Calvary on the Altar

Thanks be to God! We hear it every Sunday at Mass. The priest says, “The Mass is ended; go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” The congregation responds: “Thanks be to God!”

A member of our parish's youth group once told me she thought Mass was boring. Consequently she offered her “thanks be to God” in appreciation for Mass finally being over, not because she was actually grateful for the real presence of Christ she had just received.

My guess is that many Catholics, at least at one point, have felt the same way. Without a deeper sense of the history of the Mass and what is actually occurring on the altar, Mass probably will be boring. So, what is Mass about?

The first Mass can be traced back to the Last Supper. Celebrated within the context of a Passover meal, it marked the transition from the Old Covenant to the New. Jesus commissioned the Apostles, saying “Do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19). The Apostles faithfully carried out these words. We can see the fruit of their work as early as early as 150 A.D., in St. Justin Martyr's First Apology: “On the day named after the sun (Sunday worship) all who live in the city or countryside assemble, and the memoirs of the Apostles or the writings of the prophets are read (the Liturgy of the Word). When the lector has finished, the president addresses us, admonishing us and exhorting us to imitate the splendid things we have heard (the homily). When we have finished praying, bread, wine and water are brought up (the offertory). The president offers prayers of thanksgiving (the eucharistic prayer), and the people give their assent by saying “Amen!” (the Great Amen). Next, the gifts over which the thanksgiving has been spoken are distributed and each one shares in them (Communion).”

It's extraordinary! The basic outline of the Mass, as we know it today, had already taken shape by 150 A.D.

One point that is frequently misunderstood is the idea of sacrifice in the Mass. Protestants will often ask the question: If Jesus died “once for all time” for our sins (Hebrews 10:12), why do Catholics “re-sacrifice” him at every Mass? The answer is simple. Jesus is the Sacrifice of the Mass — but he is not “re-sacrificed” at every Mass. When the priest speaks the words of consecration, the one-time eternal sacrifice of Christ on Calvary is made present upon the altar. This is possible because of Christ's words: “Do this in memory of me.”

The Jewish understanding of a memorial was more than just reminiscing. It involved making a past event present. During the Passover meal, the Jews did more than just remember the exodus — they relived it. In Exodus 20 they were commanded to gird their loins and dress themselves with sandals on their feet and, walking stick in hand, to slaughter and eat the paschal lamb, bitter herbs and unleavened bread. In this way every Israelite of every generation was bound in solidarity with their ancestors. Through each subsequent Passover, they all shared in the original Passover, the delivery out of Egypt.

Each time we go to Mass, then, we are doing much more than remembering: We are actually reliving the events of the Last Supper, where Jesus offered up his body and blood before going to Calvary to sacrifice himself for our sins. Mass makes present to us — and to people of every generation — the eternal sacrifice of Christ, with all its power, blessings and graces. Boring? Anything but. Thanks be to God!

Christina Mills writes from Eugene, Oregon.