equality, and compassion.
Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Romans 16:3-5
In this passage, Paul honors Prisca and Aquila, a married couple who were leaders in the early Jesus movement. Their home became a house church where believers gathered to pray, break bread, and share the Good News. Their example reminds us that the Eucharist was first celebrated around ordinary tables where disciples lived as companions in ministry and communities of equals.
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus,
who risked their lives for me. Not only I, but all the communities of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
Greet also the church that gathers in their home.
Blessings upon all who, like Prisca and Aquila, open their hearts and homes to the Gospel, creating communities of faith, welcome, and shared ministry.
Responsorial Psalm:
https://youtu.be/YVNiy2cdiM4?si=K46cF61BQvdq3yL8
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
I received from our tradition what I also handed on to you:
On the night before he died, Jesus gathered with his friends for a meal. Taking bread, Jesus gave thanks, broke it, and said:
“Take and eat. This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup and said:
“This cup is the new covenant of God’s love. Whenever you drink from it, do so in remembrance of me.”
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the living presence of Christ until Christ comes again in fullness.
The Word of God.
All: Thanks be to God
Gospel
Luke 9:11-17
The Feeding of the Multitude
When the crowds learned where Jesus had gone, they followed him. Jesus welcomed them, spoke to them about the reign of God, and healed those who were in need.
As the day drew to a close, the Twelve came and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the nearby villages and farms to find food and lodging, for we are in a deserted place.”
But Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat.”
They answered, “We have only five loaves and two fish, unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” There were about five thousand gathered there.
Jesus said to the disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty.”
They did so and invited everyone to be seated.
Then Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to share with the crowd.
And all ate and were satisfied.
When the meal was finished, twelve baskets of broken pieces were gathered up.
The sacred writings according to the author of the Gospel of Luke
All: Praise to you, Jesus the Christ.
Homily
Corpus Christi Homily: Walking in the Footsteps of Prisca and Aquila
Today, on the Feast of Corpus Christi, we celebrate Christ’s presence among us—in the bread and wine, in the gathered community, and in our call to become the Body of Christ in the world.
This celebration has special meaning as we rejoice in the ordination of Lynn Lavictoire to the priesthood on the eve of Corpus Christi. As I reflect on Lynn’s ordination and the ministry she shares with her husband, Deacon Will, I am reminded of Prisca and Aquila, the married couple who were leaders in the early Church.
Paul describes Prisca and Aquila as coworkers in Christ who opened their home for worship, welcomed believers, and nurtured a house church. Around their table, people gathered to pray, share the teachings of Jesus, and break bread together. Their ministry was rooted in hospitality, partnership, and service.
Lynn and Will walk in those same footsteps.
Together they have listened to God’s call, served God’s people, and built communities of faith. Their partnership reflects the vision of the early Christian communities, where ministry was shared and the gifts of all were valued.
Corpus Christi reminds us that Eucharist is not only about receiving the Body of Christ; it is about becoming the Body of Christ. Jesus fed the hungry, welcomed the excluded, and gathered people into community. We are called to do the same.
The ordination of Lynn as priest and Will’s ministry as deacon offer a powerful witness to a Church rooted in baptismal equality, shared leadership, and Gospel love. Together they embody a model of ministry that echoes the spirit of Prisca and Aquila and the house churches of the early Christian movement.
As we gather at this Eucharistic table today, may we give thanks for Lynn and Will’s ministry among us. And may we, like Prisca and Aquila, open our hearts and lives to Christ’s presence and become living signs of God’s inclusive love in our world.
Community Sharing
Community members are invited to share brief reflections on:
- How can become living witnesses of Christ’s Presence in the world?
- How are we called to become the Body of Christ and work as partners and equals in our ministries?
Profession of Faith
We believe in God,
the Source of Life,
whose love embraces all creation.
We believe in Jesus,
prophet, teacher, healer, and wisdom guide,
who revealed God’s dream of justice,
compassion, and inclusive love.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
present within us and among us,
calling us to be a community of equals
and empowering us to continue Christ’s mission.
We believe that we are the Body of Christ,
called to welcome all,
to seek justice,
to cherish creation,
and to live the Gospel.
Amen.
Prayers of the Community
Response: Christ, living among us, you hear our prayer.
For the Church, that it may become an ever more welcoming table where all God’s people are valued and included, we pray:
For women and men called to ministries of service and leadership, especially those who minister as partners in faith like Prisca and Aquila, we pray:
For those who hunger for food, dignity, justice, and belonging, we pray:
For peace in our world and healing for all who suffer, we pray:
For our community, that we may become living bread for one another, we pray:
(Community intentions)
Preparation of the Gifts
As the gifts are prepared, community members bring forward bread, wine, and symbols of ministry and service.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
Presentation of the bread and wine
Presider:
Blessed are you, God of all life, through your goodness we have bread, wine, all creation, and our own lives to offer. Through this sacred meal we become your new creation.
Presider: My sisters and brothers, these gifts give glory to the Holy One.
All: O Holy One, You dwell in all of us, and you accept our gifts and our worship that we offer in service to our faith community. We do this in memory of our brother, Jesus. Amen.
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Invitation
Presider:
God is with you.
All:
And also with you.
Presider:
Lift up your hearts.
All:
We lift them up to God.
Presider:
Let us give thanks to our loving God.
All:
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Eucharistic Prayer
Holy One,
through countless generations
you have called people together
to share life, hope, and blessing.
In the homes of the first believers,
around simple tables,
communities gathered to remember Jesus.
Like Prisca and Aquila,
they opened their doors and hearts,
welcomed friends and strangers,
and discovered Christ alive among them.
Today we join their song of praise:
Holy, Holy
Loving God, as we gather at
at this sacred table, we remember Jesus as we share the bread of life and the cup of blessing.
As we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi,
we also remember Prisca and Aquila,
faithful disciples who opened their home,
shared their gifts,
and gathered your people around the table of Christ’s love.
May their witness inspire us
to make our homes places of welcome,
our communities circles of belonging,
and our tables signs of your inclusive love with all.
For Christ lives among us, within us, and through us, today and forever.
Epiclesis
Pour out your Spirit upon these gifts
and upon all of us gathered here.
May this bread and wine become for us
the presence of Christ.
May we become the Body of Christ—
a community of compassion,
justice,
hospitality,
and peace.
Consecration
On the night before he died,
Jesus gathered with his friends.
He took bread,
blessed it, broke it, and shared it saying:
“Take and eat.
This is my body.
Do this in memory of me.”
After supper he took the cup and said:
“Take and drink.
This is the cup of the new covenant.
Whenever you do this,
remember me.”
Memorial Acclamation
Christ of the past and present,
you are the living bread of life.
You nourish us with love.
You call us to become your Body in the world.
Like Mary Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Junia and Andronicus, Prisca and Aquila, and the entire community of saints, may we walk together as companions in ministry, recognizing the gifts of every person and building communities rooted in equality, compassion, and Gospel joy.
Through Christ,
with Christ,
and in Christ,
all glory is yours,
Holy One,
now and forever.
Great Amen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy76fpfkNsg
Communion Rite
Prayer of Jesus
Our Father and Mother,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kin-dom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us away from temptation
and deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kin-dom,
the power,
and the glory,
now and forever.
Amen.
Sign of Peace
Let us offer one another a sign of Christ’s peace.
Breaking of the Bread
We are one body,
for we all share in the one bread.
Communion
All are welcome at this table.
This is God’s feast of love.
Communion Song
https://youtu.be/r3RSL203u2M?si=A3jjTeEgMjSv4vBq
Prayer After Communion
Loving God,
We thank you for this sacred meal.
As Prisca and Aquila welcomed believers around their table, may we welcome others with open hearts.
May this Eucharist strengthen us to be Christ’s presence in our world—feeding the hungry, healing the wounded, and building communities where all belong.
Amen.
Final Blessing
May the God who gathers us at one table bless us.
May Christ, the Bread of Life, nourish us.
May the Holy Spirit empower us to become living bread for others.
And may we go forth, like Prisca and Aquila, building communities of faith, hospitality, justice, and love.
In the name of God, our Creator,
Jesus our brother,
and the Holy Spirit our wisdom and guide.
Amen.
Go in the peace of Christ to love and serve your sisters and brothers everywhere!
Closing Song: the Summons
The Summons John Bell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLRDXK0z67c
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