The Solemnity of Corpus Christi

Next Sunday is the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, a day when we honor the True Presence in the Eucharist. As Catholics, we believe that during consecration, the bread and wine become the actual Body and Blood of Christ. This teaching has confused people since Jesus first taught the mystery in the Bread of Life discourse, recorded in John 6. 

 "Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever,” (John 6:53-58).

John records that after this declaration, the apostles questioned the difficulty of this teaching and he even records that  "[a]s a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him," (John 6:66). At no point in this discourse does Jesus clarify His words any further, which would be the logical explanation if He meant something other that exactly what He is saying. Instead, he doubles down and repeats that His followers must eat His flesh to receive eternal life. He officially institutes the sacrament at the Last Supper.

The Real Presence in the Eucharist was affirmed by the actions of the early Church and the writings of the Church fathers, in addition to Jesus' own actions and words in the Gospels. Despite this, the Eucharist has been a major source of contention over the centuries, with many Christian denominations denying the Real Presence today. Catholics throughout the years have also struggled with the teaching, including clergy. Jesus has taken this disbelief in some circumstances and turned it in astounding miracles. The most famous Eucharistic miracle happened in Lanciano, Italy in 850. The solemnity of Corpus Christi was instituted by Pope Urban IV after another Eucharistic miracle occurred in Orvieto, Italy in 1263 when a priest was doubting the Real Presence during consecration and the host began to bleed. 

It is apparent that many Catholics today struggle with the teaching, with surveys in recent years showing disheartening levels of belief in the Real Presence. Thankfully, faithful Catholics have taken up the call to reinvigorate the love of the Eucharist through the Eucharistic Revival, which is currently sponsoring a nationwide pilgrimage. Four different routes of pilgrims are physically walking consecrated hosts from church to church across the country, with Mass and adoration offered frequently. All four routes will converge on Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress in July, the first in 83 years. Check out the pilgrimage map here to see if it will pass through your area!

When Pope Urban instituted Corpus Christi, he asked Thomas Aquinas to pen some texts for the feast, resulting in some of the most beautiful hymns in our tradition. Below are the Latin and English translations of 'Tantum Ergo', one of Aquinas's hymns that is sung during benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.