The Mass: A Sacrifice for Sins
Question: I am a Roman Catholic but I was never taught that the
Mass is a sacrifice for sin as you wrote in your website. The mass is
the commemoration of Jesus giving himself for us on the cross. In fact
Christ himself said, "Do this in remembrance of me."
Answer: Many people wrongly think that the Mass is a
commemoration of the sacrifice of Christ, much the same as the Lord's
Supper in Evangelical churches. It is not; the Mass is something more
than a memorial. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Mass is a
real sacrifice for sin. Please read carefully the following citations
from Catholic sources.
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If anyone says that the sacrifice of the mass is one only of
praise and thanksgiving; or that it is a mere commemoration of the
sacrifice consummated on the cross but not a propitiatory one; or
that it profits him only who receives, and ought not to be offered
for the living and the dead, for sins, punishments, satisfactions,
and other necessities, let him be anathema (Council of Trent,
session 22, canon 3).
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The Mass is the unbloody sacrifice of the body and blood of
Christ...The Mass is the same sacrifice as that of the Cross because
the offering and the priest are the same - Christ our Blessed Lord;
and the ends for which the sacrifice of the Mass is offered are the
same as those of the sacrifice of the Cross...The ends for which the
sacrifice of the Cross was offered were to honor and glorify God; to
thank Him for all the graces bestowed on the whole world; to satisfy
God's justice for the sins of men; to obtain all graces and
blessings (Baltimore Catechism).
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As often as the Sacrifice of the Cross in which 'Christ, our
Passover, has been sacrificed' (1 Corinthians. 5:7) is celebrated on
the altar (i.e. during the mass), the work of our redemption is
carried on (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church).
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The Eucharist is thus a sacrifice because it re-presents (makes
present) the sacrifice of the cross (Catechism of the Catholic
Church, paragraph 1366).
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The august sacrifice of the altar, then, is no mere empty
commemoration of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, but a true
and proper act of sacrifice, whereby the High Priest by an unbloody
immolation offers Himself a most acceptable victim to the Eternal
Father, as He did upon the cross (Mediator Dei, Encyclical of Pope
Pius XII)
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It is a good idea to recall at the very outset what may be termed
the heart and core of the doctrine, namely that, by means of the
Mystery of the Eucharist, the Sacrifice of the Cross which was once
carried out on Calvary is re-enacted in wonderful fashion and is
constantly recalled, and its salvific power is applied to the
forgiving of the sins we commit each day (Mysterium Fidei;
Encyclical of Pope Paul VI).
So, the Catholic Church officially teaches the Mass is a sacrifice --
indeed the very same sacrifice of Christ on Calvary -- and it is offered
to
satisfy God's justice and atone for sins. During the Mass Christ's sacrifice on the cross is not only remembered but it is
also carried on, perpetuated, renewed, re-presented and re-enacted.
The Catholic doctrine on the Mass is a distortion of the biblical
doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. The Bible describes the Eucharist as a
"memorial" or "commemoration" of Christ, and a
"proclamation" of His death, and not as a sacrifice for sin.
More seriously, the Mass is the denial of the perfection and sufficiency
of the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary. If it
needs to be carried on, perpetuated, renewed re-presented and
re-enacted, the implication is that His once-for-all sacrifice was not
enough for the forgiveness of His people. Let's say that I go to my
friend's house. If there is no answer when I knock at the door, I will
renew my efforts and keep on knocking. If, however, the door is opened,
I would stop knocking because my purpose would have been achieved. Even
so, having accomplished the redemption of His people by His death on the
cross, Christ ascended into heaven and is now seated on the right hand
of God. His mission is accomplished!
Please read the following passages from the book of Hebrews and note
carefully how the author emphasizes that the sacrifice of Christ is done
once for all:
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Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come
to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for
them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy,
harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher
than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to
offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s,
for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself (Hebrews
7:25:27).
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For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which
are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as
the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of
another - He then would have had to suffer often since the
foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He
has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it
is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so
Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who
eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin,
for salvation (Hebrews 9:24-28).
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By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands
ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which
can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one
sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from
that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by
one offering He has perfected forever those who are being
sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He
had said before, “This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their
hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their
sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where
there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin
(Hebrew 10:10-18).
The Bible repeats over and over again that Christ offered His
sacrifice "once" and "once for all." He "does
not need daily to offer up sacrifices." He is in heaven "not
that He should offer Himself often." Today "there is no longer
an offering for sin." His purpose was achieved: by His once-for-all
sacrifice, He "put away sin" and thus He
"sanctified" and "perfected forever" His people.
You have two choices. You can either continue to attend Mass, thus
showing that you do not really believe that Jesus can save you to the
uttermost by His once-for-all sacrifice on the cross. Or else, if you
are certain that His sacrifice is finished, perfect and complete, put
your trust in Him, and join a Christian community where the Gospel is
faithfully preached, and Christ's ordinances (Baptism and the Eucharist)
are observed according to the pattern and teaching of the New Testament.
It is the great privilege of all believers to meet together to remember
the Lord and proclaim His death by observing the Lord’s Supper
together.
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