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Page Faithful
to the Magisterium Ubi
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to Marty
Why Catholic? Because True.
Catholic Definitions Abbess Abbey Abbot Accident Absolute Actual Grace Adoration Amen Angel Anointing Apologetics Apostasy Apostolic Apostolic Constitution Apostolic Exhortation Apostolic Letter Art Assent Authority Avarice Baptism Benign Bible Bishop Brotherly Love Bull Calumny Canon Law Capital Sins Capital Virtues Cardinal Virtues Catechesis Catholic Charity Chastity Chrism Christ’s Commands Church Cloister Codex Communio Compassion Completion Story Concupiscence Confession Confirmation Consecration Conscience Conservatism Continence Convent Corporal Works of Mercy Counsel Custody of the Senses Deacon Deaconess Death Detraction Dicastery Diligence Divine Office Doctrine Dogma Double Effect Dulia Economy of Salvation Ecumenical Ecumenical Council Encyclical Epistle Encyclica Letter Envy Eternity Eucharist Evangelization Ex Cathedra Ex Opere Operantis Ex Opere Operato Faith Fear Fideism Form Fortitude Four Last Things Friar Friday Abstinence Fruits of the Holy Spirit Gifts of the Holy Spirit Gluttony Good Grace Heaven Hell Holy Heresy Holy Eucharist Holy Orders Hope Humility Hyperdulia Hypostatic Union Immortal Impassible Indulgence Infallible Intellectual Virtues Intrinsic Joy Judgment Justice Justification Knowledge Latria Letter Liberality Limbo Liturgy Longanimity Lust Magisterium Man Marriage Matrimony Matter Meek Mercy Message Mild Miracle Modernism Modesty Monastery Monk Mortal Sin Motu Proprio Nun Obedience One Orders Original Sin Pallium Parable Pasch Patience Pauline Privilege Peace Penance Piety Pope Prayer Precept Preternatural Pride Priest Prophet Prudence Purgatory Purity Rationalism Religious Reparation Revelation Rule Sacrament Sacramental Presence Sacred Tradition Sacrifice Saint Sanctifying Grace Science Scrupulosity Sin Sister Sloth Soul Spirit Spiritual Direction Spiritual Works of Mercy Substance Supernatural Synoptic Telepathy Temperance Theological Virtues Theology Transubstantiation Trinity Triumphalist Truly, truly Ultramontane Understanding Vatican II Vademecum Vanity Veneration Venial Sin Victim Virtues Wisdom Words of Institution Worship Wrath
The highest form of adoration. A priest authorized by God’s law in the name of the people offers a victim in acknowledgment of God’s supreme dominion and of our total dependence on God.
The victim is immolated, or destroyed, and thereby at least partially removed from human use. The victim is freely offered to God, which makes it an oblation or gift. Both together constitute the sacrifice, the victim freely surrendered by man as a gift to God.
In the Torah, sacrifice honored God by offering him creatures precious to man. Torah required two kinds of sacrifices: bloody and unbloody.
Among the bloody sacrifices, the holocaust, or whole-burnt offering, was the most perfect sacrifice. The animal was completely consumed by fire. This was the “perpetual sacrifice” because it was offered twice each day, in the morning and evening. The sin offering was to expiate misdeeds committed through ignorance or inadvertence. The kind of victim depended mainly on the dignity of the person offended. The guilt offering was for sins demanding restitution. The peace offering was in gratitude, in fulfillment of a vow, or simply voluntary. The unbloody sacrifices, offerings of solid or liquid food, accompanied every holocaust and peace offering, but never sin or guilt offerings (except at the cleansing of a leper).
Jesus allowed the Mosaic sacrifice. However, He told His followers that the Temple, and its sacrifices, would soon end. Mk 13:2, Jn 4:20-23 At the Last Supper, instituting the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist, He declared, Lk 22:19 “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. ... This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
St. Paul constantly identifies Christ as the Sacrificial Victim. 1 Cor 5:7 “For Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed.” Eph 5:2 “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.” The theme of Christ’s sacrifice is further confirmed in the Catholic Epistles. 1 Pet 1:19 “...but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” 1 Jn 2:2 “...and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” The whole Letter to the Hebrews is about Christ the High Priest, who Heb 10:12 “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins...” He is the eternal priest who even now intercedes with His heavenly Father for a sinful humanity.
Copyright © 1999-2010 Martin K Barrack. All rights reserved.