In the past Catholics would refer to the Mass as the “Holy Sacrifice of the Mass”. This particular saying would lead some to accuse Catholics as “Re-Sacrificing Christ”. Till today some say, “Why do Catholics celebrate the mass? Isn’t Jesus’ Sacrifice on Calvary enough to save and sanctify us? Do they just remember Jesus’ death?”. As Catholics of course we do not “Re-Sacrifice Christ” when we celebrate the mass. The Eucharist is not a re-crucifixion! Like Protestants, we too believe that Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross reconciled us back to the Father. As the Letter to the Hebrews states, “so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many” and that Christ “offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of the Father” (Heb 10:12).
As Catholics, we celebrate the Mass because Jesus told us to do so. If our Lord did not command us to do this, then we would not do it. Before Jesus freely accepted death, “He took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them saying, ‘This is my Body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me” (LK 22:19). Jesus Himself gave us this sacrament and commanded us to do this in memory of him. He wanted His followers to celebrate the mass to forever remember what He did for us. So we recall Jesus’ Holy Sacrifice, that He loved us so much that He died and rose for our salvation. Another word we use for mass is Eucharist, which comes from a Greek word that literally means “Thanksgiving”. We give thanks to God for Jesus’ selfless sacrifice, offering us His Body and Blood. The mass re-presents (makes present) to us on the altar that same Body and Blood in the sacramental forms of bread and wine. Below are passages from the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaching on the Eucharist as Sacrifice:
1365 Because it is the memorial of Christ’s Passover, the Eucharist is also a sacrifice. The sacrificial character of the Eucharist is manifested in the very words of institution: “This is my body which is given for you” and “This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood.”187 In the Eucharist Christ gives us the very body which he gave up for us on the cross, the very blood which he “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”188
1367 The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: “The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different.” “And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner.
