EUCHARIST
581
EUCHARIST
fended in theory the permanence of the Real Presence,
but the constant practice of the Church has also estab-
lished its truth. In the early days of the Church the
faithful frequently carried the Blessed Eucharist with
them to their homes (cf. TertuUian, "Ad uxor.", II,
v; Cyprian, " De lapsis", xxvi) or upon long journeys
(Ambrose, De excessu fratris, I, 43, 46), while the
deacons were accustomed to take the Blessed Sacra-
ment to those who did not attend Divine service (cf.
Justin, Apol., I, n. 67), as well as to the martyrs, the
incarcerated, and the infirm (cf. Eusebius, Hist. Eccl.,
VI, xliv). The deacons were also obliged to transfer
the particles that remained to specially prepared re-
positories called Pastophoria (cf. Apostolic Constitu-
tions, VIII, xiii). Furthermore, it was customary as
early as the fourth century to celebrate the Mass of the
Presanctified (cf. Synod of Laodicea, can. xlix), in
which were received the Sacred Hosts that had been
consecrated one or more days previously. In the
Latin Church the celebration of the Mass of the Pre-
sanctified is nowadaj's restricted to Good Friday,
whereas, ever since the TruIIan Synod (692), the CJreeks
celebrate it during the whole of Lent, except on Satur-
days, Sundays, and the feast of the Annunciation (25
March). A deeper reason for the permanence of
Presence is found in the fact, that some time elapses
between the confection and the reception of the sacra-
ment, i. e. between the Consecration and the Commu-
nion, whereas in the case of the other sacraments both
the confection and the reception take place at the same
instant. Baptism, for instance, lasts only as long as
the baptismal action or ablution with water, and is,
therefore, a transitory sacrament; on the contrary, the
Eucharist, and the Eucharist alone, constitutes a per-
manent sacrament (cf. Council of Trent, Sess. XIII,
cap. iii). The permanence of Presence, however, is
limited to an interval of time of which the beginning is
determined by the instant of C'onsecration and the end
by the corruption of the Eucharistic Species. If the
Host has become mouldy or the contents of the Chal-
ice sour, Christ has discontinued His Presence therein.
Since in the process of corruption those elementary
substances return which correspond to the peculiar na-
ture of the changed accidents, the law of the indestruc-
tibility of matter, notwithstanding the miracle of the
Eucharistic conversion, remains in force without any
interruption.
The Adorableness of the Eucharist is the practical consequence of its permanence. According to a well- known principle of Christology, the same worship of latria {cultus hxtriiB) as is due to the Triime God is due also to the Divine Word, the God-man Christ, and in fact, by reason of the hj-postatic union, to the Human- ity of Christ and its individual component parts, as, 6. g.. His Sacred Heart. Now, identically the same Lord Christ is truly present in the Eucharist as is present in heaven; consequently He is to be adored in the Blessed Sacrament, and just so long as He remains present under the appearances of bread and wine, namely, from the moment of Transubstantiation to the moment in which the species are decompo.sed (cf. Council of Trent, Sess. XIII, can. vi).
In the absence of Scriptural proof, the Church finds a warrant for, and a propriety in, rendering Divine worship to the Blessed Sacrament in the most ancient and constant tradition, though of course a clistinction must be made between the dogmatic principle and tlie varying discipline regarding the outward form of worship. While even the Ea.st recognized the un- changeable principle from the earliest ages, and, in fact, as late as the schismatical Synod of Jerusalem in 1672, the West has furthermore shown an untiring activity in establishing and investing with more and more .solemnity, homage and devotion to (he IMessed Eucharist. In the early Church, the adoration of the Bles.sed Sacrament was restricted cliiefly to Mass and Communion, just as it is to-day among the Orientals
and the Greeks. Even in his time Cyril of Jerusalem
insisted just as strongly as did Amljrose and Augus-
tine on an attitude of adoration and homage during
Holy Communion (cf. Ambrose, De Sp. Sancto, III,
ii, 79; Augustine, In Ps. xcviii, n. 9). In the West
the way was opened to a more and more exalted ven-
eration of the Blessed Eucharist when the faithful
were allowed to Communicate even outside of the lit-
urgical service. After the Berengarian controversy, the
Blessed Sacrament was in the eleventh and twelfth
centuries elevated for the express pvu-pose of repairing
by its adoration the blasphemies of heretics and
strengthening the imperilled faith of Catholics. In
the thirteenth century were introduced, for the greater
glorification of the Most Holy, the "theophoric pro-
cessions" (circumgestatio) , and also the feast of Corpus
Christi, instituted under Urban IV at the solicitation of
St. Juliana of Liege. In honour of the feast, sublime
hymns, such as the "Pange Lingua" of St. Thomas
Aquinas, were composed. In the fourteenth century
the practice of the Exposition of the Blessed Sacra-
ment arose. The custom of the annual Corpus
Christi procession was warmly defended and recom-
mended by the Council of Trent (Sess. XIII, cap. v).
A new impetus was given to the adoration of the Eu-
charist through the visits to the Blessed Sacrament
(Visitatio SS. Sacrattienti), introducetl liy St. Alphnn-
sus Liguori; in later times the nimierous orders
and congregations devoted to Perpetual Adoration,
the institution in many dioceses of the devotion of
"Perpetual Prayer", the holding of International Eu-
charistic Congresses, e. g. that of London in Septem-
ber, 190S, have all contributed to keep alive faith in
Him Who has said: "behold I am with you all days,
even to the consummation of the world" (Matt.,
xxviii, 20).
On this whole matter see Bellarmine De Eucfmr., disp. x, sect. 3; BoNGARDT, Die Eucharistie der Miltelpunkt des Gtaubena, des Gottesdienstes und des Lebens der Kirche (2nd ed., Paderborn, 1882); Hoffmann, Die Verehrung und Anbetung des Sakra- ments des Altars geschichtlich dargestellt (Kempten, 1S97).
(5) Speculative Discussion of the Real Presence. — The principal aim of speculative theology with regard to the Eucharist, should be to discuss philosophically, and seek a logical solution of, three apparent contra- dictions, namely: (a) the continued existence of the Eucharistic Species, or the outward appearances of bread and wine, without their natural underlying sub- ject (accidentia sine subjecto); (b) the spatially uncir- cuniscribed, spiritual mode of existence of Christ's Eucharistic Body (existentia corporis ad inoduin spiri- lus); (c) the simultaneous existence of Christ in heaven and in many places on earth (multilocntio).
(a) The study of the first problem, viz. whether or not the accidents of bread and wine continue their existence without their proper substance, must be based upon the clearly established truth of Transub- stantiation, in consequence of which the entire sub- stance of the bread and the entire sulistance of the wine are converted respectively into the Body and Blood of Christ in such a way that " only the appear- ances of bread and wine remain" ((Council of Trent, Sess. XIII, can. ii: manenlibus dumlaxat speciebus panis el vini). Accordingly, the continuance of the appearances without the substance of bread and wine as their connatural substratum is just the reverse of Transul)stantiation. If it be further asked, whether these appearances have any subject at all in which they inhere, we must answer with St. Thomas .\quinas (III, Q. Ixxvii, a. 1), that the idea is to be rejected as unbecoming, as though the Body of Christ, in addition to its own accidents, should also assume those of liread and wine. The most that may be .said is, that from the Eucliaristic Body proceeds' a miraculous s\istain- ing power, which supports the appearances l)ereft of their natiiral substances and preserves them from col- lapse. The position of the Church in this regard may
