Whether the Whole Christ Is Contained Under This Sacrament?
Objection 1: It seems that the whole Christ is not contained under
this sacrament, because Christ begins to be in this sacrament by
conversion of the bread and wine. But it is evident that the bread
and wine cannot be changed either into the Godhead or into the soul
of Christ. Since therefore Christ exists in three substances, namely,
the Godhead, soul and body, as shown above (Q. 2, A. 5; Q. 5, AA. 1,
3), it seems that the entire Christ is not under this sacrament.
Obj. 2: Further, Christ is in this sacrament, forasmuch as it is
ordained to the refection of the faithful, which consists in food and
drink, as stated above (Q. 74, A. 1). But our Lord said (John 6:56):
"My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed." Therefore,
only the flesh and blood of Christ are contained in this sacrament.
But there are many other parts of Christ's body, for instance, the
nerves, bones, and such like. Therefore the entire Christ is not
contained under this sacrament.
Obj. 3: Further, a body of greater quantity cannot be contained under
the measure of a lesser. But the measure of the bread and wine is
much smaller than the measure of Christ's body. Therefore it is
impossible that the entire Christ be contained under this sacrament.
_On the contrary,_ Ambrose says (De Officiis): "Christ is in this
sacrament."
_I answer that,_ It is absolutely necessary to confess according to
Catholic faith that the entire Christ is in this sacrament. Yet we
must know that there is something of Christ in this sacrament in a
twofold manner: first, as it were, by the power of the sacrament;
secondly, from natural concomitance. By the power of the sacrament,
there is under the species of this sacrament that into which the
pre-existing substance of the bread and wine is changed, as expressed
by the words of the form, which are effective in this as in the other
sacraments; for instance, by the words: "This is My body," or, "This
is My blood." But from natural concomitance there is also in this
sacrament that which is really united with that thing wherein the
aforesaid conversion is terminated. For if any two things be really
united, then wherever the one is really, there must the other also
be: since things really united together are only distinguished by an
operation of the mind.
Reply Obj. 1: Because the change of the bread and wine is not
terminated at the Godhead or the soul of Christ, it follows as a
consequence that the Godhead or the soul of Christ is in this
sacrament not by the power of the sacrament, but from real
concomitance. For since the Godhead never set aside the assumed body,
wherever the body of Christ is, there, of necessity, must the Godhead
be; and therefore it is necessary for the Godhead to be in this
sacrament concomitantly with His body. Hence we read in the
profession of faith at Ephesus (P. I., chap. xxvi): "We are made
partakers of the body and blood of Christ, not as taking common
flesh, nor as of a holy man united to the Word in dignity, but the
truly life-giving flesh of the Word Himself."
On the other hand, His soul was truly separated from His body, as
stated above (Q. 50, A. 5). And therefore had this sacrament been
celebrated during those three days when He was dead, the soul of
Christ would not have been there, neither by the power of the
sacrament, nor from real concomitance. But since "Christ rising from
the dead dieth now no more" (Rom. 6:9), His soul is always really
united with His body. And therefore in this sacrament the body indeed
of Christ is present by the power of the sacrament, but His soul from
real concomitance.
Reply Obj. 2: By the power of the sacrament there is contained under
it, as to the species of the bread, not only the flesh, but the
entire body of Christ, that is, the bones the nerves, and the like.
And this is apparent from the form of this sacrament, wherein it is
not said: "This is My flesh," but "This is My body." Accordingly,
when our Lord said (John 6:56): "My flesh is meat indeed," there the
word flesh is put for the entire body, because according to human
custom it seems to be more adapted for eating, as men commonly are
fed on the flesh of animals, but not on the bones or the like.
Reply Obj. 3: As has been already stated (Q. 75, A. 5), after the
consecration of the bread into the body of Christ, or of the wine
into His blood, the accidents of both remain. From which it is
evident that the dimensions of the bread or wine are not changed into
the dimensions of the body of Christ, but substance into substance.
And so the substance of Christ's body or blood is under this
sacrament by the power of the sacrament, but not the dimensions of
Christ's body or blood. Hence it is clear that the body of Christ is
in this sacrament _by way of substance,_ and not by way of quantity.
But the proper totality of substance is contained indifferently in a
small or large quantity; as the whole nature of air in a great or
small amount of air, and the whole nature of a man in a big or small
individual. Wherefore, after the consecration, the whole substance of
Christ's body and blood is contained in this sacrament, just as the
whole substance of the bread and wine was contained there before the
consecration.
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