07/06/2026
On Sunday, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, known more commonly as Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ).
It is one of the biggest days in the Church’s liturgical calendar and often includes processions and benediction. The solemnity celebrates the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
It was proposed by Saint Thomas Aquinas, to Pope Urban IV to emphasise the joy of the Eucharist being the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.
Last year, Archbishop Anthony Randazzo wrote to the clergy and people of Broken Bay, urging a true participation in the Eucharist, rather than just merely being present for its celebration on Sunday.
“We are always at risk of becoming too comfortable, too casual, with the sacred,” he wrote.
“Yet the Eucharist is no ordinary meal, and the Scriptures are no ordinary words. They are Jesus Christ himself, speaking and giving himself to us.
“Let us approach every Mass with renewed reverence, not only for the consecrated bread and wine, but for the Word that is Christ’s own flesh poured into our ears. May we never treat casually what God offers so lovingly. And may our participation in the Eucharist, in both Word and Sacrament, be fully conscious, and life-changing.”
While in many countries the solemnity is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, in Australia it is transferred to the Sunday following.
In keeping with the renewal presented by the Easter Season, Corpus Christi invites the faithful to renew their devotion to the Real Presence and examine ways they can increase their devotion.
