"a living sacrifice" (rm 12:1)
"This is My body, which is for you." —1 Corinthians 11:24
The Mass makes present the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Therefore, to enter into the spirit of the Mass, we must "proclaim the death of the Lord" (1 Cor 11:26) and offer our bodies to the Lord as living sacrifices (Rm 12:1). Because the spirit of the Mass is the spirit of sacrifice, it is important to fast before Mass, deny ourselves, and take up our crosses each day (Lk 9:23) with the intention of uniting ourselves to Jesus crucified (Gal 2:19) and sacrificed (Heb 9:26). Through our "good deeds and generosity" (Heb 13:16), we make sacrifices pleasing to the Lord. We can unite these sacrifices with Jesus' sacrifice on Calvary and fill up in our own bodies what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ (Col 1:24).
The Mass is not the proclamation and perpetuation of our sacrifices but of His sacrifice. However, the Mass is the participation of our sacrifices in His. Live the Mass. Live a life of sacrifice. Through Jesus, "let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise" (Heb 13:15).
Prayer: Father, do a miracle of multiplication in today's Mass (see Lk 9:16ff).
Promise: "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me." —1 Cor 11:25
Praise: "O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine."
Reference: (For related teaching, order our book, This Is My Body.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, November 29, 1997
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 2, 1997