Mass : One Sacrifice Eternally Offered

Hebrews 9:26-28  tells us the Jesus was offered once to take away our sins and Hebrews 10:18 tells us

“Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.” 

So why do Catholics call the Mass a Sacrifice which they offer up each day of the week ?

The Mass is a Re-Presentation of that same One Sacrifice of Jesus to the Father, His Life, Death, and Resurrection.  (His Resurrection is equally important.  (Cf.  Romans 4:25,  1 Corinthians 15:17)  Jesus is the Eternal High Priest up in Heaven.

Paul tells us in Hebrews that in the Old Testament the Jews had to continually offer up new sacrifices because these sacrifices never really paid the full price of their sins.  However, in the New Covenant we only have One Sacrifice that is offered up once for all time.  We need no other offering than Jesus to the Father.  He is the One Sacrifice for all time.   God being the creator of Time is outside of time.  The sacrifice is eternally present to him in Heaven, see Revelations 5.  In the Mass that once for all time sacrifice is made present to us as we are invited to unite ourselves in Christ as we offer up ourselves to God the Father.  That is why we have an Altar,(Cf. Hebrews 3:10.)

Christ does not suffer again in the Mass. (Cf. 1 Peter 3:18) 
He only died once.  That same One Sacrifice is made present to us in the Mass.

Jesus is our Eternal High Priest.

Hebrews 5:6
“ … You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.”

And the definition of a priest is to offer sacrifice.

Hebrews 5:1
“Every high priest is … to offer (to God)  gifts and sacrifices for sins.”

Hebrews 7:22-25
“ … Jesus (also) become the guarantee of an (even) better covenant. Those priests were many because they were prevented by death from remaining in office, but he, because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away.  Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them.”

And so Jesus lives forever to continually make intercession for us.

Notice that Hebrews 8 is talking about Jesus, our High Priest in Heaven.

Hebrews 8:4
“If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest ...”

And the preceding verses tell us how Jesus fulfills his Priestly ministry.

Hebrews 8:2-3
“Now every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus the necessity for this one also to have something to offer.”

Notice that this passage says that Christ must “have (present tense)  something to offer.” If Jesus’ offering was only a past event then it would have been in the past tense.   However, it is present tense because Jesus’ sacrifice is once for all, that is, once for all time, eternally offered in heaven.

The vision of heavenly worship that John sees in Revelation chapter 4 goes on to say in the next chapter …  

Revelation 5:5-6
“One of the elders said to me,  ‘Do not weep. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed, enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.’   Then I saw standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and the elders, a Lamb that seemed to have been slain.”

Jesus appears as One who “seemed to have been slain” because He is eternally offered to God the Father on our behalf.

There is a prophecy in Malachi that tells about a pure offering that last continually.

Malachi 1:11
“For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, my name is great among the nations; And everywhere they bring sacrifice to my name, and a pure offering”

Only Jesus is a pure offering and it points to the New Covenant when we continually from the rising of the sun to its setting all across the globe as we offer up the One Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  1 Peter tells us how we are to be united in the holy priesthood, the holy sacrifice.

1 Peter 2:5
“ … let yourselves be built  into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians tells about a very important feast

1 Corinthians 5:7-8
“Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.  Therefore let us celebrate the feast …”

If we did not have a sacrifice to offer than we would have no altar which is for the purpose of offering sacrifice.  However, Corinthians tells us that we do have an altar.

1 Corinthians 9:13
“ Do you not know that those who perform the temple services eat (what) belongs to the temple, and those who minister at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings ?”

Hebrews 13:10
“We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.”

And Paul makes it clear what it is that we are to eat …

1 Corinthians 10:16
“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?”

1 Corinthians 11:25-29
“This cup is the new covenant in my (Jesus’)  blood. …
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. … For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.”

Revelation 3:20
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, (then) I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.”

NEW   Cool  Catholic  Graphics

See  Articles  at

JESUS     BIBLE     CHURCH   AUTHORITY

  MARY     MORAL  ISSUES     PRO-LIFE

  SACRAMENTS       SAINTS       MISC.

HOME  - DEFENDING  THE  BRIDE

www.DefendingTheBride.com