I About the three reasons for the institution of the Sacrament of the Body of Christ
I
About the three reasons for the institution of the Sacrament of the Body of Christ
a. JESUS invites us to His banquet, in which He has made ready most precious food, namely, His own Body and Blood. A holy secret is the Sacrament of the Altar, not known to unbelievers, but revealed to the faithful.
b. There are three reasons for the institution of the Blessed Sacrament: A, the memory of our Saviour; B, the Sacrifice of the Altar; C, the food of man.
In the Holy Sacrament the wisdom of God has given us these three things as remedies for the three ancient evils: 1, forgetfulness of God; 2, the debt that is on us because we took that which was another’s; 3, the corruptions of the death-bringing apple. Into these three evils our first parents fell, being led astray by the wiles of the devil, and by these evils their children have been much changed for the worse.
c. When our Lord says, ‘Do this in remembrance of Me,’ we have the first reason, namely, that we may not forget our Saviour. When He says, ‘which is given for you,’ He tells us of the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God, and thus the Sacrifice of the Altar is offered against our robbery. When He says, ‘Take and eat,’ He tells us of the Food that is the medicine against corruption.
A. There is the remembrance of our Saviour. We often draw away our minds and all our senses from God, and wander far from Him, by bad thoughts and wrong pleasures, but by the grace of this holy Sacrament we must turn our thoughts from all that is evil and give ourselves altogether to God. Eusebius says, ‘Since our Lord was going to take His assumed body from our sight it was needful that on the day of the Last Supper He should consecrate for us the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, that He might be always offered in a mystery who once was offered as a price, and that the deathless Victim might live in memory and be always present in grace.’
N. There are three signs of His love to keep His memory fresh in our hearts: 1, the forgiveness of our sins; 2, the redemption of those in bondage; 3, the ceaselessness of His kindness.
B. There is the Sacrifice of the Altar, which is offered against what we may call the daily robbery of our sins, that as our Lord’s Body was once offered on the Cross for the original debt, so it may be offered ceaselessly on the altar for our daily sins; and that in this the Church may have a gift for appeasing God far more precious and acceptable than all the sacrifices of the law. Pope Alexander says, ‘Nothing in the sacrifices of the Church can be greater than the Body and Blood of Christ. This is before all oblations. It must be offered to God with a pure conscience and taken with a pure mind. As it is greater than all sacrifices, so it is more adorable.’
N. To show the greatness of this Sacrifice, we mark three reasons for changing the ancient sacrifice: 1, the power of the Author of our Sacrifice; 2, the greatness of our debt; 3, the insufficiency of the sacrifices of the law.
1. Jesus is not only Lord and King of the whole earth, but also our High Priest after the order of Melchisedech. As the Priesthood is translated to Him, He has power to change the Sacrifice into what is better, and it is fitting that He should do so.
2. Next there is our great need. So heavy was the debt of our first parents, from the greatness of the theft, from the ingratitude of the stealer, from the majesty of their outraged Maker, that not only the sacrifices of the law, but even the whole world with every creature could not make satisfaction.
3. Then there is the weakness of the sacrifices of the law. This is shown by three things: a, they could not please God; b, they could not take away sin; c, they could not give grace.
C. There is the food of man: and this is the medicinal Food against the corruptions of the death-bringing apple. Now this corruption, brought by Adam and Eve on the human race, was so deep-seated that it would have been incurable but for that wondrous medicine which only the wisdom of God could make. St. Ambrose says, ‘The Body of Christ is that spiritual medicine which, tasted with reverence, purifies those that are devoted to it.’
1. To understand the need of this medicine, bear in mind that the serpent, by the poison of the forbidden fruit, brought on man a threefold corruption: a, the darkness of ignorance in his soul; b, the disease of evil desires in his body; c, death for both. But the medicine of the Body of Christ: a, lightens our darkness; b, heals the evils of desire; c, destroys death in us.
2. Hence it may be likened to three kinds of food, sweet and medicinal: a, to honey; b, to a fig; c, to the fruit of the tree of life. Honey signifies the sweet Body of Jesus; the figs twice mentioned also signify the sweet Body of Him who is God and man. With a lump of figs the prophet Isaias healed King Ezechias of a boil, which represents carnal desire. The lump of figs is the Body of our Lord, having in it the sweetness of many goods as a remedy for all bad desires. This Body, the fruit of the tree of life, is powerful to save us from hell and bring us to Heaven. St. Hilary says, ‘When we have eaten the Flesh of the Lord and drunk His Blood, then we are in Him and He in us. Christ dwelling by His Flesh in our bodies is the cause of our life, for He truly is life. We shall live by Him, as He lives by the Father, who is in Him.’
The Voice of the Holy Ghost
About the Blessed Sacrament; Come eat of My bread, and drink of the wine that I have mingled for you. Prov. 9:5.
a. Treat thy cause with a friend, and discover not the secret to a stranger. Prov. 25:9.
b. Three evils; 1. Forgetfulness of God; The beginning of the pride of man is to fall off from God; because his heart is departed from Him. Ecclus. 10:14.
2. The robbery; The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and fair to the eyes and delightful to behold; and she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave to her husband, who did eat. Gen. 3:6.
3. The corruption; Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat; for in what day soever thou shalt eat of it thou shalt die the death. Gen. 2:17.
They are corrupt and become abominable in their ways. Ps. 13:1.
c. Never did man speak like this Man. St. John 7:46.
A. The remembrance of our Saviour; Taking bread, He gave thanks and brake and gave to them, saying, This is My Body which is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of Me. In like manner the chalice also after He had supped, saying, This is the chalice; the new testament in My Blood which shall be shed for you. St. Luke 22:19, 20.
N. Three signs of His love; 1. The forgiveness of sins; I am He that blots out thine iniquities, for My own sake, and I will not remember thy sins. Is. 43:25.
2. Deliverance from bondage; Forget not the kindness of thy surety; for He hath given His life for thee. Ecclus. 29:19.
Open to Me, My sister, My love, My dove, My undefiled, for My head is full of dew, and My locks of the drops of the night. Cantic. 5:2.
I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. St. John 10:11.
3. God’s kindness; Take heed and beware lest at any time thou forget the Lord thy God and neglect His commandments … lest after thou hast eaten and art filled and shalt have plenty of all things, thy heart be lifted up and thou remember not the Lord thy God. Deut. 8:11–14.
B. The Sacrifice; The Sacrifice of Juda and Jerusalem shall please the Lord, as in the days of old and as in the ancient years. Mal. 3:4.
In every place there is Sacrifice, and there is offered to My name a clean oblation. Mal. 1:2.
N. Three reasons for changing Sacrifice; 1. Our Lord’s power; Thou art a Priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech. Ps. 109:4.
If then perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the law, what further need was there that another Priest should rise according to the order of Melchisedech, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being translated it is necessary that a translation also be made of the law. Heb. 7:11, 12.
2. The greatness of our debt; When He cometh into the world He saith, Sacrifice and oblation Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou fitted to Me. Heb. 10:5.
Then did I pay that which I took not away. Ps. 68:5.
3. Insufficiency of the legal sacrifices; a. They did not please God; Your whole burnt-offerings are not acceptable, nor are your sacrifices pleasing to Me. Jer. 6:20.
I desired mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than holocausts. Os. 6:6.
b. They did not take away sin; Holocausts for sin did not please Thee. Then said I, Behold, I come: in the head of the book it is written of Me that I should do Thy will, O God. Heb. 10:6, 7.
By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before Him; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom. 3:20.
But knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, we also believe in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Gal. 2:16.
It is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sins should be taken away. Heb. 10:4.
c. They did not give grace; I gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments in which they shall not live. Ezech. 20:25.
There is indeed a setting aside of the former commandment, because of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. Heb. 7:18.
C. The food of man; The most High hath created medicines out of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them. Ecclus. 38:4.
2. a. The Body of Jesus is sweet as honey; Eat honey, My son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat. Prov. 24:13.
You have seen yourselves that my eyes are enlightened because I tasted a little of the honey. 1 Kings 14:29.
Butter and honey shall every one eat that shall be left in the midst of the land. Is. 7:22.
b. It is also sweet as figs; The Lord said to me, What seest thou, Jeremias? And I said, Figs, the good figs, very good. Jer. 24:3.
Isaias said, Bring me a lump of figs; and when they had brought it and laid it upon his (Ezechias’) boil, he was healed. 4 Kings 20:7.
c. It is the fruit of life; She cried out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. St. Luke 1:42.
Blessed is the man that findeth Wisdom: … she is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her. Prov. 3:13, 18.
I will deliver them out of the hand of death: I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy death. O hell, I will be thy bite. Osee 13:14.
Prayer
O Holy Ghost, help me to receive Jesus with love and reverence. Thou art my Teacher and my Sanctifier, and by Thee I live. Thou givest light and strength to my soul. Jesus, hidden in the Blessed Sacrament, is my Saviour and my God. I long to be with Him, that He may abide more in me and I in Him. He is the Bread of Life, the true Bread of God. I long to feed with adoration on that Living Bread. Be with me, O Blessed Spirit, as in this great light I draw near to the Altar, and give me always more faithfulness to Jesus and more love for Him.