From the encyclical Mediator Dei.
- Only to the apostles, and thenceforth to those on whom their successors have imposed hands, is granted the power of the priesthood, in virtue of which they represent the person of Jesus Christ before their people, acting at the same time as representatives of their people before God….** 68. The august sacrifice of the altar, then, is no mere empty commemoration of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, but a true and proper act of sacrifice, whereby the High Priest by an unbloody immolation offers Himself a most acceptable victim to the Eternal Father, as He did upon the cross. “It is one and the same victim; the same person now offers it by the ministry of His priests, who then offered Himself on the cross, the manner of offering alone being different.”** 69. The priest is the same, Jesus Christ, whose sacred Person His minister represents. Now the minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he has received, is made like to the High Priest and possesses the power of performing actions in virtue of Christ’s very person.
His presence remains for ever. He’s not still dying for us, but since God is outside of time the Sacrifice of Christ is ever present to him and it is brought down to us on the Alter in the Sacrifice of the Mass so we can participate in Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. I think someone already mentioned Hebrews.My question is how is Christ sacraficeing for us still if the bible says " it is finished " ?
If Jesus is down from the cross and has risen, why do we still believe he’s sacrificing for us?
God bless
- At the Last Supper, on the night when He was betrayed, our Saviour instituted the eucharistic sacrifice of His Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until He should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of His death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity (36), a paschal banquet in which Christ is eaten, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us (37).
+1 to God being outside of time. The sacrifice on Calvary was a historical event, true enough; but it also applies every day to us, over and over again. Plus, if we follow the line of reasoning that the Christ’s death was the only thing that needed to happen, in that one historical instance, then we could pretty much do whatever we want and waltz into Heaven; the repeated sacrifice at the altar continually atones for the sins we still commit today.His presence remains for ever. He’s not still dying for us, but since God is outside of time the Sacrifice of Christ is ever present to him and it is brought down to us on the Alter in the Sacrifice of the Mass so we can participate in Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. I think someone already mentioned Hebrews.