d. This took place but once; whereas the faithful receive
daily the fruits of His Passion: consequently, the former is
commemorated but once in the year, whereas the latter takes place
every day, both that we may partake of its fruit and in order that we
may have a perpetual memorial.

Reply Obj. 2: The figure ceases on the advent of the reality. But
this sacrament is a figure and a representation of our Lord's
Passion, as stated above. And therefore on the day on which our
Lord's Passion is recalled as it was really accomplished, this
sacrament is not consecrated. Nevertheless, lest the Church be
deprived on that day of the fruit of the Passion offered to us by
this sacrament, the body of Christ consecrated the day before is
reserved to be consumed on that day; but the blood is not reserved,
on account of danger, and because the blood is more specially the
image of our Lord's Passion, as stated above (Q. 78, A. 3, ad 2). Nor
is it true, as some affirm, that the wine is changed into blood when
the particle of Christ's body is dropped into it. Because this cannot
be done otherwise than by consecration under the due form of words.

On Christmas Day, however, several masses are said on account of
Christ's threefold nativity. Of these the first is His eternal birth,
which is hidden in our regard, and therefore one mass is sung in the
night, in the "Introit" of which we say: "The Lord said unto Me: Thou
art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee." The second is His
nativity in time, and the spiritual birth, whereby Christ rises "as
the day-star in our [Vulg.: 'your'] hearts" (2 Pet. 1:19), and on
this account the mass is sung at dawn, and in the "Introit" we say:
"The light will shine on us today." The third is Christ's temporal
and bodily birth, according as He went forth from the virginal womb,
becoming visible to us through being clothed with flesh: and on that
account the third mass is sung in broad daylight, in the "Introit" of
which we say: "A child is born to us." Nevertheless, on the other
hand, it can be said that His eternal generation, of itself, is in
the full light, and on this account in the gospel of the third mass
mention is made of His eternal birth. But regarding His birth in the
body, He was literally born during the night, as a sign that He came
to the darknesses of our infirmity; hence also in the midnight mass
we say the gospel of Christ's nativity in the flesh.

Likewise on other days upon which many