Corpus Christi: What It Means to Live in Communion With Christ
“For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (John 6:55).
The Eucharist Gives Life and Grace to the Church
As we eat the body of Christ (in Latin, “Corpus Christi”), we elevate our soul through the consecration, and we restore the image God gave us in creation. We’re not just nourishing our body but nourishing our spirit, helping us grow closer to God. Jesus makes Himself known through the physical elements of bread and wine. In the act of consuming that bread and wine, we experience a profound connection with Jesus, feeling His presence tangibly.
When Jesus broke bread at the last supper, he foreshadowed the breaking of Himself for us on the cross and instituted the Eucharist as his true Body and Blood. When Jesus asks us to “do this in memory of” Him (Luke 22:19), we are not only called to eat His Body and Blood but also to break ourselves, surrendering to His will with every fragment of our being.
Each life has meaning and value in the Eucharist, because we unite all our joys, sufferings, hopes, and pains to the sacrifice of Christ. As Catholic women in business, breaking ourselves like Jesus at the last supper entails practicing servant leadership, sacrificial giving, and ethical decision-making. We’re also called to empower others, steward resources, promote work/life balance, foster community, and integrate prayer and reflection into daily operations.
Catholic women in business emulate the spirit of "breaking oneself" in our professional endeavors by aligning our actions with the teachings of Jesus and the values of our faith—which is not always easy. When Jesus offers His body and blood, He invites us to join in that offering, uniting ourselves with Him in the great communion of the Church. Every time we hear “This is my body … this is my blood,” we’re reliving Christ’s words, reaffirming our commitment to His divine will.
Through the Eucharist, the central sacrament of the Catholic faith, we consecrate not just the Mass but our entire life, our joys and struggles, to the love of Christ. Here, we find purpose and meaning in our journey of faith. The Eucharist becomes a beautiful symphony where our lives blend with the life of Christ, creating a harmony of love and devotion. With every sip and morsel, we take into ourselves the essence of Christ, letting His divine love transform us from within.
Our Consecration Requires Action
Jesus pronounced that we must eat His body and drink His blood (John 6:53). Our consecration also requires the pouring out of ourselves in living out a meaningful, Eucharistic sacrifice each day in union with God and neighbor.
God transcends the Mystical Body but unites Himself willingly with it in the sacrifice of the Mass. In the Eucharist, God’s Church actively claims His sacrifice as its own. This claim unites the entire Head with the entire body (Colossians 1:18) in Christ, present in the Eucharist. Our sacrifice with Jesus offers the Church the opportunity to replicate what Christ did for us with Him.
Sarah Appleton is a theology M.A. student at the University of Notre Dame. She has a deep love for academic theology and delivering the message of God and His teachings with grace. Sarah’s faith journey began with studying scholastic theology which eventually turned into the transformation of her own heart. She also has a degree in Journalism and is a freelance writer in her spare time. Apart from writing, she enjoys reading, gardening, homemaking, thrifting, long walks, and hanging out with her husband.