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Objection 1: It seems that it does not belong to man alone to eat
this sacrament spiritually, but likewise to angels. Because on Ps.
77:25: "Man ate the bread of angels," the gloss says: "that
is, the body of Christ, Who i's truly the food of angels." But
it would not be so unless the angels were to eat Christ spiritually.
Therefore the angels eat Christ spiritually.
Objection 2: Further, Augustine (Tract. xxvi in Joan.)
says: By "this meat and drink, He would have us to understand the
fellowship of His body and members, which is the Church in His
predestinated ones." But not only men, but also the holy angels
belong to that fellowship. Therefore the holy angels eat of it
spiritually.
Objection 3: Further, Augustine in his book De Verbis Domini
(Serm. cxlii) says: "Christ is to be eaten spiritually, as He
Himself declares: 'He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood,
abideth in Me, and I in him.'" But this belongs not only to men,
but also to the holy angels, in whom Christ dwells by charity, and
they in Him. Consequently, it seems that to eat Christ spiritually
is not for men only, but also for the angels.
On the contrary, Augustine (Tract. xxvi in Joan.) says: "Eat
the bread" of the altar "spiritually; take innocence to the altar."
But angels do not approach the altar as for the purpose of taking
something therefrom. Therefore the angels do not eat spiritually.
I answer that, Christ Himself is contained in this sacrament, not
under His proper species, but under the sacramental species.
Consequently there are two ways of eating spiritually. First, as
Christ Himself exists under His proper species, and in this way the
angels eat Christ spiritually inasmuch as they are united with Him in
the enjoyment of perfect charity, and in clear vision (and this is the
bread we hope for in heaven), and not by faith, as we are united with
Him here.
In another way one may eat Christ spiritually, as He is under the
sacramental species, inasmuch as a man believes in Christ, while
desiring to receive this sacrament; and this is not merely to eat
Christ spiritually, but likewise to eat this sacrament; which does
not fall to the lot of the angels. And therefore although the angels
feed on Christ spiritually, yet it does not belong to them to eat this
sacrament spiritually.
Reply to Objection 1: The receiving of Christ under this sacrament
is ordained to the enjoyment of heaven, as to its end, in the same way
as the angels enjoy it; and since the means are gauged by the end,
hence it is that such eating of Christ whereby we receive Him under
this sacrament, is, as it were, derived from that eating whereby the
angels enjoy Christ in heaven. Consequently, man is said to eat the
"bread of angels," because it belongs to the angels to do so firstly
and principally, since they enjoy Him in his proper species; and
secondly it belongs to men, who receive Christ under this sacrament.
Reply to Objection 2: Both men and angels belong to the fellowship
of His mystical body; men by faith, and angels by manifest vision.
But the sacraments are proportioned to faith, through which the truth
is seen "through a glass" and "in a dark manner." And therefore,
properly speaking, it does not belong to angels, but to men, to eat
this sacrament spiritually.
Reply to Objection 3: Christ dwells in men through faith,
according to their present state, but He is in the blessed angels by
manifest vision. Consequently the comparison does not hold, as stated
above (ad 2).
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