259. The Eucharist as the end and purpose of Baptism
259. THE EUCHARIST AS THE END AND PURPOSE OF BAPTISM
The relationship between Baptism and the Eucharist in terms of their essence, or nature or form (formal causality) is, as we have seen above, the superiority of the Eucharist, which is sacred absolutely, over Baptism, which is sacred only relatively. What is the relationship between these two sacraments in terms of final causality, or end and purpose?
Baptism is the beginning of the spiritual life and the door of the sacraments, whereas the Eucharist is, as it were, the consummation of the spiritual life and the end of all the sacraments . . . for by the hallowings of all the sacraments preparation is made for receiving or consecrating the Eucharist. Consequently the reception of Baptism is necessary for starting the spiritual life, while the receiving of the Eucharist is requisite for its consummation . . . by Baptism a man is ordained to the Eucharist (III,73,3).
The analogy between Baptism being like birth (or conception) and the Eucharist being like growth through eating food, like all analogies, is limited. Its limit is both in terms of value or importance (birth is more important or more valuable than growth, but the Eucharist is more important and more valuable than Baptism) and also in terms of final causality, end, or purpose. For eating and growth is not the end and purpose of birth, but the Eucharist is the end and purpose of Baptism.
For this reason, we might want to turn to another analogy to supplement the first one (though of course this analogy too is only an analogy and has its limits): Baptism is like accepting a marriage proposal and the Eucharist is like the actual wedding. Or we might even say that Baptism is like saying “I do” in the wedding ceremony and the Eucharist is like consummating the marriage by actual spousal union. For the Eucharist is an actual union between Christ and our souls. As the mystics are bold to say, especially when commenting on their favorite book of the Bible, the “Song of Songs”, and as Pope St. John Paul II has echoed in his “Theology of the Body”, Christ becomes the husband of our soul. This is a real union, in fact a real spousal union, though it is spiritual rather than physical.
Thus the Church has called the Eucharist “the source and summit” of the whole Christian life. For the source and summit, the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega of literally the whole Christian life is Christ Himself (“I am the Alpha and Omega”—Rev 1:8); and it is Christ Himself Who meets us and unites us with Himself in the Eucharist.
The other sacraments are, in different ways, ordered and ordained to this end: Baptism as its beginning, Confirmation as its strengthening, Holy Orders as empowering its priests, Confession as its restoration and spiritual healing, Matrimony as its most complete natural analogy, Extreme Unction as its physical healing or the preparation for its great transition to Heaven, where there will be no sacraments for the same reason there will be no churches, temples, or church services. To find out this reason, read Revelation 21:22.