s thought that
Christ spoke of His body, they made objections, for it is said in the 42nd
verse of the same chapter: "And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of
Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I
came down from heaven?"

Reflect how clear it is that what Christ meant by the heavenly bread was
His spirit, His bounties, His perfections and His teachings; for it is
said in the 63rd verse: "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing."

Therefore, it is evident that the spirit of Christ is a heavenly grace
which descends from heaven; whosoever receives light from that spirit in
abundance--that is to say, the heavenly teachings--finds everlasting life.
That is why it is said in the 35th verse: "And Jesus said unto them, I am
the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that
believeth on Me shall never thirst."

Notice that "coming to Him" He expresses as eating, and "belief in Him" as
drinking. Then it is evident and established that the celestial food is
the divine bounties, the spiritual splendors, the heavenly teachings, the
universal meaning of Christ. To eat is to draw near to Him, and to drink
is to believe in Him. For Christ had an elemental body and a celestial
form. The elemental body was crucified, but the heavenly form is living
and eternal, and the cause of everlasting life; the first was the human
nature, and the second is the divine nature. It is thought by some that
the Eucharist is the reality of Christ, and that the Divinity and the Holy
Spirit descend into and exist in it. Now when once the Eucharist is taken,
after a few moments it is simply disintegrated and entirely transformed.
Therefore, how can such a thought be conceived? God forbid! certainly it
is an absolute fantasy.

To conclude: through the manifestation of Christ, the divine teachings,
which are an eternal bounty, were spread abroad, the light of guidance
shone forth, and the spirit of life was conferred on man. Whoever found
guidance became living; whoever remained lost was seized by enduring
death. This bread which came down from heaven was the divine body of
Christ, His spiritual elements, which the disciples ate, and through which
they gained eternal life.

The disciples had taken many meals from the hand of Christ; why was the
last supper distinguished from the others? It is evident that the heavenly
bread did not signify this material bread, but rather th