Corpus Christi encourages us to ‘imitate what we celebrate,’ says Pope
June 08, 2015
Recalling that the feast of Corpus Christi was being celebrated in many nations on that day, Pope Francis reflected on the Holy Eucharist during his June 7 Angelus address.
At the institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper, Christ fulfilled the words He had spoken about being the living bread from heaven, the Pope said. The Last Supper is a “synthesis of an existence offered up for the salvation of all humanity,” he added, and through the Eucharist, we enter into communion with Christ to “transform our life into a gift, especially to the poorest.”
The feast of Corpus Christi, Pope Francis continued, invites us to “imitate what we celebrate” and to encounter Christ in daily life:
Christ, who nourishes us under the consecrated species of bread and wine, is the same Christ, whom we meet during the course of everyday life: He is in the poor person who holds out his hand; He is the suffering person who implores help; He is in the brother or sister who asks us to be there and awaits our welcome; He is in the child who knows nothing about Jesus, about salvation, who does not have the faith; He is in every human being, even the smallest and most defenseless.
“The Eucharist, source of love for the life of the Church, is a school of charity and solidarity,” the Pope added. “Those who eat the Bread of Christ cannot remain indifferent before those who do not have daily bread.”
Following the praying of the Angelus, the Pontiff recalled his apostolic journey to Sarajevo the previous day, looked forward to the celebration of the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 12, and lamented exploitative child labor as he noted that June 12 is also the World Day against Child Labor.
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Further information:
- Le parole del Papa alla recita dell’Angelus, 07.06.2015 (Holy See Press Office)
- Angelus Domini 2015.06.07 (Vatican YouTube)
- Pope Francis: seek Christ in Eucharist, in neighbor (Vatican Radio)
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