This Sunday is the Feast of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, commonly known by its Latin name, Corpus Christi. I have seen a number of stories in recent years about the decline among Catholics believing in the Real Presence of Jesus in the consecrated Eucharistic host and wine. It is a central precept of our belief that serves for our benefit… if we can be open to the mystery that it is. 

Everyday, in churches all around the world, simple rounds of bread and wine (mixed with water) are transformed into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus during the Eucharist prayer of the Mass. It has become commonplace enough that we don’t really think of it as a miracle, yet that is exactly what it is. It illustrates the power and love of God to take ordinary, man-made products and sanctify them to the point that it may look and taste like bread and wine, but no longer is. It has become Jesus. It is a mystery and a miracle! Instead of seeing it for the miracle it is, humanity considers it a miracle when the bread and wine are physically transformed into flesh and blood, which the Church has recognized over 100 times throughout the centuries. Some of these miracles have been preserved, which itself can be a miracle, especially as years turn into decades and even centuries. 

The Mass prepares us to receive Jesus in the most intimate way. Yet it is not just something that happens to us, but rather something we participate in. We pray in response to the priest, as well as in communion with all in the congregation. We are the Church, assembling together, praying in unison and consuming  the Body of Jesus, the One Body, in what we call Holy Communion. It is indeed holy, as only God could sanctify the unity of such diverse people. Mass may be at a particular time and place, but in and through the reception of Holy Communion we are joined to all those who have already received, are receiving, and ever will receive the miracle that is the Body of Christ. 

While Mass is the most common encounter with the Eucharist, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is another option Catholics have to worship God through this miracle. I remember my first attempt at adoration; I lasted about 10 minutes. How does one just sit in silence? Especially in this noisy world that is always seeking to gain our attention, the ability to just focus on the presence of Jesus (as a consecrated host) displayed in a monstrance is a practice one needs to build up. Depending on the church or chapel hosting adoration, the surroundings can grab one’s attention more than Jesus. Why would God choose to hide Himself in such a simple thing? It’s one of the questions worth pondering in adoration. It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how hectic and frazzled I am when I go to adoration, while I’m there, even if I am pouring out all my troubles to Him, I feel a sense of peace and serenity that is hard to explain. I wish all parishes would offer regular adoration opportunities, as it does provide a different experience in relating to Jesus and may even help strengthen the faith and respect parishioners have when receiving Holy Communion.

Bread and wine have been around almost as long as civilization. They are a physical reality we can see, smell, touch, and taste. Yet God has chosen these to be vessels of Himself so that we may receive Him. It is a mystery that we can never truly comprehend with our limited faculties. The Eucharist reality is a mystery for all time and in all generations. It may only be when we meet Jesus at the moment of our death that we realize just how important every Mass, every adoration, and every reception of the Holy Sacrament has meant to our spiritual lives. Let us pray especially during this feast that all Catholics realize, appreciate, and return to believing in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.