Sermon III. On the Second Cause of Institution, Namely, on the Sacrifice of the Altar

Latin (Borgnet)English

p. 678

### Sermo III

### De secunda causa institutionis, scilicet, de sacrificio altaris

Venite, comedite panem meum, etc. Prov. ix, 5. Causam tuam, etc. Prov. xxv, 9. Placebit Domino sacrificium Juda, et Jerusalem, quasi regis et militiae, id est, Christi et Ecclesiae. Mal. iii, 4.

Secunda causa institutionis sacramenti Dominici corporis est sacrificium altaris, ut haberet Ecclesia ad cultum divinum munus offerre Deo super omnia sacrificia pretiosum et acceptum. Circa sacrificium altaris tria possunt notari, scilicet

I. Forma offerendi.

II. Quaestio de sacrificio legali.

III. Et excellentia nostri sacrificii.

De duobus primis potest hic dici, et de tertio in sequenti.

Primo est notanda forma sacrificii, et haec est triplex. Prima in oblationum veterum praefiguratione, secunda in humanae formae veritate, tertia in panis et vini specie. Prima est synagogae commodata sub lege, secunda charitatis divinae oblata in cruce, tertia fidelis animae consecrata in mensa Ecclesiae. Prima data est in signum, secunda in pretium, tertia in solatium.

### Sermon III

### On the Second Cause of Institution, Namely, on the Sacrifice of the Altar

Come, eat my bread, etc. Proverbs 9:5. Treat your cause, etc. Proverbs 25:9. The sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord, as of the king and the army, that is, of Christ and the Church. Malachi 3:4.

The second cause of the institution of the sacrament of the Lord's body is the sacrifice of the altar, so that the Church would have, for divine worship, a gift to offer to God, precious and acceptable above all sacrifices. Concerning the sacrifice of the altar three things can be noted, namely

I. The form of offering.

II. The question about the legal sacrifice.

III. And the excellence of our sacrifice.

Concerning the first two things something can be said here, and concerning the third in what follows.

First the form of the sacrifice is to be noted, and this is threefold. The first is in the prefiguration of the old offerings, the second in the truth of the human form, the third in the species of bread and wine. The first was granted to the synagogue under the law, the second offered in the cross by divine charity, the third consecrated for the faithful soul on the table of the Church. The first was given as a sign, the second as a price, the third as a solace.