Some persons erroneously believe
that transubstantiation is the only thing that must necessarily
be signified, or denoted, in the sacramental form for the wine-consecration.
This mistaken belief plants in their minds the false notion that
the first few words of the form, namely, "This is the Chalice
of My Blood," which denote the transubstantiation
of the wine into the Precious Blood, would suffice as a valid
(though not licit) form for consecrating the wine. They assume
that these few introductory words of the form, since they denote
the conversion of the wine into Christ's Blood, automatically
accomplish this conversion just as soon as they have been
pronounced by the priest.
No one (at least, no Catholic)
will deny that the words, "This is the Chalice of My Blood,"
do in fact denote transubstantiation. Although St. Thomas
holds that the entire form is necessary for validity, he does
acknowledge that "by the first words, This is the Chalice
of My Blood, the change of the wine into blood is denoted"
(Summa Theologica, III, Q. 78, Art. 3). In the same Summa
(III, Q. 60, Art. 3) he also teaches: "In the Sacrament of
the Altar two things [emphasis added] are signified,
viz., Christ's true body and Christ's Mystical Body, as
Augustine says (Liber Sent. Prosper.)."
The final words of the form, "for
you and for many unto the remission of sins," are the words
that denote, or signify, the union of the Mystical Body of Christ.
This union of the Mystical Body is the effect or grace
proper (the res sacramenti) of the Sacrament of the
Holy Eucharist; and these signifying words, namely, "for
you and for many unto the remission of sins," are therefore
essential for the validity of the Sacrament, and, perforce, for
the validity of the Mass.
Although transubstantiation is
clearly denoted by the first words of the form, "This
is the Chalice of My Blood," it is not brought about, or
accomplished, just as soon as these words have been uttered.
The remaining words of the form, namely, "of the new and
eternal testament ... for you and for many unto the remission
of sins," which have not yet been pronounced by the priest,
contain essential determinations of the statement "This is
the Chalice of My Blood."
Analyzing the sacramental form
for baptism brings home the distinction between "denotes"
and "accomplishes." The words "I baptize thee"
denote the washing away of sin. But the cleansing from
sin, the infusion of sanctifying grace, as well as the imprinting
of the indelible sacramental character of baptism are not brought
about, or accomplished, just as soon as the words "I
baptize thee" have been uttered, as all will admit. On the
contrary, these effects await the completion of the sacramental
form with those necessary additional words, "in the Name
of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." The
statement "I baptize thee" is not true at the
moment those three words are pronounced, because the recipient
of the sacrament in very fact at that precise moment has not yet
been validly baptized.
Similarly, upon the utterance of
the mere statement, "This is the Chalice of My Blood,"
nothing as yet happens. The additional words of the form, which
are essential "determinations of the predicate" (as
St. Thomas puts it), have not yet been expressed. Hence the statement
"This is the Chalice of My Blood" does not become
true until the recitation of the entire form has been completed.
Patrick Henry Omlor
March 10, 1995
The Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste