The Feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated in diverse and meaningful ways across the Diocese with parish communities gathering in prayer, procession and formation. Each celebration was distinct and each shared the same purpose to honour the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist — a powerful reminder that, though we are many, we are one body in Christ.
At St John the Baptist Church in Numurkah, the parish community gathered for a day of liturgical formation and reflection, led by Fr Jake Mudge. Joined by guests from Shepparton Parish, participants came together with a shared desire to grow in understanding and love for the liturgy, and particularly the Eucharist — the source and summit of the Church’s life.
The timing was fitting; the Feast of Corpus Christi invites the faithful to contemplate the mystery of the Eucharist — the Real Presence of Christ, truly and substantially present in the consecrated bread and wine. As Catholics, we believe that in the Mass, through the mystery of transubstantiation, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ: not symbolically, but really, fully and entirely. This truth lies at the heart of our faith, nourishing us and forming us into Christ’s Body in the world.
Fr Jake, whose background includes postgraduate studies in liturgical theology and pastoral ministry, offered the community a theologically grounded and pastorally rich session. His reflections encouraged deeper participation in the liturgy, not only through understanding but through reverence, attentiveness and openness to transformation.
The day was illuminated by the wisdom of Pope Francis’ apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi, which affirms that the liturgy is “the primary and indispensable source of the Christian life” (16). It is “the place of encounter with Christ” (11), and in it, “we are configured to Him” (41). The Pope reminds us that we are all in need of “a serious and dynamic liturgical formation” (31), not simply to know about the liturgy, but to be drawn into its mystery more fully.
Further south, at St Kilian’s in Bendigo, the Feast Day celebrations concluded with a Eucharistic procession — a public witness to faith and a reminder that we are a people who carry Christ into the world.
In Echuca, a simple yet deeply reverent Mass was celebrated at St Mary’s Parish, concluding with the solemn exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. This sacred rite involves placing the consecrated Host in a monstrance upon the altar for silent prayer and adoration, drawing hearts closer to the mystery of Christ truly present in the Eucharist. {Pictured: Fr Novelito Lim]
Return to Sandpiper e-News 102 (27 June 2025)