Chapter IV.
In order to convince that this sacrament is to be held more divinely than manna, Christ himself asserts that the bread itself becomes his body by the same word of Christ: which, after various effects were produced, by which the efficacy of the same word is evident, he confirmed; he gives the reason why the blood is given under another species.
So, who is the author of the sacraments if not the Lord Jesus? These sacraments came from heaven, for every plan is from heaven. Truly, it is a great and divine miracle that God rained manna from heaven for the people, and the people did not labor yet ate.
You may say: My bread is ordinary. But that bread is bread before the words of the sacraments (On Consecration, dist. 2, c. It is bread): when consecration takes place, bread becomes the flesh of Christ. Let us now explain this. How can he who is bread be the body of Christ? Through consecration. But by what words is consecration effected, by whose words? By the words of the Lord Jesus. For all the other things that are said in the preceding context, they are said by the priest, praises are offered to God, prayer is made for the people, for kings, for others; but when one comes to the point of celebrating the venerable sacrament, the priest no longer uses his own words, but he uses the words of Christ. Therefore, the word of Christ completes this sacrament.
What is the word of Christ? Truly, it is the word by which all things were made. The Lord commanded, and the heavens were made; the Lord commanded, and the earth was made; the Lord commanded, and the seas were made. The Lord commanded, and every created creature came into existence (Gen. I, 1 et seq.). Therefore, you see how effective the word of Christ is. If there is such power in the word of the Lord Jesus that things that did not exist began to exist, how much more effective is it that things that existed should be changed into something else? There was no sky, there was no sea, there was no earth; but hear David saying: He himself spoke, and they were made: he himself commanded, and they were created (Psalm 148:5).
So, in order to answer you, the body of Christ was not present before the consecration, but after the consecration I tell you that it is now the body of Christ. He himself said it, and it happened. He himself commanded it, and it was created. You were yourself, but you were an old creature: after being consecrated, you began to be a new creature. Do you want to know how new? Everyone, he says, is a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
Therefore, understand how the speech of Christ has the power to change and alter every created thing, and how it changes the established laws of nature as it wishes. How do you ask? Understand, first of all, the example of his birth. It is the custom that a man is not born unless from a man and a woman, through the bond of marriage: but because the Lord willed it, and because he chose this mystery, Christ was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, that is, the mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (I Tim. II, 5). Do you see, therefore, that because it is contrary to nature and order, man is born from a Virgin?
Take another example. The people of the Jews were being pursued by the Egyptians and were cut off by the sea. By divine command, Moses touched the waters with his rod, and the sea divided itself, not according to its natural custom, but by the grace of the heavenly command (Exodus 14:21 et seq.). Take another example. The people were thirsty and came to a well. The well was bitter, so the holy Moses threw a log into the well, and it became sweet, even though it was bitter. That is, it changed its natural condition and received the sweetness of grace (Exodus 15:23 et seq.). Take the fourth example. The iron axe had fallen into the waters, as if the iron had sunk according to its usual nature: Elisha threw wood into the water, and immediately the iron floated and emerged from the waters (2 Kings 6:6), contrary to the nature of iron; for its material is heavier than the element of water.
Therefore, do you not understand how much the heavenly word operates among all these things? If the word operates in earthly matters, if the heavenly word operates in other things, does it not operate in heavenly Sacraments? Therefore, you have learned that the body of Christ is made from bread, and that wine and water are placed in the chalice: but blood is made by the consecration of the heavenly word (On Consecration, distinction 2, chapter Bread, section Therefore, and section But perhaps).
But perhaps you say: I do not see the appearance of blood. But it has a likeness: for just as you received the likeness of death, so also you drink the likeness of precious blood; so that there is no horror of blood, and yet the price of redemption is accomplished. Therefore, you have learned that what you receive is the body of Christ.