Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (literally, the Body of Christ). Imagine a God who, in His desire to be remembered by us, chose to reach our hearts through our stomachs. On the night before He died, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

When Jesus told the Jews that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood, many were shocked and scandalized (John 6:52). But had they opened their hearts to Him, they would have understood what He meant. Jesus was not content merely to be a credible, audible, and tangible figure. He also chose to be edible so that we could savor His presence more intimately and keep Him alive in our memory.

Why did He choose food as a sign of His enduring presence? Perhaps it is because Jesus knew that, as human beings, we may forget many things, but we rarely forget to eat. When our stomachs rumble, we instinctively look for food.

As long as we live, we will experience hunger. Yet the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist reminds us of a hunger that no earthly food can ever satisfy. The theologian Gerald May writes: “There is a hunger in the deep center of ourselves. We were born with it, are never completely satisfied, and it never dies. Our true identity, our reason for being, is to be found in this hunger.”

These words remind me of the saying, “We become what we eat.” What we consume shapes not only our bodies but also who we are. Today, on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Church invites us to reflect on the deeper meaning of this truth.

When we eat ordinary food, it becomes part of us. But in the Holy Eucharist, instead of Christ becoming like us, we are gradually transformed into Him. Perhaps we should stop saying, “I received Holy Communion.” It is more accurate to say, “I experienced Communion.” For the Holy Eucharist is not a magical object that we receive. It is an intimate encounter that ushers a loving relationship with Jesus who wants to transform us in many ways.

The Holy Eucharist promises to transform us into immortal beings. As Jesus Himself declared: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

The Holy Eucharist also transforms us from mere believers into His living witnesses. If we receive the Body of Christ with faith, love, and openness, we become so identified with Him that we can say with St. Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Our lives begin to resemble Jesus, who poured Himself out completely for our salvation.

Another important insight we derive from the Eucharist is this: we become how we eat. Throughout history, a meal, especially in a family, has been accompanied by meaningful rituals marked by conversation, gratitude, and love. Families eating together are nourished not only in body but also in spirit, strengthening their bonds of affection and belonging.

Nowadays, family members sit at the same dining table, but they hardly converse with each other. They are physically present, but they virtually migrate elsewhere through the social media. Physical presence no longer guarantees genuine connection.

Worse, people eat junk food while slouched on the sofa, or ladling microwaved food from disposable containers. Eating this way may save us money and time, but it reduces eating into mere feeding. Fast food saves time and meets our hunger for “fuel,” but they shortchange the deeper significance of a meal.

May our celebration of Corpus Christi make us rethink the way we eat as individuals and families. May our dining tables resemble the Eucharistic altar. May they become places of genuine encounter rather than islands of distractions dominated by screens and trivial images and sounds. May they become sacred spaces where we share not only food but also stories, joys, and struggles, and where love deepens and wounds are healed.