The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross in an unbloody manner, to which we unite the sacrifce of our lives, offering this living sacrifice to God the Father. It is a divine and sacred, in which heaven and earth meet, and where the faithful participate in the mystery of Christ’s redemptive work.

Through the Mass, the Church actualizes the Last Supper, the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ as the mystery of our salvation (Paschal Mystery). In the Eucharist (Thanksgiving), Catholics believe that the bread and wine become the actual Body, Blood, soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, maintaining the appearances (accidents) of bread and wine.

The Mass is the highest form of prayer and worship in the Catholic Church, embodying the mystery of salvation. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our salvation. It is a time of sacrifice, being called out fo the world in communal gathering, deep reverence, reflection, and spiritual nourishment where the faithful are joined in unity with Christ and each other, as an offering (obligation) to God the Father).

At the end of the Mass, the congregation is sent forth with the command to “Ite missa est” (Go, She is sent, or Go, You are Sent) symbolizing the call for the faithful to live their faith in the world, guided by the graces they have received through the Mass.