To be present where Christ is present. Corpus Christi (A)

Today, the Church celebrates the great feast of Corpus Christi, a solemnity deeply linked to Holy Thursday. Once again, the liturgy invites us to return to that sacred night in the Upper Room, when Christ gave us the Most Holy Eucharist. It is as if the Church recognizes that the mystery of that night is so profound, so inexhaustible, that a single celebration is not enough to contain it. 

The readings of this Mass introduce us to the heart of this mystery. They reveal the Eucharist to us as the real presence of Christ, as the source of our unity and as the food that leads us to eternal life. At the heart of today's feast is the truth that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. This real presence is neither symbolic nor figurative, but real and substantial. 

In various parts of the world, the Church bears public witness to this truth through Eucharistic processions and adoration. The Blessed Sacrament is carried through the streets, proclaiming that Christ walks with his people, that he remains among us. In our time, we often see more protests than processions. Yet Christ has not ceased to be present. His presence remains constant, even if our awareness of it weakens.

George Steiner, in his work Real presence, observed that without a sense of transcendence-without what he calls “real presences”- neither true art nor truth can endure. His intuition leads us to something more profound: not only culture, but humanity itself cannot flourish without a living encounter with that which transcends us. For us Christians, this is fulfilled in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks with striking clarity: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”. These words are not easy. They were difficult for his listeners then, and they remain demanding today. Many questioned him; some even turned away.

The Eucharist is not simply a symbol. It is Christ himself. This celebration not only calls us to believe it but to respond to it. If Christ is truly present, then we too are invited to be present. Be present where Christ is present! 

In the presence of someone important, we are attentive, vigilant and reverent. How much more should this be so in the presence of Christ himself! Before the Blessed Sacrament, we are invited to awaken our hearts: to watch, to listen and to love. Today, as we celebrate Corpus Christi, let us renew our faith in the Real Presence of Christ. And let us also renew our commitment to be truly present before him.

We are called to deepen our Eucharistic devotion: by faithful participation in Mass, by receiving Holy Communion frequently with purity, humility and devotion, by devoting time to adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and by participating in blessings and processions.