Thomas Aquinas on Transubstantiation

Thomas Aquinas on Transubstantiation

Before Thomas Aquinas died he was writing the Summa Theologian, which was regarded as one of the greatest works of medieval theology. Although he didn't finish he made 4 very interesting arguments about Transubstantiation. He asked whether the substance of bread and wine remain in this sacrament after consecration, whether the substance of bread or wine is annihilated after the consecration of this sacrament, whether bread can be changed into the body of Christ and whether the accidents of bread and wine remain in the sacrament after this conversion. All of the questions were very good topics and all of them had supporting information. Thomas Aquinas was a brilliant man that died in the middle of his greatest piece.

Whether the substance of bread and wine remain in this sacrament after consecration is a good question. I think that it can't be because the body of Christ can only come to be in the sacrament through change of position. Maybe Jesus never really changed his body into bread like he said at the last supper. I believe that he meant that if you follow what he did then you will be blessed by God. One of the things that Jesus did was eat bread and because of that his followers did what Jesus did, eat alongside him. I think that after it was said that Jesus' body was turned into bread it became more of a tradition than a literal translation.

Whether the substance of bread and wine is annihilated after the consecration of this sacrament is another good question because I think it is impossible that Jesus could be converted into bread and wine. However I understand why Jesus may have been converted into bread and wine. I think the reason is that it reinsures Christians that Jesus is always going to be with you no matter what you do. A little bit of Jesus is in anyone who wants or has consumed him. That is the reason why he may have converted from God to man to bread and wine.

Whether bread can be changed into the body of Christ is in my opinion one of the same questions Thomas Aquinas already asked just reworded. The reason I say this is because if Jesus can be turned into bread than why cannot

bread be turned into Jesus. The only way that it is different is because it is supernatural and can only be preformed by God.

Whether the accidents of bread and wine remain in the sacrament