As the Easter lamb, the Lord sacrificed himself for us upon the cross, giving his body and shedding his blood so that through "the sacrament of his flesh" the world might have eternal life.
In the Eucharist, the Pope said, Jesus accompanies us just as he did the disciples when he lived on earth. He is there to nourish in us faith, hope and charity, to comfort us in trials, and to support us in our work towards justice and peace.
And the spiritual food found in the Eucharist is for everyone, he said.
"This solidarity of the Son of God is everywhere: in cities and in the countryside, in the North and in the South of the world, in countries of Christian tradition and in those of first evangelization."
Concluding, he prayed to the Virgin Mary, who "has always been associated with Jesus the Bread of Life," he said.
Help us to "rediscover the beauty of the Eucharist, nurture us with faith, to live in communion with God and with our brothers."
Following the Angelus, Pope Francis spoke about the upcoming World Day of Refugees, which will be on June 20, and is promoted by the United Nations. The theme is "With refugees. Today more than ever we should be on the side of refugees," the Pope said.
"Concrete attention goes to the women, men, children fleeing from conflicts, violence and persecution. We remember also in prayer how many of them have lost their lives in the sea or in exhausting land voyages."
"Their stories of pain and hope can become opportunities for fraternal encounter and true mutual knowledge," he said. "Indeed, the personal encounter with refugees dissipates distorted fears and ideologies, and becomes a cause of growth in humanity, capable of making room for feelings of openness and for the construction of bridges."
Hannah Brockhaus is Catholic News Agency's senior Rome correspondent. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a degree in English from Truman State University in Missouri.