June 6.   Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. B. Fr Brian preached this sermon every year hoping they would remember.  “This is one of the most important feasts in the Church because it teaches us about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.  I want to ask you whether you really do believe that as Catholics, or whether it is something you don’t really think about and take for granted.  As a priest it challenges me too.  It helps me when I remind myself that God is present in other sacraments and is also present in the sacramental love relationship of marriage, which we should reverence much more than we do.  To strengthen people’s faith there have been recognised miracles over the centuries of the bread and wine physically being changed in appearance to human flesh and blood.

As they were eating he took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them and said, “Take, this is my body.” And he took a chalice and when he had given thanks he gave it to them and they all drank of it.  And he said to them, “this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” From Mark 14:12-26.  

Pope Francis:  Jesus knocks on the door of families to share with them the Eucharistic supper. The Eucharist is the sacrament of the new covenant where Christ’s redemptive work is carried out.  The close bond between married life and the Eucharist becomes all the more clear.  AL 318