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Therefore, what follows (in sections 1373-1378, 1413 of the C.C.C.) is the
Catholic faith:
The presence of Christ by the power of his word and the Holy Spirit
1373 "Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at
the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us," is present in many ways
to his Church: in his word, in his Church's prayer, "where two or three are
gathered in my name," in the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned, in the
sacraments of which he is the author, in the sacrifice of the Mass, and in the
person of the minister. But "he is present...MOST ESPECIALLY IN THE
EUCHARISTIC SPECIES."
1374 The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique.
It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the
spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend." In the most
blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul
and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, THE WHOLE CHRIST IS
TRULY, REALLY, AND SUBSTANTIALLY CONTAINED." "This presence is called 'real'
- by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they
could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that
is to say, it is SUBSTANTIAL presence by which Christ, God and man, makes
himself wholly and entirely present."
1375 It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ's body and
blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament. The Church Fathers
strongly affirmed the faith of the Church in the efficacy of the Word of
Christ and of the action of the Holy Spirit to bring about this conversion.
Thus St. John Chrysostom declares:
It is not man that causes the things offered to become the
Body and Blood of Christ, but he who was crucified for us,
Christ himself. The priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces
these words, but their power and grace are God's. This is my
body, he says. This word transforms the things offered.
And St. Ambrose says about this conversion:
Be convinced that this is not what nature has formed, but what
the blessings has consecrated. The power of the blessing prevails
over that of nature, because by the blessing nature itself is
changed. . . . Could not Christ's word, which can make from
nothing what did not exist, change existing things into what
they were not before? It is no less a feat to give things their
original nature than to change their nature.
1376 The Council of Trent summarizes the Catholic faith 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 bread into the 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."
1377 The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the
consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. Christ
is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in
each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not
divide Christ.
1378 WORSHIP OF THE EUCHARIST. In the liturgy of the Mass we express our
faith in the real presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine by,
among other ways, genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the
Lord. "The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the
sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but
also outside of it, reserving the consecrated hosts with the utmost care,
exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in
procession."
1413 By the consecration the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into
the Body and Blood of Christ is brought about. Under the consecrated species
of bread and wine Christ himself, living and glorious, is present in A TRUE,
REAL AND SUBSTANTIAL MANNER: HIS BODY AND HIS BLOOD, WITH HIS SOUL AND HIS
DIVINITY (cf. Council of Trent: DS 1640; 1651).
By reason of the defining authority of the Council of Trent and by the
unbroken witness of Scripture and Tradition, the dogma of the Real Presence
belongs to the Deposit of the Faith. It is a doctrine which Catholics must
believe with divine and Catholic faith. If one who supposes himself to be a
Catholic should deny this doctrine, he must accept instruction. If after
instruction (for example, if after reading the authentic teaching of the
Catechism), he REFUSES to believe the doctrine, he is by his own choice a
heretic and not a Catholic (Code of Canon Law, canon 751).
You ask for references on this matter. Besides the New Catholic Encyclopedia
and the C.C.C., I suggest the following:
1) Howard, Thomas. "Evangelical is Not Enough"* Ignatius Press.
2) Keating, Karl. "Catholicism and Fundamentalism"* Ignatius Press
3) Ott, Ludwig. "Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma"* TAN Books
4) Rumble and Carty. "Radio Replies", vol. 3* TAN Books
5) Schreck, Alan. "Catholic and Christian"* Servant Books
6) Stravinskas, Peter. "The Bible and the Mass"* Servant Books
7) Wuerl and others, "The Teaching of Christ"* 3rd edition. OSV Books
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Mateo
--- Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit ---
* Book can be purchased from:
St. Gabriel Gift & Book Nook
(http://www.stgabriel.com/gabriel)
or send an e-mail message to:
gabriel@stgabriel.com for more information.
We really do appreciate your participation.
-- | CIN (619-449-6030) Fido: (1:202/1613) http://www.cin.org/cin | St. Gabriel Gift & Book Nook: http://www.stgabriel.com/gabriel