Xxxii. Of The Matter And Form Of The Sacrament Of The Holy Eucharist; Of Transubstantiation, And Of The Real Presence; O
XXXII. OF THE MATTER AND FORM OF THE SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST; OF TRANSUBSTANTIATION, AND OF THE REAL PRESENCE; OF THE ACCIDENTS OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST
(A)
What is the matter of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist?
The matter of this sacrament is wheaten bread and wine of the vine (LXXIV. 1, 2).
What happens to the matter of this sacrament?
The substance of the bread ceases to be that of bread, and the substance of wine ceases to be that of wine (LXXV. 2).
What becomes of the substance of the bread and of the substance of the wine?
The substance of the bread is changed into the body of Jesus Christ; and the substance of the wine into His blood (LXXV. 3, 4).
What is this change called?
It is called "transubstantiation" (LXXV. 4).
By what means does this change or transubstantiation take place?
By the almighty power of God alone (LXXV. 4).
Is only the substance changed or is all changed in the bread and wine?
Only the substance is changed, for the accidents of bread and those of wine remain (LXXV. 2, Obj. 3).
(B)
What is meant by the accidents that remain?
By the accidents are meant those external realities which are perceived by our senses -- such as quantity, colour, taste, etc.; these alone remain, and they are the same as those which existed in the bread and wine before transubstantiation took place.
Why do these accidents remain?
In order that we might be assured of the sacramental presence of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Are the body and blood of our Lord, such as they are in themselves, here truly present by virtue of transubstantiation?
Yes, absolutely (LXXV. 1).
(C)
Is the whole of our Blessed Lord in the sacrament?
Yes; except that under the species of bread His body only is present by virtue of the words of consecration, and under the species of wine His blood only; but by concomitance, and because now the body and the blood of Jesus Christ are no longer and cannot again be separated (as they were when our Lord died on the Cross), wherever is His body there also is His blood and His soul; and wherever is His blood, there also is His body and His soul. As regards the Person and the Divinity of the Son of God, these had never been separated since the Incarnation from any single part of the human nature of Jesus Christ, not even when the body and soul of our Lord were separated by His death on the Cross (LXXVI. 1, 2).
Is our Lord wholly present under each part of bread and under each drop of wine?
Yes; He is wholly present, entirely, such as He is in Himself under each part of bread and under each drop of wine; but as long as the bread or wine remain undivided He is present there only once, but according as the bread or wine is divided into parts, He is present wholly under each part (LXXVI. 3).
(D)
Can one touch the body of Jesus Christ in itself by touching the accidents of bread and wine?
No; because the accidents are not accidents of our Lord's body but of bread and wine only (LXXV. 4-8).
Do these eucharistic accidents always remain in the state of eucharistic accidents after the consecration of the bread and wine?
No; for immediately after the communion when they are consumed they begin to alter and pass into another state. They can also alter and become corrupt through atmospheric conditions when they are left for too long a time (LXXVII. 4).
What happens when the eucharistic accidents of bread and wine cease to be accidents of the bread and wine which were consecrated?
Immediately the body and the blood of our Lord ceases to be present (LXXVI. 6, Obj. 3).
It is then only by reason of the consecration of the bread and wine and of the permanency of the accidents that Jesus Christ is present eucharistically?
Yes (LXXVI. 6, Obj. 3).
How does the consecration of the bread and wine come about?
By the pronunciation, given the proper conditions, of the following words : -- For the bread: "This is My Body." For the wine:" This is the chalice of My Blood, of the New and Eternal Testament, mystery of faith, Which for you and for many was shed unto the remission of sins.