A Celebration of Divine Presence and Purpose
The Feast of Corpus Christi, or the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a radiant celebration of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Rooted in Catholic dogma, this feast affirms that Christ is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the appearance of bread and wine. It is not merely a symbol, but a sacred mystery that invites us into intimate communion with the living God.
To understand the depth of this feast, we can look to the “Wisdom of Three”, a spiritual pattern of “unified perfection” woven throughout Scripture and tradition. First, Jesus’ public ministry begins with a miracle at Cana, where He transforms water into wine (John 2:1–11). This act, performed at a wedding, signifies the joy and abundance of divine love. It also foreshadows the transformation of wine into His blood at the Last Supper, where He institutes the Eucharist. The miracle at Cana, the Last Supper, and the Crucifixion form a triad of divine revelation: transformation, institution, and sacrifice.
At its core, transubstantiation holds that through the words of consecration at Mass the entire substance of bread and wine becomes Christ’s Body and Blood, even though every perceptible trait, taste, color, weight, remains unchanged. While formally articulated by the Church in the medieval era, this power to effect real, substantive change was first revealed at Cana. Later, in the Bread of Life discourse (John 6) and in the Upper Room, Jesus spoke plainly of eating His flesh and drinking His blood, preparing His Apostles to accept at the Last Supper His declaration, “This is my body… this is my blood.” As Jimmy Akin explains, this change does not await Calvary but occurs in Christ’s own words of institution.
The second triad is found in the Eucharist itself: it is a memorial of Christ’s Passion, a sacrament of unity, and a foretaste of eternal glory. As the Catechism teaches, the Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life” (CCC 1324). It nourishes us spiritually, binds us to one another as the Body of Christ, and prepares us for the heavenly banquet.
The third triad is our response: adoration, mission, and transformation. We adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, recognizing His presence with reverence and awe. But adoration must lead to mission, just as Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me,” we are called to become what we receive. The Eucharist strengthens us and sends us forth in “Mass” to profess Christ’s words, and to be His hands and heart in the world.
Blessed Carlo Acutis, soon to be the first Millennial Saint, a modern apostle of the Eucharist, embodied this mission. As a teenager, he used his digital talents to document Eucharistic miracles, making the invisible visible for a digital generation. His devotion was not passive; it was active, joyful, and contagious. Diagnosed with leukemia at fifteen, Carlo offered his suffering for the Church and the Pope, proving that true discipleship melds proclamation of the Gospel with sacrificial love.
On Corpus Christi, we process solemnly with the Blessed Sacrament, echoing the pilgrim Church’s journey toward heaven. We pause in adoration, we renew our commitment to evangelize, and we open our lives to transformation. This is best done through a heart-felt prayer after receiving the Eucharist.
My Prayer After Communion: “Lord Jesus, Thank you for allowing me to take you into my body. I humbly ask that you grant this gift of your divine presence, to heal every cell of my being, bringing peace and perfect health to my mind, body, and soul. By this blessed unity, may your thoughts become my thoughts, your words become my words, and my actions become a living testament to your Holy will.”
May this feast rekindle in us the wonder of Cana, the depth of Calvary, and the joy of eternal communion.
If this is my last post, I want all to know there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others.
Anthony “Tony” Boquet, the author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary” and “The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, A Devotional Timeline”