is
the perfection befitting the Eucharist, which is the spiritual
refreshment.

Reply Obj. 2: The water of Baptism does not cause any spiritual
effect by reason of the water, but by reason of the power of the Holy
Ghost, which power is in the water. Hence on John 5:4, "An angel of
the Lord at certain times," etc., Chrysostom observes: "The water
does not act simply as such upon the baptized, but when it receives
the grace of the Holy Ghost, then it looses all sins." But the true
body of Christ bears the same relation to the species of the bread
and wine, as the power of the Holy Ghost does to the water of
Baptism: hence the species of the bread and wine produce no effect
except from the virtue of Christ's true body.

Reply Obj. 3: A sacrament is so termed because it contains something
sacred. Now a thing can be styled sacred from two causes; either
absolutely, or in relation to something else. The difference between
the Eucharist and other sacraments having sensible matter is that
whereas the Eucharist contains something which is sacred absolutely,
namely, Christ's own body; the baptismal water contains something
which is sacred in relation to something else, namely, the
sanctifying power: and the same holds good of chrism and such like.
Consequently, the sacrament of the Eucharist is completed in the very
consecration of the matter, whereas the other sacraments are
completed in the application of the matter for the sanctifying of the
individual. And from this follows another difference. For, in the
sacrament of the Eucharist, what is both reality and sacrament is in
the matter itself, but what is reality only, namely, the grace
bestowed, is in the recipient; whereas in Baptism both are in the
recipient, namely, the character, which is both reality and
sacrament, and the grace of pardon of sins, which is reality only.
And the same holds good of the other sacraments.
_______________________

SECOND ARTICLE [III, Q. 73, Art. 2]

Whether the Eucharist Is One Sacrament or Several?

Objection 1: It seems that the Eucharist is not one sacrament but
several, because it is said in the Collect [*Postcommunion "pro vivis
et defunctis"]: "May the sacraments which we have received purify us,
O Lord": and this is said on account of our receiving the Eucharist.
Consequently the Eucharist is not one sacrament but several.

Obj. 2: Further, it is impossible for genera to be multiplied without
the species being multiplied: thus