Corpus Christi

Some thoughts on the Blessed Sacrament from the Holy Father.

"The sacred host exposed to our view speaks of the infinite power of Love manifested on the glorious Cross. The sacred host speaks to us of the incredible abasement of the One who made himself poor so as to make us rich in him, the One who accepted the loss of everything so as to win us for the Father. The sacred host is the living, efficacious and real sacrament of the eternal presence of the Saviour of mankind to his church."

Meditation during the Eucharistic procession in Lourdes. 14 September 2008

"It is important that you participate in the Eucharist, in which Jesus gives himself for us, the heart of your life. He who dies for the sins of all desires to enter into communion with each one of you and is knocking at the doors of your hearts to give you his grace. Go to the encounter with him in the Blessed Eucharist, go to adore him in the churches, kneeling before the Tabernacle: Jesus wil fill you with his love and will reveal to you the thoughts of his Heart. If you listen to him, you will feel ever more deeply the joy of belonging to his Mystical Body, the Church, which is the family of his disciples held close by the bond of unity and love."
Message to young Catholics of the Netherlands. 21 November 2005

"How very significant is the bond between the Church’s mission and the Eucharist. In fact, missionary and evangelising action is the apostolic diffusion of love that is, as it were, concentrated in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Whoever receives Christ in the reality of his Body and Blood cannot keep this gift to himself, but is impelled to share in courageous witness to the Gospel, in service of brothers and sisters in need, in pardoning offences. For some, then, the Eucharist is the seed of a specific call to leave all and go to proclaim Christ to those who still do not know him."
Angelus. 23 October 2005

Top picture © CNS.

Quotations © from The Eucharist, one of seven books from the Spiritual Thoughts Series published by ST PAULS.