The Feast of Corpus Christi is on Thursday (Sunday in the NO). The Corpus Christi procession ought to be a part of every Catholic's experience.
From Aleteia
By Philip Kosloski
When St. Thérèse was little, she loved to walk in front of the monstrance and throw rose petals in the procession.
St. Thérèse looked forward to Corpus Christi for many reasons, as she saw it as a beautiful feast that honored her greatest love in life, Jesus Christ, present in the Holy Eucharist.
In particular, she had fond memories of it as a child and wrote about it in her autobiography, Story of a Soul.
She mentions it first in connection to her retreat before receiving the sacrament of confirmation, which at that time was given at a younger age.
Ordinarily, there was only one day of retreat made for Confirmation, but the bishop was
unable to come on the appointed day and so I had the consolation of having two days of solitude. To distract us our mistress brought us to Mont Cassin and there I gathered very many big daisies for the feast of Corpus Christi. Ah! how happy my soul was!
It should come as no surprise that St. Thérèse loved flowers of all kinds, and many local traditions surrounding Corpus Christi involve flowers.
Throwing flowers for Jesus
For example, it is often customary in certain countries for girls to precede the Eucharistic procession, strewing flowers in front of the priest carrying the monstrance.
Typically, girls who have received their First Holy Communion are those who lead the procession of the Eucharist.
This is something that St. Thérèse loved most of all, as she explains in her autobiography.
The feasts! what memories this word brings back to me. How I loved the feasts! You knew how to explain all the mysteries hidden under each, and you did it so well that they were truly heavenly days for me. I loved above all the processions in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. What a joy it was for me to throw flowers beneath the feet of God! Before allowing them to fall to the ground, I threw them as high as I could and I was never so happy as when I saw my roses touch the sacred monstrance.
St. Thérèse had an innocent and childlike faith that persisted as she grew older. While she wasn't able to strew flowers as an adult, she did whatever she could to honor Jesus.
She treasured these memories in the convent and looked forward to the times she spent in prayer before Jesus, her spouse, in the Blessed Sacrament.
Pictured: St Thérèse of Lisieux, First Communion, 8 May 1884
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