Works › The Book on the Sacrament of the Eucharist
Volume 38 · pp. 197–199
Chapter II. Sweetness and Suavity.
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Hoc etiam in dulcedine sua paravit pauperi Deus, et ideo Eucharistia vocatur: quia nihil in dulcedine Dei nisi bona gratia praeparatur. In dulcedine sua Deus dulciter cogitat de nobis. Nihil autem dulcius vel melius excogitari vel exoptari potest, quam quod Deus in deitate et humanitate sit in nobis ut nutrimentum ad vitam vegetans, et ut edulium spirituale, omnem in nobis perficiens conjunctionem ad ipsum. Propter quod etiam cum in libro Sapientiae, xvi, 21, de manna loqueretur, et admiraretur, in qua cordis dulcedine tantae gratiae sacramentum esset praeparatum, subjunxit causam dicens: Substantia enim tua dulcedinem tuam quam in filios habes ostendebat, et deserviens uniuscujusque voluntati, ad quod quisque volebat convertebatur. Ac si dicat: Tam mellea dulcedo tam bonae gratiae non potuit procedere nisi de fonte dulcedinis divinae, in qua oblitus veteris amaritudinis melliflua dulcedine fluens et affluens nobis in affectu, tam dulcem et bonam gratiam nobis praeparasti.
Hic est Samson, sol fortis gratia illuminationis, qui per virtutem hujus gratiae mente illuminatus, percutit leonem fortem de tribu Juda, et solvit nobis problema1, quod de comedente exivit cibus, et de forti egressa est dulcedo. Pater enim caelestis in dulcedine sua dulciter cogitans de nobis percussit, hoc est, percuti fecit hanc victimam dulcissimam, leonem de tribu Juda, et nobis parari in edulium, in qua de comedente, hoc est, de eo qui in sacramento nos sibi incorporat, exit dulcedinis cibus, et de forti nostro propugnatore ad salutem tanta est egressa dulcedo: quidquid enim in hoc est sacramento, dulcedine plenum est, ab omni amaritudine fellis longe relegatum. Unde, I Regum, xiv, 26 et seq., dicitur, quod apparuit super faciem agri fluens mel, ad quod cum Jonathas, qui columbae donum interpretatur, virgam quam manu tenebat, extendisset, dixit: Gustavi paululum de melle isto, et illuminati sunt oculi mei. Ager enim noster, qui antiquitus ex amaritudine fundi spinas et tribulos proferebat, nunc dulcedine deitatis Patris impletus, melleus totus fluit dulcedine, ad quod dum is qui donum columbae, quae etiam fellea amaritudine fellis caret, virgam rectitudinis suae quam in manu, hoc est, in operatione tenet, extendit, et gustat dulcedinem saporis divini, statim illuminatur in oculis cordis ad intelligendam veritatem et gratiam bonam quae per Jesum Christum omnibus nobis sunt facta, qualiter videlicet non vacuo laboramus sacramento, nec de caetero typis figurativis occupamur.
God also prepared this in his sweetness for the poor, and therefore it is called Eucharist, because nothing in the sweetness of God is prepared except good grace. In his sweetness God thinks sweetly of us. But nothing sweeter or better can be thought out or wished for than that God, in deity and humanity, should be in us as nourishment vegetating unto life, and as spiritual food perfecting in us every conjunction to himself. Therefore also, when in the book of Wisdom 16:21 he was speaking about manna and wondering in what sweetness of heart the sacrament of so great a grace had been prepared, he added the cause, saying: For your substance showed your sweetness which you have toward sons, and serving the will of each one, it was changed into what each one wished. As if he were saying: So honeyed a sweetness of so good a grace could not proceed except from the fountain of divine sweetness, in which, forgetful of the old bitterness, flowing and abounding to us in affection with honey-flowing sweetness, you have prepared for us so sweet and good a grace.
This is Samson, the strong sun by the grace of illumination, who, illuminated in mind through the virtue of this grace, strikes the strong lion of the tribe of Judah and solves for us the riddle1, that from the eater came forth food, and from the strong came forth sweetness. For the heavenly Father, sweetly thinking of us in his sweetness, struck, that is, caused to be struck, this sweetest victim, the lion of the tribe of Judah, and to be prepared for us as food; in this victim, from the eater, that is, from him who in the sacrament incorporates us to himself, comes forth the food of sweetness, and from our strong defender unto salvation so great a sweetness has gone forth. For whatever is in this sacrament is full of sweetness, far removed from every bitterness of gall. Hence in 1 Kings 14:26 and following it is said that flowing honey appeared upon the face of the field. When Jonathan, whose name is interpreted the gift of the dove, had stretched out the rod which he held in his hand toward it, he said: I tasted a little of that honey, and my eyes were enlightened. For our field, which formerly from the bitterness of its ground brought forth thorns and thistles, now, filled with the sweetness of the deity of the Father, flows wholly honeyed with sweetness. When the one who is the gift of the dove, which also lacks the gall-like bitterness of gall, stretches out the rod of his rectitude which he holds in his hand, that is, in his operation, toward it, and tastes the sweetness of the divine savor, immediately he is enlightened in the eyes of the heart to understand the truth and good grace which have been made for all of us through Jesus Christ: namely, how we do not labor at an empty sacrament, nor are we henceforth occupied with figurative types.
Hinc est, quod hanc dulcedinem in osculo degustans sponsa dicit, Cantic. iv, 11: Mel et lac sub lingua tua. Mel ad dulcedinem divinitatis, lac ad candorem innocentiae et gratiae referens humanitatem. Omne quippe quod spirat, tanta dulcedine dulce est. Propter quod dicitur, Eccli. xxiv, 27: Spiritus meus super mel dulcis, et haereditas mea super mel et favum. Quia spiritus a dulcedine Dei spirans, in hac gratia melleam spirans dulcedinem, et haerens nobis immobilis, novi et aeterni sacramenti favum stillantem mel ex cera, hoc est, humana natura, quae stillat divinam sibi unitam naturam, sua dulcedine omnia nostra dulcia facit.
Haec est etiam suavitas quam in dulcedine divina percipimus: et ideo cum, I Canon. ii, 3, Petrus diceret: Si tamen gustastis quoniam dulcis est Dominus, Psalmista, Psal. xxxii, 9, dixit: Gustate, et videte quoniam suavis est Dominus: quia tanta dulcedo innumerabili percipitur suavitate.
Hic pretiosissimus et suavissimus fructus a fruendo dictus, antidotum est primi fructus, qui primos sua suavitate seduxit parentes, de quo dicitur, Genes. ii, 6 et 7, quod vidit mulier quod bonum esset lignum ad vescendum, et pulchrum oculis, adspectuque delectabile: et tulit de fructu illius, et comedit, deditque viro suo, qui comedit: et ad turpitudinem suam contuendam illuminati sunt oculi amborum. Hunc autem per fructum dulcissimum et ad vescendum suavissimum in dulcedine Dei conditum et praeparatum, quia nobis lignum vitae exhibuit pulchrum et decorum, illuminantur oculi ad divina contuenda in perfecta gratia simul et veritate, et est cura nobis contra omnem amaritudinem, quae nobis infusa est ex gustu pomi quod mulier carnali suavitate concupivit. Hoc est, quod, Proverb. xvi, 24, dicitur: Dulcedo animi sanitas ossium: quia ex dulcedine animi Dei hoc nobis praeparatum antidotum, omnia ossa nostra sanavit. Unde consilium est sapientis, Proverb. xxiv, 13: Comede, fili mi, mel, quia bonum est, et favum dulcissimum gutturi tuo, hoc est, delectare in melliflua dulcedine Dei, in qua tibi favum sacramenti, qui mel de cera suae humanitatis tibi stillat in gutture delectationis cordis tui de gustu, ut ab omni absolvaris amaritudine gustus serpentini, quae per primum gustum venenum infudit. Hoc est quod sponsa, Cantic. ii, 3, dicit: Sub umbra illius quem desideraveram sedi, et fructus ejus dulcis gutturi meo. Umbra enim crucis et passionis in qua maturatus est hic fructus ad suavitatem, praestat refrigerium contra concupiscentiae aestum: et fructus dulcissimus sacramenti, quod est fructus ligni crucis, omnis delectationis infundit dulcedinem et suavitatem. Unde, Psal. xxiv, 8: Dulcis et rectus Dominus, propter hoc legem dabit delinquentibus in via. Dulcis enim fuit hoc pro nobis excogitans. Rectus autem praeparationem ad hoc suscipiendum a nobis expostulans: quia qui manducat et bibit indigne, judicium sibi manducat et bibit2.
Hence it is that the bride, tasting this sweetness in a kiss, says in Canticles 4:11: Honey and milk are under your tongue, referring honey to the sweetness of divinity, and milk to humanity according to the whiteness of innocence and grace. Indeed everything that breathes is sweet with so great a sweetness. Therefore it is said in Ecclesiasticus 24:27: My spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb. Because the spirit breathing from the sweetness of God, breathing honeyed sweetness in this grace, and adhering immovably to us, makes all our things sweet by its sweetness, as the honeycomb of the new and eternal sacrament dripping honey from wax, that is, from human nature, which drips the divine nature united to itself.
This is also the suavity which we perceive in divine sweetness; and therefore when Peter says in 1 Peter 2:3: If nevertheless you have tasted that the Lord is sweet, the Psalmist in Psalm 32:9 said: Taste and see that the Lord is suave, because so great a sweetness is perceived with innumerable suavity.
This most precious and most suave fruit, named from enjoying, is the antidote of the first fruit, which by its suavity seduced our first parents, concerning which it is said in Genesis 2:6 and 7 that the woman saw that the tree was good for eating, and beautiful to the eyes, and delightful in appearance; and she took of its fruit and ate, and gave to her husband, who ate; and the eyes of both were enlightened to behold their shame. But through this sweetest fruit, and most suave for eating, seasoned and prepared in the sweetness of God, because he offered us the tree of life, beautiful and comely, the eyes are enlightened to behold divine things in perfect grace together with truth, and there is a cure for us against every bitterness which was poured into us from the taste of the apple that the woman desired with fleshly suavity. This is what is said in Proverbs 16:24: Sweetness of soul is health of the bones, because this antidote prepared for us from the sweetness of God's soul has healed all our bones. Hence there is the counsel of the wise man in Proverbs 24:13: Eat honey, my son, because it is good, and the sweetest honeycomb for your throat; that is, delight in the honey-flowing sweetness of God, in which he drips for you upon the throat of the delight of your heart, from tasting, the honeycomb of the sacrament, which drips honey for you from the wax of his humanity, so that you may be freed from every bitterness of the serpentine taste, which poured poison in through the first tasting. This is what the bride says in Canticles 2:3: Under the shade of him whom I had desired I sat, and his fruit was sweet to my throat. For the shade of the cross and passion, in which this fruit was ripened unto suavity, furnishes refreshment against the heat of concupiscence; and the sweetest fruit of the sacrament, which is the fruit of the tree of the cross, pours in the sweetness and suavity of every delight. Hence Psalm 24:8: The Lord is sweet and upright; because of this he will give a law to those sinning on the way. For he was sweet in thinking this out for us; upright, however, in demanding from us a preparation for receiving this, because he who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks judgment for himself2.
Et haec lex dulcedinis et rectitudinis nobis in via pro viatico data est, ne in delictis remaneamus: et ideo lege hac justificata et mellea dulcedine affecta, dicit sponsa, Cantic. v, 1: Comedi favum cum melle meo, et bibi vinum cum lacte meo. Quia et dulcedine divina delectata fuit, et dulcedinem in humanitate in sacramento invenit, et vino pretiosissimi sanguinis fuit inebriata, et talibus coram sodalibus gaudens jactabat se a Deo habuisse affectus.
And this law of sweetness and uprightness has been given to us on the way as a viaticum, lest we remain in sins; and therefore, justified by this law and affected by honeyed sweetness, the bride says in Canticles 5:1: I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey, and I have drunk wine with my milk. Because she was both delighted with divine sweetness, and found sweetness in humanity in the sacrament, and was intoxicated with the wine of the most precious blood, and rejoicing before such companions she boasted that she had received her affections from God.
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