Father Chris Reising of All Saints Parish in Des Moines joins The Catholic Morning Show to deliver a rich gospel reflection for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. Drawing on the Sunday readings and the original Greek text of John's Gospel, Father Reising unpacks why Christ's words about eating His flesh were — and remain — radically literal. This is an essential listen for Catholics preparing to celebrate the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
With Corpus Christi Sunday approaching, Father Chris Reising from All Saints Parish on the north side of Des Moines visits the studio to break open the upcoming Sunday readings. He traces the arc from the Old Testament manna in the desert — which fed the Israelites for forty years — to Christ's declaration that He is the living bread come down from heaven, and that whoever eats this bread will live forever.
Father Reising digs into the Greek words behind the text: Jesus first uses phagō (to eat, in an ordinary sense), but after the crowd murmurs, He escalates to trōgō — meaning to chew, to gnaw, to crunch — a visceral, unambiguous word that underscores the physical reality of the Eucharist. Father Reising connects this to Saint Paul's language in 1 Corinthians about "participation" in the Body and Blood of Christ, and draws a vivid parallel to the Passover lamb: just as the Israelites had to eat the lamb to receive its protection, Catholics must truly partake of the Eucharist to receive its transforming grace.
He closes with a challenge and an invitation: how is the Eucharist changing your life? And how might receiving Christ more frequently — not just on Sundays but throughout the week — deepen that transformation?
All Saints Parish is located on the north side of Des Moines, Iowa. For Mass times and more information, contact your local parish or visit IowaCatholicRadio.com.
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