Sermon 272
SERMO 272
ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST
To Infants, Concerning the Sacrament.
The sacrament of the body and cup of the Lord.
What you see on the altar of God, you also saw last night: but what it was, what it meant, what great sacrament it contained, you have not yet heard. Therefore, what you see is bread and a cup; your eyes also report this to you: but what your faith demands to be instructed, the bread is the body of Christ, the cup is the blood of Christ. Indeed, this has been briefly stated, what might suffice for faith: but faith desires instruction. For the prophet says: Unless you believe, you shall not understand. For you can now say to me: You commanded us to believe, explain so that we may understand. For such a thought can arise in anyone's mind: Our Lord Jesus Christ, we know where he took flesh; from the Virgin Mary. He was an infant, suckled, nourished, grew up, reached youthful age, suffered persecution from the Jews, was hung on wood, killed on the wood, taken down from the wood, buried, on the third day rose again, on the day he wished, ascended into heaven; he lifted his body there; from there he is to come to judge the living and the dead; he is now seated there at the right hand of the Father: how is the bread his body? And the cup, or what the cup contains, how is it his blood? These, brothers, are called Sacraments, because in them one thing is seen, another is understood. What is seen has a corporeal appearance, what is understood bears spiritual fruit. Therefore, if you wish to understand the body of Christ, hear the Apostle saying to the faithful: You, however, are the body of Christ and members. If therefore you are the body of Christ and members, your mystery lies on the Lord's table: you receive your mystery. To that which you are, you answer Amen, and by answering you subscribe. For you hear, The body of Christ; and you respond, Amen. Be a member of the body of Christ, so that your Amen may be true. Why therefore in bread? Let us bring nothing of our own here, let us hear the Apostle continually, who, when speaking of this Sacrament, said: One bread, one body, many are we; understand and rejoice; unity, truth, piety, charity. One bread: who is this one bread? One body, many. Recall that bread is not made from one grain, but from many. When you were exorcised, you were as if ground. When you were baptized, you were as if mixed. When you received the fire of the Holy Spirit, you were as if baked. Be what you see, and receive what you are. The Apostle said this of bread. Now what we might understand of the cup, even if not stated, is sufficiently shown. For as to be the visible species of bread, many grains are mixed into one, as it is said of the faithful in Holy Scripture: They had one soul and one heart toward God: so also of the wine. Brothers, recall from where wine is made. Many grains hang from the cluster, but the juice of the grains is blended into unity. Thus also the Lord Christ signified that we belong to him, and willed that in his table he consecrated the mystery of our peace and unity. Whoever receives the mystery of unity, and does not hold the bond of peace, does not receive the mystery for himself, but a testimony against himself. Turned toward the Lord God the almighty Father, let us, with a pure heart as much as our smallness is able, render the greatest and true thanks to him; praying with our whole mind for his singular meekness, so that he may deign to hear our prayers in his good pleasure; may he expel the enemy from our actions and thoughts by his might, multiply our faith, guide our mind, grant spiritual thoughts, and lead us to his blessedness: through Jesus Christ his Son. Amen.