Corpus Christi: The Sacrifice of the Mass

A reflection by Fr Ralph de Hahn – As we prepare to celebrate Corpus Christi on June 2, I wonder whether we might have lost the significance of the Holy Mass as a sacrifice.

At the heart of that sacrifice is the priesthood, as priest and victim. But another feature, which I feel has been neglected, is the priesthood of the congregation, also their sharing in the victimhood of the sacrifice.

The origin of sacrifice to the supreme Lord of all creation must have its roots in the ejection from the Garden of Eden. As man realised his utter powerlessness against the forces of nature and decay, he offered sacrifices to the living God. Unable to approach an unseen deity, offerings of burnt and dismembered animals were made, with the rising smoke to heaven symbolising repentance, atonement, appeasement or even thanksgiving.

The Book of Leviticus provides instructions for the procedure of pleasing the unseen God, emphasising the consecration of chosen priests, as well as the sanctity of the altar, fire and vestments. The holy smoke symbolised prayer and supplication, with the priests responsible for making the offerings, yet distinct from them.

These offerings, brought by the people, enriched the priests, who ultimately shared the sacrificial meal with the congregation. Animal sacrifices were performed daily and yearly, as sin was ever-present, and it was understood that the blood of animals could not remit all sin.

A new covenant

The scene shifts with the promise of a Messiah. All that had gone before was only prefiguring what was to come. The old Covenant would be replaced by a New Covenant in blood and by an oath (Psalm 110:4). God’s chosen people would receive a new king, a new kingdom, a new law, a new prophet, and a new priesthood, supplanting Moses’ law and Levitical priesthood.

The sacrifices of burnt offerings were no longer pleasing to God — “I am tired of your burnt offerings” (Isaiah 1:11). Instead, believers were called to offer their living bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). A new victim would emerge — only one unblemished victim, a sinless priest, offering not daily or annual sacrifices but one eternal offering.

This offering would consist not of the blood of animals but of Christ’s own blood. Life is in the blood; sin is in the blood. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22).

The priest is both the offerer and gift offered. In the old covenant, the priest and the victim were separate; in the new covenant, they are inseparable. Believers are called to a closer union with God in Jesus, not only in his life but also in his death. They are called to “fill up those sufferings that are lacking in the sufferings of Christ” (Colossians 1:24).

This prophecy finds its perfect fulfilment in Jesus, the Son of God and Son of David. Moreover, he is not a priest in the old order of the Levitical priesthood, like Aaron and his sons, but in the mystical order of the high priest Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17; Psalm 110:4). It would be a bloody sacrifice, but offered only once for all time and for all sin, never to be repeated. Yet, at the command of the High Priest and victim, it is to be “remembered” regularly in the unbloody sacrifices of the New Covenant, known as the sacrifice of the Holy Mass.

Priest and congregation

Returning to the initial question: Have we lost the true meaning of our daily Holy Mass as a sacrifice? The priest ascends the altar as both the offerer and victim, and congregants are not mere spectators but also partake in the victimhood of their lay priesthood. Sacred scripture clearly reveals that the ordained consecrated priest-victim is to bring the living Christ onto our altars: “This is my body. This is the chalice of my blood.” The ordained priest has that power.

However, he must be ever mindful that this is a sacrificial offering. He is offering his body and blood, his very self, to God in that particular Mass. And so, too, does the congregation. They deeply participate by their presence, the offering of their gifts — yes, body and blood, but also as their labour, sweat, and the offering of the collection brought to the altar in the spirit of faith, love and reparation.

And then, as in the old covenant, we feast together on the Victim, the Holy Eucharist, remembering that this is not just a “sacrament” but the very person of Christ! One cannot separate sacrament and sacrifice or encourage a “communion service” as if giving life were possible without death (1 Corinthians 11:26). Is all this too much to absorb and believe? But this is our Catholic faith, and always has been.

The call to holy ministry

During the Mass, the priest asks “that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God”, to which the people reply: “May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands.” In the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass, we read: “He calls men to share his sacred ministry to renew in his name the sacrifice of our redemption; they are to give their lives in your service by their courageous witness.”

How magnificent is the image of a priest, not only as a shepherd but also as a lamb ever-prepared for sacrifice. He is easily recognised in the breaking of the Bread and by his wounds. Our priestly vocation drive should be far more real and challenging.

Perhaps we have emphasised the Mass less as a sacrifice and too much as a Sunday obligation, and thereby have missed so much. After Holy Mass, it is a good practice to join Mary, his mother, in thanksgiving, for nobody on earth has a stronger right than Mary in humbly declaring: “This is my body, this is my blood.” And how perfect and wonderful was her celebration.

Fr Ralph de Hahn is a priest of the archdiocese of Cape Town.