VATICAN - The Pope at the Angelus: The Eucharist is the Lord Jesus who gives himself ‘for the life of the world’ ., He wishes to meet every man and woman in every time and place and give them the very life of God

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The mystery of the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist and its immense value was the subject of Pope Benedict XVI’s reflection at the midday Angelus prayer on Sunday 18 June on which some countries were celebrating the Feast of Corpus Christi, “the solemn public feast of the Eucharist” the Pope said, recalling that the mystery instituted at the Last Supper “is revealed to all on this day, surrounded by the fervent faith and devotion of the Church community. The Eucharist is in fact the Church’s "treasure" , the precious legacy left by her Lord”.
The Pope said the Eucharist goes beyond the Church because the “Eucharist is the Lord Jesus who gives himself for the ‘life of the world’. In every time and place he wishes to meet man to give him the life of God.” Moreover “the transformation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Christ constitutes the beginning of the divinisation of creation”. The purpose of the custom of making a Procession with the Blessed Sacrament on this feast day is to “immerse the Bread which comes from heaven in our daily life; we want Jesus to walk where we walk, live where we live. Our world, our lives, must become his temple. The Christian community on this feast day proclaims that the Eucharist for her is everything, her very life, the source of love which conquers death. From communion with Christ in the Eucharist flows the charity which transforms our lives and sustains us on our journey towards our heavenly home”. Invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary with the title given her by Pope John Paul II "woman of the Eucharist", the Holy Father asked her to intercede that “every Christian may grow in faith in the mystery of the Eucharist, to live in constant communion with Jesus and be his valid witness”.
After leading the Angelus prayer the Pope recalled that 20 June is World Refugee Day promoted by the United Nations’ Organisation to call attention to the situation of people forced to flee their homeland. “Filled with hope to return to their own country or at least to find hospitality where they ask for refuge, these brothers and sisters seek refuge in other countries - said Benedict XVI -. While I assure them of my prayers and the continual concern of the Holy See, I hope the rights of these people will be always respected and I encourage the local Church communities to strive to meet their needs.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 19/6/2006 - righe 30, parole 432)