Whether This Is the Form of This Sacrament: "This Is My Body," and
"This Is the Chalice of My Blood"?
Objection 1: It seems that this is not the form of this sacrament:
"This is My body," and, "This is the chalice of My blood." Because
those words seem to belong to the form of this sacrament, wherewith
Christ consecrated His body and blood. But Christ first blessed the
bread which He took, and said afterwards: "Take ye and eat; this is
My body" (Matt. 26:26). Therefore the whole of this seems to belong
to the form of this sacrament: and the same reason holds good of the
words which go with the consecration of the blood.
Obj. 2: Further, Eusebius Emissenus (Pseudo-Hieron: Ep. xxix;
Pseudo-Isid.: Hom. iv) says: "The invisible Priest changes visible
creatures into His own body, saying: 'Take ye and eat; this is My
body.'" Therefore, the whole of this seems to belong to the form of
this sacrament: and the same hold good of the works appertaining to
the blood.
Obj. 3: Further, in the form of Baptism both the minister and his act
are expressed, when it is said, "I baptize thee." But in the words
set forth above there is no mention made either of the minister or of
his act. Therefore the form of the sacrament is not a suitable one.
Obj. 4: Further, the form of the sacrament suffices for its
perfection; hence the sacrament of Baptism can be performed sometimes
by pronouncing the words of the form only, omitting all the others.
Therefore, if the aforesaid words be the form of this sacrament, it
would seem as if this sacrament could be performed sometimes by
uttering those words alone, while leaving out all the others which
are said in the mass; yet this seems to be false, because, were the
other words to be passed over, the said words would be taken as
spoken in the person of the priest saying them, whereas the bread and
wine are not changed into his body and blood. Consequently, the
aforesaid words are not the form of this sacrament.
_On the contrary,_ Ambrose says (De Sacram. iv): "The consecration is
accomplished by the words and expressions of the Lord Jesus. Because,
by all the other words spoken, praise is rendered to God, prayer is
put up for the people, for kings, and others; but when the time comes
for perfecting the sacrament, the priest uses no longer his own
words, but the words of Christ. Therefore, it is Christ's words that
perfect this sacrament."
_I answer that,_ This sacrament differs from the other sacraments in
two respects. First of all, in this, that this sacrament is
accomplished by the consecration of the matter, while the rest are
perfected in the use of the consecrated matter. Secondly, because in
the other sacraments the consecration of the matter consists only in
a blessing, from which the matter consecrated derives instrumentally
a spiritual power, which through the priest who is an animated
instrument, can pass on to inanimate instruments. But in this
sacrament the consecration of the matter consists in the miraculous
change of the substance, which can only be done by God; hence the
minister in performing this sacrament has no other act save the
pronouncing of the words. And because the form should suit the thing,
therefore the form of this sacrament differs from the forms of the
other sacraments in two respects. First, because the form of the
other sacraments implies the use of the matter, as for instance,
baptizing, or signing; but the form of this sacrament implies merely
the consecration of the matter, which consists in transubstantiation,
as when it is said, "This is My body," or, "This is the chalice of My
blood." Secondly, because the forms of the other sacraments are
pronounced in the person of the minister, whether by way of
exercising an act, as when it is said, "I baptize thee," or "I
confirm thee," etc.; or by way of command, as when it is said in the
sacrament of order, "Take the power," etc.; or by way of entreaty, as
when in the sacrament of Extreme Unction it is said, "By this
anointing and our intercession," etc. But the form of this sacrament
is pronounced as if Christ were speaking in person, so that it is
given to be understood that the minister does nothing in perfecting
this sacrament, except to pronounce the words of Christ.
Reply Obj. 1: There are many opinions on this matter. Some have said
that Christ, Who had power of excellence in the sacraments, performed
this sacrament without using any form of words, and that afterwards
He pronounced the words under which others were to consecrate
thereafter. And the words of Pope Innocent III seem to convey the
same sense (De Sacr. Alt. Myst. iv), where he says: "In good sooth it
can be said that Christ accomplished this sacrament by His Divine
power, and subsequently expressed the form under which those who came
after were to consecrate." But in opposition to this view are the
words of the Gospel in which it is said that Christ "blessed," and
this blessing was effected by certain words. Accordingly those words
of Innocent are to be considered as expressing an opinion, rather
than determining the point.
Others, again, have said that the blessing was effected by other
words not known to us. But this statement cannot stand, because the
blessing of the consecration is now performed by reciting the things
which were then accomplished; hence, if the consecration was not
performed then by these words, neither would it be now.
Accordingly, others have maintained that this blessing was effected
by the same words as are used now; but that Christ spoke them twice,
at first secretly, in order to consecrate, and afterwards openly, to
instruct others. But even this will not hold good, because the priest
in consecrating uses these words, not as spoken in secret, but as
openly pronounced. Accordingly, since these words have no power
except from Christ pronouncing them, it seems that Christ also
consecrated by pronouncing them openly.
And therefore others said that the Evangelists did not always follow
the precise order in their narrative as that in which things actually
happened, as is seen from Augustine (De Consens. Evang. ii). Hence it
is to be understood that the order of what took place can be
expressed thus: "Taking the bread He blessed it, saying: This is My
body, and then He broke it, and gave it to His disciples." But the
same sense can be had even without changing the words of the Gospel;
because the participle "saying" implies sequence of the words uttered
with what goes before. And it is not necessary for the sequence to be
understood only with respect to the last word spoken, as if Christ
had just then pronounced those words, when He gave it to His
disciples; but the sequence can be understood with regard to all that
had gone before; so that the sense is: "While He was blessing, and
breaking, and giving it to His disciples, He spoke the words, 'Take
ye,'" etc.
Reply Obj. 2: In these words, "Take ye and eat," the use of the
consecrated, matter is indicated, which is not of the necessity of
this sacrament, as stated above (Q. 74, A. 7). And therefore not even
these words belong to the substance of the form. Nevertheless,
because the use of the consecrated matter belongs to a certain
perfection of the sacrament, in the same way as operation is not the
first but the second perfection of a thing, consequently, the whole
perfection of this sacrament is expressed by all those words: and it
was in this way that Eusebius understood that the sacrament was
accomplished by those words, as to its first and second perfection.
Reply Obj. 3: In the sacrament of Baptism the minister exercises an
act regarding the use of the matter, which is of the essence of the
sacrament: such is not the case in this sacrament; hence there is no
parallel.
Reply Obj. 4: Some have contended that this sacrament cannot be
accomplished by uttering the aforesaid words, while leaving out the
rest, especially the words in the Canon of the Mass. But that this is
false can be seen both from Ambrose's words quoted above, as well as
from the fact that the Canon of the Mass is not the same in all
places or times, but various portions have been introduced by various
people.
Accordingly it must be held that if the priest were to pronounce only
the aforesaid words with the intention of consecrating this
sacrament, this sacrament would be valid because the intention would
cause these words to be understood as spoken in the person of Christ,
even though the words were pronounced without those that precede. The
priest, however, would sin gravely in consecrating the sacrament
thus, as he would not be observing the rite of the Church. Nor does
the comparison with Baptism prove anything; for it is a sacrament of
necessity: whereas the lack of this sacrament can be supplied by the
spiritual partaking thereof, as Augustine says (cf. Q. 73, A. 3, ad
1).
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