Catholic Apologetics Online

Choose a topic from Vol 2:

God

Man

Religion

The Religion of the Bible

The Christian Faith

A Definite Christian Faith

The Protestant Reformation

The Truth of Catholicism

The Church and the Bible

The Dogmas of the Church

The Church and Her Moral Teachings

The Church in Her Worship

The Church and Social Welfare

Comparative Study of Non-Catholic Denominations

To and From Rome

The Sacrifice of the Mass

781. What is the Mass?

The Mass is the sacrifice of the Christian dispensation in whichthe very body and blood of Jesus Christ under the appearances ofbread and wine are offered to God by a lawfully ordained priest.This sacrifice of the Mass is offered to render honor and glory toGod, to thank Him for His benefits, to make reparation for the sinsof mankind, and to beg of God the graces and blessings we need. Itrepresents and continues in our midst the one great sacrifice ofJesus on the Cross, and is offered for all the purposes for whichHe died.

782. Christ meant His disciples, each time theybroke bread, to remember His death, and so renew their love for Himeach time.

He meant that, but far more also. Not only were we to rememberHis death for us, but He left His very body under the appearancesof bread so that we might reoffer to the Father, Him who was ourvictim on the Cross. Not only were we to remember His death; wewere to show His death as often as the celebration occurred, thusfulfilling the prophecy of Malachy. "For from the rising ofthe sun even to the going down, My name is great among theGentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there isoffered to My name a clean oblation; for My name is great among theGentiles, saith the Lord of hosts." Mal. I., 11. Nor were wemerely to renew our love for Him. He was to renew His life in us.So He said, "As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live bythe Father, so he that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me." Jn. VI., 58. It is difficult tounderstand why you should wish to belittle the greatness of Hisgift.

783. Hebrew X., 12, says that Christ's was afinished or perfected work or sacrifice.

The Catholic Church teaches that the Sacrifice of the Cross wasa complete and perfect Sacrifice. The Mass is not a new sacrificingof Christ in the same sense, but is a new offering and applicationof the Christ sacrificed on Calvary. The absolute Sacrificeoccurred on Calvary, the Mass is a relative Sacrifice, deriving itsvalue from the Cross. Just as prior to His death on Calvary, Christoffered His Body and Blood at the Last Supper saying, "This isMy Body which is given for you, this My Blood which is shed foryou," so in the Mass, not now by anticipation but inretrospect, Christ the Victim is offered to His Father.

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MORE FROM VOLUME 2

• About the Author
• Introduction
  - Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty
• Preface
  - John Gregory Murray
  Archbishop of Saint Paul
• Forward
  - Dr Leslie Rumble, MSC

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