Pope Francis presided over Mass on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, emphasizing the Eucharist's role in fostering peace in our hearts and in our war-torn world. He assured the faithful, “God does not abandon us but always seeks, waits for, and accompanies us, even to the point of placing Himself, helpless, into our hands.”

In his homily,  Pope reflected on the significance of the Eucharistic bread, focusing on three themes: thanksgiving, remembrance, and presence. He described bread as a fundamental food of daily life through which God draws intimately close to us. The Eucharist, he said, teaches us to be grateful for God's many gifts by properly using our talents and skills. “This is our mission to give thanks,” he stated, noting that these ‘Eucharistic’ attitudes help us appreciate the value of our actions and offerings.

Pope Francis also emphasized the importance of remembering Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection. By giving us His Body and Blood, Jesus demonstrated how to offer ourselves to those in need. He warned against a false notion of freedom centered on self-indulgence, describing true freedom as serving others out of love.

Highlighting the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist,  Pope stressed that God never abandons us but patiently waits for us to accept Him in the form of Bread. This presence, he added, calls us to be close to others wherever love is needed. He lamented the destruction caused by war and expressed a need for the world to be filled with the aroma of the bread of love, symbolizing hope and the rebuilding of what hatred has destroyed.

Pope Francis concluded by explaining that the Eucharistic Procession from St. John Lateran to St. Mary Major was not an ostentatious display of faith. Instead, it was an invitation for everyone to partake in the new life that Jesus offers through the Eucharist.