The Eucharist

O LORD my God, favor Your servant with the blessings of Your sweetness that I may merit to approach Your magnificent Sacrament worthily and devoutly. Lift up my heart to You and take away from me this

Tap to expand

Lecture XXII. (On the Mysteries. IV.) On the Body and Blood of Christ. 1 Cor. xi. 23 I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, how that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which He

Tap to expand

We have now to consider the sacrament of the Eucharist; and first of all we treat of the sacrament itself; secondly, of its matter; thirdly, of its form; fourthly, of its effects; fifthly, of the reci

Tap to expand

Reply to Objection 1: When Christ appeared under His proper species, He did not give Himself to be touched by men as a sign of spiritual union with Himself, as He gives Himself to be received in this

Tap to expand

O MOST sweet Lord Jesus, how great is the happiness of the devout soul that feasts upon You at Your banquet, where there is set before her to be eaten no other food but Yourself alone, her only Lover,

Tap to expand

THESE are all Your words, O Christ, eternal Truth, though they were not all spoken at Words of such tenderness, so full of sweetness and love, encourage me; but my sins frighten me and an unclean con

Tap to expand

For as Christ in regard to the bread and the cup said, “Do this in remembrance of Me,” revealing to us the cause of the giving of the Mystery, and besides what else He said, declaring this to be a suf

Tap to expand

Of the mystical feast of the altar of the Lord. Lest any should think lightly of it, St. Ambrose shows that it is of higher antiquity than the sacred rites of the Jews, since it was foreshadowed in th

Tap to expand

And this food is called among us ΕὐχαριστίαFor not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had

Tap to expand

On the contrary, The Apostle says (1 Cor. 10:17): "For we, being many, are one bread, one body, all that partake of one bread": from which it is clear that the Eucharist is the sacrament of the Church

Tap to expand

We must now consider the effects of this sacrament, and under this head there are eight points of inquiry: (1) Whether this sacrament bestows grace? (2) Whether the attaining of glory is an effect o

Tap to expand

Reply to Objection 2: This sacrament confers grace spiritually together with the virtue of charity. Hence Damascene (De Fide Orth. iv) compares this sacrament to the burning coal which Isaias saw (Is.

Tap to expand

The reality of this sacrament is charity, not only as to its habit, but also as to its act, which is kindled in this sacrament; and by this means venial sins are forgiven. Consequently, it is manifest

Tap to expand

Objection 3: Further, the origin of sin within us is "the law of sin, which is in our members," as declared by the Apostle (Rom. 7:23). But the lessening of the fomes, which is the law of sin, is set

Tap to expand

We have now to consider the use or receiving of this sacrament, first of all in general; secondly, how Christ used this sacrament. Under the first heading there are twelve points of inquiry: (1) Whe

Tap to expand

But this is erroneous; because it detracts from the truth of this sacrament, to which truth it belongs that so long as the species last, Christ's body does not cease to be under them, as stated above

Tap to expand

Objection 2: Further, in the other sacraments the minister does not give the sacrament to himself: for no one can baptize himself, as stated above (Q[66], A[5], ad 4). But as Baptism is dispensed in d

Tap to expand

On the contrary, The order of the sacraments, as given above, is commonly adopted by all. I answer that, The reason of the order among the sacraments appears from what has been said above (A[1]). For

Tap to expand

Secondly, because this position is contrary to the form of this sacrament, in which it is said: "This is My body," which would not be true if the substance of the bread were to remain there; for the s

Tap to expand