Properties or Accidents
The “properties” or “accidents” of bread and wine are their size, shape, texture, color and taste. After Consecration, the accidents of the bread and wine (and therefore, of gluten and of alcohol) adhere in a mysterious way to the substance which is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The Precious Blood still looks and tastes like wine, and the consecrated Host still looks and tastes like bread. Even in the commonly-called “gluten-free” hosts there is some gluten–otherwise they would be invalid matter and, therefore, could not be used for Consecration. The proper name for these hosts is “low gluten hosts.” (For Advanced Course lesson 20.)