[Sermones de eucharistiae sacramento]

...had to begin from food, by persuading through the same physician, that is, from the word of the tree of life, which is the Lord's body. Regarding the first, Genesis 2: "From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat; for in whatever day you eat from it, you shall die." Regarding the second, John 6: "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you."

Secondly, the corruption of human nature required the body of the Lord as food regarding the complete healing of corruption. For the malignant serpent poured a triple corruption into man through the poison of the forbidden fruit: darkness of ignorance in the soul, the disease of base concupiscence in the flesh, and death in both. Genesis 3: "The serpent deceived me." Regarding the first, Psalm 48: "Man, when he was in honor, did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts." Genesis 1: "Darkness was upon the face of the deep," that is, of ignorance upon the face of the human heart because of diabolical deception. Regarding the second, Galatians 5: "The flesh lusts against the spirit." Romans 7: "I see another law in my members fighting against the law of my mind." The law in the members is the disease of concupiscence moving the members to the act of malice. Regarding the third, Wisdom 2: "By the envy of the devil, death entered into the world." Concerning all of these, Augustine says: "If the angel had not been heard while flowing into paradise from his own [pride], we would not have been precipitated into death. The serpent came down from heaven, became a tempter, and sent forth poison from his own self; he spoke of his own: 'Taste, and you shall be as gods.' And they, desiring what they were not, lost what they had received, namely intelligence, life, justice, and the possibility of not dying."

Since the devil had poured in a triple corruption through poisoned food, it was necessary for a complete cure that our physician and savior should give medicinal food against these three, and this is His body. It illuminates the darkness of ignorance in those who receive it piously, heals the disease of base concupiscence, and triumphs by destroying death. Regarding the first, Psalm 26: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; approach him and be illuminated." For the body of Christ is the Word of God, that is, the true light in human flesh, as if in a lantern by which the faithful soul is illuminated. Regarding the second, Psalm 77: "He rained manna for them to eat." Exodus 16: "In the morning, dew lay in the likeness of frost upon the earth." Therefore, the heavenly bread appeared in the likeness of the rain of dew and frost, because the body of the Lord cools the heat of base concupiscence. Regarding the third, John 6: "Your fathers ate manna in the desert and are dead; this is the bread descending from heaven, so that if anyone eats of it, he shall not die." And thus this food destroys eternal death.

Thirdly, the corruption of human nature requires the body of the Lord as food regarding the firm preservation of health. For some are pricked by their sins for a time and are in a way healed, but in the time of temptation they are corrupted again through a relapse. Psalm 37: "My scars have rotted and are corrupted because of my foolishness." But for the observation of health...