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 TOPIC 19.2
THE EUCHARIST AS A SACRIFICE

Reference: Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1356-1372

 THE EUCHARIST AS A SACRIFICE

The Nature Jesus bears testimony

of the Eucharist to the Truth

The Selfsame Sacrifice Same Priest and Sacrificial Victim for Significance of the Words of Institution
at Calvary Both

The Last Supper, Sacrifice at Calvary, and The celebration of the Eucharist
The Eucharist, a living memorial of
the Mass from Apostolic times
Calvary
 The Nature
of the Eucharist
“The very sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ which he
instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages…”
Comp271

◦ “Sacrifice”
◦ to set something apart to worship God
◦ at Calvary, Jesus offered the Father His Body and Blood
as an act of loving obedience to bear witness to the truth

◦ Lk 22: 42 “Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me;
nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

◦ Jn 18:37 Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?”

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for
this I have come into the world, to bear witness
to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.”
 Jesus bears testimony to
the truth
Lk 22:

“If you are the Christ, tell us.”

67 

But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; 

and if I ask you, you will not answer. 

68 

But from now on the Son of man shall be seated

69 

at the right hand of the power of God.” 

And they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he
70 

said to them, “You say that I am.” 

And they said, “What further testimony do we need? We

71 

have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”

 The Mass and
Calvary: same
Sacrifice
◦ the Eucharist and the Sacrifice at Calvary
are “one and the same sacrifice”
(Comp 280)

◦ The Mass: not a “repetition” nor a “completion” of the Sacrifice at

Calvary, which happened “once for all”
(Heb 10:10)

◦ it does not detract from infinite value of sacrifice

at Calvary to save all men but confirms
it by making it operative for all men of all times.

◦ What is repeated is the sacramental celebration

of the Mystery of Christ’s Death and Resurrection,
not the Mystery itself made present
 Same Priest and
Sacrificial Victim
Why “one and the same” sacrifice?
Comp 280

◦ The Priest and Victim are same for both:

Jesus Christ

◦ Only manner of offering is different

◦ bloody at Calvary (real shedding of blood)
◦ unbloody at Holy Mass
(shedding of blood is sacramentally re-presented by the
double consecration).
Cf CCC 1367
The Words of
Institution Reveal its
Sacrificial Nature
The Holy Mass is a Sacred Banquet and Meal, but above all a Sacrifice
Comp 273 and 280

◦ Lk 22:19-20: ‘This is my body which shall be given up for you…

This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which shall be shed for you.”

Cf CCC 1365

◦ Jesus celebrated the Last Supper in the course of the Jewish Passover
meal, which commemorated the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in
Egypt thanks to the blood of the Passover Lamb.
◦ the Jewish Passover meal and the Exodus was only a prefiguration
of mankind’s deliverance
from sin which Jesus was to accomplish as the true “Lamb of God”,
slain to take away the sins of the world” (cf. John 1:29)
◦ Jesus turned his death on Good Friday into a prayer for our
salvation.
 The Last Supper,
Sacrifice at Calvary,
and the Mass
Last Supper
= sacramental anticipation of the Sacrifice
at Calvary to perpetuate
the Sacrifice at Calvary sacramentally throughout the ages:
cf CCC 1340

◦ The Eucharistic celebration (Holy Mass) = sacramental renewal,

or re-presentation,
or re-actualization of Calvary
◦ the Sacrifice at Calvary is forever new:
not subject to “before and after”
◦ Calvary Sacrifice is contemporaneous with,
and operative in, all ages.
Cf CCC 1366

Note:
“sacramental” the event 2,000 ago is efficaciously made present
through sacred signs instituted by Christ
 The Eucharist,
a living memorial
of Calvary
In what sense is the Eucharist
a memorial of Calvary?
Comp 280

◦ “Do this in memory of me...in remembrance of me”

1 Cor 11: 23

◦ Key to interpretation:
Jesus’ words “are directed at the liturgical celebration of the Paschal Mystery by
the Apostles and their successors”
(CCC 1341)

 he gives the Apostles the power to consecrate

◦ Liturgically, “to celebrate” = “to accomplish”, “to carry out”

◦ Jesus not only asks the Church to remember him

and what he did...

◦ …but above all to make the mystery of His Death and Resurrection present and
actual.
Cf. CCC 1364
 The celebration
of the Eucharist
from Apostolic times
◦ 7. Acts 2: 42, 46: “They (the early Church in Jerusalem) devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers...Day by day, attending
the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and
generous hearts.”

◦ Acts 20: (Troas. Eutychus): 7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to
break bread,[a] Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and he prolonged his
speech until midnight.

◦ 1 Cor 16:2: (collection on Sunday Mass): 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put
something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be made
when I come.

The Church has always celebrated the Eucharist, especially on Sundays

 TOPIC 19.2
THE EUCHARIST AS A SACRIFICE

Reference: Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1356-1372