Are Christ’s veins, nerves, teeth, and fingers in the Most Holy Eucharist?

Yes, indeed. The whole Christ is contained in the Blessed Sacrament, body, blood, soul, and divinity. In the Summa theologiae III q. 76, a. 1, Saint Thomas Aquinas addresses this question. He first examines an objection which would wrongly conclude that Christ excluded his bones, nerves, etc. from the Eucharist when He proclaimed: “My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.”

Saint Thomas cleverly answered this objection:

By the power of the sacrament there is contained under it, as to the species of the bread, not only the flesh, but the entire body of Christ, that is, the bones the nerves, and the like. And this is apparent from the form of this sacrament, wherein it is not said: “This is My flesh,” but “This is My body.” Accordingly, when our Lord said (John 6:56): “My flesh is meat indeed,” there the word flesh is put for the entire body, because according to human custom it seems to be more adapted for eating, as men commonly are fed on the flesh of animals, but not on the bones or the like. (Summa theologiae III q. 76, a. 1, ad 2.)

That sums it up. The whole Christ is hidden from our senses in the consecrated species. He’s really there. What a profound mystery.

We should visit Him more often in the tabernacles of His Holy Church.

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