Chapter — Gury-Ballerini, Compendium of Moral Theology (8th ed., 1884)
Chapter I. On the Nature and Efficacy of the Eucharist
The Eucharist is defined: The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, under the species of bread and wine, for the spiritual refreshment of souls.
- Matters To Be Established As Of Faith. - I. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist Christ is really present in body and soul, together with the divinity. This is clear: 1. from the words of the promise of the Most Holy Eucharist in John 6.52: The bread which I will give is my flesh for the life of the world, etc.; 2. from the words of institution of the Most Holy Eucharist at the last supper, Matt. 26.26: This is my body, etc.; 3. from the whole tradition, and also from the definition of the Church; for thus Trent, sess. 13, can. 1: If anyone shall deny that in the Sacrament of the most holy Eucharist there are contained truly, really, and substantially the Body and Blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ, but shall say that he is in it only as in a sign, or figure, or virtue, let him be anathema.
II. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist the whole Christ is contained under each species, and, when separation has been made, in any part of the species, at least a sensible part, and indeed permanently.
Hence Christ is contained as much under either one species as under both; as much in the least part of either species, at least when separation has been made, as in a greater part or in the whole species. Therefore the entire Body of Christ is had under the species of wine, no otherwise than under the species of bread. For although, by force of the words, the Body is placed under the species of bread, and the Blood under the species of wine, nevertheless the whole Body exists undivided under the individual species. The reason is that, since the Body of Christ is living, all its parts by force of natural concomitance are inseparable, since Christ rising from the dead now dieth no more, as the Apostle says, Rom. 6.9. The divinity also exists under each species because of the admirable hypostatic union by which the body and soul are joined to the person of the Word. Concerning all these things it is clear from Trent, sess. 13, ch. 3 and can. 1 and 3. - Likewise from the Decree of the Council of Florence to the Armenians.
III. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist there is true transubstantiation, or the real conversion of the whole substance of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, so that, when the consecration has been completed, nothing remains of the bread and wine, the species alone excepted. This is clear: 1. from Sacred Scripture, namely from the words of Christ: This is my body, etc.; for these words signify simply that the present matter is the body of Christ, nor would they be simply true if the substance of bread remained together with the body of Christ; 2. from the whole tradition, and from the definition of the Church in many Councils, especially in Trent, sess. 13, can. 2.
- Questions. - QUESTION 1. How long does Christ remain really present in the Eucharist?
Resp. He remains as long as the species remain entire; but he ceases to be under them as soon as the species are corrupted in such a way that, according to the estimation of men, they no longer seem to be bread and wine. - Then, by the law established by God in the institution of this Sacrament, the same matter is substituted for the species which would succeed corrupted bread and wine. - St. Ligorius, n. 225. - Lacroix, n. 474.
QUESTION 2. How long are the sacred species judged to remain entire after reception of the Sacrament?
Resp. It is not established; some say after a minute, others after five minutes, others after half a quarter of an hour 1. But they remain longer in a Priest, who in Mass communicates under each species and with a larger Host, than in a layman, who according to custom receives only a small Host. - St. Ligorius, ibid., etc.
1 Concerning this matter it seems that no general rule at all can be handed down. shorter or longer delay is chiefly to be sought from the different digestive power of different men. Nor is it only ascertained that some have easier digestion, others more difficult digestion, but that the same man also, according to different circumstances, both internal, namely the habit of the body and especially of the stomach, and external, for example according to the temperature of the weather, digests foods now more quickly, now more slowly; and we know that not rarely it has happened that, after vomiting had been provoked after a longer space, for example of half an hour or even an hour, the sacramental species were returned almost entire.
- QUESTION 3. Whether the Eucharist is one Sacrament or a twofold Sacrament?
Resp. It is one Sacrament in species, although there are several signs. For although there is a physical plurality of sign, nevertheless there is moral unity; for the Sacrament of the Eucharist, although it is composed of the species of bread and wine physically distinct, nevertheless is ordered to one spiritual refreshment in species, as to the end and signified effect, just as material food and drink are ordered to a single bodily refreshment. Thus in Extreme Unction there are several anointings, and nevertheless one Sacrament is had, because those several anointings are ordered to one end and effect, namely to taking away the remains of sins. - Thus most commonly and certainly with St. Thomas, 3 part, q. 73, art. 2. - St. Ligorius, n. 194 and 199.
- QUESTION 4. What are the effects of the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the soul?
Resp. The principal effects are the following, namely: 1. the increase of sanctifying grace, which constitutes the principal effect of the Eucharist. For according to the words of Christ (John 6.56), My flesh is truly food, this Sacrament was instituted as spiritual nourishment; and nourishment supposes life in him who receives it; from this it happens that through this nourishment the very life of the soul, which chiefly consists in sanctifying grace, is strengthened and increased; 2. the attainment of eternal glory, for Christ promises this: If anyone shall eat of this bread, he shall live forever (John 6.52, etc.); 3. a most abundant bestowal of actual graces, which flow from habitual grace and infused habits; 4. the weakening of evil habits and correction of vices, especially of lust; 5. the remission of venial sins; this is clear from Trent, sess. 13, ch. 2, where the Eucharist is called the antidote by which we are freed from daily faults and preserved from mortal sins; 6. the remission of temporal punishment due to sin, not indeed of the whole, but according to the manner of devotion and fervor, as St. Thomas says, part 3, q. 79, art. 5; 7. special union with Christ and his members, as is clear from John 6.57: He who eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him; 8. preservation from future sins, both because, charity being increased through this food, the soul becomes stronger against corrupted nature, and because it is an efficacious memorial of the Lord's Passion, through which the demons were conquered. - St. Ligorius, n. 268 and 269, Homo apostolicus, n. 5.
QUESTION 5. Whether the Eucharist can ever delete mortal sin?
Resp. The answer is affirmative, more probably, not indeed per se, but per accidens and mediately through the infusion of grace, namely when someone, ignorant that he is in a state of mortal sin, approaches the Eucharist in good faith and with attrition concerning sins committed beforehand. Then nothing prevents the Sacrament from producing its effect; but it cannot produce the effect while mortal sin remains. Therefore it must indirectly remove that sin. - St. Ligorius, n. 268. - Recall the things said on the Sacraments in general, n. 192.