of His love. He therefore took bread [1] in His holy and venerable Hands, and, raising His Eyes to heaven, He blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to His apostles, saying: “Take ye and eat; this[2] is My Body, which is given[3] for you; do this[4] for a commemoration[5] of Me.” In like manner, taking the chalice, He gave thanks, and blessed it, saying: “Drink ye all [6] of this[7]. For this is My Blood of the New Testament[8], which shall be shed for many, for the remission of sins.”[9]
COMMENTARY.
The Real Presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. A year before (as you learnt in chapter XXXIV), our Lord had promised to give to His disciples His Flesh to eat and His Blood to drink; and now, at the Last Supper, He fulfilled His promise. By His almighty and efficacious words: “'This is My Body; this is My Blood”, Jesus changed the bread into His Body, and the wine into His Blood, and gave them to be partaken of by His apostles. The appearances, the shape, colour, taste &c., of the bread and wine remained, therefore our Lord gave His Body and Blood to be received by the apostles under the form of bread and wine. The apostles neither doubted nor questioned His words, for the promise of the Blessed Sacrament made a year before as well as the preceding promise that “He would eat the Paschal lamb new in His kingdom”, had already prepared them for the mystery. As Jesus solemnly took bread, raised His Eyes to heaven &c., they said within themselves: “Now the Master is going to perform that which He promised to do, a year ago in the synagogue at Caphamaum.” By
- ↑ Bread, The unleavened, wheaten bread, which alone could be used for the Pasch (Old Test. XXXIII). This bread was made in the form of cakes, and was broken, not cut. The Jews call it “mazzah” (sweetness).
- ↑ This, What I am now holding in my hands and handing to you.
- ↑ Given. Or sacrificed for you.
- ↑ Do this. What I have just done.
- ↑ For a commemoration. “To show forth the death of the Lord till He come” (i Cor. ii, 36).
- ↑ Drink ye all. Our Lord says expressly, “drink ye all”; for He handed it to one only, and this one had to pass it on. All were to drink out of one chalice, as was customary at the Paschal feast.
- ↑ Of this. Namely what is contained in the chalice.
- ↑ The New Testament. In chapter XXXVI Old Test, we saw that Moses sealed the institution of the Old Covenant with the blood of victims; so now, at the Last Supper, our Lord Jesus Christ instituted a New Covenant and sealed it with His Precious Blood. The words: “This is My Blood of the New Testament” mean, therefore: Through this My Blood, present in the chalice, I seal and confirm My New Covenant.
- ↑ For the remission of sins. Shed for the salvation of men, who, through the merits of My Most Precious Blood, shall obtain forgiveness of their sins.
