we will set these things forth from more numerous sources. He says in the Gospel according to John to those who had come to Capernaum to seek him: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek <me> not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the 20loaves20 and were filled.” For he who ate “of the” “0loaves20” blessed by Jesus and was filled with them seeks the more to comprehend more accurately the Son of God and hastens to him. Therefore he rightly commands, saying: “Work not for the food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will 20give20 you.” But when those who heard inquired about these things and said: “What must we do, to be working the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” And God “sent his word and healed them,” as is written in the Psalms, that is, those who were sick; by which word those who believe work “the works of God,” which are “food that endures to eternal life.” And “my Father,” he says, “0gives20 you 20the true bread20 from heaven; for the 20bread20 of God is he who comes down from heaven and 20gives20 life to the world.” And the true “0bread20” is that which nourishes the “true” “man,” him who is made “in the image of God,” by which he who is nourished also becomes “in the likeness” “of the one who created him.” What is more nourishing for the soul than the Word, or what is more precious for the mind that receives it than the wisdom of God? What is more suitable for a rational nature than truth? 27.3 But if someone should object to these things, saying that he would not teach us to ask for 20the daily bread20 as if it were something other than himself, let him hear that in the Gospel according to John he speaks at one time as if about someone other than himself, and at another as if he himself is the 20bread20: as if about another, through these words: “Moses 20has given20 you 20the bread20 from heaven,” “not” “the true one,” “but my Father 20gives20 you 20the true bread20 from heaven”; but as if about himself, he says to those who said to him, “Always 20give us this bread20,” “I am the 20bread20 of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” And a little later: “I am the <living> 20bread20 which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this 20bread20, he will live for ever; and the 20bread20 that I will 20give20 is my flesh, which I will 20give20 for the life of the world.” 27.4 Since all food is called “0bread20” according to the scripture, as is clear from what is written about Moses: he did not eat “0bread20” “for forty days and did not” drink “water,” and since the nourishing word is varied and diverse, not all being able to be nourished by the solidity and vigor of the divine teachings; for this reason, wishing to present a more robust food suitable for the more perfect, he says: “And the 20bread20 that I will 20give20 is my flesh, which I will 20give20 for the life of the world,” and a little later: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he who eats me will also live because of me.” This is the “true” “food,” the “flesh” of Christ, which, being the “Word,” became “flesh” according to what was said: “And the Word became flesh.” And when we <eat and> drink him, “and he dwelt among us”; and when he is imparted, what is fulfilled is “we have seen his glory.” “This is the 20bread20 which came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this 20bread20 will live for ever.” 27.5 But Paul, speaking to the Corinthians as to “infants” and to those walking “according to man,” says: “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able. But

πλειόνων ταῦτα παραθησόμεθα. φησὶν ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην πρὸς ἐληλυθότας εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ ζητεῖν αὐτόν· «ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ζητεῖτέ <με> οὐχ ὅτι εἴδετε σημεῖα, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐφάγετε ἐκ τῶν 20ἄρτων20 καὶ ἐχορτάσθητε.» ὁ γὰρ φαγὼν «ἐκ τῶν» ὑπὸ Ἰησοῦ εὐλογηθέντων «0ἄρτων20» καὶ πληρωθεὶς αὐτῶν μᾶλλον ζητεῖ καταλαβεῖν ἀκριβέστερον τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ σπεύδει πρὸς αὐτόν. διόπερ καλῶς προστάτ τει λέγων· «ἐργάζεσθε μὴ τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν ἀπολλυμένην ἀλλὰ τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν μένουσαν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, ἣν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὑμῖν 20δώσει20.» πρὸς ταῦτα δὲ πυθομένων τῶν ἀκουσάντων καὶ λεγόν των· «τί ποιῶμεν, ἵνα ἐργαζώμεθα τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ; ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα πισ τεύητε εἰς ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος.» «ἀπέστειλε» δὲ ὁ θεὸς «τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰάσατο αὐτοὺς,» ὡς ἐν ψαλμοῖς γέγραπται, δηλονότι τοὺς νενοσηκότας· ᾧ λόγῳ οἱ πιστεύοντες ἐργάζονται «τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ,» ὄντα «βρῶσιν μένουσαν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.» καὶ «ὁ πατὴρ» δέ μου, φησὶ, «0δίδωσιν20 ὑμῖν 20τὸν ἄρτον20 ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν ἀληθινόν· ὁ γὰρ 20ἄρτος20 τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν ὁ καταβαίνων ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ζωὴν 20διδοὺς20 τῷ κόσμῳ.» «0ἄρτος20» δὲ ἀληθινός ἐστιν ὁ «τὸν» «ἀληθινὸν» τρέφων «ἄνθρωπον,» τὸν «κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ θεοῦ» πεποιημένον, ᾧ ὁ τραφεὶς καὶ «καθ' ὁμοίωσιν» «τοῦ κτίσαντος» γίνεται. τί δὲ λόγου τῇ ψυχῇ τροφιμώτερον, ἢ τί τῆς σοφίας τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ νῷ τοῦ χωροῦντος αὐτὴν τιμιώτερον; τί δὲ ἀληθείας τῇ λογικῇ φύσει καταλληλότερον; 27.3 ἐὰν δέ τις πρὸς ταῦτα ἀνθυποφέρῃ λέγων μὴ ἂν αὐτὸν διδά σκειν ὡς περὶ ἑτέρου ὄντος 20ἄρτου τοῦ ἐπιουσίου20 αἰτεῖν, ἀκουέτω ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην ὅπου μὲν ὡς περὶ ἑτέρου τινὸς παρ' αὐτὸν διαλέγεται, ὅπου δὲ ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ 20ἄρτος20 ὤν· ὡς μὲν περὶ ἑτέρου διὰ τούτων· «Μωϋσῆς 20δέδωκεν20 ὑμῖν 20τὸν ἄρτον20 ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ,» «οὐ» «τὸν ἀληθινὸν,» «ἀλλ' ὁ πατήρ μου 20δίδωσιν20 ὑμῖν 20τὸν ἄρτον20 ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν ἀληθινόν»· ὡς δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ φησι πρὸς εἰπόντας αὐτῷ· «πάντοτε 20δὸς ἡμῖν τὸν ἄρτον20 τοῦτον,» «ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ 20ἄρτος20 τῆς ζωῆς· ὁ ἐρχόμενος πρός με οὐ μὴ πεινάσῃ, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ διψήσῃ πώποτε.» καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· «ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ 20ἄρτος20 <ὁ ζῶν> ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς· ἐάν τις φάγῃ ἐκ τούτου 20τοῦ ἄρτου20, ζήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· καὶ ὁ 20ἄρτος20 δὲ, ὃν ἐγὼ 20δώσω20, ἡ σάρξ μου ἐστὶν, ἣν ἐγὼ 20δώσω20 ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς.» 27.4 ἐπεὶ δὲ πᾶσα τροφὴ «0ἄρτος20» λέγεται κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν, ὡς δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ περὶ Μωϋσέως ἀναγεγράφθαι· «0ἄρτον20 οὐκ» ἔφαγε «τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας καὶ ὕδωρ οὐκ» ἔπιε, ποικίλος δέ ἐστι καὶ διά φορος ὁ τρόφιμος λόγος, οὐ πάντων δυναμένων τῇ στεῤῥότητι καὶ εὐτονίᾳ τρέφεσθαι τῶν θείων μαθημάτων· διὰ τοῦτο βουλόμενος παραστῆσαι ἀθλητικὴν τελειοτέροις ἁρμόζουσαν τροφήν φησιν· «ὁ 20ἄρτος20 δὲ, ὃν ἐγὼ 20δώσω20, ἡ σάρξ μου ἐστὶν, ἣν ἐγὼ 20δώσω20 ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς,» καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· «ἐὰν μὴ φάγητε τὴν σάρκα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πίητε αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα, οὐκ ἔχετε ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ ἐγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. ἡ γὰρ σάρξ μου ἀλη θής ἐστι βρῶσις, καὶ τὸ αἷμά μου ἀληθής ἐστι πόσις. ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει, κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ. καθὼς ἀπέστειλέ με ὁ ζῶν πατὴρ, κἀγὼ ζῶ διὰ τὸν πατέρα· καὶ ὁ τρώγων με κἀκεῖνος ζήσει δι' ἐμέ.» αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ «ἀληθὴς» «βρῶσις,» «σὰρξ» Χριστοῦ, ἥτις «λόγος» οὖσα γέγονε «σὰρξ» κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· «καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο.» ὅτε δὲ <φάγοιμεν καὶ> πίοιμεν αὐτὸν, «καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν»· ἐπὰν δὲ ἀναδιδῶται, πληροῦ ται τὸ «ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ.» «οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ 20ἄρτος20 ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβὰς, οὐ καθὼς ἔφαγον οἱ πατέρες καὶ ἀπέθανον· ὁ τρώγων τοῦτον 20τὸν ἄρτον20 ζήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.» 27.5 ὁ δὲ Παῦλος «νηπίοις» διαλεγόμενος καὶ «κατὰ ἄνθρωπον» πε ριπατοῦσι Κορινθίοις φησί· «γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, οὐ βρῶμα· οὔπω γὰρ ἐδύνασθε. ἀλλ'