Of course, the faith we share is not merely a collection of concepts. The faith we share is a person—Christ himself. We don’t merely talk about Jesus; we live in him. He is truly in us, and we are truly in him. This is the deep abiding truth of Catholicism, that Christ is not absent but instead always immediately present.

And that’s basically what we celebrate in the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the nearness of Christ. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist we partake in the body, soul, and divinity of Christ—in his real presence. Mystery and theology aside (all of which is beautiful and true), the simple point is that in the Eucharist, we believe Christ is most truly present on this earth. He has not left us; he is with us. Simply, he abides with us. We just need to draw near, ready to receive him upon any Catholic altar.

This Corpus Christi, just give thanks for God’s presence. If this mystery is hard for you to understand, pray to God for the gift of silence and understanding. And then open your Bible and read John 6, begin there. Pray for the grace to become a more eucharistic Christian. It will change your life.