Works › The Book on the Sacrament of the Eucharist
Volume 38 · pp. 431–432
Chapter III, 1-4
A marker with ≈ is an approximate page boundary, placed by measure of the text; the page photographs remain the authority. In the paired views, clicking a page marker brings that page into view.
Marginal label (printed p. 431): Responsio ad objecta.
nisi qui confortatur bona conscientia.
Adhuc, Magister Hugo de sancto Victore dicit: « Audacter dico, quod etiam si contritus sit aliquis, et non confessus, et poenitentiae satisfactionem non exsolvit, non audeat Eucharistiam recipere. »
Adhuc autem, quod idem videtur dicere Apostolus qui dicit: Probet autem seipsum homo: et sic de pane illo edat, et de calice bibat 1. Dicit autem Augustinus, quod homo se probat experimentum de seipso accipiendo. Ergo communicare non debet, qui de seipso experimentum bonae conscientiae non accepit.
2. Ad haec et similia dicendum, quod absque omni dubio homo existens in mortali peccato Eucharistiam accipere non debet. Arca enim Domini figura corporis Domini est: et quia illam Bethsamitae indigne receperunt, ideo percussi sunt 2. Oza etiam quia manum indigne extendit ut exciperet, cum boves trahentes eam calcitrassent, divisus est et mortuus 3. Si autem hoc fuit in figura corporis Domini, multo magis spiritualiter moritur, qui indignus accipit corpus Domini: et ideo os suum peccator ad corpus Domini non porrigat.
Ad hoc autem quod contra objicitur, dicendum quod in veritate Dominus publicanis et peccatoribus se exhibuit pro quibus venerat: sed haec fuit exterior receptio per quam aliquis praeparabatur ad interiorem. Exteriori enim reverentia potest Dominus etiam a peccatoribus recipi, sicut fuit a Zachaeo 4: sed interius nemo Dominum recipit, nisi digne ad hoc paratus sit. I ad Corinth. X, 20 et 21: Non potestis calicem Domini bibere, et calicem daemoniorum. Non potestis mensae Domini participes esse, et mensae daemoniorum.
Ad aliud autem dicendum, quod corpus a peccatoribus sicut ab Achaz, et Manasse, et Rahab meretrice, et aliis peccatoribus, et pro peccatoribus recepit, sed peccato illud corpus numquam subdidit, nec in vase immundo umquam collocavit: et ideo non est simile de exteriori receptione et interiori.
Ad aliud dicendum, quod Christus Judae corpus suum cum Apostolis tradidit: quia eum prodere non debuit, nec voluit, sed revocare intendit: sed tamen Judas ad damnationem suam corpus Domini accepit. Similiter et sacerdos, si aliquis peccator, cujus peccatum occultum est, publice inter alios os porrigit, debet sacerdos illi corpus Domini dare, ne eum prodat: ipse tamen ad suam hoc accipit damnationem, sicut et Judas. Et sacerdos in hoc casu facit quod Dominus fecit: quia illa benignitate qua ei cum aliis porrigit, peccatorem, quantum in se est, revocat a proposito peccandi. Ad Roman. II, 4 et 5: Ignoras quoniam benignitas Dei ad poenitentiam te adducit? Secundum duritiam autem tuam, et impoenitens cor, thesaurizas tibi iram in die irae.
Ad hoc autem quod objicitur in contrarium, dicunt Doctores, quod sufficienter confortatus est bono conscientiae testimonio, qui contritus est de omnibus peccatis cum proposito de caetero non peccandi, quamvis nec sit confessus, nec satisfecerit: quia in compunctione Deus peccatum dimittit, et dimisso peccato est homo in communione sanctorum, et tunc communicare poterit. Confessionem autem, ut dicunt, differre poterit tribus de causis. Quarum una est: quia forte confessorem proprium non statim habere poterit, vel tunc tempus confessionis secundum statum concilii non adhuc venit, vel infirmitatis necessitatis articulus confessionem non exposcit.
Marginal label (printed p. 431): Response to the objections.
except he who is strengthened by a good conscience.
Moreover, Master Hugh of Saint Victor says: "I say boldly that even if someone is contrite and has not confessed and has not paid the satisfaction of penance, let him not dare to receive the Eucharist."
Moreover, the Apostle seems to say the same thing, who says: But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice 1. But Augustine says that a man proves himself by taking an experience concerning himself. Therefore he ought not to communicate who has not received concerning himself the experience of a good conscience.
2. To these and similar things it must be said that without any doubt a man existing in mortal sin ought not to receive the Eucharist. For the ark of the Lord is the figure of the body of the Lord; and because the Bethshemites received it unworthily, therefore they were struck 2. Also Uzzah, because he unworthily extended his hand to receive it when the oxen drawing it kicked, was divided and died 3. But if this was in figure of the body of the Lord, much more does he die spiritually who receives the body of the Lord unworthily; and therefore let the sinner not extend his mouth to the body of the Lord.
But to this which is objected against it, it must be said that in truth the Lord showed himself to publicans and sinners for whom he had come; but this was an exterior reception through which someone was prepared for the interior. For by exterior reverence the Lord can also be received by sinners, as he was by Zacchaeus 4; but interiorly no one receives the Lord unless he is worthily prepared for this. 1 Corinthians 10:20 and 21: You cannot drink the chalice of the Lord and the chalice of demons. You cannot be sharers of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.
To the other it must be said that he received a body from sinners such as Ahaz and Manasseh and Rahab the harlot and other sinners, and for sinners, but he never subjected that body to sin, nor ever placed it in an unclean vessel; and therefore it is not similar concerning exterior reception and interior reception.
To the other it must be said that Christ handed his body to Judas with the Apostles, because he ought not and did not wish to betray him, but intended to call him back; but nevertheless Judas received the body of the Lord to his own damnation. Similarly also the priest, if some sinner whose sin is hidden publicly extends his mouth among others, ought to give the body of the Lord to him, lest he betray him; yet that man receives this to his own damnation, just as Judas did. And the priest in this case does what the Lord did, because by that kindness by which he extends it to him with others, as much as is in him, he calls the sinner back from the purpose of sinning. Romans 2:4 and 5: Do you not know that the kindness of God leads you to penance? But according to your hardness and impenitent heart, you store up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath.
But to this which is objected to the contrary, the Doctors say that he who is contrite concerning all sins with the purpose of not sinning thereafter is sufficiently strengthened by the testimony of a good conscience, although he has neither confessed nor satisfied; because in compunction God remits sin, and when sin has been remitted the man is in the communion of saints, and then he will be able to communicate. But confession, as they say, he will be able to defer for three reasons. One of these is because perhaps he will not be able to have his proper confessor immediately, or then the time of confession according to the status of the council has not yet come, or the moment of necessity from infirmity does not require confession.
Ad hoc quod dicitur de magistro Hugone, dicendum quod loquitur in quo casu vel tempus constitutionis, vel articulus necessitatis confessionem exposcit, et praesentia habetur confessoris.
Ad hoc quod de Apostolo objicitur, dicendum, quod satis se probavit, qui per viam contritionis iniquitatem in se non invenit. Psal. XXV, 2: Proba me, Domine, et tenta me: ure renes meos et cor meum. Et, Psal. CXXXVII, 23 et 24: Proba me, Deus, et scito cor meum: interroga me, et cognosce semitas meas: et vide si via iniquitatis in me est.
3. Secundo, tractandum est quoties aliquis debeat communicare.
De hoc autem dicit Canon antiquus, quod ad minus ter in anno: in Natali Domini, Pascha, et Pentecoste est communicandum, et ad illa festa debet se homo praeparare: quia etiam ter in anno tribus Israel convenerunt in Jerusalem ut epularentur coram Domino.
Concilium Lateranense dicit, quod semel in anno ad minus est confitendum et communicandum.
Augustinus autem dicit, quod omni die communicantem non reprehendit, si ex devotione facit: raro etiam communicantem non reprehendit, si ex humilitate dimittit.
Beatus autem Gregorius in Dialogo, quemdam sacerdotem laudat, qui omni die ex devotione celebravit.
Beatus autem Hieronymus in Vitis Patrum, laudat abbatem, qui post susceptum ordinem numquam ex reverentia sacramenti celebrare ausus fuit.
Et in his omnibus videtur mihi esse dicendum, quod medium tenere est beatum: quia in medio tutissimus ibis, aliquando celebrando, et aliquando intermittendo, nisi officium exigat, ut omni die celebretur.
De his autem qui mulieres omni die communicant, videtur mihi quod acriter reprehendendi sunt: quia nimio usu vilescere faciunt sacramentum, vel potius ex levitate mulierum putatur esse desiderium quam ex devotione causatum.
4. Ultimo autem quaerendum est de hujus sacramenti duplici manducatione, sacramentali scilicet, et spirituali.
Sacramentalis quidem est, quando sumitur usque ad perceptionem sacramenti, hoc est, usque ad perceptionem veri corporis Christi. Et hoc quidem modo saepe sumitur etiam ab indignis, sicut a Juda sumptum fuit: et haec quidem sacramentalis sumptio fit secundum confessionem Berengarii, quando ore sumitur et dentibus atteritur corpus Domini, quamvis haec attritio et masticatio ad formas tantum sacramentales referatur, sicut in ante habitis in tertio hujus summae tractatu est ostensum 5.
Spiritualis autem sumptio sive manducatio fit, quando percipitur sacramentum usque ad gratiae spiritualis perceptionem. Et hoc fit dupliciter: aliquando enim spiritualis est cum sacramentali: aliquando autem est sine illa, quando sacramentum articulus necessitatis, et non contemptus religionis excludit. Quae autem sit gratia in hoc sacramento percepta, multum in praemissis determinatum est. Hoc autem modo omni die percipere sacramentum spirituali manducatione est laudabile: quia de illa scriptum est, Eccli. XXIV, 29: Qui edunt me adhuc esurient, et qui bibunt me adhuc sitient. Nec umquam de illa dulcedine satiabitur anima in hac vita, sed dicit Psalmista, Psal. XVI, 15: Satiabor cum apparuerit gloria tua.
Haec de Eucharistia propter honorem Jesu Christi a nobis scripta sunt, ex quibus multa alia intelligi possunt. Et quidquid lectori in dictis displicet, parcat simplicitati: quia si non subtiliter, tamen utiliter multa in eis dicta inveniet. Amen.
To this which is said concerning Master Hugh, it must be said that he speaks in the case where either the time of the constitution or the moment of necessity requires confession, and the presence of a confessor is had.
To this which is objected concerning the Apostle, it must be said that he has proven himself sufficiently who through the way of contrition finds no iniquity in himself. Psalm 25:2: Prove me, Lord, and test me; burn my reins and my heart. And Psalm 137:23 and 24: Prove me, God, and know my heart; question me and know my paths, and see if the way of iniquity is in me.
3. Secondly, one must treat how often someone ought to communicate.
But concerning this the ancient canon says that at least three times in the year, at the Nativity of the Lord, Passover, and Pentecost, one must communicate, and for those feasts a man ought to prepare himself, because also three times in the year the tribes of Israel gathered in Jerusalem so that they might feast before the Lord.
The Lateran Council says that at least once in the year one must confess and communicate.
But Augustine says that he does not rebuke one communicating every day, if he does it from devotion; he also does not rebuke one communicating rarely, if he omits it from humility.
But blessed Gregory in the Dialogue praises a certain priest who celebrated every day from devotion.
But blessed Jerome in the Lives of the Fathers praises an abbot who, after receiving order, never dared to celebrate from reverence for the sacrament.
And in all these things it seems to me that one must say that to hold the middle is blessed, because in the middle you will go most safely, sometimes celebrating and sometimes refraining, unless office requires that it be celebrated every day.
But concerning those who communicate women every day, it seems to me that they must be sharply rebuked, because by excessive use they cause the sacrament to become cheap, or rather because it is thought to be a desire caused from the lightness of women than from devotion.
4. But last, one must ask concerning the twofold eating of this sacrament, namely sacramental and spiritual.
Sacramental eating indeed occurs when it is received up to the perception of the sacrament, that is, up to the perception of the true body of Christ. And in this way indeed it is often received even by the unworthy, as it was received by Judas; and this sacramental reception indeed occurs according to the confession of Berengar, when the body of the Lord is received by the mouth and ground by the teeth, although this grinding and chewing is referred only to the sacramental forms, as was shown in the things had before in the third tractate of this sum 5.
But spiritual reception or eating occurs when the sacrament is perceived up to the perception of spiritual grace. And this happens in two ways: for sometimes spiritual eating is with sacramental eating, but sometimes it is without it, when a moment of necessity and not contempt of religion excludes the sacrament. But what the grace perceived in this sacrament is has been much determined in the preceding matters. But to perceive the sacrament in this way every day by spiritual eating is praiseworthy, because concerning it it is written in Sirach 24:29: Those who eat me will still hunger, and those who drink me will still thirst. Nor will the soul ever be sated with that sweetness in this life, but the Psalmist says, Psalm 16:15: I shall be satisfied when your glory appears.
These things concerning the Eucharist have been written by us for the honor of Jesus Christ, from which many other things can be understood. And whatever in the things said displeases the reader, let him spare simplicity, because if not subtly, nevertheless usefully he will find many things said in them. Amen.
If a page does not appear, its photograph has not been uploaded yet.