Sermon for Corpus Christi Sunday 2025
preached by The Revd Lucie Spiers
Genesis 14:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Luke 9: 11-17
It is fitting, even if fortuitous, that the church remains adorned with such abundance following a wedding here on Friday. Not only does it contribute to an air of festivity as we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi and give thanks for the Holy Eucharist, but it also serves as a reminder that Holy Matrimony is a part of the sacramental life of the Church.
And at the heart of this life is the Eucharist, uniting believers with Christ and with one another, thereby forming a community of faith. You would not be mistaken in seeing a symmetry between this Eucharistic feast, of Corpus Christi, celebrated after Pentecost, and another held on the Thursday in Holy Week before Easter. On Maundy Thursday, we commemorate Christ’s gift of himself in the First Eucharist offered at the Last Supper and on the cross. During that Mass, the priest adds extra words to the Eucharistic Prayer – ‘on the same night that he was betrayed, that is this night,’ and suddenly we are sharply drawn back to that upper room, knowing all to well what is to unfold - as our Epistle reading reminded us: ‘As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes’.
As we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, we are reminded that in the very horror and grief of Christ’s suffering lies the glorious promise of our salvation. And yet the wonder, joy and glory that flows from that night of remembrance is found at the heart of our celebration this day. However, today we commemorate the universal reality of the Eucharistic gift of Christ’s self, which continues to expand upon the themes of Pentecost - the power of the Holy Spirit, transformation, and unity in community.
At the Incarnation, God came among His people at a specific time and place; now, however, we encounter Him on altars and in tabernacles across a multitude of locations, through the power of the Holy Spirit. And at Corpus Christi, we affirm that Christ’s eucharistic presence is among us as a tangible and unconditional gift, just as his life was commemorated on Maundy Thursday. We encounter him sacramentally in the signs of bread and wine, and this is not merely during our shared experience of worship or as a memory of presence; it will endure even after we leave at the end of the service today.
The centre of our worship is our celebration of the Eucharist, but the Eucharistic gift of Jesus is not created or bound by this single act. Rather, through our participation in Him, we are created as a community by Him. Thus, as we reserve and adore the sacrament and as we share in communion, we are not simply anticipating the efficacy of the Eucharistic presence for ourselves, but for all those we encounter in our wider lives. Rather than ‘containing’ the Eucharistic presence, our participation in the sacrament affirms that it works, generously and inclusively, just as Jesus did in His ministry. For God’s gift to us is unconditional and unlimited. In the account in today’s Gospel, the feeding of the five thousand is framed with eucharistic language. Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, and breaks it.
The physical feeding of the multitude foreshadows the Eucharist and the spiritual nourishment we receive. As Jesus Christ enters the midst of the crowd, so each time we celebrate the Mass, He enters into the heart of our community and binds us to Himself and one another. Therefore, being a Eucharistic community is not merely about an act of personal piety, remembrance, or an individual’s understanding of this sacred mystery, but about being united in it Following the post-Communion prayer, we will all say these familiar words together in gratitude: ‘Almighty God, we thank thee for feeding us the body and blood of thy Son, Jesus Christ. Through him we offer thee our souls and bodies to be a living sacrifice, send us out in the power of thy spirit to live and work to thy praise and glory.’ ‘Send us out in the power of thy spirit to live and work to thy praise and glory’ Partaking in the Mass requires our active commitment because of the relationship we have with God.
The Eucharist draws us together as one, just as it transcends time and space; it is the unspoken language of God’s love for us. In our celebration and worship today, we will be nourished by Jesus in his sacrificial gift of his Body and Blood. As a community, we once again enter the mystery of receiving Jesus with reverence and preparation. We have gathered as the Body of Christ, and the bread will be consecrated to become the Body of Christ, so as we consume it, we truly become the Body of Christ. And this process continues as we are sent out from the church, blessed and united in Him.
At the end of Mass, as we process to Mount Place to pray and then make our way back through the streets returning here for Benediction, we will be that visible, hope-filled Body of Christ. And we can reflect on these words of Pope Francis given in Rome on the feast of Corpus Christi some years ago, but echoing here in Oxford this day: ‘May this action of the Eucharistic procession, which we will carry out shortly, respond to Jesus' command.
An action to commemorate him; an action to give food to the crowds of today; an act to break open our faith and our lives as a sign of Christ's love for this city and for the whole world.’
Blessed, praised, hallowed, and adored be Jesus Christ on his Throne of Glory in Heaven, in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, and in the hearts of all His faithful people. Amen.
