Dear Holy Trinity Family,

This Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, reminds us that we are one body with Christ, as St. Paul says, “Christ lives in me and I live in Christ” (Ref. Galatian 2:20), and how much Jesus loves us. By offering His own body and blood as food and drink for us, He nourishes us and lets us grow more intimate level with Him. As we honor the Eucharist, we need to remember the term “Eucharist” originates from the Greek word εὐχαριστία (eucharistia) meaning “thanksgiving”.

At every Mass, we come to our parish in order to give thanks to God for His endless blessings and graces and ask more blessings. With God’s blessings, our present lives continue although we may encounter and experience some challenges and hardships at this moment. So, let us think about our own way of giving thanks to God and how can we show our grateful hearts to the world. In terms of thanksgiving to God, we perhaps mainly appreciate all the goodness of God that we have received. However, the true act of thanksgiving must be shown even though we might have been in difficult situations with pains and sufferings. Can we be ever grateful for everything even pains? This question may be worth to meditate this week.

Furthermore, we need to recall that the Eucharist was instituted by Jesus during His final Passover meal with His Twelve Apostles. The Church celebrates the institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday along with the institution of priesthood at the same time through the washing of the feet. As Jesus commanded us to love one another by showing us the perfect example of service, we are here to serve God by serving our needy brothers and sisters; moreover, we are here to love God by loving our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31; Matthew 22:39; Luke 10:27; John 13:34).

The Church believes in transubstantiation as the core dogma and doctrine of the Church. St. Thomas Aquinas first said this teaching that the bread and wine literally become the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Without physical change of their form as bread and wine, its substance is changed. For this reason, by consuming the Eucharist, we must collaborate with the efficacy of this astonishing transformation and let it change us so that Christ and we may become one. We must become what we receive. We consume the body and blood of Christ. They are the food and beverage for souls. This spiritual nourishment focuses on the sharing of divine life and the unity among the followers of Christ. This is all about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and in us who are becoming a little “Jesus” to others by imitating our Lord Jesus Christ.

On this beautiful Sunday of God’s love, let us feel this “REAL PRESENCE” of our heavenly Father who blessed us through His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, in the presence of Holy Spirit. May the Blessed Virgin Mother, Mary, intercede for us now and forever!

Blessings,

Fr. Brian