Holy Father: 'the Eucharist has cosmic significance'

At midday on Sunday before praying the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square, Benedict XVI focussed his teaching on the feast of Corpus Christi. The Pope said: "The Eucharist, constitutes the 'treasure' of the Church, the precious heritage that her Lord left her. ... But this treasure, which is intended for the baptised, does not limit its field of action to the environment of the Church. The Eucharist is the Lord Jesus Who gives Himself 'for the life of the world.' In all times and places, He wishes to encounter men and women and bring them the life of God." "The Eucharist also has a cosmic significance. The transformation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ constitutes the beginning of the divinisation of creation itself. For this reason, the Feast of Corpus Christi is particularly characterised by the tradition of carrying the Most Holy Sacrament in procession: a gesture rich in significance. "In carrying the Eucharist through the streets and squares," the Holy Father concluded, "we want to immerse the bread of heaven in our daily lives. ... On this feast day, Christians as a community proclaim that the Eucharist represents everything for them, it is their very life, the source of love that conquers death." Source: VIS