"accept this our sacrafice"

[csteele]

During the preparation of the gifts during the Mass, the priest says, “Pray sisters and brothers that this our sacrafice may be acceptable to God the almighty Father.” To which we respond, “May the Lord accept this our sacrafice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for the our good, and the good of all his Church.” The question is: what is the sacrafice?

Forgive me if this is an obvious question…

pax,
Corey

 

[neum334]

the sacrifice of praise? I’ll leave it to someone else to elaborate

 

[John_Higgins]

Short answer: The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Christ’s sacrifice is re-presented in a non-bloody fashion.

Here’s the CCC quotes:

1365 Because it is the memorial of Christ’s Passover, the Eucharist is also a sacrifice. The sacrificial character of the Eucharist is manifested in the very words of institution: “This is my body which is given for you” and “This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood.” In the Eucharist Christ gives us the very body which he gave up for us on the cross, the very blood which he “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

1366 The Eucharist is thus a sacrifice because it re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice of the cross, because it is its memorial and because it applies its fruit:

*[Christ], our Lord and God, was once and for all to offer himself to God the Father by his death on the altar of the cross, to accomplish there an everlasting redemption. But because his priesthood was not to end with his death, at the Last Supper "on the night when he was betrayed," [he wanted] to leave to his beloved spouse the Church a visible sacrifice (as the nature of man demands) by which the bloody sacrifice which he was to accomplish once for all on the cross would be re-presented, its memory perpetuated until the end of the world, and its salutary power be applied to the forgiveness of the sins we daily commit.*

1367 The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: “The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different.” “And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner. . . this sacrifice is truly propitiatory.”

1368 The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of the Church. The Church which is the Body of Christ participates in the offering of her Head. With him, she herself is offered whole and entire. She unites herself to his intercession with the Father for all men. 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.

In the catacombs the Church is often represented as a woman in prayer, arms outstretched in the praying position. Like Christ who stretched out his arms on the cross, through him, with him, and in him, she offers herself and intercedes for all men.

John

 

[Deacon_Ed]

As already noted, we are offering Jesus himself as a sacrifice that will be acceptable to the Father. However, we are also offering ourselves (or should be) along with Jesus. Not only our financial offerings, but our very selves should be offered at this time.

Deacon Ed

 

[csteele]

John;

Thank you for the excellent (and obligatory) excerpts from the Catechism. I think that answers my question quite clearly.

pax,
Corey

 

[tmore35]

To gain a further of the Sacrifice of the Mass, and the part we and our priesthood plays in it read the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. It is a very short book, only three chapters–3 1/1 pages in my bible.

Specific to the lines mentioned in the offertory see Chapt. One, verses 10-13.

The sacrifice we offer is ourselves. We offer praise and thanksgoving. The priest offers the sacrifice of calvery, just as Jesus instructed at the Last Supper.

Pax et Bonum!

 

[drforjc]

I believe “our sacrifice” would be the gifts of bread and wine which will become the Body and Blood of Christ, possibly well as ourselves and any monetary gifts brought forward .

I asked this at EWTN Q&A some time ago and that was the explanation I got.

 

[tmore35]

“May the Lord accept this sacrifice from your hands” refers to the sacrifice the priest is about to offer.

Malachi, the last book of the Old testament, tells of how God will not accept any more sacrifices from His people because the priesthood is “polluted”. Jesus institited a new priesthood, a new sacrifice, for the New Covenant. Jesus is the head priest, is perfect, and His sacrifice is perfect.

Malachi 1:10—“I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts; neither will I accept any sacrifices from your hands”

Malachi 1:12—“you (the priesthood) behave profanely toward me by thinking the Lord’s table and its offering may be polluted.”

Malachi 2:13—This also you do: the altar of the Lord you cover with tears, weeping and groaning, because He no longer regards your sacrifice, not accepts it favorably from your hand"

The Council of Trent, in the section on the Sacrifice of the Mass uses the Book of Malachi to demonstrate the role of the New Covenant priesthood under the leadership of Jesus Himself in offering the perfect sacrifice acceptable to God.

In answer to the question, “What is the Sacrifice?” in the offertory lines referenced, it is the Sacrifice of the Mass in all its entirety. All facets of the Eucharist is included: memorial, sacrifice, sacrament, communion, etc.

Pax et Bonum!

 

[Trad_Catholic]

Deacon Ed:

As already noted, we are offering Jesus himself as a sacrifice that will be acceptable to the Father. However, we are also offering ourselves (or should be) along with Jesus. Not only our financial offerings, but our very selves should be offered at this time.

Deacon Ed

Deacon,
Does not the PRIEST alone offer Christ? The faithful do not make the same offering as the Priest does, since this is clearly distinguished: “my sacrifice and yours” (meum ac vestrum sacrificium), which is being corrected in the proposed NO missal, since “our” sacrifice makes a false presentation that both Priest and faithful make the same sacrifice.

BTW (to author of thread), it is:“Pray brethren” not “brothers and sisters” and certainly not “sisters and brothers,” yet another abuse of the NO.