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Pentecost Sunday
Thoughts for the Week - Fr. R. Taouk
9th June 2019
The Doctrine of the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass
by
Rev. Fr. M. Gavin S.J.
The Mass, according to the Penny Catechism, is the Sacrifice
of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, really present on the
Altar under the appearance of bread and wine, and offered to
God for the living and the dead.
The Council of Trent (Sess. XXII) defines the Mass to be a
true and proper Sacrifice; and says "it is one and the same
Victim and the same Offerer now offering by the ministry of
His Priests Who then offered Himself on the Cross, only the
manner of offering is different". The Council has not
defined a Sacrifice. Sacrifice is commonly held to be an
offering of a substantial thing made to God by a fitting
minister through its destruction, or equivalent destruction.
Sacrifice is made to God alone. His supreme dominion over
life and death is shown in the destruction of the victim, to
acknowledge God's supreme dominion and to appease Divine
Justice when sin has been committed.
The
Eucharist is both Sacrament and Sacrifice. There are several
points of difference between the Eucharist as a Sacrament
and as a Sacrifice. The efficacy of the Sacrifice lies in
its being offered, and of the Sacrament in its being
received. The Eucharist as a Sacrament increases our merit,
and gives to the soul all the advantages that food gives to
the body. As a Sacrifice the Eucharist is not only a source
of merit but also of satisfaction. Again, the Eucharist as a
Sacrament benefits only the person who communicates: if it
obtains graces and blessings for others, this happens only
through the goodness of God. But as a Sacrifice the
Eucharist is offered for and benefits the whole Catholic
Church, and its satisfactory power is extended to all
faithful Christians living and dead. Lastly, the chief end
of the Holy Eucharist as a Sacrament is our own
sanctification, while its chief end as a Sacrifice in the
Mass is the supreme worship of God. There is consequently a
clear difference between the Eucharist as a Sacrament and as
a Sacrifice.
In the Mass
there is all that we need for a true Sacrifice.
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1. |
A visible thing, i.e., the Body and Blood of
Christ under the appearance of bread and wine; |
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2. |
The offering is made by Christ through His
minister; |
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3. |
There is the mystical destruction in the
Consecration of bread and wine; |
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4. |
Mass is offered to God alone never to Saints or
to Our Lady (Trent, Sess. XXII); |
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5. |
Mass is offered for the living and dead, "for
all faithful Christians living and dead", as the
Church says at the Offertory. |
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