The Mass re-presents the One Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross which also includes his Resurrection from the dead. There is no Cross without the Resurrection and there is no Resurrection without Christ’s death on the Cross. His Dying and Rising are called his Paschal Mystery or Passover Mystery.
|
Catechism #654: "The Paschal mystery has two aspects: by his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life."
|
The meaning of Christ’s Sacrifice is the total gift of himself in Divine and Human love to God the Father for our salvation. As humans we had sinned and still do. Sin is the refusal to love as God loves; our healing is the superabundance of Christ Jesus’ love offered on the Cross and "this love is poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom God has given us." (Romans 5:5) Therefore Christ’s Death and Resurrection saves us through the forgiveness of sins. It is this love shown on the Cross which the Resurrection reveals will never end.
|
Catechism #616: "It is love ‘to the end’ that confers on Christ's sacrifice its value as redemption and reparation, as atonement and satisfaction. He knew and loved us all when he offered his life [on the Cross]."
|
It takes a life-time (including eternal life) to comprehend these "mysteries" of the Cross and Resurrection and the love re-presented to us through the sacraments. (A sacrament is a visible sign of the invisible life of Christ and the grace he gives us to share in his life). It is in the sacramental celebration of the Mass that we have "primary contact" with the Dying and Rising of Christ. We are united to Christ’s One Sacrifice in the Mass.
But how does the Mass unite us to the One Sacrifice of Christ? How can we say the Mass is a sacrifice when there is only One Sacrifice of Christ? If the Mass is the sacrament of this One Sacrifice, how is this Sacrifice made visible in the way sacraments make visible something which is invisible?
It is easy to misunderstand the Teaching of the Church about "the sacrifice of the Mass." The Mass is a sacrifice, but what it is re-presenting is the One Sacrifice of Christ.
|
Catechism #1104: "Christian liturgy not only recalls the events that saved us but actualizes them, makes them present. The Paschal mystery of Christ is celebrated, not repeated. It is the celebrations that are repeated, and in each celebration there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that makes the unique mystery present."
|
Christ is not eternally dying on the Cross, but historically his offering of himself on the Cross was the way he made visible at the time his act of total love and worship of the Father. Now he is Risen from the dead and ascended to heaven where he continues to offer his humanity in love to God in the Spirit. Nothing has to be made visible in heaven; but here on earth we still need a visible expression of the One Sacrifice and that is what the Sacrament of the Mass does.
|
Catechism #614: "This sacrifice of Christ is unique; it completes and surpasses all other sacrifices."
|
Let us look at this more closely because in our day we don’t always appreciate the sacrificial nature of the Mass:
(1) A sacrament makes Christ’s life visible. The visible or physical elements of the Eucharist are the Bread and Wine offered in the Mass. Through the Consecration of the Bread and Wine the Risen Body and Blood of Christ become Really Present on the altar. As Christ gave himself to us on the Cross, so he gives himself to us in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
(2) There are words that always accompany a sacrament. In this case the words are those of Christ at the Last Supper: "This is my Body which will be given for you...this is my Blood which will be shed for you..." The Priest repeats a version of these words. Notice that the words of Christ are sacrificial language: his body given, his blood shed.
(3) There is also an action that accompanies a sacrament. In this case in the Mass it is Christ himself, acting through the ministry of the Priest, who offers his One Sacrifice, the Gift of his life and love. In the Sacrament of his Sacrifice in the Mass, Christ personally gives himself and his life and love to us and for us, for our salvation. He still says, as he said at the last Supper, "Take and eat this, this is my Body...Take and drink this, this is my Blood..."
(4) A sacrament gives us grace, i.e. a share in the life of Christ in his union with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. A sacrament unites us to the life of Christ. In the case of the Mass, we are given grace to make our own self offering, to be united to the One Sacrifice of Christ.
|
Catechism #1368: "In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ's sacrifice present on the altar makes it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with his offering."
|
(5) Finally, a sacrament reminds us how we are to live in Christ. In Mass, we are reminded that we are called to share Christ’s sacrificial love in this world. We are members of his Body the Church and he said at the Last Supper, "A new commandment I give you: love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34) Thus there is a secondary sign made visible at the Mass: His Body the Church. He gives us his Body and Blood in the Mass so that we can be his Body the Church, his Family (his Blood or kin). We are then to make his love visible in the world.
Next Week: "The Consecration of the Eucharist."
Return to Home Page
