Volume II, Treatise VIII, Chapter IX

The Fruit We Ought to Reap from Holy Communion

Ir is not only to make us better understand the excellency of this adorable sacrament, and the excess of the love of God, who has instituted it, that the saints explain unto us, its admirable virtues; but it is also that we should propose them to ourselves, as the fruit we ought to reap from thence. For this reason, then, I will here set down some of them. This adorable sacrament has one virtue, in common with all the other sacraments, which is, to give grace to all who receive it worthily; but it has also another, which is proper to itself alone, and which distinguishes it from all others, and this virtue is called by divines spiritual refection; because it serves for nourishment to the soul, to which it restores and gives force, to resist all the attacks of the devil, and to embrace all kinds of virtue. Many saints interpreting these words of our Saviour, “my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed,” (John 6:56), say, that all which corporal food naturally works in us, this heavenly food also spiritually works in our souls. The council of Florence says the same thing, and adds, that our Saviour vouchsafed to institute this sacrament under the species of food, in order that the species under which he instituted it, might let us know the effects it produced, and the need we have of it for our souls. Wherefore according to this doctrine, just as corporal nourishment sustains the life of the body, repairs its strength, and causes it to grow to such an age, till it comes to its full growth; even so, this divine sacrament supports the spiritual life of the soul, repairs its loss of strength, gives it new force against temptations; and causes it to grow in virtue till it attains an entire perfection thereof. ‘ It is this bread that confirms and fortifies the heart.of man,” (Psalms 103:15), with which being nourished, we come, like Elias, “to have sufficient strength, to walk as far as Horeb the mountain of God.” (3 Kings 19:8)

Corporal food has also another property, which is, that it is pleasing to our taste, and it is the more pleasing, the more exquisite it is, and the better disposed our palates are. It is the same with this celestial food—it does not only sustain, preserve, and fortify, but it has also an admirable taste. It is this was signified by one of the prophetic blessings, which Jacob, upon his-bed, gave his cHildren, in which he announced what was to be fulfilled in the law of grace. For when he came to bless his son Aser, “the bread of Aser,” says he, “shall be fat, and shall be the deliciousness of kings.” (Genesis 49:20) Jesus Christ is this bread; and it is this bread, says St. Thomas, that is filled with all sweetness; it is a feast in which spiritual sweetness is tasted in its source. Because the soul that receives Jesus Christ by means of this sacrament, tastes spiritual sweetness in Jesus Christ, who is its source; and the sweetness is so great, that it sometimes communicates itself to the body, according to the words of David, “my heart and my flesh have exulted in the living God.” (Psalms 83:3) From thence happens what St. Bonaventure makes mention of, that often he who feels himself extremely weak, approaching to this table, does there find so much comfort and sweetness, by means of this heavenly food, that he comes from it in such a disposition, as if he had had before no weakness at all. Guimond, bishop of Aversan, in the kingdom of Naples, writes, that the ancient hermits found so much comfort and strength in receiving holy communion, that some of them took no other nourishment; and on the contrary, the day they did not communicate, they felt such weakness and languor as if they had been ready to fall into a mortal swoon. He says moreover that there were some amongst them, to whom an angel daily brought the holy host to their cell. And in the Chronicles of the Cistertian order, there is mention made of a religious who never communicated but he felt such a sweetness after it as if he had eaten a honey-comb, which sweetness remained in his mouth for three days after. But according to what I have just now said, of the admirable effects of this heavenly bread, the fruit we ought to reap from it, is a masculine courage and resolution, continually to advance in the way of God; and an unshaken steadiness and force in mortifying our passions, and in resisting the assaults of the devil; for ‘our Lord has prepared this table against all those that torment us.” (Psalms 22:5) And therefore St. Chrysostom says that, “being rendered terrible to the devil, we ought to rise from this table like lions, whose eyes sparkle with fire.’—(Hom. lxi.) Has not Jesus Christ himself sufficiently assured us of the force of this divine sacrament, when, immediately after he had communicated his disciples, he said to them, “arise, let us go from hence?” (John 14:31) Is it not the same as if he should have said, now you have communicated you have become strong, rise and let us go suffer? Do we not also perceive that in the primitive church, when they oftener received this adorable sacrament, the faithful had more strength not only to observe God’s law, but to resist the rage and fury of tyrants, and courageously to offer up their lives for the faith of Jesus Christ.

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