2. SACRIFICE - Every time Mass is celebrated we commemorate (i) the sacrifice our Lord made at Calvary. It cannot be re-enacted. What we proclaim is to show forth our Lord's death until His coming again. By the offering of this sacrifice we are constantly reminded of the 'great price' Christ paid for 'our sins, so many in number, and so foul in quality' in order to make us partakers of 'the kingdom of Heaven'. In that offering 'we are also carried back to Christ as He was at the very instant, and in the very act of His offering' when He was sacrificed once and one only for us.
(ii) It is a sacrifice of 'our praise and thanksgiving' to God for His abundant blessings of His redemption.
(iii) It is a sacrifice 'of our selves, souls and body.'
.THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
OR
THE HOLY EUCHARIST
I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread that I will give is My glesh, which I shall give for the life of the World. S. John 6.51.
This Blessed Sacrament, also known as the Holy Eucharist with Baptism are known as
the TWIN SACRAMENTS. Both are inextricably linked with Christ's death at Calvary.
THE INSTITUTION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST
The night before Christ died, He shared a meal with His disciples, during which He took bread and broke it and said, 'This is my Body; which will be given up for you, do this in remembrance of me.' At the end of the meal He took the Cup and said, 'This is the Cup of the New Covenant in my Blood which is shed for you.'
Ever since then from the first disciples of Christ Christians have gathered around an altar in all parts of the world to do what Christ commanded. This is why we have churches and why we come together as a community to participate in the Mass.
1. THE REAL PRESENCE - Our Lord told us that the bread which He broke is His Body and the Cup of wine is His Blood, and so in the Eucharist we receive the life of Christ. It is best not to worry too much about how this happens as many theologians did in the past, but simply believe and exclaim with Thomas, 'MY LORD and MY GOD.'
A little verse, attributed to Queen Elizabeth I sums it aptly.
His was the word that spake it,
He took the bread and brake it,
And what is word doth make it,
That I believe and take it.
EUCHARISTIC TEACHING
We are never as close to Christ as we are at that moment when we receive Him. 'when we have newly taken the holy Sacrament of His blessed Body and most precious Blood - when we come fresh from it.' This closeness is what every earnest Christian desires. We do not want to be parted from Him, and in our better moments we wish to be with Him for ever. We want to say as Father John of Kronstadt did, 'Oh perfect love! Oh all-embracing love! Oh strongest love! What shall we give God in gratitude for this love?' That is why Benediction is so appealing and devotional to so many Christians. We want continually to "taste and see how glorious the Lord is", and stay in "our true native land". Indeed we cannot live the Christian life without receiving Christ in the Sacrament.
O Sacrament most holy,
O Sacrament divine,
All praise and thanksgiving
Be every moment thine.
3. UNITY - 'We who are many are one body in the breaking of bread; for we all share in the Body of Christ.' This most beautiful sacrament ideally unites all Christians on earth, in paradise and heaven and even the unborn. 'Nothing shall separate us from the love of God.' and from each other because in Christ we are all made one.
4. THEOSIS - "He is in us and we in him, we and Christ are made one, we receive him and he receives us: So that as God cannot hate Christ, so he cannot but love us, being engrafted into him." The fraction manifested this union. "Now 'the bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the body, of the flesh, of Jesus Christ?' It is surely, and by it and by nothing more are we made partakers of this blessed union."
5. THE COMFORTER - The Sacrament is the source of comfort in our pilgrimage to the Supper of the Lamb. How often do we read in Scripture that 'He hath ordained these mysteries of His love and favour, to our great and endless comfort', and 'The Father shall give you the Comforter.' That Comforter is Christ, and so "by the flesh we eat, and the blood we drink at His table, we be made partakers of His Spirit, and of the comfort of it", which cheers and gladdens the heart.
VIATICUM - As we prepare to leave this world for the next faithful Christians receive the Sacrament to strengthen them on their journey into the next world.
