Wednesday within the Octave of Corpus Christi

The following readings and responsories come from the Roman office as promulgated after Trent in 1570. They are taken from the works of St Ambrose.      

From One Peter Five

By St Ambrose

Editor’s note: to promote the observance of the traditional Corpus Christi Octave as a part of our Crusade of Eucharistic Reparation, we will publish each day the Patristic readings from the Octave, as contained in pre-55 breviaries. The following readings and responsories come from the Roman office as promulgated after Trent in 1570.           

Nocturn II

V. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May God the Father Omnipotent, be to us merciful and clement. Amen.

Reading 4
From the Book upon the Sacraments written by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan
Bk. iv. ch. 4
Who invented the Sacraments but the Lord Jesus? The Sacraments came down from heaven, for all counsel is from heaven. Nevertheless, it was a great and wonderful work of God when He rained down manna upon His people, and the people laboured not, and yet were fed. Perchance, thou sayest, “Here, it is my bread which is used.” But that bread is bread only till the Sacramental words are spoken at the Consecration; instead of bread, there cometh to be the Body of Christ. This therefore let us establish. How cometh it that that which was bread becometh the Body of Christ through the Consecration. And in what words and in Whose language doth the Consecration take place? In those of the Lord Jesus. All the other things which are said (in the Liturgy), the ascription of praise to God (in the Preface), the prayer for the people, for kings, and for others which formeth the first part [of the Canon, these are put in the mouth of the Priest.] But when that point is reached when this worshipful Sacrament is to be consecrated, then the Priest useth no more his own words, but Christ’s.
V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to God.

R. As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blest it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said:
* Take, eat this is My Body.
V. The men of my tabernacle said: O that we had of his flesh, we cannot be satisfied.
R. Take, eat this is My Body.

V. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May Christ to all His people give, for ever in His sight to live. Amen.

Reading 5
It is the word of Christ, therefore, Which doth the needful work in this Sacrament. And what is the word of Christ? It is the word of Him at Whose bidding all things were made. The Lord commanded, and the heavens were created; the Lord commanded, and the earth was formed; the Lord commanded, and the seas were made; the Lord commanded, and all creatures sprang into being. Thou seest, then, how mightily working a word is the word of Christ. If then the word of Christ hath such power that it can make that to be which hath never been, wherein doth it appear greater that it maketh one thing to be changed into Another. There was once no heaven; there was once no sea; there was once no earth. But hear him who saith: “He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Ps. xxxii. 9). If, then, I am to answer thee, I tell thee, that before the Consecration it is not the Body of Christ, but after the Consecration it is the Body of Christ, for Himself “hath spoken, and it is done He hath commanded, and it standeth fast.”
V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to God.

R. Jesus took the cup, after supper, saying: This cup is the New Testament in My Blood.
* This do in remembrance of Me.
V. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
R. This do in remembrance of Me.

V. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Spirit’s fire Divine in our hearts enkindled shine. Amen.

Reading 6
And now I come back to my text. It is indeed a great and worshipful fact that manna was rained down upon the Jews but, think thou, which was the more great and worshipful, the manna from heaven or the Body of Christ “the Body of that Same Christ by Whom the heavens were made,” and again, the fathers “did eat manna, and are dead he that eateth of this Bread” (John vi. 58). It is unto him “the remission of sins,” (Matt .xxvi:28), and “he shall never die” (John xi:26). Therefore it is not idly that, when thou art receiving, thou sayest “Amen” testifying in thine heart that That Which thou art taking is the Body of Christ. The Priest saith unto thee: “The Body of Christ” and thou answerest: “Amen” that is to say, “It is true.” What then thy tongue confesseth, let thine heart hold to.
V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to God.

R. I am that Bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
* This is the Bread Which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
V. I am the living Bread Which came down from heaven, if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever.
R. This is the Bread Which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
R. This is the Bread Which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

Nocturn III

V. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Gospel’s holy lection be our safety and protection. Amen.

Reading 7
From the Holy Gospel according to John
John 6: 55-59)
At that time, Jesus said unto the multitudes of the Jews: My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. And so on.

Homily by St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers.
Bk. viii. on the Trinity)
When we speak concerning the things of God, we must not speak after the manner of men, nor after the manner of the world. Let us read those things which are written, and understand those things which we read and then let us act as having a perfect faith. We shall speak but folly and godlessness if we speak concerning the natural truth of Christ in use and have not learnt at Christ’s School how we should speak. He Himself saith, My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him.” There is here no room left for doubt as to What is His Flesh and what is His Blood.
V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to God.

R. He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood,
* Dwelleth in Me, and I in him.
V. What nation is there so great, who hath gods so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is to us
R. Dwelleth in Me, and I in him.

V. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. God’s most mighty strength alway be His people’s staff and stay. Amen.

Reading 8
Now we know by the declaration of the Lord Himself and by (the teaching of) our Faith, the reality of His Flesh and Blood. And when we eat the One and drink the Other, they work effectually in us to make us dwell in Him and He in us. Is not this a reality? Surely it befalleth not them to find it true, who deny that Christ Jesus is Very God. He is in us by means of His Flesh, and we are in Him when that which we are is with Him in God. That we dwell in Him through that Sacrament wherein His Flesh and Blood are given unto us, He Himself doth testify, where He saith, “Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more but ye see Me because I live ye shall live also. (At that day ye shall know that) I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you (John xiv:19, 20).
V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to God.

R. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father,
* So he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.
V. With the bread of life and understanding hath the Lord fed him.
R. So he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
R. So he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.

V. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May He that is the Angels’ King to that high realm His people bring. Amen.

Reading 9
But that this union in us is a real one, He testifieth thus: “He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him.” For no one dwelleth in Him in whom He doth not dwell, since he which receiveth (the Body of Christ) hath but received that Flesh of (the same nature as) his own, which Christ hath taken into Himself. The mystery of this perfect union He had taught before, when He said: “As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father, so, he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.” He therefore liveth by the Father, and, as He liveth by the Father, so shall we live by Him.
V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to God.

Pictured: St Ambrose baptising St Augustine of Hippo.