Trick Sacrifice question?

[po18guy]

This one was put to the apologists:

When, during the mass, is the sacrifice made. Is it at the words of consecration, or during the breaking of the Eucharistic?

Father Vincent Serpa, always aided by the Holy Spirit, was quick to point out in part:

The sacrifice was made on Calvary on Good Friday.

I have noted a spate of recent inquisitions, so to speak, from a certain brand of fellow Christians. It seems there is a script, a design or ??? intent upon proving that Catholics re-sacrifice Christ at each mass. Of course, this will fail, but does it appear that this question may not have been completely sincere?

 

[VociMike]

Could anyone re-sacrifice Christ against his will?

 

[Scottgun]

I’m not sure how the timing during the mass would constitute a trick question unless they were keying in on the word sacrifice so they could say, “Aha! Sacrifice!” But that wouldn’t be much of a trick since Catholics freely say the mass is a sacrifice, but no one is saying re-sacrifice.

 

[po18guy]

I’m not sure how the timing during the mass would constitute a trick question unless they were keying in on the word sacrifice so they could say, “Aha! Sacrifice!” But that wouldn’t be much of a trick since Catholics freely say the mass is a sacrifice, but no one is saying re-sacrifice.

There are always some on the forums whose purpose for existing seems to be to prove that mass is non-biblical. They forget where they got their bible from.

What struck me about the question was that its main point concerned when “the sacrifice” was made. Father was quick to smash that assertion in a question with the velvet-of-charity-covered hammer of truth. The poster’s profile shows “catholic”, but then you could list any faith or none at all.

I love Father Serpa’s responses. They cut to the point.

Christ’s peace.

 

[rpp]

Perhaps the question was poorly worded and what was really meant was:

At what point, what instant, does the bread and wine cease being bread and wine and become the Body and Blood of Jesus?

A question I have sometimes pondered, though I do not think it matters. It is bread and wine when the priest first puts it on the altar and the Real Presence of Christ when he consumes it. What happens in between is the greatest Mystery in all of Creation.

 

[po18guy]

Perhaps the question was poorly worded and what was really meant was:

At what point, what instant, does the bread and wine cease being bread and wine and become the Body and Blood of Jesus?

A question I have sometimes pondered, though I do not think it matters. It is bread and wine when the priest first puts it on the altar and the Real Presence of Christ when he consumes it. What happens in between is the greatest Mystery in all of Creation.

Yeah, I also wondered about the phrasing of the question, but these inquisitions seem to come in waves. It just struck me as an issue that would have been understood by a cradle Catholic, or trained into a convert. But…

Christ’s peace.

p.s. love the sig! The absolute conviction with which Fr. Corapi speaks of those in “darkness” is such unvarnished truth.

 

[RobNY]

I didn’t detect anything bad in the question. I thought it was somewhat thought-provoking. The Mass is a sacrifice-- all the Fathers say so, and the Church teaches this in Councils. But if it’s a sacrifice, I can see why someone would ask, when does the sacrifice occur? Not during the Liturgy of the Word surely. During the Liturgy of the Eucharist? When?

I also like Fr. Serpa’s answer. Strictly speaking, the sacrifice occurred on the Cross when Christ gave His life. Answer when the Mass becomes a sacrifice is a bit more tricky, and I’m sure we could split dialectical hairs trying to pin down first, what we mean, and second, whether it’s sensible even to ask the question as regards the Mass, and third, when exactly it happens if it does make sense.

-Rob