‘What is given us here is not a piece of a body, not a thing, but him, the Resurrected one himself – the person who shares himself with us in his love, which runs right through the Cross.” Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
The process of transubstantiation, as mentioned in Part 3 of our series on the Sacraments, occurs during Mass and results in the changing of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. But what exactly is meant by transubstantiation? And how can these two gifts of bread and wine actually become the body and blood of our Lord?
‘The Council of Trent summarises the Catholic teaching by declaring: “Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council now declares again, that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation.”’ (CCC 1376)
Put simply, the Church teaches, and believes, that from the words of consecration the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, however they retain the appearance of bread and wine. The words of consecration are, in themselves, indicative of what occurs here. ‘And so, Father, we bring you these gifts. We ask you to make them holy by the power of your Spirit, that they may become the body and blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command we celebrate this Eucharist’ (Eucharistic Prayer III). These words indicate that it is God the Father, through the power of the third person of the Trinity, that the second person is made present. As we mentioned earlier, this change takes place, but it is not visible to the naked eye.
When we receive Communion, these species still taste like bread and wine, but through faith we know that we are actually consuming our Lord. This belief, which so scandalised the apostles, can only be appreciated through faith. ‘”That in this sacrament are the true Body of Christ and his true Blood is something that ‘cannot be apprehended by the senses’ says St Thomas, ‘but only by faith, which relies on divine authority.’
For this reason, in a commentary on Luke 22:19 (‘This is my body which is given for you’), St Cyril says: ‘Do not doubt whether this is true, but rather receive the words of the Saviour in faith, for since he is the truth, he cannot lie.’” (CCC 1381) And finally, in the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, we remember that; ‘What is given us here is not a piece of a body, not a thing, but him, the Resurrected one himself – the person who shares himself with us in his love, which runs right through the Cross.’
First published in In Sight Magazine.Originally posted 2014-11-05 22:03:58.