Bible References To "once And For All" Sacrifice Vs What Happe

[Honour]

So, someone trying to convince me that Catholicism is not Christianity, pointed me to this http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-318/explaining-the-heresy-of-the-catholic-mass-part-1 sermon by John McArthur.  Much of his later arguments are really mumbo jumbo and weak.  But the part about the Hebrews 7:26-28, Hebrews 9:11-14, and 24-28 all which talk about Christ being sacrificed, offered up, and entering the holy place once, or once and for all, where very confusing to me.

 

How does this make sense with the Eucharist?  Is Christ the "eternal victim" is he offered up as a sacrifice daily by priests in countless services around the world.  I'm confused.

 

Any perspectives helpful. 

 

Thanks

[Fidei Defensor]

Each mass is not a new sacrifice but the presentation of the same eternal sacrifice, made present for us to participate in for time immemorial. 

[Honour]

Each mass is not a new sacrifice but the presentation of the same eternal sacrifice, made present for us to participate in for time immemorial. 

 

Reference?

[Nihil Obstat]

357. What is the Mass?

The Mass is the sacrifice of the New Law in which Christ, through the ministry of the priest, offers Himself to God in an unbloody manner under the appearances of bread and wine.

For, from the rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is great among the Gentiles; and in every place there is sacrifice and there is offered to my name a clean oblation. (Malachi 1:11)

358. What is a sacrifice?

A sacrifice is the offering of a victim by a priest to God alone, and the destruction of it in some way to acknowledge that He is the Creator of all things.

359. Who is the principal priest in every Mass?

The principal priest in every Mass is Jesus Christ, who offers to His heavenly Father, through the ministry of His ordained priest, His body and blood which were sacrificed on the cross.

And having taken bread, he gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In like manner he took also the cup after the supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which shall be shed for you." (Luke 22:19-20)

360. Why is the Mass the same sacrifice as the sacrifice of the cross?

The Mass is the same sacrifice as the sacrifice of the cross because in the Mass the victim is the same, and the principal priest is the same, Jesus Christ.

361. What are the purposes for which the Mass is offered?

The purposes for which the Mass is offered are: first, to adore God as our Creator and Lord; second, to thank God for His many favors; third, to ask God to bestow His blessings on all men; fourth, to satisfy the justice of God for the sins committed against Him.

362. Is there any difference between the sacrifice of the cross and the Sacrifice of the Mass?

The manner in which the sacrifice is offered is different. On the cross Christ physically shed His blood and was physically slain, while in the Mass there is no physical shedding of blood nor physical death, because Christ can die no more; on the cross Christ gained merit and satisfied for us, while in the Mass He applies to us the merits and satisfaction of His death on the cross.

For we know that Christ, having risen from the dead, dies now no more, death shall no longer have dominion over him. (Romans 6:9)

 

[Honour]

357. What is the Mass?

 

 

Stupid question, what are you referencing here?  I tried catechism but that wasn't lining up.  

 

Anyways, I found this which I think further confuses me. http://www.catholic.com/video/do-catholics-re-sacrifice-christ

[Nihil Obstat]

Stupid question, what are you referencing here?  I tried catechism but that wasn't lining up.  

 

Anyways, I found this which I think further confuses me. http://www.catholic.com/video/do-catholics-re-sacrifice-christ

Baltimore Catechism. :)

 

I just posted most of the relevant section, for the sake of context. Makes more sense when you read the whole thing.

[Honour]

Thanks, had to look that up, didn't know what the Baltimore Catechism was.

 

OK, so it IS a sacrifice.  But it is offered by Christ, not the priest, and it is the SAME sacrifice as when Christ offered himself on the cross, just not the same manner?  Hence no problems with the "once and for all" scriptures?  Am I getting the idea here?

[Nihil Obstat]

Thanks, had to look that up, didn't know what the Baltimore Catechism was.

 

OK, so it IS a sacrifice.  But it is offered by Christ, not the priest, and it is the SAME sacrifice as when Christ offered himself on the cross, just not the same manner?  Hence no problems with the "once and for all" scriptures?  Am I getting the idea here?

I think it is correct to say that it is offered by Christ, through the priest who acts as Christ.

I also think it is correct to say that it is the same sacrifice, offered once for all and re-presented in an unbloody manner. The sacrifice on the Cross was an event that transcends time and space, or perhaps more properly, draws all of us to transcend time and space to be present in that eternal moment, so in a sense I think we can say that Cavalry is made present on the altar.

I am speculating a bit, but I think it is fairly correct.

[Basilisa Marie]

Nihil and Tardis gave great answers. :)

 

If you watch Doctor Who, you'll understand me when I say the mass is SUPER timey-wimey.  

 

Christ died once.  Great.  Everyone agrees on that.  So at mass, we participate in that sacrifice through a special kind of remembering called anamnesis. It's a kind of remembering that also "makes present" the events of the past (it also kinda happens during a Jewish Passover meal, so we aren't just making this up)...it's like an experience that surpasses the barriers of space and time.  On some level of understanding, we're transported to the Crucifixion. 

 

The mass is a sacrifice because it participates (in a real way) in the one and only sacrifice of Christ at Calvary, not because it is it's own sacrifice or re-sacrifices Christ. 

 

Does that help? 

[Apotheoun]

The quotation below is from one of St. John Chrysostom's homilies on the book of Hebrews. In the text he speaks about the unity of Christ's sacrifice upon the Cross and the Eucharistic liturgy of the Church, which is the perpetual memorial of that one paschal oblation:

 

 

"What then? Do not we offer every day? We offer indeed, but making a remembrance of His death, and this sacrifice is one and not many. 

 

How is it one, and not many? Inasmuch as that sacrifice was once for all offered, and carried into the Holy of Holies. 

 

This rite is a figure of that sacrifice and this sacrifice of that. For we always offer the same Person, not one sheep now and tomorrow another, but ever the same: so that the sacrifice is one.

 

Since by this reasoning, inasmuch as the offering is made in many places, are there many Christs? God forbid; but Christ is one every where, being complete here and complete there also, one Body. 

 

Just then as while offered in many places, He is one Body and not many bodies; so also is there one sacrifice. He is our High Priest, who offered the sacrifice that cleanses us. That sacrifice we offer now also, which was then offered, which cannot be exhausted. This is done in remembrance [anamnesis] of what was then done. For, He said, 'Do this in remembrance of Me.' It is not another sacrifice that we offer, as the High Priest of old did, but always the same, or rather we perform a remembrance [anamnesis] of a sacrifice."