June 22, 2025 - The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ — Corpus Christi. It is a feast that draws our eyes to the Eucharist, the very heart of our Catholic faith. Today we remember and rejoice in the mystery that Christ is really and truly present — body, blood, soul, and divinity — in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
The Gospel today recounts the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus, moved with compassion, heals the sick and then tells His disciples, “You give them something to eat.” The disciples, overwhelmed, reply, “We have only five loaves and two fish.” But Jesus takes the little they have, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it — and it becomes more than enough. This miracle is not just a story about physical hunger. It prefigures the Eucharist. Just as Jesus fed the crowd with earthly bread, He now feeds His Church with the true Bread from Heaven — His own Body. And just like in the miracle, there is abundance: more than enough for all.
The Catechism teaches that the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” Why?Because it is Christ Himself — His Real Presence. He is not merely symbolized in the Eucharist; He is there, body and blood, soul and divinity. The God who once walked among us now humbly dwells in the form of bread and wine, broken and poured out for us. It is also Sacrifice. Every Mass is the re-presentation of the one sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. We do not merely remember Calvary — we are drawn into it. The same Jesus who said “This is my body… This is my blood… Do this in memory of me” is made present at every altar. And it is Communion. To receive the Eucharist is to enter into intimate union with Christ — and, through Him, with each other. We become what we receive: the Body of Christ.
One powerful modern witness to Eucharistic faith is Blessed Carlo Acutis, a teenager who died in 2006 at the age of 15. Despite his young age, Carlo understood something profound: that the Eucharist is not just a symbol or tradition — it is Jesus Himself. Carlo famously said, “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” He attended daily Mass, spent hours in adoration, and used his talents to build a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles from around the world. He wanted others to see what he saw — that God is truly with us in the Eucharist. His life reminds us that holiness is possible, even — and especially — for the young, when rooted in love for the Real Presence of Christ.
That command — “You give them something to eat” — is not just for the apostles. It is for the Church today. Christ feeds us so that we might feed the world — spiritually, yes, but also materially. The Eucharist must spill out from the altar into acts of justice, mercy, and charity. If we are truly the Body of Christ, then the broken, the hungry, the lonely, and the lost should find in us the love and healing of Jesus. Every time we receive Communion, we are commissioned to become Communion for others. So let us ask ourselves: Do I receive the Eucharist with reverence and gratitude? Do I recognize Christ in the Blessed Sacrament — and in the poor, the suffering, and the marginalized? Do I live a Eucharistic life — a life poured out in love?
Blessed Carlo didn’t wait to become a priest or a theologian. He lived a Eucharistic life now — as a student, a son, a friend. And so can we. Today, as we honor the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, let us renew our devotion to Him — in the Mass, in adoration, and in our daily lives. Let us be a Eucharistic people, nourished and transformed by the Bread of Life, and sent out to be His hands and feet in the world. May Mary, the woman of the Eucharist, and Blessed Carlo Acutis, apostle of the Eucharist, intercede for us.
God bless everyone always!!!
Fr. Stan
