Gen. 14:18-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Lk. 9:11b-17
Today, the Church celebrates one of the most sacred and profound feasts of our liturgical year—the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi. This feast stands as a luminous beacon in our calendar, directing our hearts and minds to the central mystery of our faith: that Christ is truly present—body, blood, soul, and divinity—in the Most Holy Eucharist. It is a feast of remembrance, of thanksgiving, and of renewal, commemorating Jesus' self-giving love, His sacrificial death, and His continuing presence among us.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that the Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life” (CCC 1324). In this sacrament, we don’t just receive grace—we receive Christ Himself. And in doing so, we are transformed. A well-known saying encapsulates this mystery: “You are what you eat.” In the Eucharist, this takes on an eternal and sacramental meaning:
We become what we receive—The mystery of the Eucharist begins not in the Upper Room, but in the ancient pages of the Old Testament. The idea of God feeding His people is woven throughout salvation history.
In the wilderness, the Israelites cried out in hunger, and God sent manna from heaven—bread that appeared each morning to sustain them (Exodus 16). Moses told the people, “He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna… so that you might understand that one does not live by bread alone” (Deut. 8:3). This foreshadowed a deeper reality: God would not only feed the body, but the soul.
The Passover sacrifice is another clear precursor. God commanded the Israelites to slaughter a lamb, spread its blood on their doorposts, and eat the lamb in haste as they prepared for deliverance (Exodus 12). Jesus, the Lamb of God, fulfilled this typology. At the Last Supper—celebrated during Passover—He offered His own Body and Blood under the signs of bread and wine. The sacrificial lamb was not complete until it was eaten, just as Jesus’ sacrifice becomes complete in us through Holy Communion.
The prophet Isaiah further envisioned a future banquet prepared by God for all peoples, “a feast of rich food” where death would be destroyed forever (Isaiah 25:6-8). That feast is fulfilled in the Eucharist.
Let us now turn to the Gospel passage appointed for today from Luke 9:11-17—the feeding of the five thousand. This miracle is more than an act of compassion; it is a divine sign pointing toward the institution of the Eucharist.
Jesus, surrounded by a hungry multitude in a deserted place, responds with a command that echoes down the centuries: “You give them something to eat.” The disciples, overwhelmed, respond with their limitations: “We have only five loaves and two fish.” And yet, Jesus does not send the people away. Instead, He takes what little they have, lifts His eyes to heaven, blesses, breaks, and gives.
Here, Jesus teaches that even when we have little, we must not withhold it from Him. When we offer our “five loaves and two fish”—our time, talents, and resources—He multiplies them beyond imagining. The Eucharist is not just about what we receive; it’s about what we are called to give.
Jesus’ entire life—His birth, teachings, miracles, passion, and resurrection—is summed up and made present in the Eucharist. The cross and the altar are united; the sacrifice is not repeated, but made present anew at each Mass. Every time we celebrate the Eucharist, heaven and earth touch. The veil between time and eternity is pulled back. We are present at Calvary. We are present at the empty tomb. We are fed with Christ Himself.
St. Augustine once said, “Believe what you see, see what you believe, and become what you receive.” This is the essence of the Eucharist. When we consume the Body of Christ, we are not transforming the bread into ourselves; Christ is transforming us into Him.
A young man once asked a saint, “Why do you go to daily Mass?” The saint replied, “Because I want to become more like Christ. And every time I receive Him, I am given strength to be who I am called to be.” This is the real fruit of the Eucharist—not just eternal life in the future, but a Christ-like life now.
Throughout Church history, there have been miracles that affirm the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Many saints and martyrs have given their lives rather than deny the Eucharist. Their stories inspire us.
St. Tarcisius, a young Roman acolyte, was martyred while carrying the Eucharist to imprisoned Christians. When asked what he was carrying, he refused to reveal the sacred host and was beaten to death. He died to protect Jesus.
The Martyrs of Abitinae (304 AD) risked death to attend Sunday Mass. When caught, one exclaimed, “We cannot live without the Eucharist.”
The Eucharist ensures the ongoing presence of Jesus in the world. He has not left us as orphans (John 14:18). Through the hands of the priest, Christ continues to speak, feed, heal, and dwell among us.
In a world hungry for meaning, peace, and truth, the Eucharist is the answer. In the tabernacle of every church, Christ waits—silent, humble, patient. And in every liturgy, He comes again—offering not just words, but Himself.
Dear friends, the Feast of Corpus Christi is not just a beautiful ritual. It is a call to live differently
The world is still hungry. Not just for food—but for love, for truth, for God. And Jesus says to us today as He said to the disciples: “You give them something to eat.”
Let us become what we receive—and bring Christ to the world.
Satish