When Christ, during His earthly life, declared that He was the Son of God, He gave the proof that He was so. It was clear indeed that He was a man, but a man whose doctrine could only come from God: “for He Whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God.” (Jn. 3:34) and man who wrought marvels that only God could work: “from the beginning of the world, it hath not been heard that any man hath opened the eyes of one born blind; unless this man were of God, He could not doany thing” (Jn. 9:32-33).
Nicodemus the Pharisee, like the man born blind, confessed this likewise: "Rabbi, we know that Thou art come a teacher from God: for no man can do these signs which Thou dost, unless God is with Him". (Jn.3:2) Faith was necessary, but the miracles of Jesus and the sublimity of His doctrine helped the faith of the Jews, that of the simple as well as of the wise.
In the Eucharist, there is only room for pure faith, founded solely upon the words of Jesus: "This is My Body, this is My Blood": the Eucharist is above all a “mystery of faith” [the former Canon of the Mass.]
This is why, in this mystery of the Eucharist, more than in any that we have contemplated up to now, we must only listen to Jesus; reason is so confounded before this mystery that those who, in this, do not listen to Christ can only say like the Jews when Our Lord announced the Eucharist: "This saying is hard, and who can hear it?" (Jn. 6:61)
Let us, on the contrary, go to Jesus as did the faithful apostles on this occasion, and say to Him with Peter: "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life; we have believed and have known, that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God.” (Jn.6:69-70)
Let us then question Our Lord on the subject of this mystery. Christ Jesus is Infallible Wisdom, Almighty Power . Shall He not perform that which He has promised? When Our Divine Savior instituted this mystery in view of perpetuating the fruits of His Sacrifice, He said to His apostles: "Do this for a commemoration of Me". (Lk 22,19; 1 CO 11:24)
Thus besides the primary object of renewing His immolation and making us participate in it by Communion, Christ desired to make of it, in addition a memorial. And in what way is this mystery a memorial? How does it bring the remembrance of Christ to our hearts? The Eucharist preserves the remembrance of Jesus, first of all as being a sacrifice. Certainly as you know, there is only one sacrifice, total and perfect, that has paid off and expiated everything, that has merited everything, and from which every grace flows: This is the sacrifice of Calvary; there is none other. "By one oblation", says St. Paul, “ He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified'. (Heb 10,14) But in order that the merits of this sacrifice may be applied to every soul of every time Christ willed that it should be renewed upon the altar.
The altar is another Calvary where the immolation of the Cross is commemorated, represented and reproduced. Thus whererever there is to be found a priest to consecrate the bread and wine, the remembrance of the Passion is kept. That which is offered and given upon the altar is the Body that was broken for us, the Blood which was shed for our salvation. It is the same High Priest, Christ Jesus, Who still offers them by the ministry of His priests.
Hence how can we fail to think of the Passion when we assist at the sacrifice of the Mass, where all is identical, except the manner in which the oblation is accommplished? No Mass is celebrated, no Communion made without our being enabled to remember that Christ delivered Himself up to death for the redemption of the world. "For", says St. Paul, “as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until He come". (1 Co 11,26).
Blessed Columba Marmion