Is the Eucharist A Sacrifice or a Commemoration?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dcb188
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

dcb188

Guest
I have heard it said both ways that 1. Communion at Mass is a sacrifice, or 2, That it commemorates the sacrifice that was done once and for all by Jesus, that it can never be re-done by us or by anyone else.
I am still confused as to what the official Catholic Church view on this is.
It would seem to me that Jesus Christ’s one-time sacrifice cannot be done over and over again except in a commemoration of that one event, where He gave His life so that you and I may live.
I’m not talking specifically about transubstantiation here, just the “sacrifice” aspect of the communion and the Mass.
 
dcb188 said:
I have heard it said both ways that 1. Communion at Mass is a sacrifice, or 2, That it commemorates the sacrifice that was done once and for all by Jesus, that it can never be re-done by us or by anyone else.
I am still confused as to what the official Catholic Church view on this is.
It would seem to me that Jesus Christ’s one-time sacrifice cannot be done over and over again except in a commemoration of that one event, where He gave His life so that you and I may live.
I’m not talking specifically about transubstantiation here, just the “sacrifice” aspect of the communion and the Mass.
Click to expand...
It is both!

You will find this and much more here:
scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a3.htm#1382
 
How exactly is it a “sacrifice”? (besides being a commemoration or remembrance of the original sacrifice)
I skimmed through the parts of the Catechism you provided the link to, and will delve into it word for word in a second, but wanted to throw out this followup question first.
And thank you for providing that link, I appreciate it.
 
dcb188 said:
How exactly is it a “sacrifice”? (besides being a commemoration or remembrance of the original sacrifice)
I skimmed through the parts of the Catechism you provided the link to, and will delve into it word for word in a second, but wanted to throw out this followup question first.
And thank you for providing that link, I appreciate it.
Click to expand...
It is a sacrifice, the same sacrifice that happened on the cross. So it isn’t a new sacrifice. Jesus isn’t re sacrificed at each mass.
 
If He is not re-sacrificed at each Mass, then how is it a “sacrifice” at all?
I am intensely curious about this and am not picking apart words, believe me.
I am genuinely concerned about understanding this as well as I possibly can.
If the entire Mass is a sacrifice, an offering to God the Father, I can understand that part of it.
 
dcb188 said:
If He is not re-sacrificed at each Mass, then how is it a “sacrifice” at all?
I am intensely curious about this and am not picking apart words, believe me.
I am genuinely concerned about understanding this as well as I possibly can.
If the entire Mass is a sacrifice, an offering to God the Father, I can understand that part of it.
Click to expand...
It’s a sacrifice because it is the same sacrifice offered by Jesus to the Father on the cross, on behalf of humanity. Because it is the same sacrifice, it is not done over and over: it’s just one, not many. Each Mass is the same sacrifice. The institution of the Eucharist simply allows us to be present at that one sacrifice. Through the Mass, the one sacrifice transcends the bounds of space and time, and is made present everywhere and everywhen the Mass is offered.
 
Thank you. So WE are not sacrificing anything or anyone, Jesus is offering Himself and we are there, as if we where there originally. Is that accurate?
In other words, it is as if we were present at the Crucifixion, participating by watching the sacrifice Jesus made to the Father as payment for sins?
 
dcb188 said:
If He is not re-sacrificed at each Mass, then how is it a “sacrifice” at all?
I am intensely curious about this and am not picking apart words, believe me.
I am genuinely concerned about understanding this as well as I possibly can.
If the entire Mass is a sacrifice, an offering to God the Father, I can understand that part of it.
Click to expand...
It is the one time sacrifice made present during the mass.

I just started reading “The Lamb’s Supper, The Mass as Heaven on Earth” by Scott Hahn today. While I am only a couple chapters into it, I think it would be helpful for you.

I am sure there are others on here who can describe it more eloquently than I can.
 
Sorry, I posted number 7 just as you posted number 8, at the same time. If anyone could address post 7.
 
The Eucharist can be considered a “Sacrifice” because the lowly common form of bread and wine holds the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus the Lord. Because He is God, He could come to us as a King or in His Majesty, but instead chose to become one with us through this humble form.
 
dcb188 said:
Thank you. So WE are not sacrificing anything or anyone, Jesus is offering Himself and we are there, as if we where there originally. Is that accurate?
In other words, it is as if we were present at the Crucifixion, participating by watching the sacrifice Jesus made to the Father as payment for sins?
Click to expand...
Yes, it is sort of like we are present at the Crucifixion, like a time machine. But better. Because we actually participate in the sacrifice.

How do we participate in the sacrifice? We take all our own small sacrifices throughout the week, all the things that we did out of love for someone else or out of love of God, all our prayers, all our joys, all our sorrows, and we present them to the Father as our own sacrifice–but in attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist, we unite our sacrifice with his, in a most intimate way, thereby giving our own sacrifice great value by being united with the sacrifice of Christ the one mediator.

Not only do we join our sacrifice to his, we become united with him and with one another by receiving the Eucharist. For although we each receive a communion host separately, we each receive the same Jesus, who is never divided by being received by multitudes. Rather, in receiving his one body and blood, we are drawn together, united with all who receive–today, yesterday, or in the past or future. We become one.

So it’s better than just standing at the foot of the cross.

But the mystery of the Eucharist is more than can be fully comprehended in an internet posting. Another poster mentioned the Scott Hahn book “The Lamb’s Supper,” which is a good resource; there are of course many books about the Eucharist.
 
Just to add a little more elaboration to what has been stated so far…

On one hand, Calvary is a historical event. As such, it happened approximately 2000 years ago in a specific location. It was also a physical event, because it involved the biological death of the human nature of Christ.

But on the other hand, even though Christ has a human nature, he is a divine person with a divine nature as well. This means that although Calvary was a historical event, it was also a divine event. And even though it was a physical event, it was also a spiritual event. A divine spiritual event cannot be held within the constraints of time and space.

Although a priest is at the altar during a Catholic Mass, he stands in the person of Christ, who is the Eternal High Priest at work within all the sacraments. In light of all this, the power of Christ allows those attending a Catholic Mass to break through time and space and participate in the Calvary event. Among other things, we are there with the Good Thief asking Jesus to remember us.

Also consider the fact that if we were to say that the Calvary event is held within the constraints of time and space then we would all be in trouble, because the only people who would be saved from sin would be people who lived prior to Christ dying on the cross. That would be good news for the Good Thief, but bad news for us living in the year 2010.
 
dcb188 said:
Thank you. So WE are not sacrificing anything or anyone, Jesus is offering Himself and we are there, as if we where there originally. Is that accurate?
Click to expand...
Yes. It’s more accurate to say that the Bread and Wine is the same sacrifice, not a re-crucifixion as our confused brethren call it.
dcb188 said:
In other words, it is as if we were present at the Crucifixion, participating by watching the sacrifice Jesus made to the Father as payment for sins?
Click to expand...
Yes.

Heb. 2:17; 3:1; 4:14; 8:1; 9:11,25; 10:19,22 - Jesus is repeatedly described as “High Priest.” But in order to be a priest, “it is necessary for [Jesus] to have something to offer.” Heb. 8:3. This is the offering of the eternal sacrifice of His body and blood to the Father.

*Heb. 4:3 – God’s works were finished from the foundation of the world. This means that God’s works, including Christ’s sacrifice (the single act that secured the redemption of our souls and bodies), are forever present in eternity. Jesus’ suffering is over and done with (because suffering was earthly and temporal), but His sacrifice is eternal, because His priesthood is eternal (His victimized state was only temporal). *

*Heb. 7:24 – Jesus holds His priesthood is forever because He continues forever, so His sacrificial offering is forever. He continues to offer His body and blood to us because He is forever our High Priest. *

*Heb. 8:3 - as High Priest, it is necessary for Jesus to have something to offer. What is Jesus offering in heaven? As eternal Priest, He offers the eternal sacrifice of His body and blood. *

*Heb. 9:12 – Jesus enters into heaven, the Holy Place, taking His own blood. How can this be? He wasn’t bleeding after the resurrection. This is because He enters into the heavenly sanctuary to mediate the covenant of His body and blood by eternally offering it to the Father. This offering is made present to us in the same manner as Melchizedek’s offering, under the appearance of bread and wine. *

Heb. 9:14 - the blood of Christ offered in heaven purifies (present tense) our consciences from dead works to serve the living God. Christ’s offering is ongoing.

*Heb. 9:22 – blood is indeed req**uired for the remission of sin. Jesus’ blood was shed once, but it is continually offered to the Father. This is why Jesus takes His blood, which was shed once and for all, into heaven. Heb. 9:12. *

*Heb. 9:23 – Jesus’ sacrifice, which is presented eternally to the Father in heaven, is described as “sacrifices” (in the plural) in the context of its re-presentation on earth (the author first writes about the earthly sacrifices of animals, and then the earthly offerings of Jesus Christ’s eternal sacrifice). *
**

Heb. 9:26 – Jesus’ once and for all appearance into heaven to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself shows that Jesus’ presence in heaven and His sacrifice are inseparable. This also shows that “once for all,” which refers to Jesus’ appearance in heaven, means perpetual (it does not, and cannot mean, “over and done with” because Jesus is in heaven for eternity).

*“Once for all” also refers to Jesus’ suffering and death (Heb. 7:27; 9:12,26;10:10-14). But “once for all” never refers to Jesus’ sacrifice, which is eternally presented to the Father. This sacrifice is the Mal. 1:11 pure offering made present in every place from the rising of the sun to its setting in the Eucharist offered in the same manner as the Melchizedek offering. *

Heb. 10:22 - our hearts and bodies are (not were) washed clean by the action of Jesus’ perpetual priesthood in heaven. (this is why daily Mass is so beneficial)

The Book of Revelation shows us glimpses of the heavenly liturgy – Jesus Christ’s once and for all sacrifice eternally present in heaven. This is why the Church has always incorporated the elements that John saw in the heavenly liturgy into her earthly liturgy, for they are one and the same liturgical action of Jesus Christ our High Priest.
scripturecatholic.com/the_eucharist.html#eucharist-IIe

In heaven there is no time, and that is why it took me years to begin to understand how it all works. Holy Mass on earth is the same in heaven.
 
dcb188 said:
I have heard it said both ways that 1. Communion at Mass is a sacrifice, or 2, That it commemorates the sacrifice that was done once and for all by Jesus, that it can never be re-done by us or by anyone else.
I am still confused as to what the official Catholic Church view on this is.
It would seem to me that Jesus Christ’s one-time sacrifice cannot be done over and over again except in a commemoration of that one event, where He gave His life so that you and I may live.
I’m not talking specifically about transubstantiation here, just the “sacrifice” aspect of the communion and the Mass.
Click to expand...
Both.
 
Thanks for all the responses, I appreciate them. They help a lot.
 
dcb,

I thought it useful to point out that the explanation of the Sacrifice of the Mass that emphasizes us being present at Calvary or Calvary being made present to us, isI believe only *one way *of talking about how the Mass is sacrifice (and is currently in vogue). There are some essential things: such as that the Mass is a real and true sacrifice and such as Christ does not die again that are proclaimed by the Church. But there are various theological theories about how the sacrifice “works” and of what it consists.

It is important, I think, because you may or may not agree with some of the details of the explanations given above either now or as you lean more. (I, myself, am dubious about the some of the current expressions). That the Mass is a visible propitiatory sacrifice which represents, shows forth, and is a memorial of the sacrifice of the Cross and which also applies to us now the saving power of the Cross are essential. Some of the details about how this happens are mysteries that great minds have proposed various theories.

VC
 
Vince1022 said:
We offer ourselves.
Click to expand...
We may but we are not the Holy Sacrifice.

I think the whole confusion of this thread is as a result of the definition of the New Mass:

“The Lord’s Supper is the assembly or gathering together of the people of God, with a priest presiding to celebrate the memorial of the Lord. For this reason the promise of Christ is particularly true of a local congregation of the Church: ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name there am I in their midst’” (General Instruction to the Novus Ordo, April 6, 1969).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top