VI About the other two reasons why our Lord gives us His Body as food
VI
About the other two reasons why our Lord gives us His Body as food
C. II. The second reason for giving us this heavenly food is the corruption of human nature, which in three ways needs the medicine of food like this.
1. First, there is need of a fitting beginning of the healing: a, corruption and death began from the forbidden fruit, that is, from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; b, our justification and life must begin from food, that is, from the true tree of life, the Body of our Lord.
2. Next, there is need of food like this that the healing may be perfect. The cunning serpent by the poison of the forbidden food instilled into man a threefold corruption: a, the darkness of ignorance in the soul; b, the disease of bad desires in the flesh; c, death in both.
Of these three things St. Augustin says, ‘If an Angel falling from his own paradise had not been listened to, we should not have gone headlong into death; but having fallen from Heaven, he came outwardly as a serpent and spat forth venom of his own, and spoke from himself, Taste, and ye shall be as gods. Then they, desiring to be what they were not, lost what they had received—their intellectual power, the justice of their life, the possibility of not dying.’ As then by poisonous food there fell on them a triple corruption, it was needful for perfect healing that the Physician, our Saviour, should give them medicinal food against these evils; and this food is His Body, which does three things for those that worthily receive it: d, it enlightens the darkness of their souls; e, it heals the disease of bad desires; f, it triumphs by destroying death.
d. The Body of Christ is the word of God, that is, the true light in human flesh as in a lantern, and by this the faithful soul is enlightened.
e. The manna appeared like hoar-frost and dew, because the Body of our Lord cools in the soul the heat of wrong desire.
f. Jesus is the way, the truth, the life. He is the true light. He destroys death and hell, and leads us to everlasting life.
These three points have been spoken of in the first meditation, near the end.
3. This food was needed for the certain preservation of health; for some have deep sorrow for a while, and are healed in away, but in the time of temptation they again fall back. It has power to keep the soul in health, and in the incorruption of a good life. As myrrh keeps bodies uncorrupted, so the Blessed Sacrament worthily received is the incorruptibility of the soul.
III. The third reason of the wisdom of God for the gift of this food is the condition of our human nature, in which a rational soul is joined to a body. Now a rational creature may be looked at in three ways, and so needs a threefold food. First, it is incorporeal and purely spiritual, as the angelic nature. Secondly, it is joined to a body, as to that which is unlike, namely, spirit to flesh. Thirdly, these two natures, that is, body and soul, are joined together in the individual persons of men with friendly intercourse and wonderful love. But in whichever of these three ways a rational creature be considered, it needs fitting food because of its condition.
1. The angelic nature needs nourishment by which it may live and subsist. That nourishment is the Eternal Word of God, incorporeal in Himself, that is, the uncreated Wisdom of God. This sustains the Angels in Heaven.
2. Taking the second way, when a rational creature is joined to a body, as unlike with unlike, spirit with flesh, precious with worthless, then according to the condition of each nature it needs food fitting for each, but unlike; that is to say, the spirit needs spiritual food like an Angel, and the body needs bodily food like the brutes.
N. Of both together, St. Augustin says, ‘As the soul is the life of the body, but does not keep it alive without bodily food, so God is the life of the soul, but does not keep it alive without spiritual food, that is, without the Word of God. So both natures of man, being unlike, have unlike food, and eat in different ways, far apart from each other. The food of the body does not suit the soul, and the food of the soul does not suit the body.’
3. As to the third way, when two natures—that is to say, body and soul—are joined together in one person in friendly companionship and wondrous love, one food is needed for the salvation of both. This food must be at the same time spiritual and bodily, fitting for the whole man, that is, for each nature. Such food is the Word made flesh, whom in the same Sacrament they both eat. By His power the soul is brought from misery to the deathless joy, and the body is kept for a while in the earth that at last it may rise in glory. The Flesh of our Lord is truly food for the whole man, good both for soul and body. God created Wisdom by His Spirit. He assumed a body made of the body of our Lady, and united it to His own wisdom. According to His gift, that is, His bountifulness, He gives it as food to those who love Him, namely, the faithful, that, as has been said, it may profit them both in body and soul. When the prophet speaks of peace between the calf and bear, by the calf he signifies the body which is to be offered in sacrifice to God, and by the bear he means the spirit. For as the bear is terrible to beasts, so the spirit ought to be terrible to all fleshly desires and all that is of the earth earthy.
The Voice of the Holy Ghost
II. About the corruption of human nature; 1. Fit beginning of healing: a. The tree of death; 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.
b. The tree of life; Then Jesus said to them, Amen, amen I say to you, except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood ye shall not have life in you. St. John 6:54.
In the midst of the street thereof and on both sides of the river was the tree of life bearing twelve fruits. Apoc. 22:2.
2. The perfect healing: a. Darkness in the soul; Man when he was in honour did not understand: he hath been compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them. Ps. 48:13.
Darkness was upon the face of the deep. Gen. 1:2.
b. Evil desires; The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, for these are contrary one to another. Gal. 5:17.
I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that is in my members. Rom. 7:23.
c. Death for both; By the envy of the devil death came into the world, and they follow him that are of his side. Wisdom 2:24, 25.
d. Jesus lightens our darkness; The Lord is my light and salvation. Ps. 26:1.
Come ye to Him and be enlightened. Ps. 33:6.
e. He heals evil desires; He rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the Bread of Heaven. Ps. 77:24.
In the morning a dew lay round the camp, and when it had covered the face of the earth it appeared in the wilderness … like unto the hoar-frost on the ground. Ex. 16:13, 14.
f. He destroys death; This is the Bread that came down from Heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eateth this Bread shall live for ever. St. John 6:59.
3. He preserves the health of the soul; My iniquities are gone over my head, and, as a heavy burden, are become heavy on me. My sores are putrified and corrupted through my foolishness. I am become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end; I walked sorrowful all the day long. Ps. 37:5–7.
A bundle of myrrh is my Beloved to me. Cantic. 1:12.
III. The condition of our human nature; 1. The Angels; I seemed indeed to eat and drink with you; but I use an invisible meat and drink which cannot be seen by men. Tobias 12:19.
By His wisdom the depths have broken out, and the clouds grow thick with dew. Prov. 3:20.
The Word of God on high is the fountain of wisdom. Ecclus. 1:5.
Man ate the Bread of Angels. Ps. 77:25.
Our fathers … did all eat the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink; and they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ, 1 Cor. 10:1, 3, 4.
If one be perfect among the children of men, yet if thy wisdom be not with him, he shall be nothing regarded. Wisdom 9:6.
2. Spirit and body in one way; The poor man had nothing at all but one little ewe lamb … eating of his bread and drinking of his cup. 2 Kings 12:3.
The principal things necessary for the life of man are water, fire, iron, salt, milk, bread of flour, honey, the cluster of the grape, oil, and clothing. All these things shall be for good to the holy; so to the sinner and the ungodly they shall be turned to evil. Ecclus. 39:31, 32.
N. It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. St. Matt. 4:4.
3. Spirit and body in another way; He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood hath everlasting life, and I will raise him up in the last day. St. John 6:55.
He poured her (Wisdom) out upon all His works and upon all flesh, according to His gift, and hath given her to them that love Him. Ecclus. 1:10.
The calf and the bear shall feed. Is. 11:7.
Prayer
Come to me, life-giving Jesus, in Thy sweetness and might. Give me a greater longing for Thy gift of gifts. Satisfy my hunger with the Living Bread, and slake my thirst with the Wine of God. Now I see Thee dimly in Thy creatures, and now darkly I know Thy love. I feel the wickedness of my heart, and am cast down greatly when I think of my unfaithfulness to Thee. Purify me more and more, and cleanse me with the fire of Thy Heart. Wash me with Thy Precious Blood, and I shall be white; give me more of Thy Holy Spirit, and I shall be cleansed. I adore Thee, Jesus, in the Blessed Sacrament, and with all my heart I wish to make myself a fitting temple for Thee. Come to me, O loving Jesus.
Thanksgiving
O my God and King, I have received Thee, Body and Soul, in Thy gift of love. I thank Thee with my whole heart; but I cannot thank Thee as I ought. Come to me with greater gifts, O Holy Ghost, that I may love Jesus more. His kingdom is in my soul. I thank Thee, loving Lord, my Saviour, for all that Thou hast done for me; and for all that Thou givest to me now. I bear in mind Thy work of redemption; I love the Sacrifice of the Altar; I hunger for the Bread of Heaven. Come to me with greater gifts, O Holy Ghost, that I may know these things better, and may love Jesus more. O Son of the living God, may I live by Thee, and by Thee be brought to the home of Thy love! There Thy Saints and Angels praise Thee with Thy Father and Thy Holy Spirit. Blessing and praise and thanksgiving be to Thee now, Jesus, on this Altar, before which we, Thy servants, are gathered. Thou, Jesus, art my Brother and my Friend. Thou, Jesus, art my King and my God. Thou, Jesus, with the Holy Ghost art most high in the glory of God the Father.