Host - What Does It Really Mean

~J.M.J.~

Very often, Catholics refer to the Eucharistic Bread as "Host", but some of us are unaware of the true meaning of the word. Yes, if you thought it was called as such because "the bread is a vessel which hosts Jesus," St Thomas Aquinas says you are wrong and the Church agrees with him.

In the Third Part of the Summa Theologiæ, Question 75, Article 2, St Aquinas says that the substances of bread and wine cease to exist after consecration. "Now a thing cannot be in any place, where it was not previously, except by... the conversion of another thing into itself". For example, if a person change for the better, he must cease to be bad. This means that substances of bread changes totally into the Body of Christ and wine into His Precious Blood, thus bread and wine must cease to exist.

This "Host" spoken of when referring to the Eucharist is also a different "Host" referred to in the Sanctus - "Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Hosts". These "hosts" may refer either to the ancient armies of Israel over which the Lord God gave protection as in Gen 2:1, the host of angels, or just the hosts of stars and consequently the entire universe. Whichever definition you accept, it still cannot be applied to the Blessed Sacrament.

When spoken of in a Eucharistic context, "Host" originates from the Latin word, "Hostiam", which means "Victim". Upon the altar, the sacrifice of Calvary is made present. Precious Body and Precious Blood are consecrated separately to mirror the separation of these two upon the Cross. When we receive the Host, we remember that It is His Precious Body, which was once broken but is now glorified.

The victimhood of Christ upon the Cross is recalled in invoking Jesus Christ as "Host". In the Host lies the promise of Christ - that our broken souls will be glorified for all eternity.