This is what I learned in my Religious Studies class today ...
In the early days of the Christian Church, regular folk didn't participate much in the service. The priest stood behind a shoulder-high screen with his back to the people, and spoke entirely in Latin. Not being able to see what was going on, and not being able to understand the words, made the whole experience a mystical one for congregation.
Then the priest intoned the words, This is My Body, and the bread in his hands was magically transformed into the true body of Christ.
Those words, in Latin, are Hoc est Corpus Meum.
Over the centuries, those words have been reshaped into the more familiar Hocus Pocus - an incantation used by magicians as they perform their tricks.
Who knew ...
(Any misinterpretation is my failure, and should not be considered a reflection on the excellent teaching in this class.)
