Ad Officium
lectionis
Lectio altera
Ex Catechésibus
Hierosolymitánis
(Ex Catechésibus Hierosolymitánis (Cat. 22, Mystagogica 4, 1.
3-6. 9: PG 33, 1098-1106)
Panis cælestis et poculum salutis
In ea nocte qua tradebátur Dóminus noster
Iesus Christus, sumpto pane et grátiis actis, fregit et dedit suis discípulis
dicens: Accípite, manducáte; hoc est corpus meum. Et, sumpto cálice ac grátiis
actis, dixit: Accípite, bíbite; hic est sanguis meus. Cum ígitur ipse
pronuntiáverit et díxerit de pane: Hoc meum est corpus, quis audébit deínceps
ambígere? Et cum ipse asseveráverit et díxerit: Hic meus est sanguis, quis
umquam dubitáverit, aiens non esse eius sánguinem?
Quare cum omni persuasióne tamquam corpus
et sánguinem Christi illa sumámus. Nam in figúra panis datur tibi corpus, et in
figúra vini datur tibi sanguis; ut, cum súmpseris corpus et sánguinem Christi,
concorpóreus et consanguíneus ipsi efficiáris. Sic enim et christíferi
effícimur, distribúto in membra nostra córpore eius et sánguine. Sic iuxta
beátum Petrum divínæ simus consórtes natúræ.
Olim Christus cum Iudæis dísserens aiébat:
Nisi manducavéritis meam carnem et bibéritis meum sánguinem, non habébitis
vitam in vobis ipsis. Cum autem illi ea quæ dicebántur non spiritáliter
cepíssent, offénsi abiérunt retro, existimántes quod eos ad manducándas carnes
hortarétur.
Erant et in antíquo fœdere panes
propositiónis; verum illi cum ad vetus testaméntum attinérent, finem accepérunt.
In novo vero testaménto, panis est cæléstis et póculum salutáre, ánimam et
corpus sanctificántia. Quemádmodum enim panis córpori convéniens est, ita et
Verbum ánimæ consentáneum.
Quámobrem ne tamquam nudis et commúnibus
eleméntis pani et vino eucharísticis atténde: sunt enim corpus et sanguis
Christi, secúndum Dómini asseveratiónem; nam etiámsi illud tibi súggerat
sensus, fides tamen te certum et firmum effíciat.
Istæc edóctus et certíssima imbútus fide
quod qui vidétur panis, panis non est, tamétsi gustu sensíbilis sit, sed corpus
Christi; et quod vidétur vinum, vinum non est, etiámsi ita gústui videátur, sed
sanguis Christi; quodque ea de re antíquitus in psalmis aiébat David: Et panis
cor hóminis confírmat, ut exhílaret fáciem in óleo: confírma cor tuum, panem
illum tamquam spiritálem sumens, et ánimæ tuæ fáciem exhílara.
Quam útinam fáciem retéctam habens in pura
consciéntia, glóriam Dómini velut in spéculo contémplans, eas ex glória in
glóriam, in Christo Iesu Dómino nostro, cui honor et potéstas et glória in
sæcula sæculórum. Amen.
Second Reading
From the Jerusalem Catecheses
The bread of Heaven and the cup of salvation
On the night he was betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said: “Take, eat: this is my body.” He took the cup, gave thanks and said: “Take, drink: this is my blood.” Since Christ himself has declared the bread to be his body, who can have any further doubt? Since he himself has said quite categorically, This is my blood, who would dare to question it and say that it is not his blood?
Therefore, it is with complete assurance that we receive the bread and wine as the body and blood of Christ. His body is given to us under the symbol of bread, and his blood is given to us under the symbol of wine, in order to make us by receiving them one body and blood with him. Having his body and blood in our members, we become bearers of Christ and sharers, as Saint Peter says, in the divine nature.
Once, when speaking to the Jews, Christ said: Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you shall have no life in you. This horrified them and they left him. Not understanding his words in a spiritual way, they thought the Saviour wished them to practise cannibalism.
Under the old covenant there was showbread, but it came to an end with the old dispensation to which it belonged. Under the new covenant there is bread from heaven and the cup of salvation. These sanctify both soul and body, the bread being adapted to the sanctification of the body, the Word, to the sanctification of the soul.
Do not, then, regard the eucharistic elements as ordinary bread and wine: they are in fact the body and blood of the Lord, as he himself has declared. Whatever your senses may tell you, be strong in faith.
You have been taught and you are firmly convinced that what looks and tastes like bread and wine is not bread and wine but the body and the blood of Christ. You know also how David referred to this long ago when he sang: Bread gives strength to man’s heart and makes his face shine with the oil of gladness. Strengthen your heart, then, by receiving this bread as spiritual bread, and bring joy to the face of your soul.
May purity of conscience remove the veil from the face of your soul so that by contemplating the glory of the Lord, as in a mirror, you may be transformed from glory to glory in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Second Reading
From the Jerusalem Catecheses
The bread of Heaven and the cup of salvation
On the night he was betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said: “Take, eat: this is my body.” He took the cup, gave thanks and said: “Take, drink: this is my blood.” Since Christ himself has declared the bread to be his body, who can have any further doubt? Since he himself has said quite categorically, This is my blood, who would dare to question it and say that it is not his blood?
Therefore, it is with complete assurance that we receive the bread and wine as the body and blood of Christ. His body is given to us under the symbol of bread, and his blood is given to us under the symbol of wine, in order to make us by receiving them one body and blood with him. Having his body and blood in our members, we become bearers of Christ and sharers, as Saint Peter says, in the divine nature.
Once, when speaking to the Jews, Christ said: Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you shall have no life in you. This horrified them and they left him. Not understanding his words in a spiritual way, they thought the Saviour wished them to practise cannibalism.
Under the old covenant there was showbread, but it came to an end with the old dispensation to which it belonged. Under the new covenant there is bread from heaven and the cup of salvation. These sanctify both soul and body, the bread being adapted to the sanctification of the body, the Word, to the sanctification of the soul.
Do not, then, regard the eucharistic elements as ordinary bread and wine: they are in fact the body and blood of the Lord, as he himself has declared. Whatever your senses may tell you, be strong in faith.
You have been taught and you are firmly convinced that what looks and tastes like bread and wine is not bread and wine but the body and the blood of Christ. You know also how David referred to this long ago when he sang: Bread gives strength to man’s heart and makes his face shine with the oil of gladness. Strengthen your heart, then, by receiving this bread as spiritual bread, and bring joy to the face of your soul.
May purity of conscience remove the veil from the face of your soul so that by contemplating the glory of the Lord, as in a mirror, you may be transformed from glory to glory in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
