SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #480

And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread and blessed and broke and gave to his disciples and said: "Take ye and eat. This is my body." And taking the chalice, he gave thanks and gave to them, saying: "Drink ye all of this. For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins. And I say to you, I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father." (Matt. 26:26-29)

THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS: Our Lord did not give His Sacred Body and Blood, under the form of bread and wine, only to be received by His apostles; He offered them, first, as a sacrifice to His heavenly Father. That the most holy Sacrament is a Sacrifice is shown by the separation of the Blood from the Body, as also by the words of institution: "This is My Body, which is given for you," which is offered up for your salvation. Our Lord therefore instituted the Most Holy Sacrament to be a Sacrifice, and commanded the apostles and their successors to continue to offer this unbloody Sacrifice, which we call the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Our Lord offered up the first Mass at the Last Supper, and in it we can distinguish the three principle parts of the Mass. First, "He took bread, gave thanks, and blessed it": that was the Offertory. Then He said: "This is My Body -- This is My Blood," and by these almighty words changed the bread into His Sacred Body, and the wine into His Precious Blood: that was the Consecration. Finally, the apostles ate His Body and drank His Blood: that was the Communion.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #479

And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread and blessed and broke and gave to his disciples and said: "Take ye and eat. This is my body." And taking the chalice, he gave thanks and gave to them, saying: "Drink ye all of this. For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins. And I say to you, I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father." (Matt. 26:26-29)

THE REAL PRESENCE OF OUR LORD IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT: A year before, our Lord had promised to give to His disciples His Flesh to eat and His Blood to drink; and now, at the Last Supper, He fulfilled His promise. By His almighty and efficacious words: "This is My Body; this is My Blood," Jesus changed the bread into His Body, and the wine into His Blood, and gave them to be partaken by His apostles. The appearances, the shape, color, taste, etc., of the bread and wine remained, therefore our Lord gave His Body and Blood to be received by the apostles under the form of bread and wine. The apostles neither doubted nor questioned His words, for the promise of the Blessed Sacrament made a year before as well as the preceding promise that "He would eat the Paschal lamb new in His kingdom," had already prepared them for the mystery. As Jesus solemnly took bread, raised His Eyes to heaven etc., they said within themselves: "Now the Master is going to perform that which He promised to do, a year ago in the synagogue at Capharnaum." By the words: "Do this in commemoration of Me," our Lord gave to the apostles and their successors, the bishops and priests of the Church, the power of changing bread and wine into His Body and Blood, and of distributing them to the faithful; so that to this day, in the holy Mass, bishops and priests change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus when, speaking in His name, they pronounce the words: "This is My Body; this is My Blood." The Sacrament in which the the Body and Blood of our Lord are thus present and received is called the Most Holy Sacrament, because it is more holy than the other Sacraments; Jesus Himself, and not only His grace, being therein received.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)