Friday, October 14, 2011

My Sacrifice and Yours

For too long now many Catholics have assumed that it is the priest that is performing the actions of the Mass solely by himself and mutually exclusive of the laity. While others have assumed that the laity is the one acting while the priest is just "there." Both of these are wrong, and the Church's liturgical theology makes this quite apparent.

After the Offertory Prayers ("Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have this . . . .") the prayer of the priest to the people is "Pray, my brothers and sisters, that this our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the almighty Father." In the Third Edition of the Roman Missal in English, which is being put into effect the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011, the priest will now say, "Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the almighty Father." What is "my sacrifice and yours"?

In the Mass, the people AND the priest offer sacrifice back to God in heaven. Although this have been overlooked in the past 50 years of the Church, this theology is coming back into the Church's liturgy. But you may be asking, "How can the laity offer a sacrifice to God? We are not priests." Yes and no. The laity are priests by virtue of their baptisms. In 1 Peter 2:9, Saint Peter writes, "But you are 'a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises' of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."  This idea that the people of God are a chosen priesthood is repeated through the Bible (Cf: Ex 19:6Is 61:6Rev 1:620:6).

The laity are priests and therefore can offer a sacrifice of praise back to God the Father in heaven. Jesus, as the High Priest of the New Covenant, left us an example when He did the will of His Father, to redeem of all creation and bring it back in union with God the Father in heaven. The laity offer their daily sacrifices, whether that be of praise, struggles, joys, sorrows, whatever. The laity offer themselves and their prayers, works, joys, and sufferings in union with the priest's sacrifice in the Mass.

While the laity may be priests, they are members of the Priesthood of the Baptized. The Priesthood of the  Baptized still participates in the one priesthood of Jesus Christ. Part of Christ's one priesthood is the ministerial priesthood. The ordained priesthood still has the duty to perform the actual sacrifice of the Mass, but it cannot be done without the help of the Priesthood of the Baptized. If you try to separate the two, you are separating Christ's essence as a priest. Christ came to call all sinners to righteousness, not some and others not.

Next time you attend Mass, listen to the words of the prayers. Many time pronouns such as "we," "us," and "ours" will be used. Reflect on this as you offer back to God the many sacrifices in your life. Offer back to God the Father the sacrifice of yourself.

The words of Psalm 51:


Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offense.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.



My offenses truly I know them;
my sin is always before me
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.



That you may be justified when you give sentence
and be without reproach when you judge,
O see, in guilt I was born,
a sinner was I conceived.



Indeed you love truth in the heart;
then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean;
O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.



Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
that the bones you have crushed may thrill.
From my sins turn away your face
and blot out all my guilt.



A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.



Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervor sustain me,
that I may teach transgressors your ways
and sinners may return to you.



O rescue me, God, my helper,
and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.



For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit,
a humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.



In your goodness, show favor to Zion:
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice,
holocausts offered on your altar.

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