Conclusion of Chapter I and Chapter II

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vobis. Hunc enim Pater signavit Deus. Et Judaeis carnaliter hunc sermonem accipientibus, et tamen cibum permanentem desiderantibus, et dicentibus, ibidem, v. 28 et 29: Quid faciemus ut operemur opera Dei? supple, quibus illum de quo dicis, percipiamus, respondit dicens: Hoc est opus Dei, ut credatis in eum quem misit ille. Ac si dicat: Credendo sumetis cibum veritatis, quem Pater praeparavit, et Filius hominis dabit, quem Pater ad hoc signavit Deus, ut det cibum illum: in hoc enim sacramento quod veritatis sacramentum est, quia in veritate simplici totam continet veritatem et veritatis auctorem, et omnium figurarum antiquarum veram exhibet veritatis significationem, maxime fides operatur. Fides enim, ut dicit Dionysius in libro de Divinis nominibus, lumen est collocans in credentibus veritatem, et credentes per consensum rationis et inhaesionis collocans in veritatem, quae hic maxime operatur: quia hic humana ratio parvum vel nullum experimentum praestat. Unde etiam Dominus in Psalmo C, 6, dicit eis quos ad mensam istam secum sedere facit: Oculi mei ad fideles terrae, ut sedeant mecum: ambulans in via immaculata, hic mihi ministrabat: quia sedens in mensa fide cibum percipit, et sacerdos immaculatus in mensa cibum ministrat. Hoc optime signatum est, Eccli. XLV, 4, ubi de Moyse qui primus manna per preces suas filiis Israel exhibuit, dicitur: In fide et lenitate ipsius sanctum fecit illum, et elegit eum ex omni carne. Fides enim mundat et purificat cor a phantasiis errorum. Act. XV, 9: Fide purificans corda eorum. Lenitas cor mundificat a perturbationibus. Unde ipse Agnus quem in sacramento fide sumimus, dicit, Matth. XI, 29: Discite a me, quia mitis sum et humilis corde. Sic ergo in fide et lenitate cordis sumenda est haec coena Dominici corporis. Et hoc signatur in Psalmo CXXVI, 3, ubi dicitur: Uxor tua sicut vitis abundans, in lateribus domus tuae. Quia sponsa Agni est Ecclesia quae vinum sanguinis Christi abundanter in sacramento coenae filiis gratiae ministrat. Unde sequitur: Filii tui sicut novellae olivarum, in circuitu mensae tuae. Oliva enim ministra est luminis, et signat fidei fomentum, quod in hoc sacramento percipitur, in quo nihil nisi fides operatur: quae olivae fide lucentes et virore virtutum virentes sunt in circuitu mensae Domini in sacramento. Hinc est, quod ante mensam propositionis in tabernaculo Domini praecipit Dominus, Exod. XXVI, 31, quod poneretur candelabrum luminis, quod illuminationem fidei signat, docens per hoc, quod tenebrosus per infidelitatem ad mensam propositionis Dominici corporis non accedat.

to you. For "him the Father, God, has signed." And when the Jews were receiving this speech carnally, and nevertheless were desiring food that remains, and were saying in the same place, v. 28 and 29, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" supply, by which we may receive that one about whom you speak, he answered, saying: "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent." As if he were saying: By believing you will receive the food of truth, which the Father prepared and the Son of man will give, whom the Father, God, signed for this, that he might give that food. For in this sacrament, which is the sacrament of truth, because in simple truth it contains the whole truth and the author of truth, and displays the true signification of truth of all the ancient figures, faith works most of all. For faith, as Dionysius says in the book On the Divine Names, is a light placing truth in believers, and placing believers through consent of reason and adherence in the truth, which works here most of all, because here human reason provides little or no experiment. Hence also the Lord in Psalm 100:6 says to those whom he makes sit with him at that table: "My eyes are upon the faithful of the earth, that they may sit with me; he walking in the immaculate way, he ministered to me," because sitting at the table he perceives food by faith, and the immaculate priest ministers food at the table. This was very well signified, Ecclesiasticus 45:4, where concerning Moses, who first provided manna for the sons of Israel by his prayers, it is said: "In his faith and mildness he made him holy, and chose him out of all flesh." For faith cleanses and purifies the heart from phantasms of errors. Acts 15:9: "Purifying their hearts by faith." Mildness cleanses the heart from disturbances. Hence the Lamb himself, whom we receive in the sacrament by faith, says, Matthew 11:29: "Learn from me, because I am meek and humble of heart." Thus therefore this supper of the Lord's body must be received in faith and mildness of heart. And this is signified in Psalm 126:3, where it is said: "Your wife like an abundant vine on the sides of your house." Because the spouse of the Lamb is the Church, which abundantly ministers the wine of Christ's blood in the sacrament of the supper to the sons of grace. Hence follows: "Your sons like young olive trees around your table." For the olive is the minister of light, and signifies the nourishment of faith which is perceived in this sacrament, in which nothing works except faith; and these olives, shining by faith and green with the greenness of virtues, are around the table of the Lord in the sacrament. Hence it is that before the table of proposition in the tabernacle of the Lord the Lord commands, Exodus 26:31, that the lampstand of light be placed, which signifies the illumination of faith, teaching by this that one darkened by unbelief should not approach the table of proposition of the Lord's body.

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Sic ergo sacramentum hoc sumendum est in fide veritatis.

CAPUT II. Quod sumendus sit hic cibus in certa spe divinae largitatis.

Sumendus est etiam ille cibus in certa spe divinae largitatis. Quid enim non sperabimus a largitate ipsius, qui seipsum in cibum nobis donavit? Ideo clamamus in certa spe omne bonum Dei exspectantes, et dicimus: Oculi omnium in te sperant, Domine. Et hoc est, quia tu das escam illorum in tempore opportuno.¹ Ex hac enim spe sublevantur fideles, et quasi virtutum pennis avolantes aeterna exspectant a divina largitate. Unde, Job, XXXIX, 27, dicitur: Numquid ad praeceptum tuum elevabitur aquila, et in arduis ponet nidum suum? haec enim aquila ab acumine visus dicta est, de qua dicitur, Matth. XXIV, 28: Ubicumque fuerit corpus, ibi congregabuntur et aquilae. Tanta enim flagrantia est Dominici corporis, quod spe certa communionis omnium bonorum Domini ad Dominici corporis sumptionem in altam spem elevati conveniunt, nusquam alibi desiderabilem escam invenientes. Unde, Job, XXXIX, 30: Pulli ejus lambent sanguinem: et ubicumque cadaver fuerit, statim adest. Pulli enim aquilarum sunt fideles parvuli in humilitate simplices: quia illitterati, et hi modo fide lambunt Christi sanguinem, certam spem habentes, quod per sacramenti sumptionem ad aeternorum bonorum pervenient felicitatem. Et ideo odore corporis Domini electi statim advolant mira devotionis velocitate, ubicumque est cadaver, quod non quidem in vermes cecidit, sed quod ab infideli synagoga tamquam vermis conculcandum reputatum est. Propter quod et ipse Christus querulose dicit in Psalmo XVI, 7: Ego sum vermis, et non homo: opprobrium hominum, et abjectio plebis. Ad illud ergo cadaver omnes aquilae properant in spe consecutionis omnium bonorum: quia, sicut dicit Gregorius: « Ex perceptione praesentium munerum, firmam habemus spem exspectationis futurorum. » Ad Roman. VIII, 32: Quomodo non etiam cum illo omnia nobis donavit? Quia qui habentem omnia quae Patris sunt donavit nobis, omnia nobis donavit cum illo. Nihil enim est, quod non habeat qui habentem omnia habet. Unde, Tob. X, 5: Omnia simul in te uno habentes, te non debuimus dimittere a nobis.

Thus therefore this sacrament must be received in the faith of truth.

CHAPTER II. That this food must be received in certain hope of divine largesse.

That food must also be received in certain hope of divine largesse. For what shall we not hope from the largesse of him who gave himself to us as food? Therefore we cry out in certain hope, awaiting every good of God, and we say: "The eyes of all hope in you, Lord." And this is because "you give their food in due season."¹ For from this hope the faithful are lifted up, and as if flying away on wings of virtues they await eternal things from divine largesse. Hence, Job 39:27, it is said: "Will the eagle be lifted up at your command, and place its nest in high places?" For this eagle is named from sharpness of sight, concerning which it is said, Matthew 24:28: "Wherever the body will be, there the eagles also will be gathered." For there is so great a fragrance of the Lord's body that, by certain hope of communion of all the Lord's goods, those lifted up to the reception of the Lord's body in high hope come together, finding desirable food nowhere else. Hence, Job 39:30: "Its young will lick blood; and wherever the corpse will be, immediately it is there." For the young of eagles are the faithful little ones, simple in humility because unlettered, and these now by faith lick the blood of Christ, having certain hope that through reception of the sacrament they will come to the felicity of eternal goods. And therefore the elect, by the odor of the Lord's body, immediately fly to it with marvelous speed of devotion wherever the corpse is, which indeed did not fall into worms, but which was considered by the unbelieving synagogue as a worm to be trampled. On account of this Christ himself also says plaintively in Psalm 16:7: "I am a worm and not a man, the reproach of men and the rejection of the people." Therefore to that corpse all the eagles hasten in hope of attaining all goods, because, as Gregory says, "From the perception of present gifts, we have firm hope of the expectation of future things." Romans 8:32: "How has he not also given us all things with him?" Because he who gave to us the one having all things that are the Father's, gave us all things with him. For there is nothing that he does not have who has the one having all things. Hence, Tobit 10:5: "Having all things together in you alone, we ought not to have sent you away from us."

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Haec est spes viva, quae ex tanto Dei dono generatur in nobis, de qua dicitur, I Petri, I, 3 et 4: Benedictus Deus et Pater Domini nostri Jesu Christi, qui secundum magnam misericordiam suam regeneravit nos in spem vivam, per resurrectionem Jesu Christi ex mortuis, in haereditatem incorruptibilem, et incontaminatam, et immarcescibilem, conservatam in caelis in vobis, etc.

Haec est spes certa trahens nos ad littus aeternitatis, et immobiliter tenens mentem nostram fixam in caelis, sicut anchora tenet navim, de quo dicitur, ad Hebr. VI, 18 et seq.: Fortissimum solatium habeamus, qui confugimus ad tenendam propositam spem: quam sicut anchoram habeamus animae tutam ac firmam, et incedentem usque ad interiora velaminis, ubi praecursor pro nobis introivit Jesus, secundum ordinem Melchisedech pontifex factus in aeternum. Ad interiora enim velaminis introire, est per spem interius intra formas sacramentales exspectare et sumere Dominum Jesum Christum, qui illuc pro nobis in coena ista intrat sicut pontifex et summus sacerdos, nobis se exhibens consecratum sub specie panis et vini: quia hic primus sacerdos obtulit Melchisedech. Genes. XIV, 18, Abrahae revertenti a caede regum occurrit, Melchisedech rex Salem, proferens panem et vinum, erat enim sacerdos Dei altissimi.

Haec est spes de qua dicitur, Osee, II, 15: Dabo ei vinitores ex eodem loco, et vallem Achor, ad aperiendam spem. Vinitores enim Ecclesiae sanguinem Christi ex vino consecratum ministrantes sunt ex eodem loco Ecclesiasticae unitatis. Vallis autem Achor quae fratris lumen vel fratris altitudo interpretatur, pinguissima quidem vallis frumenti, verax est humilitas Christi et Ecclesiae ministrans frumentum unde conficitur corpus Christi: quia haec gratia maxime datur humilibus nihil de se praesumentibus, sed totam spem suam in Deum ponentibus. Et hoc est quod dicitur in Psalmo LXIV, 14: Valles abundabunt frumento.

Sic igitur spe divinae largitatis sumenda est haec coena.

This is the living hope which is generated in us from so great a gift of God, concerning which it is said, I Peter 1:3 and 4: "Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy regenerated us unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading, conserved in the heavens in you," etc.

This is certain hope drawing us to the shore of eternity and immovably holding our mind fixed in the heavens, as an anchor holds a ship, concerning which it is said, Hebrews 6:18 and following: "Let us have the strongest consolation, we who have fled for refuge to hold the hope set before us, which we may have as a safe and firm anchor of the soul, and entering even to the inner parts of the veil, where Jesus, the forerunner for us, entered, made high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." For to enter the inner parts of the veil is through hope inwardly within the sacramental forms to await and receive the Lord Jesus Christ, who enters there for us in this supper as pontiff and highest priest, presenting himself to us consecrated under the species of bread and wine, because Melchizedek, this first priest, offered here. Genesis 14:18: Melchizedek king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, for he was priest of the Most High God.

This is the hope concerning which it is said, Hosea 2:15: "I will give her vine-dressers from the same place, and the valley of Achor, for opening hope." For the vine-dressers of the Church ministering the blood of Christ consecrated from wine are from the same place of ecclesiastical unity. But the valley of Achor, which is interpreted "light of a brother" or "height of a brother," a very rich valley of grain, is the truthful humility of Christ and of the Church ministering the grain from which the body of Christ is confected, because this grace is given especially to the humble, presuming nothing concerning themselves, but placing their whole hope in God. And this is what is said in Psalm 64:14: "The valleys will abound with grain."

Thus therefore this supper must be received in hope of divine largesse.

Notes

Psalm 144:15. (Psal. CXLIV, 15.) ↩