"May the coming celebration of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ deepen our awareness of the Real Presence of Jesus among us in the Eucharist," Pope Francis prayed at the end of the June 2 general audience.
He invited everyone to find in the Eucharist a “source of grace and light” able to enlighten life.
The feast of Corpus Christi (which means Body of Christ in Latin) is a special chance for Catholics to celebrate the Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, or the Blessed Sacrament.
If you'd like to learn about how Jesus is present in the Eucharist, start here:
The feast of Corpus Christi was established in 1264 by Pope Urban IV (1261-1264), at the urging of St. Juliana.
Since 2017, by decision of Pope Francis, the feast has been celebrated in the Vatican on a Sunday, as it is in many other dioceses around the world. Moving the feast from Thursday to the following Sunday allows a greater number of faithful to participate.
Due to the pandemic, the pontiff will celebrate this solemnity on June 6 in St. Peter's Basilica, as he did last year.
In 2018 and 2019, he was able to go to a parish in the Diocese of Rome to preside over the celebration.
