The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Roman Catholicism

First, the whole section of this quote from Augustine is most important and instructive:

And hence that true Mediator, in so far as, by assuming the form of a servant, He became the Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, though in the form of God He received sacrifice together with the Father, with whom He is one God, yet in the form of a servant He chose rather to be than to receive a sacrifice, that not even by this instance any one might have occasion to suppose that sacrifice should be rendered to any creature. Thus He is both the Priest who offers and the Sacrifice offered. And He designed that there should be a daily sign of this in the sacrifice of the Church, which, being His body, learns to offer herself through Him. Of this true Sacrifice the ancient sacrifices of the saints were the various and numerous signs; and it was thus variously figured, just as one thing is signified by a variety of words, that there may be less weariness when we speak of it much. To this supreme and true sacrifice all false sacrifices have given place.

1. It seems that in regard to your specific question regarding "a daily sign", Augustine is simply saying he believes that the Lord's Supper (aka: RCC Eucharist) should be administered daily versus weekly, monthly, etc. Calvin was of the same mind, although there is no Scriptural precept that would regulate the Church to administer the Supper at any particular frequency.

2. Notice that Augustine refers by inferential deduction from "Of this true Sacrifice the ancient sacrifices of the saints were the various and numerous signs; and it was thus variously figured, just as one thing is signified by a variety of words,... To this supreme and true sacrifice all false sacrifices have given place.", that the coming of Christ abrogated all the 'types and shadows', i.e., all the OT sacrifices which were signs, thus the Supper is the superior and final sign. Of course, there are many other sections of Augustine's writings where one can clearly see he didn't hold to anything that even approximated 'transubstantiation', but rather held to a spiritual presence of Christ in the Supper.

3. What do you think the phrase, "a daily sign" means?