Letter 42

To Philip the Scholasticus [advocate]. Paper [chartes] manufactured out of papyrus and glue is called plain paper, but when it receives the signature of the emperor it is plainly named a Sacra [an imperial rescript]. Think of the divine mysteries in this same way: before the intercession of the priest and the descent of the Holy Spirit, the elements set forth are plain bread and common wine; but after those awesome invocations and the visitation of the adorable, life-giving, and good Spirit, the things laid upon the holy table are no longer plain bread and common wine, but the body and the precious and undefiled blood of Christ, the God of all, which cleanses from every defilement those who partake with fear and with great longing.

Ἐκ παπύρου, καὶ κόλλης χάρτης κατασκευασθεὶς, χάρτης ψιλὸς καλεῖται, ἐπὰν δὲ ὑπογραφὴν δέξηται βασιλέως, δῆλον ὡς Σάκρα ὀνομάζεται. Οὕτως μοι νόει καὶ τὰ θεῖα μυστήρια, πρὸ μὲν τῆς ἐντεύξεως τοῦ ἱερέως, καὶ τῆς καθόδου τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ψιλὸν ἄρτον ὑπάρχειν, καὶ οἶνον κοινὸν τὰ προκείμενα· μετὰ δὲ τὰς φοβερὰς ἐκείνας ἐπικλήσεις, καὶ τὴν ἐφοίτησιν τοῦ προσκυνητοῦ, καὶ ζωοποιοῦ, καὶ ἀγαθοῦ Πνεύματος, οὐκ ἔτι ψιλὸν ἄρτον καὶ κοινὸν οἶνον τὰ ἐπιτεθειμένα τῇ ἁγίᾳ τραπέζῃ, ἀλλὰ σῶμα, καὶ αἷμα τίμιον καὶ ἄχραντον Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ἁπάντων, καθαρίζον ἀπὸ παντὸς μολυσμοῦ τοὺς μεταλαμβάνοντας φόβῳ, καὶ πόθῳ πολλῷ.