Corpus Christi
Sometime last year, a pastor came to inquire how he could join the Catholic Church. When I asked him the reason why he wanted to become a Catholic, his answer was – the Eucharist.
A Baptist pastor for 37 years, he said that every time he read the discourse on the Bread of Life in chapter 6 of John, he became more and more convinced that Jesus truly meant his words, “I am the Bread of life… the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” (Our Protestant brethren maintain that Jesus did not mean these words literally but only symbolically.)
The pastor’s conviction eventually turned into a deep desire and hunger for the Eucharist. He would secretly sneak in a Catholic church to observe the Mass. How he envied the faithful lining up for communion, and how he longed he too could receive the Body of Christ.
Last October, I administered him the sacrament of confirmation. And when I gave him his “First Holy Communion,” I was deeply moved to see such indescribable joy in his eyes.
The conversion of the pastor is not an isolated case. Catholic conversation has now become a worldwide trend. Last month, I spoke with the auxiliary bishop of London and learned that a great number of Anglicans have converted to the Catholic faith. In fact, today there are more Catholics than Anglicans in the UK, especially among the young. Recent studies reveal that 41% of 18 to 24-year olds identify themselves as Catholics compared to 20% as Anglicans. When I asked the English bishop why, he gave me the same reason – the Eucharist. More and more Anglicans believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and deeply long to receive him.
Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The feast of Corpus Christi (Body of Christ), as we used to call it, celebrates the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Jesus is present not only during the Mass but also after. He is present in the consecrated hosts we keep in our tabernacles. His abiding presence in the Blessed Sacrament reminds us of his promise, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20)
This feast reminds us of the extraordinary gift of the Eucharist. How easily we take it for granted as we do with the many other gifts of God. But the Eucharist is not just any ordinary gift. The Eucharist is God’s greatest gift to us. It is the gift of his own son Jesus who gives himself totally to us – body and blood, soul and divinity.
Let us thank God of the Eucharist. How blessed we are to be able receive Jesus at Mass and visit him in our churches anytime and anywhere. Today there are still many Christians who are deprived of the Eucharist because of persecution. They gather to celebrate the Eucharist at the risk of losing everything, including their life.
Let us love the Eucharist. To put it more precisely, let us love Jesus in the Eucharist. The soon-to-be Saint Carlo Acutis came to know Jesus when he received his first communion at the age of 7. Immediately he fell in love with Jesus and since that day he wanted to receive him every day. Indeed, he went to Mass daily until he died at the age of 15.
When we truly love Jesus we want others to love him too. Carlo brought everyone he knew to Jesus, starting with his own family, who were non-practicing Catholics. He did the same with his friends and classmates, including some non-Christians who became Catholics because of his influence. A computer savvy, he created a website in which he posted the Eucharistic miracles, and brought hundreds of thousands to know and love Jesus.
The feast of Corpus Christ is the celebration of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. Jesus wishes to be present on our altars. But most of all, he wishes to stay in our hearts more than in our tabernacles. That is why he gives himself as food – to transform us into himself so that we can become his presence in the world .
It is said that when distributing holy communion, St. Augustine would say, “Behold what you are, become what you receive.”