divine miracle,1 that God rained manna from heaven upon the people, and the people did not labor and did eat.

(14) You perhaps say: 'My bread is usual.' But that bread is bread before the words of the sacraments; when consecration has been added, from bread it becomes the flesh of Christ. So let us confirm this, how it is possible that what is bread is the body of Christ.

By what words, then, is the consecration and by whose expressions? By those of the Lord Jesus. For all the rest that are said in the preceding are said by the priest: praise to God, prayer is offered, there is a petition for the people, for kings, for the rest. When it comes to performing a venerable sacrament, then the priest uses not his own expressions, but he uses the expressions of Christ. Thus the expression of Christ performs this sacrament.

2

(15) What is the expression of Christ? Surely that by which all things were made. The Lord ordered,3 the heaven was made; the Lord ordered, the earth was made; the Lord ordered, the seas were made; the Lord ordered, every creature was generated. You see then how the creating expression of Christ is. If then there is so great force in the expression of the Lord Jesus, that those things might begin to be which were not, how much more creating, that those things be which were, and be changed to something else. The heaven was not, the sea was not, the earth was not, but hear David1 as he says: 'He spoke and they were made; He commanded and they were created.'

(16) Therefore, to reply to you, there was no body of Christ before consecration, but after the consecration I say

1 Cf. Exod. 16.14-36.

2 Cf. 1 Tim. 1.1,2.

3 Cf. Gen. 1.6ff.

to you that now there is the body of Christ. He Himself spoke and it was made; He Himself commanded and it was created. You yourself were, but you were an old creature; after you were consecrated, you began to be a new creature. Do you wish to know how a new creature? It says: 'Every creature is new in Christ.'

95

(17) Accept, then, how Christ's expression was accustomed to change every creature and changes the designs of nature when He wishes. Do you inquire how? Accept this. And first of all let us take the example of His generation. It is usual that a human being be not generated except of man and woman and by conjugal association. But because the Lord wished, because He chose this sacrament, Christ was born of the Holy Spirit and a virgin, that is, the 'Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus." You see, then, that contrary to designs and order a man was born, born of a virgin.

8

(18) Accept another example.' The people of the Jews were hard pressed by the Egyptians; they were shut off by the sea. By divine order Moses touched the seas with a rod and the water divided, not of course according to the practice of its nature, but according to the grace of heavenly power. Accept another example. The people were thirsty; they came to a fountain. The fountain was bitter; holy Moses cast a twig into the fountain, and the fountain, which was bitter, was made sweet, that is, it changed the usual state of its nature; it took on the sweetness of grace. Accept also a fourth example. The iron head of an axe fell into the water, as iron, according to its practice, it dipped; Eliseus cast a stick, im

9

5 Cf. 2 Cor. 5.17.

6 1 Tim. 2.5.

7 Cf. Exod. 14.21,22. 8 Cf. Exod. 14.23-25.

mediately the iron head was raised and floated upon the waters, surely contrary to the practice of iron, for it is heavier material than is the element of the waters.

(19) From all this, then, do you not understand how great is the operation of heavenly expression? If heavenly expression operated in an earthly fountain, if it operated in other things, does it not operate in heavenly sacraments? Then you have learned that from bread the body of Christ is made. And what is wine, water? It is put in the cup, but it becomes blood by heavenly consecration.

(20) But perhaps you say: 'I do not see the appearance of blood.' But it has the likeness. For just as you took on the likeness of death, so, too, you drink the likeness of precious blood, that there may be no horror of blood and yet the price of redemption may be effected. You have learned then that what you receive is the body of Christ.

Chapter 5

(21) Do you wish to know how it is consecrated with heavenly words? Accept what the words are. The priest speaks. He says:1 'Perform for us this oblation written, reasonable, acceptable, which is a figure of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the day before He suffered He took bread in His holy hands, looked toward heaven, toward you, holy Father omnipotent, eternal God, giving thanks, blessed, broke, and having broken it gave it to the Apostles and His disciples, saying: "Take and eat of this, all of you; for this is my body, which shall be broken for many"." Take note.

1 Canon of the Mass.

2

2 Cf. Matt. 26.26; Mark 14.22; Luke 22.19; 1 Cor. 11.24.

(22) 'Similarly also, on the day before He suffered, after they had dined, He took the chalice, looked toward heaven, toward thee, holy Father omnipotent, eternal God and giving thanks He blessed it, and gave it to the Apostles and His disciples, saying: "Take and drink of this, all of you; for this is my blood"."3 Behold! All these words up to 'Take' are the Evangelist's, whether body or blood. From them on the words are Christ's: 'Take and drink of this, all of you; for this is my blood.'

(23) Look at these events one by one. It says: 'On the day before He suffered, He took bread in His holy hands.' Before it is consecrated, it is bread; but when Christ's words have been added, it is the body of Christ. Finally, hear him as He says: "Take and eat of this, all of you; for this is my body.' And before the words of Christ, the chalice is full of wine and water; when the words of Christ have been added, then blood is effected, which redeemed the people. So behold in what great respects the expression of Christ is able to change all things. Then the Lord Jesus Himself testified to us that we receive His body and blood. Should we doubt at all about His faith and testification?

(24) Now return with me to my proposition. Great and venerable indeed is the fact that manna rained upon the Jews from heaven. But understand! What is greater, manna from heaven or the body of Christ? Surely the body of Christ, who is the Author of heaven. Then, he who ate the manna died; he who has eaten this body will effect for himself remission of sins and 'shall not die forever."4

(25) So you say not indifferently 'Amen,' already confessing in spirit that you receive the body of Christ. Therefore, when you ask, the priest says to you: 'the body of Christ,'

3 Cf. Matt. 26.27,28; Mark 14.23,24; Luke 22.20.

4 Cf. John 6.49.58; 11.26.

and you say: 'Amen,' that is, 'truly.' What the tongue confesses let the affection hold. That you may know, moreover: "This is a sacrament, whose figure went on before.'

Chapter 6

(26) Next, realize how great a sacrament it is. See what He says: 'As often as you shall do this, so often will you do a commemoration of me, until I come again."

(27) And the priest says: "Therefore, mindful of His most glorious passion and resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven, we offer you this immaculate victim, a reasonable sacrifice, an unbloody victim, this holy bread, and chalice of eternal life. And we ask and pray that you accept this offering upon your sublime altar through the hands of your angels, just as you deigned to accept the gifts of your just son Abel and the sacrifice of our patriarch Abraham and what the highest priest Melchisedech offered you.'

(28) So, as often as you receive, what does the Apostle say to you? As often as we receive, we proclaim the death of the Lord. If death, we proclaim the remission of sins. If, as often as blood is shed, it is shed for the remission of sins, I ought always to accept Him, that He may always dismiss my sins.* I, who always sin, should always have a remedy.

(29) Meanwhile, today also we have explained according to our ability. But tomorrow, on the seventh day and Sunday we shall speak about the order of prayer, as we are able. May our Lord God keep for you the grace which He gave, and

1 Cf. 1 Cor. 11.25,26.

2 Cf. Rom. 12.1.

3 Cf. 1 Cor. 11.26.