The Lives of the Saints Volume 1 - St. Patrick's Basilica

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deadened malignant poisons, and healed wounds made by the sting or bite
of venomous creatures. If it has broken down the gates of hell, unbolted
those of paradise, destroyed the empire and weakened the powers of the
devil, what wonder if it overcomes poisons and wild beasts?" On the
virtue of the sign of the cross, see also Hom. 8, ib. and Hom. 4, de St.
Paolo, t. 2, 9. 494, et de libello repudii, t. 3, p. 204, &c. On the
Holy Eucharist, he gives frequent and admirable instructions. Speaking
of the sick, who were cured by touching the hem of Christ's garments, he
adds, (Hom. 50, p. 517,) "What grace is not in our power to receive by
touching and receiving his holy body? What if you hear not his voice;
you see him laid. He has given us himself to eat, and has set himself in
the state of a victim sacrificed before us," &c. And Hom. 82, p. 787, he
writes: "How many now say, they wish to see his shape, his garments? You
desire to see his garments, but he gives himself to you not only to be
seen, but to be touched, to be eaten, to be received within you. Then
what beam of the sun ought not that hand to be more which divides this
flesh? that mouth which is filled with this spiritual fire? that tongue
which is purpled with this adorable blood? The angels beholding it
tremble, and dare not look thereupon through awe and fear, and on
account of the rays which dart from that wherewith we are nourished,
with which we are mingled, being made one body, one flesh with Christ.
What shepherd ever fed his sheep with his own limbs? nay, many mothers
give their children to other nurses; whereas he feeds us with his own
blood," &c. It is a familiar reflection of our saint, that by the
communion we become of one flesh and of one body with Christ, to express
the close union of our souls with him in this divine sacrament. In the
same Homily, 82, (olim 83,) on St. Matthew, p. 782, t. 7, he says, the
apostles were not affrighted when they heard Christ assure them, _This
is my body_; because he had before initiated them in most wonderful
mysteries, and made them witnesses to many prodigies and miracles, and
had already instructed them in this very sacrament, at which they had
been at first much struck, and some of them scandalized. John vi.
Moreover, that they might not fear, or say, Shall we then drink his
blood and eat his flesh? he set the example in taking the cup, and
drinking his own blood the first of all. The saint charges us (ib. p.
787) not to question or contradict the words of Christ, but to captivate
our reason and understanding in obeying him, and believing his word,
which cannot deceive us, whereas our senses often lead us into mistakes.
When, therefore, he tells us, _This is_ {266} _my body_, we must believe
him, and consider the mystery with spiritual eyes; for we learn from
him, that what he gives us is something spiritual, which falls not under
our senses. See this further on the same subject, Hom. 50, (olim 51,) in
Matt. pp. 516, 517, 518. Hom. de Baptismo Christi, t. 2, pp. 374, 375.
Hom. in Laudem Martyrum, t. 2, p. 654. Hom non esse ad gratiam
concionandum, ib. pp. 658, 659. Expos. in Ps. 46, t. 5, p. 189, and in
Pd. 133, p. 382. Hom. 5, in illud: Vidi Dominum, t. 6, p. 143. Hom. de