Corpus Christi Sermon
Sunday June 7, 2026
I think I already told you a couple of weeks ago that June is a very special month because it’s filled with all these special feasts in the life of the church. Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of the most holy trinity, and then this Sunday we celebrate the feast of the body of Christ, known in Latin as Corpus Christi. Next Sunday, well, it’s a special feast for us because it is St. Barnabas’ feast, the patron of our church. And so let’s continue to celebrate in this spiritual way, and may it spill over to our lives even beyond our spiritual life.
The feast of Corpus Christi developed in the life of the church in the Middle Ages when the desire to highlight the great gift that Jesus gave in the Eucharist became visible amongst the people. This feast actually originated with religious sisters who started having a special day highlighting their gratitude to God for the gift of the Eucharist. And then when their local bishop heard of this tradition, he began promoting it elsewhere beyond even his diocese. Then it became a very popular feast amongst many traditions within Christendom.
But as we celebrate Corpus Christi, as we think about what it is that we are actually celebrating, I would like us to think in terms of what is Jesus’ desire for us? What is it that Jesus desires for his people? Because as much as we celebrate the Eucharist and Corpus Christi—the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist—we also have to admit that this particular teaching has caused much division within the Christian world. The words of Jesus, particularly in the Gospel of John, chapter 6, from which we hear a little snippet today, are complex and deep, and it’s very easy to interpret them in multiple different ways.
When we say that in the Eucharist Jesus is present, that’s what we believe: that we encounter in a unique way the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, particularly in the eating of the bread and the wine that has become the body and blood of Christ. When we say this, what is it that we actually mean? Do we mean to say that if someone does not receive the bread and the wine at the Eucharistic table, that person cannot have a share in the life and presence of Jesus? Or are we saying that everyone who receives the bread and the wine at the Eucharist has ensured his or her salvation?
You see, we can go too far in either direction. What we are not saying is that the Eucharist is magic. It is not magic. In other words, it’s not in some way separated from our daily life. I cannot live as a non-believer and then just make sure I take the Eucharist every Sunday and then I’m set, I’m fine. The Eucharist cannot undo something that is within us unless we receive Christ in the way in which he intends to be received.
So, one extreme is to think of the Eucharist in a magical way: “Well, if I just go and receive, it doesn’t matter what happens outside of my life here at the church because I’m taking the pill that heals me every Sunday.” The other extreme is to downplay the significance and sacredness of receiving the Eucharist and to say, “Well, maybe it doesn’t matter as long as I pray at home, read the scriptures, and have a personal relationship with Jesus, then I am healed and that’s enough.”
As Anglicans, we always try to take the middle road, not because it’s convenient, but precisely because it’s the only pathway that allows even for the possibility of unity within Christendom. So what we’re saying is not that the one interpretation is right and the other one is wrong. What we’re saying is that there are multiple interpretations and they are all right as long as they’re brought together. We never say it’s “either/or.” We say it’s “both/and.” Is Jesus really present in the Eucharist, and therefore when I receive the Eucharist, I am receiving the very presence of God? Yes. But is Jesus also present in the life of a believer who accepts him in faith? Yes.
I think it’s so important for us to look at the gifts that have been given to us, not as though we are better than everyone else because Christ dwells within this community, but simply to say we are striving to deepen our knowledge and love of what Jesus said, and we’re not even close to fully grasping it. Jesus said, “I am the true bread that has come down from heaven.” The only way we can receive life everlasting is by receiving him who is the only true food from heaven.
How do we receive Jesus in multiple ways? If we want to have a healthy diet of spiritual life, we must not only receive the Eucharist with faith, but we must also study the word of God, reach out to people around us, love them, share the good news of Jesus, and see the good that exists in other Christian communities—even those who have a different understanding or interpretation of how Jesus is present and how we encounter Christ in the living bread. Notice the good and continue to live with humility whenever we approach the word of God.
One time a friend of mine came to me and said, “You know, Father’s Day is coming up. What are you getting for your father?” And my answer was, “I don’t know.” Every year I don’t know what to get my father. Not because I have no ideas, but simply because it’s difficult to give a gift to someone who has everything. Now, don’t get me wrong. My dad is not independently wealthy like maybe Jeff Bezos; he doesn’t possess everything there is to possess, but what he has is enough. He’s content with everything he has. In other words, he doesn’t want any more stuff. So, what does he want from me on Father’s Day? He wants me. He wants me to come over. He wants me to spend time with him. He wants me to rejoice with him that he’s my dad and I’m his son. He wants the presence. The presence.
And this, I think, is so important when we think of God, our heavenly Father, who definitely has everything. What do we give to God who has everything? Well, we give the gift of ourselves—our presence, our lives, our faith, our devotion. Not because God needs it, but because God desires it out of love for us. But you could say, “Well, what about my life? Is my life a worthy enough gift for a God who is all-loving, all-perfect, and all-holy?” And we must say no, it’s not enough. My imperfect life is never going to be enough.
So what is it we do in the Eucharist? We say we not only offer our lives to you, God, but we offer the very life of your beloved son, Jesus. When we lift up the bread and the wine and say this is the body and blood of your son Jesus, poured out for us, we now offer it to you out of thanksgiving and love. We show you that we appreciate what Christ your son did for us. The best thing we have in this world to offer to you, God, is the sacrifice of your beloved son, which is our life, eternal life.
You see how it all fits together? Why the Eucharist is the perfect sacrifice that Jesus teaches us to offer to God the Father through the Holy Spirit. This is why it’s so essential that we go beyond just receiving the Eucharist and thinking now we’re fine, to appreciating how it fits into the entire mystery and gift that God offers to us: the gift of life, the gift of his salvation for us, the gift of church, and the gift of eternal life.
So on Father’s Day, whether your dad is with us or maybe he’s passed on already, what are you giving to your dad? And what are you giving to your heavenly Father? Perhaps your presence and the presence of Christ is everything he desires. Now you don’t need to go and shop for gifts anymore, I’ve given you the answer.
I pray in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Father Wojtek Kuzma