ACC ~ John 6 v51a

THE PERFECT BREAD FROM HEAVEN

IRENAEUS: He might easily have come to us in his immortal glory, but in that case we could never have endured the greatness of the glory. Therefore it happened that he, who was the perfect bread of the Father, offered himself to us as milk, [because we were] like infants. He did this when he appeared as a man, that we, being nourished, as it were, from the breast of his flesh, and having, by such a course of milk-nourishment, become accustomed to eat and drink the Word of God, may be able also to contain in ourselves the Bread of immortality, which is the Spirit of the Father. AGAINST HERESIES 4.38.1. [1]

[1] ANF 1:521*.

A NEW SPIRITUAL DIET

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: God elaborates on a suitable and wholesome new diet for the newly-formed and new-born babe. He says it consists of the one who nourishes and who is the Father of all that are generated and regenerated—just as manna, the celestial food of angels, flowed down from heaven on the ancient Hebrews… But when our kind and loving Father rained down the Word, he himself became spiritual nourishment to the good. This is a truly amazing mystery, because… this is the kind of diet the Lord administers: he offers his flesh and pours out his blood so that nothing is lacking for his children’s growth. This is almost too much to take in! And then we are to throw out the old and carnal corruption, our old diet, receiving in exchange a totally new diet—Christ himself as we ingest him for him to remain hidden there. Then, with our Savior enshrined in our souls, as it were, we can correct the affections of our flesh. CHRIST THE EDUCATOR 1.6. [1]

[1] ANF 2:219-20*.

MANNA STILL RAINS DOWN FROM HEAVEN

AMBROSE: You asked me why the Lord God does not now rain down manna as he did on our ancestors’ people. If you reflect, you will realize that he does, even daily, rain down manna from heaven on his servants. In fact, a corporeal manna is found today in many places, but it is not now a matter of such great wonder, because what is perfect has come. [1] This is the Bread from heaven, the Body from a virgin, of which the gospel sufficiently tells us. How much more excellent this is than what went before! Those who ate that manna, or bread, are dead, but he who eats this Bread will live forever…. Whoever experiences this downpour of divine Wisdom is delighted, and, needing no other food, lives not on bread alone but on every word of God. [2] LETTER 77. [3]

[1] 1 Cor 13:10.

[2] Mt 4:4.

[3] FC 26:432*.

AS BEGGARS BEFORE GOD WE ASK FOR BREAD

AUGUSTINE: You are God’s beggar. I mean, we are all God’s beggars when we pray. We stand in front of the great householder’s gate. In fact we go so far as to prostrate ourselves, we whine and implore, wanting to receive something, and that something is God himself. What does the beggar ask from you? Bread. And you, what do you ask from God, if not Christ, who says, “I am the living bread who came down from heaven”? SERMON 83.2. [1]

[1] WSA 3 3:382.

MANY GRAINS JOINED TOGETHER

CYPRIAN: The body of the Lord cannot be flour alone or water alone, unless both are united and joined together and compacted in the mass of one bread. In this very sacrament our people are shown to be made one, so that as many grains, collected and ground and mixed together into one mass, make one bread, so also in Christ, who is the heavenly bread, we may know that there is one body with which our number is joined and united. LETTER 62.13. [1]

[1] ANF 5:362*. Augustine cites this same passage of Cyprian in On Baptism 7.50. See also the liturgy of the Reformed Dutch communion, which retains his imagery as well.

Jn