Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Happy Feast of Corpus Christi.

In John 6:51, Jesus said: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; … he who eats my f lesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and … abides in me, and I in him.”

In her efforts to make us understand this promise of Jesus in this Bible quote, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1324-1327), states that, “The Eucharist is “the source and summit” of the Christian life. The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it.”

Daily, we gather, to celebrate the Eucharist, the Holy Mass, an act of worship which is divided into two parts: Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The essential signs of the Eucharistic sacrament are wheat bread and grape wine, on which the blessing of the Holy Spirit is invoked and the priest pronounces the words of consecration spoken by Jesus during the Last Supper: “This is my body, which will be given up for you … This is the cup of my blood.”

Through and by faith, at the time of consecration, the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ takes place. Christ himself, living and glorious, becomes present in a true, real and substantial manner: His Body and His Blood, with His soul and His divinity.

We receive many graces from participating in the celebration of the Eucharist and in receiving the Eucharist worthily. As food for our spiritual journey, the Eucharist gives us spiritual nourishment. Through divine transformative power, it gives us grace to become whom we receive. We as a parish become His body. When we go our separate ways, we take Christ in all directions. Each of us becomes alter Christus, a living tabernacle.

While commemorating the sacrifice of Jesus for our sanctification, for the expiation of our sins, for the living and the dead, we affirm our communion with the Trinity, the angels, and the saints.

As we partake of Christ’s body and blood here on earth, may we be found worthy for the heavenly banquet. Amen.

Fr. Sebastian,

(For Fr. Jason)