Introduction
Throughout the writings of the Church Fathers, the Eucharist is often spoken about in terms of “crumbs” and small fragments which, if they fall to the ground or are abused in some way, they equate or treat it as if a sacrilege has been committed against Christ Himself.
In so doing, they exhibit a truly Catholic belief about the Real Substantial Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
One such example comes from the writings of St. Jerome (c. 342/347-420), namely his homilies on the Psalms, and particularly Homily 55 on Psalm 145 (146), and Homily 57 on the Psalms (Psalm 147/147B).1
Roadmap
The Roadmap for this Eucharist Snapshot is as follows:
- Our thesis is that St. Jerome’s Homily 55 and Homily 57 on the Psalms exhibits a Catholic belief about the Eucharist. We will show this by:
- Providing some brief historical context; then
- Quoting and analyzing Homily 55 and Homily 57 on the Psalms; then
- Summarizing the conclusions we believe can be reached.
Historical Context
St. Jerome (c. 342/347-420) was one of the great Church Fathers and Bible scholars of the 4th and early 5th centuries. He also left us a substantial number of homilies he delivered on the Scriptures. Among those are his homilies on the Psalms, which are brimming with Catholic beliefs and sentiments.
Two such examples are Homily 55 and Homily 57 on the Psalms, which affirm Catholic doctrine on the Eucharist. We will examine them in order.
Homily 55 on the Psalms
In his Homily 55 on the Psalms, which analyzes Psalm 146, St. Jerome offers the following commentary on verse 7, which speaks about God as the one “who gives food to the hungry” (pg. 396):
Let us hunger for Christ, and He will give us heavenly bread: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). They who pray thus are hungering; it is they who long for this Bread. He who prays: Give us this day our daily bread, surely prays in hunger. “Gives food to the hungry” (Ps. 146:7). Someone is of the opinion that the prophet is referring to the heavenly Bread of the Sacrament. We, indeed, accept such exegesis, for it is truly the Body of Christ and truly the Blood of Christ. Let us, however, push on the interpretation a little further. The Bread of Christ and His Body is divine utterance and heavenly doctrine.
St. Jerome makes a very similar comment in Homily 57 as he makes here in Homily 55, so we will postpone the majority of our analysis until after we examine that one as well. However, we will simply point out here that St. Jerome affirms two simultaneous realities: that the “bread” is both “the heavenly Bread of the Sacrament,” which is “truly the Body of Christ and truly the Blood of Christ,” and also “divine utterance and heavenly doctrine.”
Homily 57 on the Psalms
We now proceed to Homily 57 on the Psalms, which analyzes Psalm 147. Here, St. Jerome makes very similar comments, commenting on verse 14 which says God “fills you with the finest of the wheat,” interpreting the “wheat” as both the Eucharist and heavenly doctrine. However, this time he includes additional details about the Eucharist, specifically referring to the horror that “the faithful” feel if even “a tiny crumb” of it should fall to the ground (pg. 410):
Our Lord, the grain of wheat, has fallen into the ground and has multiplied us. This grain of wheat is very fertile, full of marrow, rich, fruitful. “With the best of wheat he fills you” (Ps. 147:14). Happy the man who perceives the richness of this grain. We have read the Sacred Scriptures. I think the Gospel is the body of Christ; Holy Writ, His teaching. When He says: “He who does not eat my flesh and drink my blood” (John 6:54), although the words may be understood in their mystical sense, nevertheless, I say the word of Scripture is truly the body of Christ and His blood; it is divine doctrine. If any time we approach the Sacrament [the Eucharist]—the faithful understand what I mean—and a tiny crumb should fall, we are appalled. Even so, if at any time we hear the word of God, through which the body and blood of Christ is being poured into our ears, and we yield carelessly to distraction, how responsible are we not for our failing?
A few observations about both Homily 55 and Homily 57.
First, St. Jerome shows the Catholic reading of John 6, and/or other references to manna, “heavenly bread,” the “daily bread” of the Lord’s Prayer, etc. is not limited to the Eucharist. It can and does include the reality that Christ’s teachings, the Gospel, the Scriptures, etc. are also His “body” and “blood.” The Catholic Church believes every part of Scripture should be read in two primary ways, or senses: the literal, and the spiritual. The “spiritual” reading itself consists of three senses: allegorical, moral, and anagogical. Thus, the ancient “Four Senses” of reading Scripture so common among the Church Fathers, and standard in the Church to this day. This means that, for example, the Church sees no tension between the “rock” of Matthew 16 being Christ, St. Peter, and St. Peter’s faith. Each of these readings are harmonious, and cohere with one another. Likewise with the Eucharist, Christ’s teachings, etc.
Second, while St. Jerome believes John 6 refers to Christ’s teachings and the like, he also clearly affirms it refers to the Eucharist.
Finally, about the Eucharist, he says the faithful are “appalled” if even “a tiny crumb should fall.” This observation remains true in the Catholic Church to this very day, where the faithful would and do feel “appalled” if even “a tiny crumb” of the Eucharist should fall to the ground. If St. Jerome believed that every part of the Eucharist—down to individual crumbs—was, indeed, Christ’s “body,” it is unquestionably Catholic theology that makes the most sense of this. The “symbolic” interpretation of the Eucharist common among most protestants today cannot make sense of it. Neither can the “spiritual” understanding among the “reformed,” or the “consubstantiation” understanding of Lutherans (where both Christ and bread are present).
Conclusion
From these brief but illuminating remarks by St. Jerome in Homily 55 and Homily 57 on the Psalms, we can therefore conclude the following:
- The Catholic understanding of Christ’s words about His “body” and “blood” in John 6, as well as other references throughout Scripture to “bread” and “wheat” supernaturally provided by God, are not limited to the Eucharist, but include true doctrine as well. This non-competitive reading is part of Catholic theology to this day.
- St. Jerome expresses a clearly Catholic understanding of the Real Substantial Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, such that he says “the heavenly Bread of the Sacrament” is “truly the Body of Christ and truly the Blood of Christ” (Homily 55), in such a way that the faithful feel “horror” if even “a tiny crumb” of it should fall to the ground (Homily 57).
Buy Us a Coffee
