Is He Really Here?

By -


 

Today’s reading brings into focus a very deep truth of the Catholic Church’s Sacrament of the Eucharist, that sacrament in which Jesus offers himself today in sacrifice at the hands of the priest through the consecrated elements of bread and wine.

Let me explain.

In Hebrews, Chapter 7 (Verses 26-Chapter 8:6), the author emphasizes that Jesus offered himself as sacrifice (for us) “once for all” unlike the high priests of the time that made repeated sacrifices.

When a Catholic Mass is celebrated, the priest is not re-sacrificing Christ at the altar, but, rather, each sacrifice of the Mass “makes present the one sacrifice of Christ the Savior and includes the Church’s offering.” (*CCC 1330)

In fact, at the Last Supper, “in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again” Christ instituted the Eucharist, which is the sacrifice of his body, blood, soul and divinity. (CCC 1323)

This profound understanding of the Eucharist means that we are participating in the one sacrifice of Christ at the Last Supper.  His passion and death are made truly present to us, a shared moment outside time, an “entering into,” if you will.

That is what the eucharistic sacrifice of Christ is when every Catholic Mass is celebrated—a divine moment that makes present the Real Presence of Christ.

If this act of love by a Father doesn’t make his children respond in gratitude and awe, I’m not sure what more could.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com

*CCC = Catechism of the Catholic Church

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SAINT ELIZABETH, MOTHER OF JOHN THE BAPTIST- Feast: November 5

By -
Image
Elizabeth appears in the Gospel of Luke, where she is described as “righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly,”.  I imagine that she was warm, loving and obviously a safe harbour for young Mary, who was not married when she conceived.  When Mary came to visit her, Elizabeth was pregnant with St. John the Baptist and in her sixth month: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And how have I deserved that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, the moment that the sound of thy greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who has believed, because the things promised her by the Lord shall be accomplished.” 
Read more

The Memorare

By Helen Gonsalves -
Image
This popular prayer, a favorite of many Catholics, dates back to the 15th century and takes its name from the first Latin word of the prayer, "memorare," which means "remember." The Memorare is of unknown authorship, although it has been attributed to St. Augustine (354-430), St. John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) and, with more reason, to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153). St. Bernard's sermons on Mary were famous, and it was his Cistercian monks in the monastery of Citeaux in the 12th century who popularized the name "Our Lady" for Mary. The Memorare has also been attributed to the French cleric Claude Bernard (1588-1641), known as the "poor priest" of Paris, whose homilies contain passages that echo its words. No matter who wrote this prayer, it was Father Bernard who did much to popularize it, teaching it in hospitals and prisons, where Mary's intercession was effective in working miracles of grace. The first manuscript of the Mem...
Read more

'Greater Love: Richie Fernando SJ', a joy-filled Filipino missionary

By -
Image
 I haven't been able to post for more than a week as I was giving an eight-day directed retreat to eight sisters of the Missionaries of Charity near Manila. While I had some access to the internet it was rather slow. I had intended to make a post here on the murder of Fr Fausto Tentorio PIME , a 59-year-old Italian priest, in the Diocese of Kidapawan, Mindanao, on Monday 17 October. I will save that post for a later date. As I was looking for a video about Father Fausto I came across one about Brother Richard Michael 'Richie' Fernando SJ, a Filipino Jesuit scholastic who died while trying to prevent a troubled and disabled young man in Cambodia from throwing a grenade. That was in 1996 - on 17 October. Father Fausto gave his life exactly 15 years later. I remember the mixture of sorrow and pride I felt when I read of the death of Brother Richie, pride as a missionary in the Philippines that a young Filipino seminarian had given his life so spontaneously in order to sav...
Read more