The Feast of the Most Sacred Body and Blood of Christ, also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ or Corpus Christi, is a Catholic feast celebrated on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday. The Eucharist is at the very heart of Catholic worship and spirituality, and is considered the “source and summit” of the Christian life, as it brings the faithful into the closest communion with Christ.
The feast was established in the 13th century by Pope Urban IV, in response to a Eucharistic miracle and the championing of the feast by St. Thomas Aquinas. It celebrates the real presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. This feast highlights the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Church. It is a celebration of Christ’s gift of the Eucharist to the Church at the Last Supper. It is an opportunity to publicly affirm the Catholic belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Here is the Catholic understanding and significance of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (also known as the Eucharist or Holy Communion):
- Real Presence: Catholics believe that in the Eucharist, the bread and wine are truly transformed into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, though the appearance of bread and wine remains. This is known as the doctrine of transubstantiation.
- Memorial Sacrifice: The Eucharist is seen as the memorial of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. In the Eucharist, the same sacrifice of the cross is made present, and Christ offers Himself to the Father for the salvation of humanity.
- Spiritual Nourishment: The Eucharist is believed to be the spiritual food that nourishes and sustains the faithful. By receiving Holy Communion, Catholics believe they are united more deeply to Christ and to one another in the Church.
- Pledge of Future Glory: The Eucharist is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet and a pledge of the future glory of the Kingdom of God. It strengthens the faithful in their hope for eternal life.
- Sacrament of Unity: The Eucharist is seen as the sacrament of the unity of the Church. By sharing in the one bread and one cup, Catholics express their oneness in the Body of Christ.
- Thanksgiving and Praise: The celebration of the Eucharist is an act of thanksgiving and praise to God for the gift of salvation through Christ’s death and resurrection.
The Feast of Corpus Christi is a joyful celebration of the Eucharist, which is at the heart of Catholic sacramental and spiritual life. Wishing you and your family happy feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.