Chapter III.
May abundant fruits return to those who have received the body of the Lord, and in what way Christ responds to the Church overflowing with conviviality: finally, how much joy do the faithful, freed from Egyptian slavery, feel in this food.
Therefore, you came to the altar and received the body of Christ. Listen again to what sacraments you have received. Listen to the holy David saying this; and he foresaw these mysteries in the Spirit, and rejoiced, and said he lacked nothing. Why? Because whoever receives the body of Christ will not hunger forever.
How many times have you heard the twenty-second psalm and not understood it? See how suitable it is for heavenly sacraments (De Consec., dist. 2, c. In calicem, § Audi psalmum): The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He has placed me in a place of pasture. He has led me beside still waters. He has converted my soul. He has guided me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear evil, for You are with me. Your rod and your staff, they have comforted me (Psalm 23, 1 et seq.). The rod represents power, the staff represents suffering, that is, the eternal divinity of Christ, but also His physical suffering: the former created, the latter redeemed. You have prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. How wonderful!
Therefore, you came to the altar, you received the grace of Christ, you obtained heavenly sacraments. The Church rejoices in the redemption of many, and she is delighted to have a chosen family standing before her with spiritual exultation. You have this in the Song of Songs. She rejoices and calls upon Christ, having prepared a banquet that seems worthy of heavenly feasting. Therefore, she says: Let my brother come down into his garden, and take the fruit of his apple trees (Song of Songs 5:1). What are these fruit-bearing trees? You were dry wood in Adam, but now through the grace of Christ you sprout fruit-bearing trees.
The Lord Jesus willingly receives and in heavenly favor responds to His Church: 'I descended,' He says, 'into the garden, I harvested myrrh with my ointments; I ate my bread with my honey and drank my wine with my milk. Eat, my brothers,' He says, 'and be intoxicated.' (Ibid.)
I gathered myrrh with my perfumes. What is this harvest? Learn about the vineyard, and you will recognize the harvest. 'You transferred the vineyard from Egypt,' he says (Psalm 79:9), that is, the people of God. You are the vineyard, you are the harvest: like a vineyard planted, like a harvest you have produced fruit. I gathered myrrh with my perfumes, that is, for the fragrance that you have received.
I ate my bread with honey. Do you see that in this bread there is no bitterness, but all sweetness? I drank my wine with milk. Do you see the joy that is not polluted by any stain of sin? For whenever you drink, you receive the forgiveness of sins and are intoxicated in the spirit. Hence the Apostle says: Do not get drunk with wine... but be filled with the Holy Spirit; for those who are drunk with wine stagger and stumble, but those who are intoxicated in the Spirit are rooted in Christ. And therefore, the excellent drunkenness, which operates the sobriety of the mind. These are the things that we briefly go through about the sacraments.