258. Why the Eucharist is greater than Baptism
258. WHY THE EUCHARIST IS GREATER THAN BAPTISM
St. Thomas said that the Eucharist is the greatest sacrament. But Baptism “saves you” (1 Pet 3:21), and is first in time. Why is the Eucharist first in value?
The Church’s sacraments are ordained for helping man in the spiritual life. But the spiritual life is analogous to the corporeal life, since corporeal things bear a resemblance to spiritual. Now it is clear that just as generation is required for corporeal life, since thereby man receives life, and growth, whereby man is brought to maturity, so likewise food is required for the preservation of life. Consequently, just as for the spiritual life there had to be Baptism, which is spiritual generation, so there needed to be the sacrament of the Eucharist, which is spiritual food. . . .
A sacrament is so termed because it contains something sacred. Now a thing can be styled sacred from two causes: either absolutely or in relation to something else. The difference between the Eucharist and other sacraments having sensible matter is that whereas the Eucharist contains something which is sacred absolutely, namely Christ’s own Body, the baptismal water contains something which is sacred in relation to something else, namely the sanctifying power. . . .
The water of Baptism does not cause any spiritual effect by reason of the water, but by reason of the power of the Holy Ghost, which power is in the water. Hence on John 5:4, An angel of the Lord at certain times, etc., Chrysostom observes: The water does not act simply as such upon the baptized, but when it receives the grace of the Holy Ghost, then it looses all sins. But the true Body of Christ bears the same relation to the species (natural appearances) of the bread and wine as the power of the Holy Ghost does to the water of Baptism; hence the species of the bread and wine produce no effect except from the virtue (power) of Christ’s true Body (III,73,1).
Biological life and spiritual life are analogous. Thus just as we need both birth (or, more properly, conception) and food for biological life, we also need both for spiritual life. Because of this analogy, we might think Baptism more important than the Eucharist because it is like birth—the beginning of life—while the Eucharist is like growth of a life already there; and physical birth is more important, more radical, than growth because it (or rather conception) gives existence itself.
But the sacredness of the Eucharist is greater not just in degree but in principle, because it is sacred absolutely, in itself: it is the very Body of Christ, and not bread or wine, after the Consecration. Catholics adore the Eucharist, which is the most outrageous idolatry if it is not Christ Himself but only sacred bread and wine. They do not adore Baptism or any other sacrament. The water of Baptism is sacred only because it carries God’s saving power, like St. Christopher carrying the Christ child incognito. The water of Baptism is only water. But the bread and wine of the Eucharist are not merely sacred bread and wine, they are not bread and wine at all. They are the real Body and Blood of Christ.
St. Thomas makes the difference clear with a startling analogy. Reread his last sentence. God the Holy Spirit uses the water of Baptism as a mere instrument; and God the Son uses the appearances of bread and wine as a mere instrument, preserving them as appearances to test our faith. For if we saw with our eyes what was really there, we would see Jesus as clearly as the apostle Thomas did after His Resurrection, and we would instantly fall to the ground and exclaim, “My Lord and my God!” as he did. And then He would say to us what He said to Thomas: “You have believed because you have seen me” instead of saying to us, as He does, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (Jn 20:29).
It is a great grace that the Eucharist does not look like Christ or perform constant visible miracles, or give us spiritual “highs” whenever we receive it. That would give us a spiritual sweet tooth instead of being a faith—muscle—exerciser. Visit Him there often! It’s like visiting a sickbed rather than a movie: it’s not a passive turn—on, it’s an active deed of love. The grace of Baptism can be received passively, by an infant, but the grace of the Eucharist cannot. Only faith lets it through, like a faucet handle.