Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

CHAPTER IX.

THE TESTIMONY OF MEDIEVAL AND POST-MEDIÆVAL
WRITERS.

I

N the ninth century, as we pointed out in Chapter VII., a great impetus was given to the study of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, both from a dogmatic and a mystical standpoint, by a group of writers of marked and original ability, among the more prominent of whom were Rabanus Maurus, Walafrid Strabo, Amalarius, Florus, and Paschasius Radbertus.

Introductory:
Impetus given

to the study of

the E. S. in cent. IX. ;

fruit in cent. XII. in mys

These gave a new direction to the treatment of this subject, especially in its mystical and liturgical aspects, and the seed sown by them produced fruit in the which bore twelfth century in several valuable mystical commentaries on the liturgy, such as the writings of S. Ivo of Chartres, B. Odo of Cambrai, V. Hildebert of Le Mans, Peter the Venerable, Algerus of Liége, Hugo of S. Victor, and Guitmundus Aversanus.

tical works

on the liturgy.

Brightman claims Pas

Mr. Brightman refers to passages in Paschasius Rad- of these Mr. bertus, Ivo of Chartres, and Hildebert of Le Mans or Tours, as favourable to his view, while Thalhofer quotes from Paschasius Radbertus, Odo of Cambrai, Hildebert of Le Mans, Hugo of S. Victor, Algerus, and Guitmundus Aversanus.

chasius Radbertus, Ivo of Hildebert of

Chartres, and

Tours as favourable to his view.

In this chapter we shall examine the passages cited from these authors, and shall then pass to the considera- Thalhofer adds

Guitmundus,
Odo of Cam-

brai, Hugo of
S. Victor, and

Algerus.

Only passages adduced in

support of the

considered

here.

tion of a school of Gallican writers in the seventeenth century, to whom we have already referred, -De Condren, Olier, Thomassin, and Bossuet,-who are also claimed as giving countenance to the Modern theory.

We shall not, as heretofore, bring forward passages in support of the Catholic view, and for two reasons: Modern theory (1) Because to do so would require far more space than could be devoted to it in this chapter, and (2) because in the examination of the writers quoted in favour of the Modern school (whom we are quite willing to accept as fair representatives of their age), we shall incidentally show that they all hold the Catholic view and teach that the Eucharist is essentially related to the Sacrifice of the Cross.

The mediaval writers fre

quently speak

altar,"

from which

Thalhofer in

The liturgical writers of the Middle Ages, following the precedent of the Fathers and of the ancient liturgies, of a "heavenly frequently speak of a "heavenly altar." Thalhofer, therefore, claims them as supporting the Modern view. He says: "All these, without exception, intimately fers a heavenly connect that heavenly altar with the Eucharistic Sacrifice, which descends from the heavenly altar to the earthly, and from it ascends again to the heavenly altar, as the Sacrifice of the priest and of the faithful, and is there finally offered with full efficacy."

S.

I. Examina-
tion of the pas-
sages quoted.
1. Paschasius
Radbertus.

I. Without commenting on this misleading statement let us examine Thalhofer's authorities in chronological order. His first quotation is from Paschasius Radbertus (ob. 865): * "Do you think that there is any other altar at which CHRIST, the High Priest, stands, than His own Body, through which and on which the prayers of the faithful and the faith of believers are offered to GOD the FATHER? But if you truly believe that heavenly altar to be the Body of *Pasch. Radb., De Corpore et Sanguine Domini, c. viii.

CHRIST, you will not now think that you receive the Flesh and Blood from anywhere else than from that very Body of CHRIST." In another place in this same chapter, Paschasius says: "The Flesh of CHRIST is never rightly received unless from His Hand and from the altar on high, where CHRIST, the High Priest of good things to come, stands for us."

Here Paschasius teaches what we have already learned The passage from S. Augustine,* that those who receive the Eu- considered. charist unworthily, receive the Sacrament from the hands of the earthly priest, from the altar of the Church on earth; but though they receive the Sacrament, they do not feed on CHRIST, they do not receive from His Hands, from His heavenly altar, His Body and Blood to their souls' health. Therefore Paschasius says: The Flesh of CHRIST is never rightly received unless from His Hand and from the altar on high."

This will be still more evident if we give the whole context of the passage quoted by Thalhofer. It is as follows: "The unhappy man [the unworthy communicant] fears not the presence of the Divine Majesty, since he considers only the things which are seen, nor understands that the Flesh of CHRIST is never rightly received unless from His Hand and from the altar on high where CHRIST, the High Priest of good things to come, stands for us. Wherefore the priest, when he begins to offer these gifts, amongst other things says: 'Command these gifts to be carried by the hands of Thy Holy Angel on to Thine altar on high in the sight of Thy Divine Majesty.' And dost thou, O man, think to receive It from anywhere else than from that altar where, transported on high, It is consecrated?" This last sentence may at first sight seem favourable *S. Aug., Enarrat. in Psalm., xxv., n. 10; cf. pp. 255, 256.

Paschasius explains his meaning in the context,

which refutes Thalhofer's inference.

to Thalhofer. But let us observe carefully the explanation of Paschasius which immediately follows. For in answer to the objection, "How can it be carried away so unexpectedly into heaven, into the presence of the Divine Majesty, when here, whether it be called 'bread' or 'Flesh,' it is all the time held visibly in the hand of the priest," Paschasius replies: "Learn to apprehend something different from what is tasted by the mouth of flesh; to see something different from what is manifested to these fleshly eyes. Learn that GOD, as a Spirit, is locally everywhere. Understand. that these things are spiritual, so that neither locally nor indeed carnally are they carried on high into the presence of the Divine Majesty. Consider, then, if anything corporeal can be more sublime than the substance of bread and wine inwardly and efficaciously changed into the Flesh and Blood of CHRIST, so that then, after the Consecration, the true Flesh and Blood of CHRIST is believed to be present, and is judged by believers to be nothing else than CHRIST the Bread of heaven. [Then follows Thalhofer's quotation :] Do you think that there is any other altar at which CHRIST the High Priest stands, than His own Body, through which and on which the prayers of the faithful and the faith of believers are offered to GOD the FATHER? But if you truly believe that heavenly altar to be the Body of CHRIST, you will not now think that you receive the Flesh and Blood from anywhere else than from that very Body of CHRIST."

As usual we find that the context, which Thalhofer does not quote, entirely refutes the inference drawn. from the passage which he does quote. Paschasius certainly says that the Flesh of CHRIST should never be received except from the Hand of CHRIST and from

the heavenly altar where CHRIST, the High Priest of good things to come, stands; and he quotes in support of this statement the liturgical prayer Supplices Te. But in answer to the objection, How can the gifts be carried to the altar on high when they are visibly held in the hand of the priest, he explains that GOD, as pure spirit, is everywhere, so that you are not to think of the oblations being carried to the altar of GOD on high by any local translation which could be discerned by bodily eyes, but you are to apprehend these things spiritually.

takes the

heavenly altar as CHRIST'S Humanity,

Certainly, he says, there is nothing corporeal which is more sublime than the substance of the bread and wine changed inwardly and efficaciously into the Body and Blood of CHRIST, so that after the Consecration it is no longer considered by the faithful to be bread and wine, but the Flesh and Blood of CHRIST Himself, Who is the Bread from heaven. But, he says, the Paschasius altar at which CHRIST the High Priest stands, is the very Body of CHRIST, that is, the Humanity of CHRIST, on which and through which the devotions and prayers and faith of believers are offered to the Eternal FATHER. So that, when we ask that our oblations offered to may be carried on to the altar on high in the sight of GOD, we simply pray that through CHRIST's Intercession for us they may become efficacious. And when we say that the Flesh of CHRIST is taken from the altar on high, we mean that the Flesh and Blood of CHRIST pertains to that Humanity in which He now appears in the presence of GOD for us."

[ocr errors]

Besides, Paschasius had said that the Flesh of CHRIST is never rightly received except from the Hand of CHRIST, which he explains more fully in these words: "Each [communicant] ought to consider how

through which

our prayers are

GOD.

« AnteriorContinuar »