it is indeed. One particle from its crumbs is able to sanctify thousands and
thousands, and is sufficient to afford life to those who eat of it. Take, eat,
entertaining no doubt of faith, because this is My Body, and whoever eats it
in belief eats in it Fire and Spirit.”
St. Augustine of Hippo, Explanation of the Psalms 33, 1 (c. 392-418
AD)
“‘And he was carried in his own hands.’ But, brethren, how is it possible
for a man to do this? Who can understand it? Who is it that is carried in his
own hands? A man can be carried in the hands of another; but no one can
be carried in his own hands. How this should be understood literally of
David, we cannot discover; but we can discover how it is meant of Christ.
For Christ was carried in His own hands, when, referring to His own Body,
He said: ‘This is My Body’ for He carried that Body in His hands.”
St. Augustine of Hippo, Explanation of the Psalms 98, 9 (c. 392-418
AD)
“He took flesh from the flesh of Mary. He walked here in the same flesh,
and gave us the same flesh to be eaten unto salvation. But no one eats that
flesh unless first he adores it … and not only do we not sin by adoring, we
do sin by not adoring.”
Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566)
Pt. II, Ch. IV: When instituting this Sacrament, our Lord Himself said:
This is my body. The word this expresses the entire substance of the thing
present; and therefore if the substance of the bread remained, our Lord
could not have truly said: This is my body … In St. John, Christ the Lord
also says: The bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.
The bread which He promises to give, He here declares to be His flesh. A
little after He adds: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink
his blood, you shall not have life in you. And again: My flesh is meat
indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. Since, therefore, in terms so clear
and so explicit, He calls His flesh bread and meat indeed, He gives us
sufficiently to understand that none of the substance of the bread and wine
remains in the Sacrament.
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