Becoming what we receive

Pope St. Leo I (c. 400-461) is one of the most important early witnesses to Catholic Eucharistic belief. His writings emphasise both the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the transformative effect of receiving Holy Communion.  One of his most famous statements is:

What would a scientist find?

The mechanics of the transformation that occurs at every Mass have been the subject of controversy since at least the Reformation in the sixteenth century. Although Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic Christians use different terms and theological language to explain the change that takes place, it seems clear to me from what I have read, seen and heard that they share the same essential conviction: the bread and wine taken, blessed and offered in the Eucharist become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. What was once ordinary food is no longer ordinary food. The belief that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist and that a real transformation takes place is consistent with what Christians believed, taught and practised from apostolic times onwards.

At the time of the Reformation, this ancient consensus was fractured, even though the original disputes arose largely in other areas of doctrine, particularly the nature of salvation, the role of Scripture and the authority of the Pope.

A real transformation #2

Picture: Bloomberg

In yesterday’s blog, I wrote about the transformation that takes place in the Mass. Scripture and the early Patristic writings –  the testimony of the great teachers of the Church in the centuries following the Resurrection of our Lord –  clearly affirm this reality. In harmony with the Bible and with Catholic tradition, we give our intellectual assent to this essential teaching of the faith.

A real transformation #1

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Saint Athanasius, whose feast is commemorated today, was one of the most significant Christian figures of the fourth century. An Egyptian bishop and theologian, he died in A.D. 373 and is best remembered as the principal defender of Nicene orthodoxy against the Arian heresy, which sought to deny the full divinity of Jesus Christ. He is often described by the phrase Athanasius contra mundum –  ‘Athanasius against the world’ – reflecting his steadfast resistance to both ecclesiastical and imperial pressures in defence of the Catholic faith at a time when Arianism had gained influence throughout the Roman Empire, including among senior clergy.