Corpus Christi: the Mystery of the Eucharist

“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)

60 days after Easter, the Church celebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ). This is an occasion for the faithful to reflect on the sacrament that was initiated at the Last Supper – the Eucharist – and to honour the Body and Blood of Christ.

As Pope Benedict XVI said: “On this feast day, the Christian Community proclaims that the Eucharist is its all, its very life, the source of life that triumphs over death. From communion with Christ in the Eucharist flows the charity that transforms our life and supports us all on our journey towards the heavenly Homeland.”

He explained: “The Feast of Corpus Christi is characterized particularly by the tradition of carrying the Most Holy Sacrament in procession, an act full of meaning. By carrying the Eucharist through the streets and squares, we desire to immerse the Bread come down from Heaven in our daily lives. We want Jesus to walk where we walk, to live where we live. Our world, our existence, must become his temple.” 

As the central act of Catholic worship, the Eucharist is often reflected in church art. Around a Catholic church, you may see biblical symbols of the Mass, such as a chalice with bread, a grapevine and wheat, or Christ as the sacrificed Lamb of God. Scripture scenes related to the Eucharist, such as the Last Supper or Christ’s miracle of the loaves, may also be found in various art forms.

As the Church celebrates Corpus Christi, let’s look more closely at the connection between the Eucharist, Sacred Scripture and church art.

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The Genesis Trio

One of the oldest prayers of the Mass is the Roman Canon, now known as the First Eucharistic Prayer. In one section of this prayer, called the Supra Quae, the priest says:

Be pleased to look upon these offerings with a serene and kindly countenance, and to accept them, as once you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim.

This connects the Mass with three figures from the Book of Genesis – Abel, Abraham and Melchizedek – all of whom offered sacrifices to God. This trio from Genesis were traditionally understood to have offered gifts that were prophetic signs of the Eucharist.

Abel offered an acceptable lamb, Abraham offered his only son, Isaac, while Melchizedek offered bread and wine. These symbols relate to Christ as the Lamb of God, as the Only Son of God and as the host of the Last Supper.

As a result, the Genesis trio are often pictured within Catholic churches, in stained glass, mosaics, paintings or sculptures. This is often, but not always, within the sanctuary, near the altar. These images underline the sacrificial nature of the Mass. Other Old Testament figures who offered sacrifices, such as Noah, Aaron and King Solomon, are also often represented alongside these three.

Find out more:
– Abel is murdered
– Abram meets Melchizedek
– Abraham sacrifices Isaac

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Spiritual Food and Drink

During the Mass of Corpus Christi, the hymn Lauda Sion is traditionally sung. This hymn, also known as the ‘Sequence’, refers to the Eucharist in the following words (in Latin and in English):

In figúris præsignátur, cum Isaac immolátur, Agnus paschæ deputátur, datur manna pátribus.
(It was prefigured in symbols, when Isaac was sacrificed, the Paschal Lamb was appointed, and manna was given to the fathers).

This connects the Eucharist with stories from the Old Testament that are considered to symbolise it. This includes two meals from the time of the Exodus from Egypt – the Passover Supper and the Miracle of the Manna – as well as Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac.

The Passover Supper involved the Israelites eating unleavened bread and a lamb, just before they left Egypt. The Manna was heavenly bread that miraculously descended from the sky in the wilderness, on their way to the Promised Land. In the gospels, Christ spoke about these stories and linked them with the Eucharist (John 6:28-50; Luke 22:15). 

These stories are often represented in church art, particularly within the sanctuary. For example, you may see images of the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) – a lamb with a victory flag – which symbolises the Risen Christ as a Passover Lamb (as above).

There are other stories from the Old Testament that are also traditionally understood to have been signs of the Eucharist. This includes:

• Moses sending out the Twelve Spies – Christian interpreters, such as St Augustine, later saw the grapes brought back by the spies as a mystical symbol of the wine of the Eucharist;
• The Holy Bread – The Law of Moses specified that twelve loaves of bread were to be placed in the sanctuary of the Temple each week. This offering, also known as the ‘Bread of the Presence’, was later understood as a sign of the consecrated bread of the Eucharist.
• Malachi describes a pure sacrifice – The prophet spoke of a time when a pure sacrifice would be offered to God right across the world (Malachi 1:11). Since the very beginning of the Church, this was understood as a reference to the Mass.

Find out more:
– The Passover
– The Miracle of the Manna
– Moses sends out Twelve Spies
– David receives the holy bread
– Malachi foretells the Mass

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The Table of the Lord

The New Testament unfolds the Eucharist gradually. It’s first glimpsed in signs, then revealed at table, and later shared as a sacrament.

As the Catechism explains: “The miracles of the multiplication of the loaves, when the Lord says the blessing, breaks and distributes the loaves through his disciples to feed the multitude, prefigure the superabundance of this unique bread of his Eucharist. The sign of water turned into wine at Cana already announces the Hour of Jesus’ glorification. It makes manifest the fulfilment of the wedding feast in the Father’s kingdom, where the faithful will drink the new wine that has become the Blood of Christ.”

It goes on: “The three synoptic Gospels and St. Paul have handed on to us the account of the institution of the Eucharist; St. John, for his part, reports the words of Jesus in the synagogue of Capernaum that prepare for the institution of the Eucharist: Christ calls himself the bread of life, come down from heaven.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church: 1335-1338)

After his resurrection, Christ broke bread with two of his disciples on the Road to Emmaus, and then disappeared. This gesture meant that from now on, Christ would only be visible in the breaking of bread (Luke 24:30-35).

In the Acts of the Apostles, we read of how the Eucharist was celebrated regularly by the growing Church, and particularly on Sunday (Acts 2:43-46; 20:7-11). In his First Letter to the Corinthians, St Paul referred to the Eucharist as a sacrificial meal, which is offered on “the table of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 10:16-21).

As you might expect, scenes of the Last Supper are very common in church art, as are images of Christ’s bread and wine miracles. The detail at the start of this article is from the silver-painted stone reredos of English Martyrs, Wallasey. Designed by F.X. Velarde in the Art Deco style and created by Herbert Tyson Smith in 1953, it visualises the Twelve Apostles with Christ at the Last Supper.

Find out more:
– Christ turns water into wine
– The Multiplication of the Loaves
– I am the Bread of Life
– The Last Supper
– The Road to Emmaus