Jesus Is Present in the Eucharist

June 22, 2025

Although the Easter Season ended on Pentecost Sunday, the following two Sundays celebrate the great mysteries of the Most Holy Trinity and the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord. Today we celebrate the latter, formerly known in Latin as Corpus Christi.
   
The doctrine of the Most Holy Trinity, which we celebrated last Sunday, identifies us as Christians. There are religions that believe in one God (Judaism and Islam) and there are religions that believe in multiple gods (Hinduism), but only Christians believe in One God in Three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
   
The doctrine of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord most identifies us as Catholics. Other denominations believe some of what we believe about the Eucharist, but none are completely aligned with us on the matter.

As Catholics, we believe that when Jesus, at the Last Supper, took bread and said, “Take this and eat. This is my Body” and when He took the cup of wine and said, “Take this and drink. This is my Blood,” that He meant it literally. This belief is strengthened by what is known as the Bread of Life Discourse in the sixth chapter of John, and by St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians.
   
The Eucharist is not the dead Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. It is the living Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ Himself. When we receive the Blessed Sacrament, we are receiving Jesus Himself, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. In a certain way, we become living, walking tabernacles after we have received Communion.
   
When we go into a Catholic Church where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in a tabernacle, we kneel before it to pray. We are kneeling before Jesus Himself.
—Fr. Mike Comer