Is Christ's human nature omnipresent (present everywhere)?

[jinc1019]

Hi,

I know that Christ’s human nature isn’t, in and of itself, omnipresent. However, I have heard some people say that Christ’s human nature is omnipresent in all places that his divine nature is (which is everywhere) because of the so-called “communication of the attributes.” Based on that concept, Christ’s divine nature allows his human nature to be omnipresent without actually changing his human nature.

Is that true, according to Catholic teaching?

I know Lutherans believe this, and I’ve heard some Reformed Protestants say that Catholics believe it too.

Resources addressing this issue would be great! I tried to look in the CCC, but I couldn’t find anything. (That doesn’t mean it’s not in there, of course, only that I couldn’t find it.)

-Justin

 

[rom]

I know that Christ’s human nature isn’t, in and of itself, omnipresent. However, I have heard some people say that Christ’s human nature is omnipresent in all places that his divine nature is (which is everywhere) because of the so-called “communication of the attributes.” Based on that concept, Christ’s divine nature allows his human nature to be omnipresent without actually changing his human nature.

Is that true, according to Catholic teaching?

I don’t think that is Catholic Teaching. The Divine Attributes cannot be communicated to a creature, which Christ’s human nature is. Even in the Eucharist, where Christ is physically present in every particle of the host or wine, His physical presence is not everywhere (omnipresence), but is limited to where the sensible accidents of bread and wine can be found. And when the host or wine is consumed, and the accidents of host or wine eventually disappear within the communicant’s body, Christ’s physical presence disappears as well. Of course, He continues to be in the communicant by grace.

 

[Ilkka]

I don’t think so. Christ said He will be leaving us yet promised to return. This means that He, as a human person, was not able to be omnipresent. However, during every Mass He is again with us in the Eucharist but that isn’t to be regarded as omnipresence.

 

[rom]

In my understanding , the divine power of Christ makes his human body appear in all places at once. Although the human nature is a creature, Christ Himself isn’t. He assumed the human nature but didn’t absorb it . The mystery of the hypostatic union suggests that the divine person of the Son does communicate to the human nature of Christ . He infuses divine knowledge for example.

I believe His body itself , albeit glorified , requires his divinity to be omnipresent .

So with regards to the Eucharist … due to the miracle of superabundance , Christ can make his body and blood present everywhere (as we see with the miracle of the loaves and the fish in the Gospels, which prefigured the Eucharist essentially)

Christ has infused knowledge in His human intellect. For example, He has infused knowledge of His Divinity. But that does not give His human intellect the Divine attribute of omniscience. There were still many things that Christ, as human, did not know. His human intellect would only know what It had infused knowledge of, and that was limited. This is why in St. Luke’s gospel, it said that “Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men” (Luke 2:52). He, as human, did not possess infinite wisdom when He was born, but had to acquire wisdom (and, of course, knowledge) over time. When living with the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, for example, it is probable that He only learned the carpenter’s trade from St. Joseph. He was not an expert carpenter from birth.

The hypostatic union is the union of the human and the divine nature in the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Therefore, Christ, as a Divine Person, would have divine attributes. But, as human, He would have human attributes. Right now Christ’s Body is circumscriptively present in only one place, that is in heaven. By Divine Power, however, His Body is really, but non-circumscriptively present on earth in all places where a consecrated host may be found. Therefore, even now His Glorified Body is not present everywhere or in all places, but only in those places on earth where there is a consecrated host.

I agree that the miracle of the loaves and the fish mentioned in the gospels prefigured the Eucharist. But that miracle did not involve transubstantiation, but only a multiplication of substances. The changing of water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana is not transubstantiation either, but a total conversion of the substance and accidents of water into the substance and accidents of wine. In transubstantiation only the substance changes, but the accidents remain.

 

[Totus_tuus118]

Very good explanation. Thank you for that rom , that clears things up .

 

[jinc1019]

n’t think that is Catholic Teaching. The Divine Attributes cannot be communicated to a creature, which Christ’s human nature is. Even in the Eucharist, where Christ is physically present in every particle of the host or wine, His physical presence is not everywhere (omnipresence), but is limited to where the sensible accidents of bread and wine can be found. And when the host or wine is consumed, and the accidents of host or wine eventually disappear within the communicant’s body, C

Thanks for all the replies!