June 2025 — A Solemn Celebration of Christ’s Body and Blood
The Catholic Church around the world celebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi, also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday—or in many places, the following Sunday. This profound celebration honors the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist: body, blood, soul, and divinity.
The feast was established in the 13th century following a Eucharistic miracle in Bolsena, Italy, where a consecrated host began to bleed onto a corporal during Mass. Shortly afterward, Pope Urban IV instituted Corpus Christi as a universal feast of the Church, encouraged by the teachings and devotion of St. Thomas Aquinas, who composed many of the hymns still used in today’s liturgies, such as Pange Lingua and Tantum Ergo.
At the heart of this feast is the Church’s core belief in the Real Presence—that Jesus Christ is truly and substantially present in the consecrated host and chalice. Corpus Christi is not just a doctrinal celebration but a visible and powerful expression of faith.
Across the globe, Corpus Christi is marked by Eucharistic processions, where the Blessed Sacrament is carried through the streets in a monstrance, accompanied by prayers, songs, and often strewn flower petals. These processions serve as a public witness of faith and a reminder that Christ is truly present in the midst of His people.
At Everest Academy and in Catholic parishes throughout the world, this feast is a time of special reverence. Students, families, clergy, and faithful gather in prayer and adoration, focusing on the mystery of the Eucharist—often called the “source and summit” of Christian life.
In a world often distracted by noise and haste, the Feast of Corpus Christi invites Catholics to pause, adore, and renew their love for Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. As Pope Benedict XVI once said, “In the Eucharist, the Son of God comes to meet us and desires to become one with us.”
Prayer for Corpus Christi:
Lord Jesus Christ, we worship You living among us in the sacrament of Your body and blood. May we offer to our Father in heaven a solemn pledge of undivided love. May we offer to our brothers and sisters a life poured out in loving service of that kingdom where You live with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.