Whether It Belongs to Man Alone to Eat This Sacrament Spiritually?
Objection 1: It seems that it does not belong to man alone to eat
this sacrament spiritually, but likewise to angels. Because on Ps.
77:25: "Man ate the bread of angels," the gloss says: "that is, the
body of Christ, Who is truly the food of angels." But it would not be
so unless the angels were to eat Christ spiritually. Therefore the
angels eat Christ spiritually.
Obj. 2: Further, Augustine (Tract. xxvi in Joan.) says: By "this meat
and drink, He would have us to understand the fellowship of His body
and members, which is the Church in His predestinated ones." But not
only men, but also the holy angels belong to that fellowship.
Therefore the holy angels eat of it spiritually.
Obj. 3: Further, Augustine in his book _De Verbis Domini_ (Serm.
cxlii) says: "Christ is to be eaten spiritually, as He Himself
declares: 'He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, abideth in
Me, and I in him.'" But this belongs not only to men, but also to the
holy angels, in whom Christ dwells by charity, and they in Him.
Consequently, it seems that to eat Christ spiritually is not for men
only, but also for the angels.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine (Tract. xxvi in Joan.) says: "Eat the
bread" of the altar "spiritually; take innocence to the altar." But
angels do not approach the altar as for the purpose of taking
something therefrom. Therefore the angels do not eat spiritually.
_I answer that,_ Christ Himself is contained in this sacrament, not
under His proper species, but under the sacramental species.
Consequently there are two ways of eating spiritually. First, as
Christ Himself exists under His proper species, and in this way the
angels eat Christ spiritually inasmuch as they are united with Him in
the enjoyment of perfect charity, and in clear vision (and this is
the bread we hope for in heaven), and not by faith, as we are united
with Him here.
In another way one may eat Christ spiritually, as He is under the
sacramental species, inasmuch as a man believes in Christ, while
desiring to receive this sacrament; and this is not merely to eat
Christ spiritually, but likewise to eat this sacrament; which does
not fall to the lot of the angels. And therefore although the angels
feed on Christ spiritually, yet it does not belong to them to eat
this sacrament spiritually.
Reply Obj. 1: The receiving of Christ under this sacrament is
ordained to the enjoyment of heaven, as to its end, in the same way
as the angels enjoy it; and since the means are gauged by the end,
hence it is that such eating of Christ whereby we receive Him under
this sacrament, is, as it were, derived from that eating whereby the
angels enjoy Christ in heaven. Consequently, man is said to eat the
"bread of angels," because it belongs to the angels to do so firstly
and principally, since they enjoy Him in his proper species; and
secondly it belongs to men, who receive Christ under this sacrament.
Reply Obj. 2: Both men and angels belong to the fellowship of His
mystical body; men by faith, and angels by manifest vision. But the
sacraments are proportioned to faith, through which the truth is seen
"through a glass" and "in a dark manner." And therefore, properly
speaking, it does not belong to angels, but to men, to eat this
sacrament spiritually.
Reply Obj. 3: Christ dwells in men through faith, according to their
present state, but He is in the blessed angels by manifest vision.
Consequently the comparison does not hold, as stated above (ad 2).
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