[Sermones de eucharistiae sacramento]

is the magnitude of divine liberality; for since He is supremely good, supreme liberality became Him, but no greater than this can exist, as will be proved. Therefore, it was fitting that He should have this. Now the liberality of divine goodness is proved to be greatest in this act in three respects. First, regarding the magnificence of the gift. Second, regarding the nobility of the Giver. Third, regarding the utility of the receiver. First, the greatest liberality of God is proved in this act regarding the magnificence of the gift, because He lavishly gives Himself in this sacrament, and this most lavishly, because He gives His own body as food, as it says: "Take and eat, this is my body." Here, however, is the highest and most superabundant degree of divine largesse regarding the gift. Hence, certain degrees of divine liberality can be proposed, by which He has lavishly given His goods to man, and thus it will be clear that this is the highest. The first degree of God's liberality is that He gave heaven and earth and all irrational creatures to man to serve him. Ecclesiasticus 17: "God created man from the earth and gave him power over the things that are upon the earth." Genesis 1: "Let us make man to our image and likeness and let him have dominion over every creature." Hence heaven and earth and all things that are in them serve man. Deuteronomy 4: "The Lord thy God created the sun and the moon and all the stars of heaven as a mystery for all nations." Matthew 5: "God makes his sun to rise upon the good and bad, and rains upon the just and unjust." Acts 14: "And yet God did not leave himself without testimony, doing good from heaven, giving rains and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Not without testimony did He leave Himself, doing good, that is, through benefits and creatures He testified Himself to be God and liberal. Psalm: "What is man that thou art mindful of him, and thou hast set him over the works of thy hands," etc. The second degree is that He gave man those most noble rational creatures above, the heavenly ones, namely the holy angels, to minister. Hebrews 1: "They are all ministering spirits sent into the world for the sake of those who shall receive the inheritance of salvation." Matthew 18: "Their angels always see the face of the Father." Angels are called those of the little ones, because to each one from birth an angel is given for ministry. Hence they are read to have often paid service to men, and they still do so daily, turning sinners, defending many from evils, and leading the just to heaven. Exodus 23: "Behold I send my angel, who shall go before thee, and keep thee in the way, and bring thee into the place which I have prepared." He will go before, showing the light of virtues; he will keep thee in the way, defending thee in the fire of purgatory; and he will introduce thee, leading thee to the seat of the heavenly kingdom. The third degree is that God gave man Himself. Luke 1: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought the redemption of his people." The oath which he swore to Abraham our father, He gave Himself in many ways. Psalm, in the companion of our pilgrimage. Baruch 3: "This is our Lord God, he found out all the way of discipline and delivered it to Jacob his boy, and to Israel his beloved; after these things he was seen on earth and