When I was recently thinking about summer holidays and celebrations, it occurred to me that the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, will take place on Thursday, June 19, this year. It just so happens that this sacred and solemn day is also Juneteenth.
While the U.S. bishops transfer Corpus Christi to Sunday, June 22, the fact that the actual feast day is on Juneteenth this year offers the faithful a unique opportunity to ponder the notion of freedom in this world as we know it.
Recent actions taken by the Trump administration have attacked our freedom and civil liberties, including the movements to erase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from the public sphere. This has led some to wonder if Juneteenth is even still recognized. Indeed, today’s political climate may be construed as an attack on democracy itself.
It's during times like these that we, especially as Black Catholics, need to depend on our faith, and this year’s Corpus Christi feast and Juneteenth give us the chance to reflect on what freedom truly means.
To be honest, there have been times in years past when I felt some level of anxiety about the celebration of Corpus Christi. The thought of participating in a public procession of the Most Blessed Sacrament made me feel self-conscious about bringing so much attention to myself. That, along with the physical exertion needed to process through the neighborhood—not to mention plain laziness—made me hesitate to be a part of this outward display of our faith.
However, Jesus tells us the following in St. Mark’s Gospel:
“If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
In short, we must not be afraid to proclaim our faith boldly to the world at large, and we cannot be lazy in our efforts to spread the Good News.
As an African American, I recognize that similar notions of boldness and active energy must be applied to our movement as a people. One example is how five years ago, the tragic death of George Floyd—which shed a spotlight on the myriad issues of race remaining in our society—moved millions of people of all backgrounds to raise their voices in protest.
As we face a strange and dangerous America in 2025, we need to address today’s issues with that same level of boldness and active energy. As Catholics on Corpus Christi, we also have an opportunity to boldly proclaim the love of Christ, and our freedom to love and be advocates for ourselves and for our fellow man.
This year, during the celebration of Juneteenth and of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, we must actively proclaim our freedom to the world. This is the type of activism that will lead all God’s children to his ultimate freedom.
Douglas M. Stringer, JD, is a Business, Political, and Government Relations Consultant at Session Law Firm, P.C. in the Washington metropolitan Area, where he is a proud member of St. Augustine Catholic Church.
