The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Romanist Reply to Mass Question

A coworker has a sister in Germany who is a lifelong student of Catholic theology...completing a doctorate program. She's in her 60's. She came to the States a few weeks ago and my coworker (a RC) gave me the privilege of asking her how she would answer the charge that the Mass is contrary to scripture with it's notion of re-crucifying Christ (or "re-presenting" Him). This is her reply:

[color:"0000FF"]Thank you for your enquiry into Catholic teaching regarding the Eucharist. I think I can clear up your obvious misconceptions about the sacrifice of the Mass in a few short sentences.

Celebration of the Eucharist does not intend to re-create the suffering of Christ on the Cross, as you rightly point out quoting scripture.

Let me, for my part, quote Matthew 26, 29; Mark 14, 25; Luke 22, 16; and First Corinthians 11, 23-26. Since I have only a German language New Testament at hand I’ll let you look it up. Here we are told that Jesus is looking forward to celebrating the heavenly liturgy with His friends. This, of course, implies a timeless celebration, that is continuous and ongoing, not over and over again. Here on earth, we emulate this celebration in His memory. We partake of His Body and Blood which is changed from bread and wine through the offices of the Holy Spirit who guides and assists the priest. Of course there is no scientific explanation of transubstantiation, as it is called; we simply believe the words of our Savior. So, while the one true sacrifice was committed at a certain time in history on the cross at Golgotha, the celebration of the saving fruits of Christ’s sacrifice goes on - in the heavenly liturgy which transcends time and space; as well as in Holy Mass here on earth, where we are nourished with His Body and Blood. This heavenly liturgy of course includes all the faithful, the living, as well as the dead, since they are with God.[/color]

Any thoughts?

laz

Hi Laz,

While this woman may see and explain their mass this way, this is not the official position of the Roman Church. I do not have the documents here but I know this is not their explanation! Best to go to the RC's official position then take her words as those of that church.

In His Hands,

Ruth

Laz:

Don't know whether you've seen this article or not. Should answer the questions about what Catholics officially believe about Mass.
The Cross and the Mass

Dave

Simply for the purposes of accuracy and clarification, here is a somewhat more official take on the Catholic view of the Eucharist:
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a3.htm#V

God bless,
Sam

It is very important to understand the definition of the "terms" used by others so that one doesn't inadvertently misunderstand and/or misconstrue what they are actually communicating. I think the following quote taken from the page you linked to is very revealing.

1364 In the New Testament, the memorial takes on new meaning. When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, she commemorates Christ's Passover, and it is made present the sacrifice Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever present.185 "As often as the sacrifice of the Cross by which 'Christ our Pasch has been sacrificed' is celebrated on the altar, the work of our redemption is carried out."¹⁸⁶

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."¹⁸⁷ 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."¹⁸⁸

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.¹⁸⁹

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 is offered in an unbloody manner. . . this sacrifice is truly propitiatory."¹⁹⁰

1368 The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of the Church. The Church which is the Body of Christ participates in the offering of her Head. With him, she herself is offered whole and entire. She unites herself to his intercession with the Father for all men. In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ's sacrifice present on the altar makes it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with his offering.
____________________________________________________________________________

¹⁸⁶ LG 3; cf. 1 Cor 5:7.
¹⁸⁷ Lk 22:19-20.
¹⁸⁸ Mt 26:28.
¹⁸⁹ Council of Trent (1562): DS 1740; cf. 1 Cor 11:23; Heb 7:24, 27.
¹⁹⁰ Council of Trent (1562) Doctrina de ss. Missae sacrificio, c. 2: DS 1743; cf. Heb 9:14,27.

I think these statements are at best confusing. The difficulty I find is in their use of the terms "memorial", "sacrifice" and "re-present" (notice not "represent"). The document says the Eucharist is a "memorial", yet it also affirms that it is at the same time a "real sacrifice" which is "re-presented".

How do you understand that document's explanation of the Eucharist and in particular in regard to Christ's "once for all sacrifice" which it says the RCC "re-presents" in it?

In His Grace,