The Mass as the Fulfillment of the Ritual Sacrifices of Leviticus

[Crumpy]

I read Leviticus last year, but I studied it this year aided by a commentary.

It’s really amazing how the Mass seems to parallel if not fulfill the ritual sacrifices described in Leviticus.

Depending on your translation, the various sacrifices (if I’m not leaving any out) are: holocaust (burnt) offering, cereal or grain, freewill, guilt, peace or greeting, sin, votive, wave, and --out of alphabetical order - pascal or passover sacrifice.

I see Jesus death on the cross as a version of the burnt offering – not because His body was burnt, but – oddly – because it was not eaten, like the burnt offerings themselves were not eaten. Part of them was burned on the altar and the remainder was burned outside the area of the Temple.

The key observation this time around, which makes me think of the Mass at least in parallel, if not in fact a fulfillment of the sacrifices of Leviticus, is that all the other sacrifices were not only eaten, but they had to be eaten in order for them to be effective.
Now, the other sacrifices were eaten by the priests and their families, by the donors of the sacrifice, or such, according to the specific rules – but they were eaten.

And, of course, that is really the sense of the continuing sacrifice of the Mass, that we participate and consume the sacred species at the Mass.

What this insight gets me, if not all of us, is the greater elaboration of what’s going on in the Mass, and what the sacrifice represents.

The ancient wave offerings remind of the offeratory and the consecration of the Mass, when the gifts of bread and wine, and then the consecrated species are elevated or “waved” as a sign of our offering them up to God. The cup of Christ’s blood is raised up, to recall how the blood of the animal sacrifices was 'dashed" on the altar.

It is then such a parallel observation of the meaing of the “holiness code” in Leviticus, that the ancient priests and Israelites had to maintain themselves ritually pure and sanctified, as we must spiritually do so, to most worthily approach the altar for communion.

(There must be papers and books written about this, as I have rarely had an original thought in my life. )

It seems for sure that the ancient sacrifices have been replaced and condensed into the one and only sacrifice of the new covenant, the holy mysteries.

 

[AmbroseSJ]

You have some good points! Of course the Sacrifice of the Mass not only fulfills and perfects Leviticus, but Genesis as well, as it is a sacrifice according to the order of Melchizedech as well. Meaning the priesthood (and sacrifice) of Melchizedech, which is Jesus Christ the High Priest, forever, offering the bread and wine (his body and blood) in this new unbloody and perfect sacrifice, which was only foreshadowed by the imperfect and bloody sacrifice of Aaron in Leviticus.

 

[Crumpy]

You have some good points! Of course the Sacrifice of the Mass not only fulfills and perfects Leviticus, but Genesis as well, as it is a sacrifice according to the order of Melchizedech as well. Meaning the priesthood (and sacrifice) of Melchizedech, which is Jesus Christ the High Priest, forever, offering the bread and wine (his body and blood) in this new unbloody and perfect sacrifice, which was only foreshadowed by the imperfect and bloody sacrifice of Aaron in Leviticus.

Of course, “foreshadow” is a common cliche that is used to describe the relation of the OT to the NT, specifically in this case, the “holy sacrifice of the Mass” and Christ’s eternal sacrifice on the cross.

Not being a teacher or a bona fide scripture scholar, maybe I can’t bring out the points as well as I might. I guess what I’m saying that the sacrifices of Leviticus really have a hand-and-glove relationship, not merely in the foreshadowing, but in their essence.

I read something in passing the other day, and I cannot remember where I read it. But, somebody pointed out something to the effect that laws or commandments have power only in as much as they communicate and embody the truth that lies behind them. That’s a lot closer to what I want to say, than to merely point out that the sacrifices of Leviticus foreshadow the sacrifice of Christ and in the Mass. In this context, the truths of Leviticus point to the same truths of Christ, with the benefit that the fullness of that truth is revealed in Christ.

For example, the elevation of the bread and wine at the offeratory and the consecrated species at the Consecration are not merely conviences for a large congregation. those actions echo the “elevation” or “wave” offerings of Leviticus, whose purpose was to visibly offer them to God.

The ritual sacrifices of Leviticus were not empty, they had unequaled religious significance in their day which is finally revealed and completed in Jesus Christ and the Mass. God had a purpose in those rituals.

To put it another way, the more seriously anyone takes Leviticus, the more seriously and wholesomely they can appreciate the Mass, e.g. why do we have to go to Mass, why does the priest do what he does, why do we eat (and drink) anything, why was the high priest the only one who could enter the Holy of Holies and what did he do there, that we all can do every day, especially Sunday at Mass, etc.

 

[NHInsider]

In fact, the reason the sacrifices of the Old Covenant were effective (and they were, as God ordained them and made them so) is because they were fulfilled in the Sacrifice of Jesus. They look forward to the Cross as the Mass looks back to it - except that in the Eucharist we are actually able to partake of the eternal Paschal lamb.

 

[AmbroseSJ]

Crumpy:

To put it another way, the more seriously anyone takes Leviticus, the more seriously and wholesomely they can appreciate the Mass, e.g. why do we have to go to Mass, why does the priest do what he does, why do we eat (and drink) anything, why was the high priest the only one who could enter the Holy of Holies and what did he do there, that we all can do every day, especially Sunday at Mass, etc.

Exactly. I didn’t mean to belittle the Aaronic sacrifice of Leviticus with my comments of foreshadowing and imperfect, however true they may be. The fact is, the Aaronic sacrifice (and priesthood) was an important signpost along the way in the divine economy of salvation. It pointed to the coming sacrifice on the Cross. But my point was more aimed at underscoring the way Jesus has not only fulfilled and completed the Aaronic sacrifice, with his own on Calvary, but he has merged it with the even older, and more mystical sacrifice of the High Priest and King Melchizedek. The Royal Psalmist has proclaimed it. Jesus is our high priest (according to the order of Melchizedek (not Aaron) who offered himself once for all on Calvary (in fulfillment of the Aaronic sacrifice) yet his Body and Blood are given to us by himself, the high priest according to the order of Melchizedek (at the Last Supper and ever after) in the form of Bread and Wine. So one can think of the Sacrifice of Calvary in all its perfection of Leviticus, while elevating it to a yet more mystical level by merging it with the order of Melchizedek, which has special meaning for Catholics ever since that first Holy Thursday.

Today there is no more Aaronic order or sacrifice (although there are Jews today working on restoring this already accomplished, perfected and ended order)