Antiphon Pinguis est panis

How marvelous is the Feast Day of Corpus Christi, wherein is commemorated the greatest of all miracles, the ineffable thaumaturgy of the Transubstantiation, whereby the Almighty and Eternal King of the Universe, Who in Himself is perfect, wanting of nothing, deigns, out of the infinite love he has for His poor creatures, to become our very nourishment. Throughout the Octave our favorite verse has occured under the following Antiphon, full of delectable imagery and curious beauty:

Pinguis est panis Christi, et præbébit delicias régibus, allelúja.
The bread of Christ is fat, and it shall yield dainties to kings, alleluia.

Curious indeed to say that of the Holy Eucharist. The words of the Antiphon, however, parallel the sublime and mysterious blessing Jacon bestowed upon his son: Aser, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield dainties to kings (Gen. xlix. 20). This connection between Jacob and Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament shows that in the Holy Eucharist is to be found the marvelous fruition of all the promises and prophecies given to the Patriachs and Prophets of ancient yore. Whensoever we partake of Holy Communion, we truly feed on that sacred Redeemer Who descended from the great Patriarchs and for whom all the just shuddered with yearning.

Pinguis est panis Christi, or, as it is translated by certain authors, the Bread of Christ is rich. Rich indeed is the bread of Christ, and exceedinly so! Possessing in itself the fullness of the Divinity and humanity of Our Blessed Lord, true God and true Man. Exceedinly rich is this sacred banquet, wherein Christ is received, the memory of his Passion is renewed, the soul with grace is filled, and a pledge of future glory is bestowed (Ant. Mag., II Vesp.). Thus we can say with our Holy Mother Church, O how sweet is thy spirit, O Lord, who, to shew thy loving-kindness to thy children, doest feed them with that sweetest Bread which came down from heaven; filling the hungry with good things, and sending the rich and disdainful empty away(Ant. Mag., I Vesp.).

Et præbébit delicias régibus, and it shall dainties to kings. What wondrous mystery is contained within these few words! It speaks of our peerless dignity, for who are these kings of whom the Antiphon speaks if not us? To whom does the Bread of Christ yield its dainties if not to us? O immense love wherewith Our Savior at once nourishes and elevates us! For in partaking of Holy Communion we are raised to a whole new dignity. The very Lord, before Whom the very Seraphim veil their faces out of holy dread, before Whom the Thrones and Principalities tremble, becomes our very food! With what admiration must the holy Angels behold us when he return from the Communion rail! With what love and veneration must our very Angel Guardian behold us, being made the living shrines of Almighty God like unto the Altar before us!

We are indeed greater than kings! At our sacred Baptism, we were given a new identity, a dignity ontologically superior to that of any creature upon the Earth, being cleansed of original sin and being made into members of the Mystical Body of Christ. By the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, however, we get to rival the very Angels themselves! For we really and trully are nourished with the very God whom they blissfully and everlastingly behold!

Non fecit táliter omni natióni (Ps. cxlvii. 20). He indeed has wrought this great thaumaturgy only for us, the children of our Holy Mother Church. We are indeed the chosen people, the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand (Ps. xciv. 7). How then can we not love this sweet Lord, this God of infinite love, super aurum et topázion (Ps. cxviii. 127)!