St. Ambrose is pretty darned clear. This was not a medieval invention, transubstantiation. St. Ambrose is the guy who baptized St. Augustine, clear back in mid-300s AD.
"This bread is bread before the words of the Sacrament. But when the words of Christ come to it, it is the body of Christ ... Before the words of Christ it is a cup full of wine and water. When the words of Christ become operative, the blood which has redeemed the people is caused to be there."
— St. Ambrose
Doesn't sound "symbolic" to me???
