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On June 22, 2025, Catholics worldwide will celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi. This feast, rich in theological depth and spiritual significance, invites us to contemplate the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
Through the Mass readings for this day, the history of the solemnity, the testimony of Scripture and Church Fathers, and the witness of Eucharistic miracles, we are drawn into the heart of this sacred mystery. Let us explore this feast, reflect on its meaning, and consider how it calls us to deeper faith, as exemplified by soon-to-be Saint Carlo Acutis and documented by author Joan Carroll Cruz.
The Mass Readings for June 22, 2025: A Eucharistic Feast
The readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ in Year C (2025) emphasize the Eucharist as a gift of divine nourishment, sacrifice, and communion. These readings, drawn from the Lectionary, provide a scriptural foundation for the feast’s theology.
- First Reading: Genesis 14:18-20
Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest, offers bread and wine, blessing Abram. This prefigures the Eucharistic sacrifice, where Christ, the eternal High Priest, offers Himself under the appearances of bread and wine. Melchizedek’s offering hints at a priesthood and sacrifice that transcends the Levitical order, fulfilled in the Eucharist. - Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 110:1-4
“You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.” This psalm reinforces the connection between Melchizedek’s offering and Christ’s eternal priesthood, celebrated in the Eucharist. - Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
St. Paul recounts the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper: “For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus… took bread, and… said, ‘This is my body that is for you.’” Paul emphasizes that the Eucharist is a proclamation of Christ’s death until He comes again, uniting us with His sacrifice. - Gospel: Luke 9:11b-17
The feeding of the five thousand prefigures the Eucharist. Jesus takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to the crowd, satisfying their hunger. This miracle points to the superabundant gift of the Eucharist, where Christ feeds His people with His own Body and Blood.
Reflection: These readings invite us to see the Eucharist as both a meal and a sacrifice. Like the crowd in the Gospel, we come to Jesus hungry—spiritually and existentially—and He satisfies us with Himself. The connection to Melchizedek and the Last Supper underscores the Eucharist’s roots in salvation history, calling us to receive Christ with reverence and to become “Christ-bearers” to others, as St. Paul urges. This feast challenges us to live Eucharistically, offering our lives in love and service. Jesus is TRULY present under the species of bread and wine.
The History of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ originated in the 13th century, spurred by a Eucharistic miracle and a visionary’s devotion. In 1263, a German priest, Peter of Prague, while on pilgrimage to Rome, stopped in Bolsena, Italy, to celebrate Mass. Doubting the Real Presence, he was astonished when the consecrated host began to bleed, staining the corporal (altar cloth). This miracle, known as the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena-Orvieto, was investigated by Pope Urban IV, who confirmed its authenticity. The bloodstained corporal is still venerated in Orvieto’s cathedral.
Inspired by this miracle and the visions of St. Juliana of Liège, a Belgian nun who advocated for a feast honoring the Eucharist, Pope Urban IV instituted the Solemnity of Corpus Christi in 1264. The feast was extended to the universal Church to honor Christ’s Real Presence, give thanks for the Eucharist, and instruct the faithful in its mystery.
Following the Second Vatican Council, the feast was combined with the Feast of the Precious Blood (formerly July 1) and renamed the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It retains its traditional elements, including Eucharistic processions, where the Blessed Sacrament is carried through streets, proclaiming Christ’s presence to the world.
The Eucharist: Literally Jesus’ Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity
The Catholic Church teaches that in the Eucharist, the bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ through transubstantiation. This doctrine, defined at the Council of Trent (1545–1563), holds that the “substance” of bread and wine changes into Christ’s reality, while the “accidents” (appearance, taste, smell) remain. Let us explore this teaching through Scripture, the Church Fathers, and the Greek term sarx.
Scriptural Foundation
The Eucharist’s literal interpretation rests on Jesus’ own words in Scripture:
- John 6:51-56: In the Bread of Life discourse, Jesus declares, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven… and the bread that I will give is my flesh (sarx in Greek) for the life of the world… Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” The Greek word sarx denotes physical flesh, not a metaphor. When the crowd objects, Jesus intensifies His language, using trogein (to gnaw or chew), emphasizing the concrete reality of eating His flesh.
- Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25: At the Last Supper, Jesus says, “This is my body… This is my blood.” The verb estin (is) in Greek conveys a literal identity, not a symbolic representation. St. Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 that unworthy reception of the Eucharist profanes Christ’s Body and Blood, implying a real presence.
Church Fathers on the Real Presence
The early Church Fathers unanimously affirmed the Eucharist as Christ’s literal Body and Blood:
- St. Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110 AD): In his Letter to the Smyrnaeans (8:1), he writes, “The Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins and which the Father raised up.” He refutes those who deny the Eucharist’s reality, linking it to Christ’s Incarnation.
- St. Justin Martyr (c. 150 AD): In his First Apology (66), he explains, “We do not receive these as common bread or common drink, but as Jesus Christ our Savior, who became incarnate… so too the food which has been blessed… is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus.”
- St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 180 AD): In Against Heresies (5.2.3), he states, “The bread… is the Body of Christ, and the cup… is His Blood.” He connects the Eucharist to the resurrection, as it nourishes our bodies for eternal life.
- St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 350 AD): In his Catechetical Lectures (22:3), he teaches, “Do not regard the bread and wine as simply that; for they are, according to the Lord’s declaration, the Body and Blood of Christ.”
These Fathers, rooted in apostolic tradition, saw the Eucharist as the extension of the Incarnation—God’s Word made flesh (John 1:14) continues to dwell among us sacramentally.
The Greek Term Sarx
The use of sarx (flesh) in John 6:51 is critical. Unlike soma (body), which can have metaphorical connotations, sarx refers to physical, tangible flesh. Jesus’ choice of sarx underscores the concrete reality of His presence in the Eucharist. The verb trogein (to chew) in John 6:54 further eliminates ambiguity, as it describes a literal act of eating, not a symbolic gesture. This linguistic precision supports the Church’s teaching that the Eucharist is not a mere symbol but Christ’s true flesh and blood.
Eucharistic Miracles: Signs of the Real Presence
Throughout history, Eucharistic miracles have served as divine affirmations of the Real Presence, often occurring in contexts of doubt or desecration. These miracles, documented by soon-to-be Saint Carlo Acutis and author Joan Carroll Cruz, strengthen our faith in the Eucharist’s reality.
Eucharistic Miracles Documented by Carlo Acutis
Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991–2006), a young Italian computer programmer, created a website cataloging Church-approved Eucharistic miracles, inspired by a 2002 exhibition in Rimini, Italy. His work, now displayed globally, highlights miracles such as:
- Lanciano, Italy (8th Century): A doubting priest saw the host transform into flesh and the wine into blood during Mass. Scientific studies in the 1970s confirmed the flesh as human heart tissue and the blood as type AB, with no preservatives.
- Bolsena-Orvieto, Italy (1263): As mentioned, a bleeding host led to the institution of Corpus Christi. The bloodstained corporal remains a relic in Orvieto.
- Cascia, Italy (1330): A priest carelessly placed a host in his breviary, only to find it bleeding, staining the pages. One page is preserved in Cascia.
- Macerata, Italy (1356): Blood flowed from a consecrated host during a priest’s doubtful Mass, staining the altar linen.
- Buenos Aires, Argentina (1996): A host, placed in water to dissolve after being dropped, emitted a blood-like substance. Scientific analysis confirmed human DNA and heart tissue.
Carlo’s exhibition (MIRACOLI EUCARISTICI - Mostra Internazionale Ideata e Realizzata da Carlo Acutis e Nicola Gori) emphasizes that these miracles are not the foundation of Eucharistic faith but signs to bolster belief, as he wrote: “The Eucharist is the true, great, inexhaustible daily miracle.” His canonization, scheduled for April 27, 2025, during the Jubilee of Teenagers, celebrates his devotion to the Eucharist and digital evangelization.
Joan Carroll Cruz’s Documentation
In her book Eucharistic Miracles and Eucharistic Phenomena in the Lives of the Saints (1987), Joan Carroll Cruz meticulously documents dozens of miracles, drawing from historical records and Church investigations. Cruz covers miracles like Lanciano and Bolsena, as well as lesser-known cases, such as:
- Santarém, Portugal (1247): A woman stole a host for a magical ritual, but it bled profusely, leading to its veneration in a reliquary.
- Amsterdam, Netherlands (1345): A host, regurgitated by a sick man and thrown into a fire, remained intact and levitated. It became a pilgrimage site.
Cruz also explores saints who lived solely on the Eucharist, such as St. Catherine of Siena, who sustained herself for years on the sacrament alone. Her work underscores the Eucharist’s centrality in Catholic spirituality and its miraculous manifestations across centuries. I highly recommend this book.
Reflection: Living a Eucharistic Life
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ calls us to a profound encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. The readings remind us that Christ feeds us with His Body and Blood, uniting us to His sacrifice and mission. The history of the feast, rooted in a miracle, invites us to trust in the Real Presence, even when our senses perceive only bread and wine. Scripture and the Church Fathers, supported by the Greek sarx, affirm that the Eucharist is truly Jesus ' Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Eucharistic miracles, documented by Carlo Acutis and Joan Carroll Cruz, serve as signs to deepen our faith in this mystery.
As we celebrate this solemnity on June 22, 2025, let us emulate Carlo Acutis, who called the Eucharist the “highway to heaven.” Like him, we can use our gifts—whether technological or otherwise—to share the truth of the Eucharist with others. Let us approach the altar with reverence, receive Christ with a contrite heart, and carry His presence into the world through acts of love and service. As St. Augustine said, “You become what you receive.” May we become Christ’s Body, broken and given for the life of the world.
Sources:
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Daily Readings for June 22, 2025.
- National Catholic Register, “Blessed Carlo Acutis Listed 32 Eucharistic Miracles.”
- Church Life Journal, “Blessed Carlo Acutis and the Many Miracles of the Eucharist.”
- EWTN Great Britain, “Blessed Carlo Acutis Listed 32 Eucharistic Miracles.”
- Fr. Tony’s Homilies, “Most Holy Body & Blood of Jesus- Corpus Christi Sunday Homily.”
- Wikipedia, “Carlo Acutis.”
- Cruz, Joan Carroll. Eucharistic Miracles and Eucharistic Phenomena in the Lives of the Saints. TAN Books, 1987.
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