THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS! In the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, the body and blood—together with the soul and divinity—of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole of Christ, are contained truly, really, and substantially. This presence is called “real.” Christ becomes present through the conversion of the bread and wine into His body and blood. It is not the priest who causes the offerings to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but Christ Himself, who was crucified for us. The priest, acting in the person of Christ, pronounces these words, yet their efficacy and grace come from God. “This is my body,” he says. This word transforms the offerings.
