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To: NYer
God stated three times that the Passover sacrifice would be “an ordinance for ever,” not for a temporary period, such as until the Messiah came. This sacrifice, and other Old Covenant sacrifices, find their culmination in Christ—’s sacrifice on Calvary (Ex. 12:14, 17, 24; cf. Lk. 22:7-20). Christ’s sacrifice at the Last Supper was a sacrifice of His Body and Blood, soul and divinity (cf. Catechism, nos. 1362-67, 1373-77). Much as the sacrifice offered at the Last Supper fulfilled the Old Covenant sacrifices, the priesthood of Christ—the priesthood of Melchizedek—replaced the Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament. This New Testament priesthood, handed on to the apostles and their successors, allows Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary to fulfill the perpetual ordinance of a sacrifice through the celebration of the Mass (cf. Heb. 6:19-7:28).

Nope, I wasn't wondering.

Exodus 12:14 calls the feast of Passover a "memorial", and to make this memorial an ordinance - a part of the Jewish Law. What exactly does that have to do with the Mass and it supposedly having literal sacrificial power?

The Jewish people who celebrated the Passover Feast did not hold the feast itself up to be sacrificial, but a remembrance of the Grace of God who "passed over" those homes marked with sacrificial blood, and also in remembrance of God's further deliverance from Egypt.

This is exactly the same context and picture that Christ painted at the Last Supper - when he instructed the Disciples to "take, eat", this is My Body.... Do this in REMEMBRANCE of me. Christ did not say to make it into a continual sacrifice, but to do it "whenever you come together" as a remembrance.

The Lord's Supper (Communion, Eucharist, etc.) is an ordinance (command/rule) that we do, just as the picture of the Passover Feast to the Jews, to remind us of what Christ has done as the PERFECT Passover lamb.

Hebrews 10:7-18 gives a clear picture of the REAL sacrifice - that was given one time for the remission of sin. Not a continual offering by priests:

7Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Read those verses slowly and carefully. Don't take ANY out of context or try to trim away the parts that are inconvenient.

The writer was clearly reaffirming that God was not pleased by the old sacrificial system. Instead, He made ONE sacrifice - through His Son - for all sin. And look at v. 14 - FOR BY ONE OFFERING He hath perfect for ever them that are sanctified.

This was all accomplished by the perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ - which we remember by celebrating the Lord's Supper.

9 posted on 01/31/2009 5:20:57 PM PST by TheBattman (Pray for our country....)
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To: TheBattman

Amen & Amen !
I also think upon our Lord’s presence in: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)

And in: “....I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5b)

Also: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8)


11 posted on 01/31/2009 6:52:33 PM PST by LetMarch (If a man knows the right way to live, and does not live it, there is no greater coward. (Anonyous)
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To: TheBattman
"FOR BY ONE OFFERING"

We Catholics and Orthodox enter in to that one offering made present, every time we assist at Mass.

16 posted on 01/31/2009 10:19:23 PM PST by GonzoII ("That they may be one...Father")
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To: TheBattman
This is exactly the same context and picture that Christ painted at the Last Supper - when he instructed the Disciples to "take, eat", this is My Body.... Do this in REMEMBRANCE of me. Christ did not say to make it into a continual sacrifice, but to do it "whenever you come together" as a remembrance.

I notice that you bolded the word 'remembrance'; why not the words DO THIS? In 1 Cor. 10:16, Paul asks the question, "the cup of blessing and the bread of which we partake, is it not an actual participation in Christ's body and blood?" Is Paul really asking because He, the divinely inspired writer, does not understand? No, of course not. Paul's questions are obviously rhetorical. This IS the actual body and blood. Further, the Greek word "koinonia" describes an actual, not symbolic participation in the body and blood.

Hebrews 10:7-18 gives a clear picture of the REAL sacrifice

Look at 1 Cor. 10:18. In this verse, Paul is saying we are what we eat. We are not partners with a symbol. We are partners of the one actual body. Paul does not explain what he has actually received directly from Christ, except in the case when he teaches about the Eucharist. In 1 Cor. 11:23, Paul emphasizes the importance of the Eucharist by telling us he received directly from Jesus instructions on the Eucharist which is the source and summit of the Christian faith. In the Emmaus road story (Luke 24:26-35), Jesus gives a homily on the Scriptures and then follows it with the celebration of the Eucharist. This is the Holy Mass, and the Church has followed this order of the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist for 2,000 years.

19 posted on 02/01/2009 6:08:51 AM PST by NYer ("Run from places of sin as from a plague." - St. John Climacus)
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