Page:Complete ascetical works of St Alphonsus v6.djvu/45

Rh declare what mystery is accomplished, namely, the change of the bread into the body of Jesus Christ.

The form of the consecration of the chalice is as follows: Hic est enim calix Sanguinis mei, novi et æterni Testamenti, mysterium fidei, qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum ("For this is the chalice of my blood of the new and eternal testament, the mystery of faith, which shall be shed for you, and for many, to the remission of sins"). These words the Church has taken from different texts of the Gospel, partly from St. Luke, partly from St. Matthew. St. Luke says: This is the chalice, the new testament in my blood, which shall be shed for you. St. Matthew: For this is my blood of the new testament which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins. The word æterni, "everlasting," is found in St. Paul: In the blood of the everlasting testament. The other words, Mystery of faith, the Roman catechism declares are taught by sacred tradition, which is the guardian of Catholic truths. This divine mystery is called Mystery of faith, not to exclude the reality of the blood of Jesus Christ, but to show that in it the faith shines forth in a wonderful manner, and triumphs over all the difficulties that may be raised by human reason, since it is here, says Innocent III., that we see one thing and believe another. We believe, he adds, that the form that we read in the Canon was received from Jesus Christ by the Apostles, and that they transmitted it to their successors. The