The Solemnity of Corpus Christi
At every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we participate in a marvelous miracle, the miracle called Transubstantiation.
Most of the time, we need constant reminders of the immense gifts that God continually bestows upon us. The Eucharist is an immense miracle, but sometimes we need to be reminded just how amazing this miracle really is.
One such reminder took place in 1263. A German priest, Peter of Prague, stopped at Bolsena, Italy while on a pilgrimage to Rome. He is described as a pious priest, but one who found it difficult to believe in Transubstantiation.
While celebrating Mass at the tomb of Saint Christina, located in Bolsena, he had barely spoken the words of Consecration when blood started to seep from the consecrated Host and trickle over his hands onto the altar and the corporal.
The priest was immediately confused. At first he attempted to hide the blood, but then he interrupted the Mass and asked to be taken to the neighboring city of Orvieto, the city where Pope Urban IV was then residing.
The Pope listened to the priest's story and gave him absolution for his lack of faith. He then sent emissaries for an immediate investigation.
When all the facts were ascertained, he ordered the bishop of the diocese to bring to Orvieto the Host and the linen cloth bearing the stains of blood.
With archbishops, cardinals and other Church dignitaries in attendance, the Pope met the procession and, amid great pomp, had the relics placed in the cathedral. The linen corporal bearing the spots of blood is still reverently enshrined and exhibited in the Cathedral of Orvieto, Italy.
Pope Urban IV was prompted by this miracle to commission Saint Thomas Aquinas to compose the liturgical prayers in honor of the Eucharist. One year after the miracle, in August of 1264, Pope Urban IV introduced the saint's compositions, and by means of a papal bull instituted the feast of Corpus Christi.
Then in 1519, Alonso Álvarez de Piñeda, commissioned by the Spanish governor of Jamaica to explore and chart the coast of Texas, entered the bay of what would later be called the city of Corpus Christi.
As the Spanish explorers disembarked and prepared themselves for the first Mass by the missionary that accompanied them, they marveled at the beauty of the area.
It was the Feast of Corpus Christi, and in accordance with a Spanish custom, Piñeda named the bay in honor of the feast that they celebrated that day.
My dear friends, let us remember that at every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we participate in a marvelous miracle, the miracle called Transubstantiation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this miracle when it says:
"The mode of Christ’s presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend. In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really and substantially contained. This presence is called real – by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be real too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present" (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1374).
Dr. Scott Hahn, the famous former Protestant minister that converted to Catholicism wrote in his conversion story one of the most beautiful testimonies about the Eucharist that I have ever read. Here are his words, written in his book that he co-authored with his wife Kimberly.
“Then one day, I made a ‘fatal blunder’ – I decided that it was time for me to go to Mass on my own. Finally, I resolved to darken the doors of Gesu, Marquette University’s parish. Right before noon, I slipped quietly into the basement chapel for daily Mass. I wasn’t sure what to expect; maybe I’d be alone with a priest and a couple of old nuns. I took a seat as an observer in the back pew.
All of a sudden lots of ordinary people began coming in off the streets; rank-and-file type folks. They came in, genuflected, knelt and prayed. Their simple but sincere devotion was impressive.
Then a bell rang, and a priest walked out toward the altar. I remained seated; I still wasn’t sure if it was safe to kneel. As an evangelical Calvinist, I had been taught that the Catholic Mass was the greatest sacrilege that a man could commit - to re-sacrifice Christ - so I wasn’t sure what to do.
I watched and listened as the readings, prayers and responses - so steeped in Scripture - made the Bible come alive. I almost wanted to stop the Mass and say, ‘Wait. That line is from Isaiah; the song is from the Psalms. Whoa, you’ve got another prophet in that prayer’. I found numerous elements from the ancient Jewish liturgy that I had studied so intensely.
All of a sudden, I realized, this is where the Bible belongs. This was the setting in which this precious family heirloom was meant to be read, proclaimed and expounded. Then we moved into the Liturgy of the Eucharist, where all my covenant conclusions converged.
I wanted to stop everything and shout, ‘Hey, can I explain what’s happening from Scripture? This is great!’ Instead I just sat there, famished with a supernatural hunger for the Bread of Life.
After pronouncing the words of consecration, the priest held up the Host. I felt as if the last drop of doubt had drained from me. With all of my heart, I whispered, ‘My Lord and my God. That’s really you! And if that’s you, then I want full communion with you. I don’t want to hold anything back’ (Rome Sweet Home, pp. 87-88).
We must also keep in mind the grave importance of receiving Holy Communion in the state of grace. There is a direct connection between the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Confession. It is a sacrilege to receive Holy Communion while being in the state of mortal sin.
“To respond to this invitation, we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. Saint Paul urges us to examine our conscience: ‘Whoever, therefore, eats of the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself’ (1 Cor 11: 27-29). Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of reconciliation before coming to communion.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1385)
My dear friends, sins against the virtue of purity are not the only sins, but the Christian virtue of chastity is certainly the battle of our times.
In a society that glorifies lust and scoffs at self-control, it may seem strange—even radical—to speak about chastity. But I tell you this: there is no authentic love without chastity. For chastity is not the repression of desire, but the redirection of desire—so that we may love with truth, with reverence, and with freedom.
To the young people among us: begin now. Begin while you are young. The virtue of chastity is not something we stumble into. It is a habit we build—brick by brick, decision by decision. It is what teaches you to see others not as objects for pleasure, but as persons to be loved. Chastity liberates you from being dominated by your impulses. It trains your heart to love rightly, and your body to serve what is good and holy.
To all married couples: chastity within marriage is just as essential. It safeguards fidelity. It deepens intimacy. It protects your home from the poisonous lies of pornography, adultery, and selfishness.
A chaste husband becomes a fortress of love for his wife and a living example of purity and strength for his children.
A chaste wife is the crown of her husband (cf. Proverbs 12:4). Her fidelity, modesty, and interior strength build a home where love is pure, and trust is unbreakable.
Chastity in marriage is not repression, it is reverence. It is the holy self-gift that safeguards love, welcomes life, and mirrors the faithfulness of Christ to his Bride, the Church.
Fidelity is not only possible, it is beautiful. And chastity is the virtue that makes it so.
Chastity is not easy, because we do not live in a Christian culture. We live in a time when sin is easy, and virtue is mocked. But you were not made for an easy life. You were made for greatness. You were made to fight for your soul. Chastity requires a mature and heroic decision to enter the spiritual battlefield. But you are not alone. You have the grace of God. You have the sacraments. You have a spiritual arsenal at your side.
Let me offer you four powerful weapons for this battle:
1. Avoid the near occasions of sin – Know your weaknesses. Know your temptations. Avoid situations that compromise your purity. This is not cowardice, it is wisdom. Strong and prudent people are the ones who know when to walk away.
2. Live a Eucharistic life – Stay close to Jesus in the Eucharist. He is the Bread of Life, and he will strengthen you from within. Make Mass your anchor. Spend time in adoration. Let his gaze purify you and fill you with indescribable peace.
3. Go to frequent confession – The confessional is not a place of shame, it is the throne of mercy. Do not be afraid to return again and again. Each confession is a fresh start, a new grace, and a deeper healing.
4. Pray the Rosary daily – The Blessed Virgin Mary is your ally. The Rosary is not a thing of the past - it is a spiritual weapon. It protects your mind, calms your desires, and strengthens your will.
My dear friends, chastity is not a burden. It is a path to joy. It is not repression, it is freedom.
Just as there is a direct connection between the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Confession, there is also a direct connection between the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the Christian virtue of chastity.
The Eucharist is the very source of the grace we need to live the Christian life in its fullness.
Among the many virtues strengthened by our union with our Eucharistic Lord is the virtue of chastity.
Why chastity?
Because chastity is the virtue that purifies love.
Chastity teaches us to love as Christ loves—selflessly, purely, and with integrity.
And there is no greater school of love than the Eucharist, where we behold Love Himself, broken and poured out for us.
In Holy Communion, we receive the Lord who gave everything for us. In turn, we are called to give ourselves—not to lust or selfish desire—but to authentic love.
The Eucharist trains our hearts to be like his—capable of sacrifice, of fidelity, of self-mastery, and of total gift.
Let us then return to the altar and the tabernacle, again and again, to be fed, healed, and formed by the One who is Perfect Chastity—Jesus Christ, present in the Most Holy Eucharist.