The Gift of the Mass

One of the most appalling things I have ever heard Catholics Saying is "The Mass is Boring!" Boring! The re-enactment of Calvary. Christ offering Himself for our Sins. I guess they have just had pretty poor catechesis. The Mass is the Sacrifice of Jesus. In the old testament the Jews offered sacrifices of bullocks, lambs, and pigeons to God for the forgiveness of their sins. But these sacrifices were not pleasing to God. "To what purpose do you offer me the multitude of your victims? .... I desire not holocausts of lambs......and blood of calves and lambs and buck-goats....Offer sacrifice no more in vain" Isaiah 1.11-13. But what did got want from his people as reparation from their sins. We turn to the prophet Malachi "I have not pleasure in you, saith the Lord of Hosts and I will not receive a gift of your hand. For, from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, "My Name is great among the Gentiles and in every nation there is sacrifice, and there is offered in my name a clean oblation" Malachi 1, 10-11. Was this oblation Jesus? "Behold the Lamb of God" cried John the Baptist on seeing Jesus. And on the evening of the great sacrifice of the Passover Jesus said, "This is my Body offered for you", "This is my Blood shed for you". He was the new clean oblation, the only True Sacrifice that could be pleasing to God for the remission of our sins. A priest is one who offers sacrifice and from the early Church until today our Catholic priests offer this clean oblation. St Paul in his letter to the Hebrews frequently mentions the Mass. "We have an altar whereof they cannot eat who serve the Tabernacle" Hebrews 8.10. Yes, an altar! Already the christians were building altar of sacrifice and her priests were celebrating the Mass as the Church has done for two thousand years. So when you go to the Catholic Mass and the priest raises the bread and says "This is my Body" be assured that at that moment bread no longer is bread but the living substantial Body of Christ offering Himself for the sins of the world and fulfilling the prophecy of Malachi that we the Gentiles would be offering sacrifice - a clean oblation. This is what the Catholic Church teaches, this is what I believe. Pray to Jesus and Mary that one day you also might believe it.