Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ – Year C (2025)
Sunday, June 22, 2025
This Sunday, the Church celebrates the great gift and mystery of the real, true, and substantial presence of Jesus Christ—body, blood, soul, and divinity—in the Eucharist. The feast accentuates adoration, contemplation, and exaltation of the Holy Eucharist. “Eucharist” originates from the Greek word “eucharistia”, meaning thanksgiving, highlighting that the changing of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is a result of Christ’s self-gift and love for which we give thanks.
“I am the vine,” “I am the Good Shepherd,” and “I am the gate” are examples of the metaphors Jesus used in His teachings to convey profound spiritual and moral lessons. Jesus also spoke literally when conveying divine truths. In today’s second reading, St. Paul provides an account of Jesus instituting the Eucharist at the Last Supper. He recounted how Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me”. Similarly, with the cup of wine, Jesus declared it to be the new covenant in his blood, instructing His followers to repeat this act in remembrance of Him. To discern when Jesus spoke figuratively versus literally, we must consider the context, the nature of the statement, and the consistent teachings of the Church, which the Holy Spirit guides to help it understand Scripture and ensure fidelity to the complete body of revealed truths entrusted to it by God, the Deposit of Faith!
Certain Old Testament events are understood to prefigure the institution of the Eucharist. Jews celebrated the Passover meal with unleavened bread to commemorate their liberation from slavery in Egypt. During the Passover, a lamb is sacrificed, and its blood is used to mark the doorposts of the houses for protection. Jesus reveals Himself as the Paschal Lamb, whose sacrifice brings liberation from sin and death. The Eucharist follows a similar pattern to the Jewish celebration of Passover. God provided the Israelites with manna, a bread-like substance, during their journey in the wilderness to sustain them when they had no other food source. Jesus refers to Himself as the true manna, the living bread that came down from heaven. The manna of the Old Testament sustained physical life temporarily; the Eucharist gives eternal life. In the first reading today, Melchizedek, a priest and king, offered bread and wine as a sacrifice. Jesus, our eternal Priest and King, transforms bread and wine into His body and blood, which were offered as a sacrifice.
Today’s feast reminds us to approach the Eucharist with a spirit of gratitude and reverence, inspiring us to live lives of generosity and service, and offering ourselves willingly to God. We remember the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist; this is not merely a symbolic act but a participation in the very body and blood of Christ. This belief should deepen our devotion and inspire us to prepare ourselves worthily to receive Him. Lastly, we must recognize the Eucharist as a source of unity and nourishment. Just as Jesus fed the five thousand, He continues to feed us with His body and blood, satisfying our deepest hungers and uniting us as one body in Christ.
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.