"Once for All" Sacrifice of the Mass

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Did Jesus himself reveal that the Mass in its present day form were important? YES!

Take a look at what he did Easter Sunday after the Resurrection. On the Road to Emmaus, Jesus met up with the two disciples and talked to them of the Scriptures and how they pertained to Him (The Liturgy of the Word).

Then when they asked Him to stay, He repeated the Last Supper (The Liturgy of the Eucharist).

These two acts, make up about 90% of our Mass today! So just as Jesus was “anxiously awaiting” to share the Last Supper with the Apostles, He couldn’t wait the share the first post-Resurrection Mass with his Disciples!

Notworthy
 
What does once for all mean? Does it mean that 2000 years ago all were saved (how the universalists would take it). Does it mean that all Christians were saved 2000 years ago and already believed? No, it means that the grace was earned 2000 years ago. That grace has to be applied to our lives. That is what the Eucharist is. Grace.
 
Hello, Eden,

quote: Eden
Reen - In fact, that’s exactly the way Mother Angelica defined the “once for all sacrifice” for a caller several weeks on one of her “classics” re-runs on EWTN.
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Well, I’m glad to hear it! 🙂

Unless we can see the Mass in the light of the
Original Covenant, the staggering reality of what
occurs cannot be seen in its full meaning.

Certainly, grace* is* involved. Still, the overwhelming
reality that God accepts these sacrifices [Old and
New Covenants] from His creatures, boggles
my mind.

You know, Eden, I just realized that the quest
of my life has been noetic in nature. What
tends to grip me, is the “meaning” of things.

How unutterably sad that I have such a grasp
of what ‘occurs’ in the Mass, and the meaning
of that -the Reality of realities- and yet am no
longer even sure that He is Messiah.

Why would God give me that understanding?
I see people hiking off to Mass on Sundays,
and even weekdays, and I think: God rewards
them with Faith, and I’m left with a full understanding,
but *not *Faith.

It’s puzzling.
reen12
 
Hello, NotWorthy,
quote: NotWorthy
Take a look at what he did Easter Sunday after the Resurrection. On the Road to Emmaus, Jesus met up with the two disciples and talked to them of the Scriptures and how they pertained to Him (The Liturgy of the Word).

Then when they asked Him to stay, He repeated the Last Supper (The Liturgy of the Eucharist).
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Good grief! I had forgotten all about Emmaus.
Hmmm. I’ll have to think more on that.

Thank you for calling this to our attention,

reen12
 
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Sacramentalist:
This would be the doctrrine of High Protestantism; it’s got nothing to do with sacrifice. Catholic teaching is that the Mass is an actual sacrifice; not that we merely receive sacrificual flesh.

I’m not denying the Church’s dogma, by the way; just trying to understand it.
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I would suggest that you get the book, “The Lambs Supper”, by Scott Hahn. It is wonderfully and imaginatively written and very easy to understand. As a former Presbyterian minister and bible scholar, he can put this topic into better words than most Catholics I’ve ever heard. He is now a Catholic professor at Steubenville University. He’s great at explaining the “covenant factor” which the Eucharist is.

Great read and you’ll understand better that probably anyone could fully explain here.

One other point I’d like to try to make about the covenant:
In reen12’s post there was an explanation about the Jewish sacrifice. The Jewish sacrifice was a “ratification” of the covenant God made with man. That’s what the sacrifice signified all throughout salvation history. If you didn’t complete the sacrifice by sharing the flesh and blood of the animal with the people (sprinkling of the blood and eating of the animal), then it was seen as an uncompleted sacrifice and the covenant was not ratified. The priests and the people had to complete the sacrifice by eating and drinking before it was valid.

That’s what we do each time we receive the Eucharist - we complete the sacrifice by sharing the Lamb - we have to partake and eat and drink the flesh and blood of the “Victim” for the sacrifice to be valid - for the covenant to be valid or ratified just as at Passover.
 
Hello, DianJo,
quote: DianJo
One other point I’d like to try to make about the covenant:
In reen12’s post there was an explanation about the Jewish sacrifice. The Jewish sacrifice was a “ratification” of the covenant God made with man. That’s what the sacrifice signified all throughout salvation history. If you didn’t complete the sacrifice by sharing the flesh and blood of the animal with the people (sprinkling of the blood and eating of the animal), then it was seen as an uncompleted sacrifice and the covenant was not ratified. The priests and the people had to complete the sacrifice by eating and drinking before it was valid.

That’s what we do each time we receive the Eucharist - we complete the sacrifice by sharing the Lamb - we have to partake and eat and drink the flesh and blood of the “Victim” for the sacrifice to be valid - for the covenant to be valid or ratified just as at Passover.
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An excellent point. I realized that the sacrifice was
a fulfillment of Israel’s “part” of the Covenant,
and I knew that some of the flesh was given to
the Levites, but I wasn’t sure about whether the
people were also given a share.

The word “ratification” is the mot juste. Just as
a secular “contract” is ratified by the nations involved,
through various legal processes- as you point out, the
Covenant was ratified by eating the flesh of the
animal sacrificed, otherwise it would have constitued
an “incomplete” sacrifice.
The implications, in terms of the Eucharist, are even
greater than I realized.

Thank you for extending my knowledge on this
critical matter.

Kindest regards,
reen12
 
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reen12:
Hello, Eden,

quote: Eden

Well, I’m glad to hear it! 🙂

Unless we can see the Mass in the light of the
Original Covenant, the staggering reality of what
occurs cannot be seen in its full meaning.

Certainly, grace* is* involved. Still, the overwhelming
reality that God accepts these sacrifices [Old and
New Covenants] from His creatures, boggles
my mind.

You know, Eden, I just realized that the quest
of my life has been noetic in nature. What
tends to grip me, is the “meaning” of things.

How unutterably sad that I have such a grasp
of what ‘occurs’ in the Mass, and the meaning
of that -the Reality of realities- and yet am no
longer even sure that He is Messiah.

Why would God give me that understanding?
I see people hiking off to Mass on Sundays,
and even weekdays, and I think: God rewards
them with Faith, and I’m left with a full understanding,
but *not *Faith.

It’s puzzling.
reen12
Click to expand...
Well, you know Reen. Some saints recorded that they have gone for years suffering “spiritual dryness”. This did not make their spiritual journey any less valid. In fact, it was the persistence of prayer despite the resounding lack of “infilling” during these times that shaped their spiritual journey.

Have you read the book “Saints for Sinners” by Fr. Alban Goodier? Here is a link:

aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/store.ItemDetails/SKU/7898/category/314/

It says,** “Discover the fulfillment of St. Paul’s words, ‘The foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise, and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong.’”**

"Virtue is made perfect in weakness."

I just thought that book might interest you, Reen. 🙂
 
In Scripture, there is mention of bloody sacifices, where what was offered to God was killed or destroyed, and there is mention of unbloody sacrifices, where what was offered to God was harmlessly waved before the Lord, called wave offerings. The whole tribe of Levi was harmlessly “sacrificed” to God in this way as a wave offering (Numbers 8:11-21). On Calvary, Jesus offered up His death once-for-all-time as a bloody sacrifice in propitiation for the sins of mankind. Now that He is risen from the dead and glorified and can never die, He cannot be sacrificed in a bloody manner again. However, Jesus has make it possible for Himself to be “sacrificed” in an unbloody manner as a wave offering and that is what happens at Mass. At Mass, the priest, after transubstantiating the bread and wine into our risen and glorified Lord Jesus, offers Him, who still bears the wounds of His once-for-all-time bloody sacrifice on Calvary, as a wave offering before God the Father and says: Father, calling to mind the death your Son endured for our salvation, his glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven, and ready to greet him when he comes again, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice. Look with favor on your Church’s offering, and see the Victim whose death has reconciled us to youself. Grant that we, who are nourished by his body and blood, may be filled with his Holy Spirit, and become one body, one spirit in Christ. (Eucharist Prayer No. 3)

In this manner, we present again (re-present) at Mass the once-for-all-time sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary to God the Father.
 
Another VERY good book is Robert Sungenis’ Not By Bread Alone.
catholicintl.com/products/books/bread.htm

Scott Hahn’s The Lamb’s Supper is fantastic.

One important idea that I got from these books is the nature of the sacrifice being propitiatory. This indicates that the sacrifice propitiates the Father. It appeases his wrath at our sin, making personal reconciliation POSSIBLE. God is so offended by our sin that reconciliation with him is not even an option. (Imagine a situation with a friend where you made him/her so mad that they wouldn’t even talk to you until a third party stepped in with a gift or some other way to calm them down. Only after that happens will your friend even TALK to you about how sorry you are and reconciliation with your friend is even possible. This third party is Christ.) So at this point we must ask the Lord to accept Christ’s sacrifice personally for MY sins. (I know you are mad at me, God, please talk to my friend Jesus because I know you’ll listen to him!) How and when does this happen? In the Mass!!

That is also why the Mass is celebrated repeatedly, since we have sinned repeatedly, even since the last time we assisted at Mass. So each time the Mass is celebrated, we re-offer the same once-for-all sacrifice that Jesus made to the Father for the sins we just committed today (or yesterday), asking for his wrath to be appeased. This sacrifice is SO effective that it can be offered again and again. Unlike the animals previously sacrificed in OT times. God still demands sacrifice, but now we have the PERFECT sacrifice making the old obsolete.
 
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reen12:
Hello, DianJo,

Thank you for extending my knowledge on this
critical matter.

Kindest regards,
reen12
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Anytime, BooBoo! As Yogi Bear would say!

This part is amazing! I remember the first time it was all brought to my attention. We, fortunately, had a new priest who loved teaching and he began putting on the Seder meal for the RCIA group before Easter to help them understand the concept of the Eucharist and the implications it has in connection with the OT Passover! He went further into the workings of the Jewish sacrifices that had long been part of Jewish life.

I was absolutely astounded! It all made absolute perfect sense after he played out the Last Supper for us! Actually knowing when the Eucharist was instituted and how it worked with the Passover to transform Passover into the New Covenant was mind blowing! It was like someone flipped on some huge light switch!

I went to Catholic school all my life and the Eucharist was never explained to me like that! How I wish all parishes would do this for their parishoners as well as RCIA. Maybe then all would have the profound belief in the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity that I now have after learning about it that way! Or at the very least, have more respect for what they are receiving!

The sacrifice is not complete until the sacrifice is consummed! Then it is a valid covenant! How wonderful - Jesus did not come to abolish the old law but to fulfill it! To make it better - more complete!
 
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DianJo:
I was absolutely astounded! It all made absolute perfect sense after he played out the Last Supper for us! Actually knowing when the Eucharist was instituted and it worked with the Passover to transform Passover into the New Covenant was mind blowing! It was like someone flipped on some huge light switch!

I went to Catholic school all my life and the Eucharist was never explained to me like that! How I wish all parishes would do this for their parishoners as well as RCIA. Maybe then all would have the profound belief in the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity that I now have after learning about it that way! Or at the very least, have more respect for what they are receiving!

The sacrifice is not complete until the sacrifice is consummed! Then it is a valid covenant! How wonderful - Jesus did not come to abolish the old law but to fulfill it! To make it better - more complete!
Click to expand...
Yes, I had a similar experience when it all came together. I now teach 2nd grade CCD (Religious Ed) when the children make their first Eucharist. I put as much of that (Moses&Passover/Seder/Eucharist) into their 7 year-old heads as I can because it’s fundamental and I feel passionately about it.
 
Todd Easton:
In Scripture, there is mention of bloody sacifices, where what was offered to God was killed or destroyed, and there is mention of unbloody sacrifices, where what was offered to God was harmlessly waved before the Lord, called wave offerings. The whole tribe of Levi was harmlessly “sacrificed” to God in this way as a wave offering (Numbers 8:11-21). On Calvary, Jesus offered up His death once-for-all-time as a bloody sacrifice in propitiation for the sins of mankind. Now that He is risen from the dead and glorified and can never die, He cannot be sacrificed in a bloody manner again. However, Jesus has make it possible for Himself to be “sacrificed” in an unbloody manner as a wave offering and that is what happens at Mass. At Mass, the priest, after transubstantiating the bread and wine into our risen and glorified Lord Jesus, offers Him, who still bears the wounds of His once-for-all-time bloody sacrifice on Calvary, as a wave offering before God the Father and says:Father, calling to mind the death your Son endured for our salvation, his glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven, and ready to greet him when he comes again, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice. Look with favor on your Church’s offering, and see the Victim whose death has reconciled us to youself. Grant that we, who are nourished by his body and blood, may be filled with his Holy Spirit, and become one body, one spirit in Christ. (Eucharist Prayer No. 3)

In this manner, we present again (re-present) at Mass the once-for-all-time sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary to God the Father.
Click to expand...
Now it’s my turn to thank someone! I’d had forgotten about wave offerings! This is a great point! Thanks for reminding me of this!
 
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jpusateri:
Yes, I had a similar experience when it all came together. I now teach 2nd grade CCD (Religious Ed) when the children make their first Eucharist. I put as much of that (Moses&Passover/Seder/Eucharist) into their 7 year-old heads as I can because it’s fundamental and I feel passionately about it.
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Good for you! I often wondered how dificult (or easy) it would be for 7 year olds to grasp that! They need to be taught this stuff from the beginning!
I try to do it with 15 year olds! They can understand it but it’s so difficult to get their attention! This year I get to try it out on the 11th graders with Confirmation!
 
It’s the same as anything, some get it and some don’t. My task is to make sure they’ve heard it at all! I know I didn’t hear it all put together like that.

I mentioned to my priest that I thought it was a neat connection between the blood on the doorposts during the first Passover and the blood of Jesus on the cross and the blood in the cup of the Eucharist and he looked at me like I had two heads. He said “That IS the connection!!!” I guess I was dense. :o

Good luck with the Confirmation candidates, hopefully it will be an “aha” moment for them too!
 
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NotWorthy:
Take a look at what he did Easter Sunday after the Resurrection. On the Road to Emmaus, Jesus met up with the two disciples and talked to them of the Scriptures and how they pertained to Him (The Liturgy of the Word).

Then when they asked Him to stay, He repeated the Last Supper (The Liturgy of the Eucharist)
Click to expand...
I really like this connection. The road to Emmaus is an important Eucharistic story. The disciples recounted that “they recognized him in the breaking of the bread.” This implies that this is how he will continue to be recognized through the ages–in the breaking of the bread–the Eucharist.
 
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jpusateri:
It’s the same as anything, some get it and some don’t. My task is to make sure they’ve heard it at all! I know I didn’t hear it all put together like that.

I mentioned to my priest that I thought it was a neat connection between the blood on the doorposts during the first Passover and the blood of Jesus on the cross and the blood in the cup of the Eucharist and he looked at me like I had two heads. He said “That IS the connection!!!” I guess I was dense. :o

Good luck with the Confirmation candidates, hopefully it will be an “aha” moment for them too!
Click to expand...
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Two heads!!! I know this reaction!! I’ve brought up some subjects before to my priest and gotten the same thing!!! Could we be 2 halves of the same nut!!!

Thanks and say a prayer that I teach well for the Confirmation class. I’m kinda nervous about it - this is a big deal to me! This is so important!
I love those AHA! moments. I’ve had a couple of kids have them. It makes teaching the others that don’t seem to be interested worth while - hoping something is getting through!
 
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