PSEUDO-DIONYSIUS. (Eccl. Hier. 3. in fin.) In this is also shewn, that the one and uncompounded Word of God came to us compounded and visible by taking human nature upon Him, and drawing to Himself our society, made us partakers of the spiritual goods which He distributed, as it follows, And gave to his disciples.
LEO . (Serm. 58, 3.) Not excluding the traitor even from this mystery, that it might be made manifest that Judas was provoked by no wrong, but that he had been foreknown in voluntary impiety.
AUGUSTINE . (in Joan. Tr. 59.) Peter and Judas received of the same bread, but Peter to life, Judas to death.
CHRYSOSTOM . (Hom. lxxxii.) And this John shews when he says, After the sop, Satan entered into him John 13:27. For his sin was aggravated in that he came near to these mysteries with such a heart, and that having come to them, he was made better neither by fear, kindness, nor honour. Christ hindered him not, though He knew all things, that you may learn that He omits nothing which serves for correction.
REMIGIUS . In so doing He left an example to the Church, that it should sever no one from its fellowship, or from the communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord, but for some notorious and public crime,
HILARY . Or, The Passover was concluded by the taking the cup and breaking the bread without Judas, for he was unworthy the communion of eternal sacraments. And that he had left them we learn from thence, that he returns with a multitude.
AUGUSTINE .i And said, Take, eat; The Lord invites His servants to set before them Himself for food. But who would dare to eat his Lord? This food when eaten refreshes, but fails not; He lives after being eaten, Who rose again after being put to death. Neither when we eat Him do we divide His substance; but thus it is in this Sacrament. The faithful know how they feed on Christ’s flesh, each man receives a part for himself. He is divided into parts in the Sacrament, yet He remains whole; He is all in heaven, He is all in thy heart. They are called Sacraments, because in them what is seen is one thing, what is understood is another; what is seen has a material form, what is understood has spiritual fruit.
AUGUSTINE . (in Joan. Tr. 27. 11.) Let us not eat Christ’s flesh only in the Sacrament, for that do many wicked men, but let us eat to spiritual participation, that we may abide as members in the Lord’s body, that we may be quickened by His Spirit.
AMBROSE . (de Sacr. iv. 5.) Before consecration, it is bread; after Christ’s words, This is my body, have been pronounced, it is Christ’s Body.
26:27–29
27. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
29. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
REMIGIUS . The Lord having given His disciples His Body under the element of bread1, well gives the cup of His Blood to them likewise; shewing what joy He has in our salvation, seeing He even shed His Blood for us.
CHRYSOSTOM . He gave thanks to instruct us after what manner we ought to celebrate this mystery, and shewed also thereby that He came not to His Passion against His will. Also He taught us to bear whatsoever we suffer with thanksgiving, and infused into us good hopes. For if the type of this sacrifice, to wit, the offering of the paschal lamb, became the deliverance of the people from Egyptian bondage, much more shall the reality thereof be the deliverance of the world. And gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it. That they should not be distressed at hearing this, He first drank His own blood to lead them without fear to the communion of these mysteries.
JEROME . (Ep. 120. ad Hedib.) Thus then the Lord Jesus was at once guest and feast, the eater and the things eaten.k
CHRYSOSTOM . This is my blood of the new testament; that is, the new promise, covenant, law; for this blood was promised from of old, and this guarantees the new covenant; for as the Old Testament had the blood of sheep and goats, so the New has the Lord’s Blood.
REMIGIUS . For thus it is read, Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you. (Exod. 24:8.)
CHRYSOSTOM . And in calling it blood, He foreshows His Passion, My blood … which shall be shed for many. Also the purpose for which He died, adding, For the remission of sins; as much as to say, The blood of the lamb was shed in Egypt for the salvation of the first born of the Israelites, this My Blood is shed for the remission of sins.
REMIGIUS . And it is to be noted, that He says not, For a few, nor, For all, but, For many; because He came not to redeem a single nation, but many out of all nations.
CHRYSOSTOM . Thus saying, He shews that His Passion is a mystery of the salvation of men, by which also He comforts His disciples. And as Moses said, This shall be an ordinance to thee for ever, (Ex. 12:24.) so Christ speaks as Luke relates, This do in remembrance of me. (Luke 22:19.)
REMIGIUS . And He taught us to offer not bread only, but wine also, to shew that they who hungered and thirsted after righteousness were to be refreshed by these mysteries.
GLOSS . (non occ.) As the refreshment of the body is wrought by means of meat and drink, so under the form of meat and drink the Lord has provided for us spiritual refreshment. And it was suitable that for the shewing forth the Lord’s Passion this Sacrament should be instituted under both kinds. For in His Passion He shed His Blood, and so His Blood was separated from His Body. It behoved therefore, that for representation of His Passion, bread and wine should be separately set forth, which are the Sacrament of the Body and Blood. But it should be known, that under both kinds the whole of Christ is contained; under the bread is contained the Blood, together with the Body; under the wine, the Body together with the Blood.
AMBROSIASTER . (in 1 Cor. 11:26.) And for this reason also do we celebrate under both kinds, because that which we receive avails for the preservation of both body and soul.
CYPRIAN . (Ep. 63, ad Cæcil.) The cup of the Lord is not water only, or wine only, but the two are mixed; so the Lord’s Body cannot be either flour only, or water only, but the two are combined.l