THE MASS

MORE THAN the SACRIFICE of the CROSS

By fr Julio Penacoba

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TWO INSPIRATIONS

THE MASS MORE THAN SACRIFICE

This material reviews first the Mass as sacrifice,

and then as meeting the Risen Lord,

and then as Christ sharing his victory of his Paschal Mystery,

and then as making present the New and Eternal Covenant

and then as offering us to live in Communio of Love with God and one another.

It presents in each of those parts a review of the notion and then practical suggestions to live our Mass more and more meaningfully and lovingly.

The MASS as the SACRIFICE of the CROSS

It makes present Jesus eternally offering himself the Father as he did at the end of his life, on the cross. That was a life spent in loving obedience to the Father and in amazing mercy and for us. It made up for sin of mankind.

In the Mass, we can join his sacrifice --meaning the offering of his whole life-- by offering our whole life. We offer our day to day life --with his joys and sorrows-- trying to love God with all our heart and other people as Jesus loves us.

THE MASS AS SACRIFICE.docx

The MASS as MEETING the RISEN LORD

Jesus cannot suffer nor die anymore. In the Mass he comes as he came to meet those two disciples from Emmaus --not recognizable but really him, as the Risen Lord.

We begin the Mass telling him what affect us --our needs and sins;

then he talks to us in the Readings,

then we offer him what we do symbolized in the bread and wine;

then he takes up our offering and makes it his own during the Consecration;

and finally he unites us with the Father and all God's Family, the Church.

RELATING with the RISEN LORD during THE MASS.docx

NEW DEEP NOTIONS ON SALVATION

The Vatican II Council introduced in its teachings some deep notions about Salvation. To go deeper in how we live the Mass we need to understand them as expanding the classical notions.

CLASSICAL NOTIONS

In the mind of many of us, from the previous millennium, we had the following simplified and not accurate notions. Redemption and Salvation were used as equivalent. Both meaning that we are saved from sin and damnation by Jesus offering his sacrifice on the Cross as a sort of penalty on our behalf. Once freed from sin we can go to Heaven.

POST VATICAN II DEEP NOTIONS on SALVATION

SALVATION = REDEMPTION from sin AND sharing the DIVINE LIFE of the RISEN LORD.

REDEMPTION. Jesus made up for the disobedience of SIN by spending his WHOLE LIFE in LOVING OBEDIENCE.. And that is what he offered to the Father as redemptive sacrifice.

SHARING in DIVINE LIFE. Salvation was not completed on the Cross but in the Resurrection --1 cor 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

PASCHAL MYSTERY. Paschal means Passing. Jesus passed from this life by his death and then he passed over to his divine Life when the Father raised him. This was the Passover of Jesus. That was the turning point of all his journey to save us that we call Christ's Paschal mystery. The Son of God came down first to be one of us and live with us till death; then he went back to the Father as our new Adam. This complete journey of Salvation is what saved us from sin suffering and death... and more...

COVENANT. The Paschal mystery was actually the making of the ultimate Covenant or mutual act of total self-giving Love. First, on the cross Jesus, as our new Adam, offered his loving life to the Father. Then, the Father raised him and gave his divine life to share it with all of us.

COMMUNIO. We use this word in Latin (from con-munere = mutual giving) because it has special meaning for us. It is the mutual self-giving of those who share in the Eternal Covenant.

THE CORE OF SALVATION.docx

The MASS and CHRIST' PASCHAL MYSTERY.

The Paschal mystery of Christ --centered in Jesus Passover-- is the turning point of History of mankind. Jesus passed from this mortal life marked by sin and suffering over to eternal and infinitely joyful life in God.

In the Mass he shares with us this total victory over all the evil of the world. In chapter four, we just offer suggestions to live the Mass with that meaning. It can renew our hope, optimism and to drive to do more good around us.

THE MASS and the PASCHAL MYSTERY.docx

My Blood of the New and Eternal Covenant

The MASS and the ETERNAL COVENANT

The Passover of Jesus actually was the making of the New and Eternal Covenant between Mankind and God. The Covenant is a mutual act and commitment to love one another totally for ever.

Jesus represented us and offered his whole life to the Father while in the Cross.

The Father loved Jesus by glorifying him in Resurrection.

In the Mass, Jesus makes present the Covenant as he did in the Last Supper --by sharing his Blood which is actually the symbol of his life. We can experience the Father's Love for us and feel the drive of Christ to love the Father with all our heart and all his Family, the Church and all mankind.

THE MASS MAKES PRESENT THE ETERNAL COVENANT.docx

The MASS and COMMUNIO

Sacrificed, Risen, in Passover, making the Covenant... God has one ultimate goal --that we all live in Communio (from Con-munere = mutual self-giving )

In the Mass, after the consecration, we pray in faith that the Holy Spirit may make us one body, one spirit in Christ. And so we grow in our unity with Son of God, that is as the sons and daughters of God --the Family of God the Father.

COMMUNIO THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE AND FRUIT OF THE MASS.docx