Question about the significance of Mass

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Langdell

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I’ve read that the Mass re-enacts both the Last Supper and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Now, the re-enactment of the Last Supper makes perfect sense to me. But how does the Mass re-enact Christ’s sacrifice on the cross?

Thank you in advance for your assistance. :gopray:
 
Greetings Langdell,

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

#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 offered in an unbloody manner. . . this sacrifice is truly propitiatory.”
Hope this helps.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit
 
The Mass is also the Wedding Supper of the Lamb as seen by St. John in Revelation.
 
I don’t know what you mean by re-enact and as such I refrain from using that wording. The Mass, at its core, is a representation of Christ on the Cross - it is thus rightly to be considered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This is its primary function - it is sacrificial in nature. It is also the Lord’s Supper and other such titles, but primarily a solemn sacrifice.

Council of Trent (Sess. XXII, can. 1): “If any one saith that in the Mass a true and proper sacrifice is not offered to God; or, that to be offered is nothing else but that Christ is given us to eat; let him be anathema”

I suggest you read the Twenty Second Session of the Council of Trent to get a good idea of this.

The Mass is extremely significant. We are transported back in time, in a manner of speaking. This is why the Mass is not the time or place for clapping, jokes, inappropriate music like drums, etc. It is solemn, which (before others say anything…) does not exclude Christian joy.
 
I recently heard someone explaining that the Covenant of God went from Abraham to Moses to Christ to the Catholic Church. What was a vital part of the covenant? The daily sacrifice. And what did that point to? The Sacrifice of Christ, of course. The temple was destroyed and the daily sacrifice was stopped. But no, actually it wasn’t stopped. It has continued on in the Catholic Church, and is now called The Mass. The Mass, as already stated here, is the re-presentation of Christ’s Sacrifice. Why is that so important? I truly believe that if the Mass, the daily re-presentation of Christ’s Sacrifice - done to save mankind from God’s wrath and condemnation - was not done every day, our sins would bring the wrath of God down upon this earth and completely destroy us. It is only Christ and His Sacrifice that stand between us and total destruction.

THAT is the significance of the Mass, and nothing gets more important or more significant than that! If the Mass was ever stopped (which will never happen), that would mean the total destruction of the earth and mankind. That may sound over the top, and I definitely don’t expect non-Catholics to accept it, but nothing could be more true. Moses held up the serpent on the cross to stop God from destroying the Israelites. Christ puts Himself on the Cross to stop our destruction.

It is very important that the Mass always be referred to as the Sacrifice of the Mass, for that is what saves us. The “wedding supper” or the “supper of the Lord” or “communion of believers” is not going to save any of us. Salvation comes from the Mass, the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Thank you so much for that question. 👍
 
Thank you all for the helpful responses! A lot to think about …
 
In the Catholic Church, we do as St. Paul taught.

“…but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles…”

1 Corinthians 1:23

We remember at each Mass - His sacrifice for our sins.
 
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