The Real Presence of Christ
june 22, 2025 | corpus christi sunday, Year C
Genesis 14:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23; Luke 9:11b – 17
The feast of Corpus Christi is the celebration of the real presence of Christ. It began in 1246 by Bishop Robert de Therese of Liege who was inspired by St. Juliana's vision about the need for a special celebration of Eucharist. It was made universal by Pope Urban IV in 1264.
Eucharistic Miracle
The real presence of Christ in Eucharist is truly a great mystery of our faith. The Catholic Church has recognized over 130 Eucharistic miracles. I would like to share with you the one which happened on April 28, 2001. The miracle took place during a Eucharistic adoration at St Mary’s Catholic at Chirattakonam in India. Fr. Johnson Karoor, the pastor noticed three stains of blood on the host during the exposition of the Blessed sacrament, which he shared with the congregation. After a few days, the dots had formed a clear image of a human face. Fr. Karoor asked an altar server to confirm his observation, and the server also noticed the image of a man. The image was documented with photographs after Mass. The Archdiocese of Trivandrum verified the event, with Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselice writing about the occurrence. The Vatican approved this miracle in 2001, according to some sources. The monstrance containing the miraculous host is preserved at Mary’s Catholic Church at Chirattakonam in India. Speaking about that miracle, Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselice said: “For us believers what we have seen is something that we have always believed. If our Lord is speaking to us through a sign, he certainly needs a response from us”.
Corpus Christi, a call to transformation and holiness
As we celebrate this Corpus Christi, The Church reminds us of the need of Eucharistic adoration.
“No one eats this flesh unless he first adores it”, says St. Augustine. He is our High Priest, the True King of Peace, our Savior and redeemer, who delivered us from our sins and death (Genesis 14:18-20). We worship him. He is our food and drink. He gives himself to us. “This is my body that is for you”; “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” (1 Corinthians 11:11-26). Come to him with trust and as St. John Marie Vianney said: “Bring your problems to the Lord in the Church before the tabernacle.”
The Eucharistic presence of Jesus challenges us to be holy and merciful as St. John Chrysostom said, God freed us from all our sins so that we can be invited to the Eucharist, the antidote against death. Every real encounter with Christ in the Eucharist leads us to a new mission and every mission invites us to seek him, to love, to adore him and to serve him. O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine!
Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC
Happy Corpus Christi
Living the Gospel This Week.
As are celebrating the Corpus Christi, I deem it necessary to take a few weeks to address some concerns regarding the Eucharist. I will try to answer one question every week.
Q: Does the bread cease to be bread and the wine cease to be wine after consecration?
A: Yes. In order for the whole Christ to be present—body, blood, soul, and divinity—the bread and wine cannot remain, but must give way so that his glorified Body and Blood may be present. Thus in the Eucharist the bread ceases to be bread in substance, and becomes the Body of Christ, while the wine ceases to be wine in substance, and becomes the Blood of Christ. As St. Thomas Aquinas observed, Christ is not quoted as saying, " This bread is my body," but " This is my body" (Summa Theologiae, III q. 78, a. 5).
When we receive the consecrated host, we truly receive the body and the blood of Christ. So, Believe, Trust, Surrender and worship. (Please visit Jesus in the adoration chapel at least once during the week)
Happy Corpus Christi Sunday!
Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac