Whether the Matter of This Sacrament Is Bread and Wine?
Objection 1: It seems that the matter of this sacrament is not bread
and wine. Because this sacrament ought to represent Christ's Passion
more fully than did the sacraments of the Old Law. But the flesh of
animals, which was the matter of the sacraments under the Old Law,
shows forth Christ's Passion more fully than bread and wine.
Therefore the matter of this sacrament ought rather to be the flesh
of animals than bread and wine.
Obj. 2: Further, this sacrament is to be celebrated in every place.
But in many lands bread is not to be found, and in many places wine
is not to be found. Therefore bread and wine are not a suitable
matter for this sacrament.
Obj. 3: Further, this sacrament is for both hale and weak. But to
some weak persons wine is hurtful. Therefore it seems that wine ought
not to be the matter of this sacrament.
_On the contrary,_ Pope Alexander I says (Ep. ad omnes orth. i): "In
oblations of the sacraments only bread and wine mixed with water are
to be offered."
_I answer that,_ Some have fallen into various errors about the
matter of this sacrament. Some, known as the Artotyrytae, as
Augustine says (De Haeres. xxviii), "offer bread and cheese in this
sacrament, contending that oblations were celebrated by men in the
first ages, from fruits of the earth and sheep." Others, called
Cataphrygae and Pepuziani, "are reputed to have made their
Eucharistic bread with infants' blood drawn from tiny punctures over
the entire body, and mixed with flour." Others, styled Aquarii, under
guise of sobriety, offer nothing but water in this sacrament.
Now all these and similar errors are excluded by the fact that Christ
instituted this sacrament under the species of bread and wine, as is
evident from Matt. 26. Consequently, bread and wine are the proper
matter of this sacrament. And the reasonableness of this is seen
first, in the use of this sacrament, which is eating: for, as water
is used in the sacrament of Baptism for the purpose of spiritual
cleansing, since bodily cleansing is commonly done with water; so
bread and wine, wherewith men are commonly fed, are employed in this
sacrament for the use of spiritual eating.
Secondly, in relation to Christ's Passion, in which the blood was
separated from the body. And therefore in this sacrament, which is
the memorial of our Lord's Passion, the bread is received apart as
the sacrament of the body, and the wine as the sacrament of the blood.
Thirdly, as to the effect, considered in each of the partakers. For,
as Ambrose (Mag. Sent. iv, D, xi) says on 1 Cor. 11:20, this
sacrament "avails for the defense of soul and body"; and therefore
"Christ's body is offered" under the species of bread "for the health
of the body, and the blood" under the species of wine "for the health
of the soul," according to Lev. 17:14: "The life of the animal
[Vulg.: 'of all flesh'] is in the blood."
Fourthly, as to the effect with regard to the whole Church, which is
made up of many believers, just "as bread is composed of many grains,
and wine flows from many grapes," as the gloss observes on 1 Cor.
10:17: "We being many are . . . one body," etc.
Reply Obj. 1: Although the flesh of slaughtered animals represents
the Passion more forcibly, nevertheless it is less suitable for the
common use of this sacrament, and for denoting the unity of the
Church.
Reply Obj. 2: Although wheat and wine are not produced in every
country, yet they can easily be conveyed to every land, that is, as
much as is needful for the use of this sacrament: at the same time
one is not to be consecrated when the other is lacking, because it
would not be a complete sacrament.
Reply Obj. 3: Wine taken in small quantity cannot do the sick much
harm: yet if there be fear of harm, it is not necessary for all who
take Christ's body to partake also of His blood, as will be stated
later (Q. 80, A. 12).
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