Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that the body of Christ, as it is in this sacrament, can be seen by the eye, at least by a glorified one. For our eyes are hindered from beholding Christ's body in this sacrament, on account of the sacramental species veiling it. But the glorified eye cannot be hindered by anything from seeing bodies as they are. Therefore, the glorified eye can see Christ's body as it is in this sacrament.

Objection 2: Further, the glorified bodies of the saints will be "made like to the body" of Christ's "glory," according to Phil. 3:21. But Christ's eye beholds Himself as He is in this sacrament. Therefore, for the same reason, every other glorified eye can see Him.

Objection 3: Further, in the resurrection the saints will be equal to the angels, according to Lk. 20:36. But the angels see the body of Christ as it is in this sacrament, for even the devils are found to pay reverence thereto, and to fear it. Therefore, for like reason, the glorified eye can see Christ as He is in this sacrament.

On the contrary, As long as a thing remains the same, it cannot at the same time be seen by the same eye under diverse species. But the glorified eye sees Christ always, as He is in His own species, according to Is. 33:17: "(His eyes) shall see the king in his beauty." It seems, then, that it does not see Christ, as He is under the species of this sacrament.

I answer that, The eye is of two kinds, namely, the bodily eye properly so-called, and the intellectual eye, so-called by similitude. But Christ's body as it is in this sacrament cannot be seen by any bodily eye. First of all, because a body which is visible brings about an alteration in the medium, through its accidents. Now the accidents of Christ's body are in this sacrament by means of the substance; so that the accidents of Christ's body have no immediate relationship either to this sacrament or to adjacent bodies; consequently they do not act on the medium so as to be seen by any corporeal eye. Secondly, because, as stated above (Article 1, ad 3; Article 3), Christ's body is substantially present in this sacrament. But substance, as such, is not visible to the bodily eye, nor does it come under any one of the senses, nor under the imagination, but solely under the intellect, whose object is "what a thing is" (De Anima iii). And therefore, properly speaking, Christ's body, according to the mode of being which it has in this sacrament, is perceptible neither by the sense nor by the imagination, but only by the intellect, which is called the spiritual eye.

Moreover it is perceived differently by different intellects. For since the way in which Christ is in this sacrament is entirely supernatural, it is visible in itself to a supernatural, i.e. the Divine, intellect, and consequently to a beatified intellect, of angel or of man, which, through the participated glory of the Divine intellect, sees all supernatural things in the vision of the Divine Essence. But it can be seen by a wayfarer through faith alone, like other supernatural things. And not even the angelic intellect of its own natural power is capable of beholding it; consequently the devils cannot by their intellect perceive Christ in this sacrament, except through faith, to which they do not pay willing assent; yet they are convinced of it from the evidence of signs, according to James 2:19: "The devils believe, and tremble."

Reply to Objection 1: Our bodily eye, on account of the sacramental species, is hindered from beholding the body of Christ underlying them, not merely as by way of veil (just as we are hindered from seeing what is covered with any corporeal veil), but also because Christ's body bears a relation to the medium surrounding this sacrament, not through its own accidents, but through the sacramental species.

Reply to Objection 2: Christ's own bodily eye sees Himself existing under the sacrament, yet it cannot see the way in which it exists under the sacrament, because that belongs to the intellect. But it is not the same with any other glorified eye, because Christ's eye is under this sacrament, in which no other glorified eye is conformed to it.

Reply to Objection 3: No angel, good or bad, can see anything with a bodily eye, but only with the mental eye. Hence there is no parallel reason, as is evident from what was said above.

Articulus 7

Argumentum 1

Ad septimum sic proceditur. Videtur quod corpus christi prout est in hoc sacramento, possit videri ab aliquo oculo, saltem glorificato. Oculus enim noster impeditur a visione corporis christi in hoc sacramento existentis, propter species sacramentales ipsum circumvelantes. Sed oculus glorificatus non potest ab aliquo impediri, quin corpora quaelibet videat prout sunt. Ergo oculus glorificatus potest videre corpus christi prout est in hoc sacramento.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, corpora gloriosa sanctorum erunt configurata corpori claritatis christi, ut dicitur philipp. III.

Sed oculus christi videt seipsum prout est in hoc sacramento. Ergo pari ratione quilibet alius oculus glorificatus potest ipsum videre.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, sancti in resurrectione erunt aequales Angelis, ut dicitur Luc. XX.

Sed Angeli vident corpus christi prout est in hoc sacramento, quia etiam Daemones inveniuntur huic sacramento reverentiam exhibere, et ipsum timere. Ergo pari ratione oculus glorificatus potest ipsum videre prout est in hoc sacramento.

Sed Contra

Sed contra, nihil idem existens potest simul ab eodem videri in diversis speciebus. Sed oculus glorificatus semper videt christum prout est in sua specie, secundum illud Isaiae XXXIII, regem in decore suo videbunt.

Ergo videtur quod non videat christum prout est sub specie huius sacramenti.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod duplex est oculus, scilicet corporalis, proprie dictus; et intellectualis, qui per similitudinem dicitur.

A nullo autem oculo corporali corpus christi potest videri prout est in hoc sacramento. Primo quidem, quia corpus visibile per sua accidentia immutat medium. Accidentia autem corporis christi sunt in hoc sacramento mediante substantia, ita scilicet quod accidentia corporis christi non habent immediatam habitudinem neque ad hoc sacramentum, neque ad corpora quae ipsum circumstant. Et ideo non possunt immutare medium, ut sic ab aliquo corporali oculo videri possint.

Secundo quia, sicut supra dictum est, corpus christi est in hoc sacramento per modum substantiae. Substantia autem, inquantum huiusmodi, non est visibilis oculo corporali, neque subiacet alicui sensui, neque imaginationi, sed soli intellectui, cuius obiectum est quod quid est, ut dicitur in III de anima.

Et ideo, proprie loquendo, corpus christi, secundum modum essendi quem habet in hoc sacramento, neque sensu neque imaginatione perceptibile est, sed solo intellectu, qui dicitur oculus spiritualis.

Percipitur autem diversimode a diversis intellectibus.

Quia enim modus essendi quo christus est in hoc sacramento, est penitus supernaturalis, a supernaturali intellectu, scilicet divino, secundum se visibilis est, et per consequens ab intellectu beato vel Angeli vel hominis, qui secundum participatam claritatem divini intellectus videt ea quae supernaturalia sunt, per visionem divinae essentiae. Ab intellectu autem hominis viatoris non potest conspici nisi per fidem, sicut et cetera supernaturalia. Sed nec etiam intellectus angelicus, secundum sua naturalia, sufficit ad hoc intuendum. Unde Daemones non possunt videre per intellectum christum in hoc sacramento, nisi per fidem, cui non voluntate assentiunt, sed ad eam signorum evidentia convincuntur, prout dicitur, Iac. II, quod Daemones credunt et contremiscunt.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod oculus noster corporeus per species sacramentales impeditur a visione corporis christi sub eis existentis, non solum per modum tegumenti, sicut impedimur videre id quod est velatum quocumque corporali velamine, sed quia corpus christi non habet habitudinem ad medium quod circumstat hoc sacramentum mediantibus propriis accidentibus sed mediantibus speciebus sacramentalibus.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod oculus corporalis christi videt seipsum sub sacramento existentem, non tamen potest videre ipsum modum essendi quo est sub sacramento, quod pertinet ad intellectum.

Nec tamen est simile de alio oculo glorioso, quia et ipse oculus christi est sub hoc sacramento; in quo non conformatur ei alius oculus gloriosus.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod Angelus bonus vel malus non potest aliquid videre oculo corporeo, sed solum oculo intellectuali.

Unde non est similis ratio, ut ex dictis patet.