The Eucharist Through the Centuries: The Fifth Century

"Thou hast made us for thyself, 

O Lord, and our hearts

 are restless until they rest in thee."
St. Augustine

Holy Family Catholic Church Modesto, California

"The main purpose of this work is to trace elements of Eucharistic  doctrine from the day our Lord Jesus Christ announced it for the first time in the synagogue in Capernaum (John, Chapter 6) down to our day."  Rev. Roberto de la Vega, Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Eucharist Through The Centuries. 

St. Jerome (347 - 420) 

St. Jerome was born in Dalmatia in what is now Bosnia.  He served for awhile as secretary to Pope Damasus, who asked St. Jerome to translate the books of the Bible from their original Hebrew and Greek into Latin.  His version would be called the Vulgate.  Here are some of St. Jerome's writings: 

"Ignorance of the Scriptures, is ignorance of Christ." 

"Christ is present in his word, since it is he himself who speaks when the Scriptures are read in the Church."  

"Since the flesh of the Lord is real food, and his blood real drink, spiritually speaking, we have in this present life only one good thing, namely, to eat his flesh and drink his blood not only in the Eucharist, but also in the reading of the Scriptures.  For the knowledge of the Scriptures is true food and drink taken from God's word." 

"The Savior of the human race celebrated the Pasch in an upper room...he (Christ) entrusted the mystery of the body and blood to his disciples, and left us the eternal feast of the spotless Lamb." 

"That which is written in the Gospel of Matthew (6:11) according to the Latin interpreter is 'Give us this day our daily bread.'  But it is better in Greek: 'our supersubstantial bread'; that is, the principal, special or singular bread."

St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo (354 - 430) 

St. Augustine was born in Tagaste in what is now part of Algiers to a pagan father.  His mother was St. Monica.  St. Augustine lead an immoral life until finally his mother was able to get him to meet with St. Ambrose.  St. Augustine in his search for the truth read st. Paul's Letter to the Romans, "Let us live decently, as people do in daytime: no drunken orgies, no promiscuity, no licentiousness, no wrangling..."  St. Augustine wrote, "I had neither desire nor need to read further.  The miracle of grace was worked in calm and silence."  St. Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose.  Here are some of St. Augustine's writings: 

"Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee." 

"It has pleased the Holy Spirit that, in honor of so great a sacrament, the body of Christ enter the mouth of a Christian before other foods." 

"Therefore, newly baptized, take and eat the body of Christ, now that you have become members of Christ in the body of Christ (the Church).  Take and drink the blood of Christ.  Do not become separated; eat the bond that unites you." 

"Four things are to be considered in every sacrifice:  to whom it is offered; by whom it is offered; what is offered; and for whom it is offered.  Christ himself is the one true mediator, who reconciles us to God through his sacrifice of peace.  He remains one with him (God the Father) to whom the sacrifice is offered.  He remains united with those for whom the sacrifice is offered (the Church, the mystical body of Christ).  He himself is the  one who offers the sacrifice; and he himself is what is offered."  

Rabulas, Bishop of Edessa (died c. 436) 

"Particles of the sacred body that fall to the floor (when Communion is distributed) are to be sought diligently. If they are found, scrape the place in which they fell. If they fall in the dirt, mix the dirt with water...If a particle is not found, scrape the floor anyway, just as we said.  Do the same thing, if some of the sacred blood has been spilled.  If the floor is of stone, let live coals be placed on it."  

St. Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria (Egypt) (died 444) 

St. Cyril is known as the Doctor of the Incarnation for having staunchly defended the personal unity of Christ.  

"Christ has let us go free, that is, free of our sins.  He has made us resplendent with the grace of adoption, and has given himself to us as good viaticum (food for our journey through life).  For our good he was led away as the immaculate Victim, as a sheep to its killer.  He has granted us a participation in the life-giving blessings, that is, of his flesh and blood."  

"Christ spoke in a demonstrative way, 'This is my body and this is my blood,' so that you do not think that the things that you see are a figure or type; but the offerings are really transformed into the body and blood of Christ through the ineffable action of God the Almighty.  When we partake of the body and blood of Christ, we receive his life-giving and sanctifying strength.  It is property that Christ, through the Holy Spirit, penetrate into us in a manner worthy of God with his holy flesh and precious blood in our bodies.  We have the flesh and body of Christ in the form of bread and wine as a life-giving blessing, so that we do not remain unmoved when we see his flesh and blood exposed on the sacred altars of the churches."

"By partaking of the body of Christ and of his precious blood he unites himself to us, and we unite ourselves to him." 

"Therefore make up your mind to live a good and holy life, and thus partake of the blessing (Eucharist).  Believe that the Eucharist has the power not only to destroy death but also our weaknesses."    

"I hear that they say that the mystical blessing (Eucharist) will not sanctify, if some of it remains for another day.  But those who say such things are wrong.  Because Christ does not change, nor will his holy body be changed, because the force of the blessing and the life-giving grace are perpetual in him."  

Pope St. Leo the Great (died 461) 

The Monophysite heresy had spread during the time of Pope St. Leo's rule which was  from 440 to 461. This heresy claimed that Christ had no human nature only divine nature.  The fourth Ecumenical Council was called to address this heresy.  In his letter to the Council, Pope Leo clearly wrote about Christ being one person both human and divine in nature.  Pope Leo is also the first to use the word missa to describe the Mass. 

The following is from Pope Leo's letter to the citizens of Constantinople in Greece:  

"In what darkness of ignorance, in what laziness have they (the heretics) not remained prone even to this day, so that they have not learned by hearing or reading what runs from mouth to mouth with such unanimity in the Church of God?  Not even the tongues of children silence the truth of the body and blood of Christ in the sacrament of Communion.   This is what is distributed ; this is what is received in that mystic distribution of the spiritual food.  In receiving the strength of the heavenly food we are transformed into the flesh of Him who became our flesh."  

"Jesus (at the Last Supper), firm in his determination and fearless in carrying out the Father's mandate, put an end to the Old Testament and created the new Pasch.  The Apostles were seated with him to eat the mystic supper, while in the hall of Caiphas they were discussing how they would be able to kill Christ.  He instituted the sacrament of his body and blood and thus taught what victim should be offered to God."

"Because you are the true 'Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.'  You bring to perfection all of the mysteries in yourself, so that just as there is but one sacrifice instead of all those victims, so also there is but one kingdom for all  the nations."  

"The partaking of the body and blood of Christ does nothing else than change us into what we eat, into him which whom we (in Baptism) have died, been buried, and risen, and him whom we bear completely in spirit and flesh."  

"Since Christ has said:  'If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you,' you should partake of the sacred table in such a way that you have do doubt whatsoever concerning the truth of the body and blood of Christ."

May we face all life's difficulties with confidence and faith.