Works › The Book on the Sacrament of the Eucharist
Volume 38 · p. 430
Chapter III, 1
CAPUT III.
De ritu hujus sacramenti ex parte sumentis.
1. Nunc tandem est dicendum de ritu istius sacramenti ex parte sumentis.
De quo tria quaeremus: quis debeat communicare, et quoties debeat communicare, et qualiter sumere?
De primo quaeritur, Utrum aliquis in mortali peccato existens debeat sacramenti communionem edere?
Videtur autem, quod sic: quia dicitur, Matth. IX, 12: Non est opus valentibus medicus, sed male habentibus. Et hoc dixit Dominus intrans ad peccatores, et manducans et bibens cum eis. Ergo ex quo male habet qui est in peccato mortali, magis ipse debet simul sumere medicum et medicinam quam alius.
Adhuc, Christus ipsum corpus assumpsit, et a peccatoribus patribus, et pro peccatoribus: ergo etiam peccatoribus videtur esse communicandum.
Adhuc, Quamvis sit fictus, tamen non dicimus male facere qui sumit baptismum: quia licet non tunc in eo baptismus operetur gratiam, tamen recedente fictione operabitur: ergo a simili quamvis aliquis sit in peccato mortali, non debet dici male facere sumendo corpus Domini: quia cum poenitentiam aget de peccato, operabitur in eo gratiam sumptum corpus Domini.
Adhuc, Christus dedit Judae corpus suum cum aliis Apostolis. Et dicunt sancti, quod hoc fecit ut animum suum tanto beneficio a traditionis revocaret proposito. Ergo a simili hoc sacramentum etiam dandum est peccatoribus, ut a proposito peccati revocentur, ut videtur.
Quod si concedatur, in contrarium est quod beatus Augustinus dicit, quod non debet sumere corpus Domini,
CHAPTER III.
On the rite of this sacrament on the part of the one receiving.
1. Now at last one must speak about the rite of this sacrament on the part of the one receiving.
Concerning this we shall ask three things: who ought to communicate, and how often he ought to communicate, and how to receive.
Concerning the first it is asked whether someone existing in mortal sin ought to eat the communion of the sacrament.
But it seems that he should, because it is said in Matthew 9:12: The physician is not needed by those who are well, but by those who are ill. And the Lord said this entering in to sinners and eating and drinking with them. Therefore, since he who is in mortal sin is ill, he more than another ought to receive the physician and the medicine together.
Moreover, Christ assumed the very body both from sinful fathers and for sinners; therefore it seems that it should also be communicated to sinners.
Moreover, although he is feigned, nevertheless we do not say that he who receives baptism does badly, because although baptism does not then operate grace in him, nevertheless when the feigning recedes it will operate. Therefore by likeness, although someone is in mortal sin, he ought not to be said to do badly by receiving the body of the Lord, because when he does penance for sin, the body of the Lord having been received will operate grace in him.
Moreover, Christ gave his body to Judas with the other Apostles. And the saints say that he did this so that he might call back his soul from the purpose of betrayal by so great a benefit. Therefore by likeness this sacrament must also be given to sinners, so that they may be called back from the purpose of sin, as it seems.
But if this is conceded, to the contrary is what blessed Augustine says, that he ought not to receive the body of the Lord,
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