Annotatio IV §.XVI: Bernard’s triple — spiritual food, spiritual presence, spiritual eating by faith
Bernard’s sinewy triple on the Supper: (1) food of the mind = Spiritual food; (2) present and exhibited spiritually, not corporally;
(3) therefore eaten spiritually — eating matches the food’s nature: corporal food for the body, spiritual food received by faith for the faithful soul’s increase of faith and communion with Christ (cf. John 6:56).
Latin
Quô duplici effatô nervosissimâ omnem de corpore Christi in S. Cœna veritatem perorat, (1) faciendo istud cibum mentis eóque cibum Spiritualem, quodque idcirco (2) non corporaliter, sed spiritualiter præsens sit ac exhibeatur. Denique, (3.) Spiritualiter exhibitum, spiritualiter etiam proptereà manducetur, quia naturam rationemque cibi insequatur natura & ratio manducationis; Eóque, uti cibus corporalis, corporaliter assumtus, in corporis usum, ita cibus spiritualis, spiritualiter seu fide acceptus, in usum Spiritus, seu Animæ fidelis, i. e. in augmentum ac stabilimentum fidei communionisque cum Christo concedat. Confer Sermonem Bernhardi de S. Cœna in Caput VI. Johannis versum 56. 563.