By Ivy Chai
KUCHING — The Solemnity of Corpus Christi as a memorial of Christ’s sacrificial love and real presence in the Eucharist is celebrated annually worldwide by Catholics. ‘Corpus’ means ‘Body’ and ‘Christi’ is ‘Christ’ … Latin for the ‘Body of Christ’.
Being the feast day of Blessed Sacrament Church, BDC, the Sunset English Mass on 21 June and Sunday Chinese Mass on 22 June 2025 were presided by Kuching Archbishop Simon Poh with parish rector Fr Leonard Yap concelebrating.
At the Sunset Mass, Archbishop Simon said that “at the very heart of the Catholic Church is the altar where we will have the consecration of bread and wine,” explaining the reason for the incensing of the altar, as well as the Gospel that gives us the Word of God.
We have the “real presence of Jesus” at the altar, and at Holy Communion we “receive Christ”. “Believe in the real presence of Christ” and “pray in silence before and after Holy Communion”, Archbishop Simon told the congregation.
Procession
At the end of Mass, the Blessed Sacrament was placed in a ‘monstrance’, meaning “to show” and brought to the congregation in a short procession inside the Church after the eucharistic adoration. Archbishop Simon said the procession was “Jesus walking among us.”
Archbishop Simon carried the monstrance, accompanied by Fr Leonard and altar servers to bless the parishioners. He told them to ask Jesus for healing during the blessing.
At the conclusion of Mass, the Archbishop wished parishioners of Blessed Sacrament Church “A blessed feast day. May God bless you.”
