Vatican City: On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Pope Leo XIV delivered a stirring reflection during the Sunday Angelus, calling the Eucharist “the supreme sacrifice of love” through which Christ gave Himself for the salvation of the world.
Standing before the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope reminded believers that the bread and wine offered on the altar are sanctified and transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ a divine exchange in which God embraces the humble offerings of humanity and turns them into a means of grace and salvation.
Drawing on the Gospel of Luke, which recounts the multiplication of loaves and fishes, Pope Leo highlighted how Christ used a small offering to nourish thousands. “This miracle is not just an act of power,” the Pope explained, “but a sign that God’s gifts, no matter how little, become abundant when shared.”
He urged the faithful to contemplate not just the physical miracle, but the deeper meaning how God shares Himself with humanity. “Before we ever learn to share with one another,” he said, “God shares Himself with us.”
Reflecting on the humility of Christ, Pope Leo recalled that the Lord entrusted Himself to Mary, taking on a mortal, vulnerable body. “He used the little that humanity could offer our fragile flesh to carry out the plan of salvation,” he said. This act, he explained, reveals how God values even our smallest gifts when given with love.
“How moving it is,” the Pope added, “when we give a modest gift and find it is received with joy. It draws us closer to those we love. The same is true with God.”
In the Eucharist, this spiritual exchange reaches its highest point. “We offer bread and wine symbols of our lives and God returns them as Christ’s Body and Blood,” Pope Leo proclaimed. This transformation, he said, is both a mystery and a mission: God sanctifies our offerings so that we may participate in His saving work.
Quoting St. Augustine, the Pope said, “Just as many grains form one loaf, we become one Body in the harmony of love.”
Looking ahead to the evening, the Pope announced that he would lead the traditional Eucharistic procession through Rome, beginning with Mass at the Basilica of St. John Lateran and concluding at St. Mary Major. “Together we will walk with the Blessed Sacrament, singing and praying,” he said. “We will ask for blessings upon our homes, our families, and the whole world.”
In closing, Pope Leo prayed that the celebration of Corpus Christi would inspire all Christians to become “daily messengers of peace and unity,” bringing the grace of the altar into the streets through love, charity, and communion with one another.