Works › The Book on the Sacrament of the Eucharist
Volume 38 · pp. 325–327
Chapter III. That this food must be received in the charity of ecclesiastical unity.
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CAPUT III. Quod sumendus sit hic cibus in Ecclesiasticae unitatis charitate.
Sumendus est etiam in charitate Ecclesiasticae unitatis: quia istud sacramentum et charitatis et unitatis a Patribus dicitur esse sacramentum.
Charitatis quidem: quia in maxima charitate est exhibitum, in qua charitate dixit, Proverb. VIII, 31: Deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum. Voluit enim Christus, sicut dicit Augustinus, ut homo participans huic coenae, in Deum ascenderet, et incorporatus sibi efficeretur, et particeps suae divinitatis et humanitatis, sicut Verbum Patris in carne descenderat, et factum est omnium particeps, quae sunt vere nostrae humanitatis, et hoc fuit maximae charitatis.
Hic autem ascensus in Verbum Patris per incorporationem directe fit per sacramenti istius participationem. Unde super illud Joannis, I, 14: Et Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis, dicit Glossa: « Ut secure credantur homines nasci ex Deo, subdit Deum nasci ex homine. » Ex hac enim susceptione nostrae infirmitatis sanatur nostra infirmitas, ut possimus dii vel filii Dei fieri. Et hoc est: Et Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis. Ac si dicat: Quod superius erat, inferius descenderat, quid mirum si quod inferius erat, in id quod superius est, ascendit et assumitur: et ideo ex hac charitate uniente cum homine Deum, et hominem cum Deo, dicitur sacramentum unitatis et charitatis: et ideo in charitate unitatis Ecclesiasticae coena haec est accipienda. Hoc autem optime signatur, Exod. XXV, 30, ubi dicitur, quod panes propositionis qui in mensa singulis sabbatis ponebantur, calidi coram Domino proponebantur, hoc signante Spiritu sancto, quod panis sacramenti novi, qui in mensa altaris cunctis fidelibus proponitur sumendus, in calore charitatis debeat sumi. Propter quod etiam in mensa proponitur, et panis patena aurea operiri praecipitur, et pugillus thuris super patenam ponebatur, hoc signante Spiritu sancto, quod mensa esset fidelibus paranda et cunctis proponenda, altare videlicet Ecclesiae, de quo solo licet communionem accipere: quia extra Ecclesiam panis communionis ad salutem non invenitur, sicut dicit Psalmista, Psal. LXXXIII, 4 et 5: Passer invenit sibi domum, et turtur nidum sibi, ubi ponat pullos suos. Altaria tua, Domine virtutum, rex meus, et Deus meus. Beati qui habitant in domo tua, Domine. Passer enim mobilis saecularibus negotiis continue motum signat fidelem laicum. Turtur autem castus gemens pro cantu signat clericum castitatis et munditiae officiis mancipatum, pro suis et aliorum peccatis gementem. Hi enim pullos quos nutriunt carnales filios vel spirituales, non nisi ad altare Ecclesiae portant pane sacramenti nutriendos, scientes quod beati sunt qui habitant in domo Dei, quod Ecclesia est. Alii autem tamquam miseri et abjecti conventicula faciunt haereticorum. I Regum, XXI, 6: Neque enim erat ibi panis nisi tantum panes propositionis qui sublati fuerant a facie Domini, ut ponerentur panes calidi. Patena autem signat splendorem divinae sapientiae in corde communicantium, et contemplatione considerantium sapientiam Dei miro consilio fidelibus de communione, tam sancta providente. Thus autem desuper positum, quod in ignem altaris sublatis panibus ponebatur, fragrantiam signat virtutum in devotione cordis incensarum in igne charitatis.
CHAPTER III. That this food must be received in the charity of ecclesiastical unity.
It must also be received in the charity of ecclesiastical unity, because this sacrament is said by the Fathers to be the sacrament both of charity and of unity.
Of charity indeed, because it was displayed in the greatest charity, in which charity he said, Proverbs 8:31: "My delights are to be with the sons of men." For Christ willed, as Augustine says, that the man participating in this supper should ascend into God, and should be made incorporated into him and a participant of his deity and humanity, just as the Word of the Father had descended in flesh and was made participant in all things which are truly of our humanity; and this was of the greatest charity.
But this ascent into the Word of the Father through incorporation is made directly through participation in this sacrament. Hence on that of John 1:14, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt in us," the Gloss says: "That men may be securely believed to be born from God, he adds that God is born from man." For from this taking on of our weakness our weakness is healed, so that we can become gods or sons of God. And this is: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt in us." As if he were saying: What was higher had descended lower; what marvel is it if what was lower ascends and is assumed into that which is higher? And therefore from this charity uniting God with man and man with God, it is called the sacrament of unity and charity; and therefore this supper must be received in the charity of ecclesiastical unity. But this is very well signified, Exodus 25:30, where it is said that the loaves of proposition which were placed on the table on each sabbath were set forth warm before the Lord, the Holy Spirit signifying this, that the bread of the new sacrament, which is set forth on the table of the altar to be received by all the faithful, ought to be received in the warmth of charity. On account of this it is also set forth on the table, and the bread is commanded to be covered with a golden paten, and a handful of incense was placed upon the paten, the Holy Spirit signifying this, that a table should be prepared for the faithful and set forth for all, namely the altar of the Church, from which alone it is permitted to receive communion, because outside the Church the bread of communion is not found unto salvation, as the Psalmist says, Psalm 83:4 and 5: "The sparrow has found a house for herself, and the turtledove a nest for herself, where she may place her young. Your altars, Lord of hosts, my king and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, Lord." For the mobile sparrow signifies the faithful layman continually moved by secular business. But the chaste turtledove, groaning instead of singing, signifies the cleric bound to the offices of chastity and cleanness, groaning for his own sins and those of others. For these carry the young whom they nourish, carnal sons or spiritual sons, only to the altar of the Church to be nourished by the bread of the sacrament, knowing that blessed are those who dwell in the house of God, which is the Church. But others, as miserable and rejected, make conventicles of heretics. I Kings 21:6: "For there was no bread there except only the loaves of proposition which had been taken away from the face of the Lord, so that warm loaves might be placed." But the paten signifies the splendor of divine wisdom in the heart of those communicating and, by contemplation, considering the wisdom of God with marvelous counsel providing for the faithful concerning communion, so holy a thing. But the incense placed above, which was placed into the fire of the altar when the loaves had been removed, signifies the fragrance of virtues enkindled in the devotion of the heart in the fire of charity.
Hinc est quod de signo paschali qui corpus Christi in sacramento signat, Exod. XII, 10, dicitur: Si quid residuum fuerit, igne comburetis: quia in igne charitatis totum illud sacramentum debet incendi. Ideo etiam dicitur, Genes. IV, 4, ubi istud sacrificium primo praesignatur in adipibus gregis Abel, hoc est, in agno quem Abel obtulit: quia respexit Dominus ad Abel, et ad munera ejus. Et ibi habet translatio Septuaginta: « Inflammavit Dominus super Abel et super munera ejus, » ut ostendatur, quod in flamma ignis hoc sacramentum accipi debeat, et igne charitatis inflammari.
Debet autem accipi in charitate Ecclesiasticae unitatis: quia apud omnes schismaticos et haereticos hoc sacramentum ad salutem non invenitur. Et hoc notatur in Psalmo CXXI, 3 et 4, ubi dicitur de ascendentibus ad paschalis agni celebrationem: Jerusalem, quae aedificatur ut civitas, cujus participatio ejus in idipsum. Illuc enim ascenderunt tribus, tribus Domini, ad confitendum nomini Domini. Etiam enim per Jerusalem visionem aeternae pacis significatur, quae ut civitas, hoc est, civium unitas aedificatur: quia sicut dicitur, Act. IV, 32: Multitudinis credentium erat cor unum et anima una. Hujus Ecclesiae participatio est in idipsum unitatis Ecclesiasticae sacramentum: quia Ecclesia unita corpus Christi est mysticum, quam signat corpus Christi verum, quod sub forma panis continetur: ut dicit Augustinus, quod sicut corpus Christi verum compositum et confectum est ex multis purissimis guttis sanguinis a Spiritu in utero beatae Virginis in unum corpus compactis, et sicut panis sub cujus forma continetur, collectus est ex multis purissimi frumenti granis in unum panem compactis: ita Ecclesia ex multis puris fidelibus constat in unitate fidei et charitatis et spiritus adunatis. I ad Corinth. X, 17: Unus panis, unum corpus multi sumus, scilicet in Christo, omnes qui de uno pane participamus. Hoc etiam demonstrat nomen calicis: quia calix calida est potio in charitatis fervore sumenda. Psal. CXV, 13: Calicem salutaris accipiam, et nomen Domini invocabo. Sanguis autem qui sub specie vini latet in mysteria sacramenti, ex multis uvis expressus, signat in unum collectiones in Ecclesia fideles ad gaudium vini spiritualis et ad redemptionem sanguinis adunatos. Cantic. I, 13: Botrus Cypri dilectus meus mihi. Botrus enim multis componitur granis quae uvae vocantur. Hoc etiam signat botrus praecisus a filiis Israel in vecte ecclesiasticae rectitudinis ad legislatorem deportatus.1
Hence it is that concerning the paschal sign which signifies the body of Christ in the sacrament, Exodus 12:10 says: "If anything has remained, you shall burn it with fire," because that whole sacrament ought to be set aflame in the fire of charity. Therefore it is also said, Genesis 4:4, where that sacrifice is first pre-signified in the fats of Abel's flock, that is, in the lamb which Abel offered, because "the Lord looked upon Abel and upon his gifts." And there the translation of the Septuagint has: "The Lord inflamed upon Abel and upon his gifts," so that it may be shown that this sacrament ought to be received in the flame of fire and inflamed with the fire of charity.
But it ought to be received in the charity of ecclesiastical unity, because among all schismatics and heretics this sacrament is not found unto salvation. And this is noted in Psalm 121:3 and 4, where it is said of those ascending to the celebration of the paschal lamb: "Jerusalem, which is built as a city, whose participation is in the selfsame. For there the tribes ascended, the tribes of the Lord, to confess the name of the Lord." For by Jerusalem is also signified the vision of eternal peace, which is built as a city, that is, a unity of citizens, because as is said, Acts 4:32: "The multitude of believers was one heart and one soul." The participation of this Church is in the selfsame sacrament of ecclesiastical unity, because the united Church is the mystical body of Christ, which the true body of Christ signifies, which is contained under the form of bread; as Augustine says, that just as the true body of Christ was composed and confected from many most pure drops of blood by the Spirit in the womb of the blessed Virgin compacted into one body, and just as the bread under whose form it is contained was gathered from many grains of most pure wheat compacted into one bread, so the Church consists of many pure faithful united in unity of faith and charity and spirit. I Corinthians 10:17: "We, being many, are one bread, one body," namely in Christ, "all who participate from the one bread." The name of chalice also shows this, because chalice is a warm drink to be received in the fervor of charity. Psalm 115:13: "I will receive the chalice of salvation, and I will invoke the name of the Lord." But the blood which lies hidden under the species of wine in the mysteries of the sacrament, expressed from many grapes, signifies the faithful gathered into one in the Church, united for the joy of spiritual wine and for the redemption of blood. Canticles 1:13: "A cluster of Cyprus is my beloved to me." For a cluster is composed of many grains which are called grapes. This also is signified by the cluster cut off by the sons of Israel and carried to the lawgiver on the pole of ecclesiastical rectitude.1
Haec unitas Ecclesiastica est unica tunica inconsutilis, quae etiam a crucifixoribus scindi non potuit. Joan. XIX, 24: Non scindamus eam, sed sortiamur de ea cujus sit. Hoc est pallium breve quod utrumque, verum scilicet sponsum et adulterum, operire non potuit.2 Hoc est pallium quod omnes Judaeos et Gentiles fideles in unum operit, sicut signatur optime, Ruth, III, 9, ubi dixit Ruth Moabitis, quae gentilis erat, ad Booz qui Judaeus fuit ex Judaeis: Expande pallium tuum super famulam tuam, quia propinquus es: sic charitate unitatis Ecclesiasticae nobis per istum sacramenti cibum incrementum praestante, secundum Apostolum, ad Ephes. IV, 13: Donec occurramus omnes in unitatem, fidei, et agnitionis Filii Dei, in virum perfectum, in mensuram aetatis plenitudinis Christi.
Sic igitur sacramentum hoc in charitate unitatis Ecclesiasticae est sumendum. Unde super illud Apostoli, I ad Corinth. XI, 29: Qui manducat et bibit indigne, judicium sibi manducat et bibit, dicit Glossa, quod indignus est, qui indevote accipit. Indevotus autem est, qui aliter quam institutum est, celebrat sacramentum: hoc est qui accipit et celebrat contra vel praeter institutionem Ecclesiasticae unitatis et charitatis.
This ecclesiastical unity is the one seamless tunic, which could not be divided even by those who crucified him. John 19:24: "Let us not cut it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it may be." This is the short cloak which could not cover both, namely the true spouse and the adulterer.2 This is the cloak which covers all faithful Jews and Gentiles into one, as is very well signified, Ruth 3:9, where Ruth the Moabite, who was a gentile, said to Boaz, who was a Jew from the Jews: "Spread your cloak over your handmaid, because you are near of kin." Thus, while charity of ecclesiastical unity supplies increase to us through this food of the sacrament, according to the Apostle, Ephesians 4:13: "Until we all meet into the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ."
Thus therefore this sacrament must be received in the charity of ecclesiastical unity. Hence on that of the Apostle, I Corinthians 11:29, "He who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself," the Gloss says that he is unworthy who receives without devotion. But he is without devotion who celebrates the sacrament otherwise than it was instituted; that is, he who receives and celebrates against or apart from the institution of ecclesiastical unity and charity.
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