A Crack in the Moon

Today, we're going back in time to the 13th century, to a small monastery nestled in the hills of Liege, Belgium. It's a story of visions, revelations, and an extraordinary woman. This is the story of Juliana of Montcornillon. Orphaned at a young age, Juliana found refuge in the monastery of Montcornillon, but she was no ordinary nun. She experienced visions, mysterious images that filled her mind. One in particular haunted her, a full moon, bright and shining, yet marred by a dark crack, a shadow that spoiled its perfect disc.

But what did this image mean? Juliana prayed, seeking answers, and finally, they came. In her visions, the Lord revealed to her, That the moon represented the church, and the dark crack symbolized something missing from the liturgical calendar, a feast, a celebration in honor of the body and blood of Christ.

Now, let's pause for a moment. Imagine, imagine being Juliana, young, alone, bearing a tremendous weight. She knew that speaking about visions could bring trouble. At that time, women with ideas too bold for their era often faced harsh consequences, but Juliana was undeterred.

It was 1230 when, with great courage, she shared her visions with the church authorities. Not everyone believed her, but one man did, the Bishop of Liege. And it was he who, in 1246, organized the first celebration in honor of Corpus Christi, right there in the Diocese of Liege.

It was the beginning of something great. But the journey of the Corpus Christi feast wasn't over. Someone even more influential would carry Juliana's dream forward, a man who was at that time just a simple priest, but would one day become pope.

Jacques Pantelion. When he ascended to the papacy, as Pope Urban IV, his first thought was of that feast born of a vision. And in 1264, with the papal bull, Transiturus de Hocumundo, he established the feast of Corpus Christi for the entire Catholic Church. Sadly, Juliana never lived to see her dream fulfilled.

She died before that day came, leaving this world with a heart full of hope. But her vision, her cracked moon, had become a reality. Think about it. A simple nun, with a vision, changed the course of church history.

But isn't this also a story of battling doubt? Of defying the belief that one person alone cannot make a difference? Juliana teaches us that even in the shadows, even in the cracks, there's always room for light.