Sacrifice of the Mass

When we go to Mass, what are we doing? By the power of the Holy Spirit, through the ordination of the priest, we are uniting ourselves to Jesus’ death on Calvary, His sacrifice for our salvation. The Israelites were rescued from Egypt through the Passover. Each year they celebrated Passover, uniting themselves with the first. The Jews had a different sense of time than us. We have difficulty thinking outside of linear time. For them, Jesus included, in celebrating Passover, they were re-presenting the original event at their table. Jesus was celebrating Passover at the Last Supper. When He offered bread and wine as His Body and Blood, though, He was looking forward to the next day when He would be offering His Body and Blood on the Cross. In the Mass, we, like the Jews, look backward uniting ourselves with Jesus’ offering on the Cross, as the Jews united themselves with the first Passover. Jesus is our high priest. He made that one offering for our sins, our salvation. We, in turn, offer His sacrifice, His offering, to the Father. When we celebrate the Mass, we unite ourselves, not only with all those who also are celebrating the Mass at that time but also those who have in the past because God is timeless. One sacrifice, one offering, re-presented across time. A working of God that our minds are unable to comprehend. A gift of God to enable us to repent our sins and receive His grace, direct from Jesus on the Cross.God