You
will notice that, during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, while the choir chants
the Agnus Dei, the priest will break
the Host into three pieces. Two parts are left upon the paten, while one part
(which is very small) is placed into the chalice of the Precious Blood. This is
called the rite of “commingling”, because it is at this point that the Body and
Blood of Christ are sacramentally mingled together – though the Lord is fully
present in both the Host and the chalice, the one is the Sacrament of his Body
and the other is the Sacrament of his Blood.
As
the priest performs this rite he prays: “May this mingling of the Body and
Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.” There
is, in the very rite itself, a direct connection between the commingling and
salvation! St. Thomas Aquinas, following an ancient tradition, has shown how
the whole Church is mystically present in this sacramental rite. Here, hidden
in the rite of the Mass, we find a symbol of our two feast days – All Saints’
and All Souls’.
All Saints
The
blessed, especially Jesus and Mary who enjoy heaven even in their proper
bodies, are symbolized by the very small portion of the Host which is mingled
with the Precious Blood. Just as the Blood completely saturates the Sacred
Host, the blessed are filled and inebriated with the glories of heaven. The
prayer of commingling speaks of the eternal life which all the saints now
possess – a glory which will be brought to fulfillment in the general
resurrection.
The Church Militant
St.
Thomas finds that the Church on earth is symbolized by the remaining two parts of
the Host which are consumed and also by the entire Sacrament which is
distributed to the people during communion. Just as these Hosts are broken and
dispersed and consumed, so too the Church militant suffers and struggles and is
persecuted for her faith. Moreover, it is particularly fitting that the
Sacrament which is consumed should symbolize those who consume It – that is,
the members of the Church on earth!
All Souls
Finally,
we might wonder where the Holy Souls fit into this allegory. St. Thomas finds
them in that portion of the Blessed Sacrament which is reserved in the
tabernacle – actually, he refers to an old tradition of leaving a portion of
the Sacrament upon the altar until the conclusion of Mass (a practice which had
ceased even by his time). These Hosts which are kept in the tabernacle are in a
place of waiting; yet they do not suffer the temptations and persecutions of
the world. Thus, it is particularly fitting that the reserved Sacrament should
symbolize the souls in purgatory.
A poem
The Host being
rent –
What is dipped,
means the blest;
What is dry,
means the living;
What is kept,
those at rest.
Cf.
Summa Theologica III, q.83, a.5, ad
8.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
When commenting, please leave a name or pseudonym at the end of your comment so as to facilitate communication and responses.
Comments must be approved by the moderator before being published.