The Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist…..5 Jesus Christ, being both the Priest and the Victim, did what no High Priest could have ever done before. Once a year the High Priest used to enter into the ‘Holy of Holies’, with the blood of the sacrificed animal…not the Priest’s blood…. (Hebrews 9:25), and used to stay there for a very short period, as he felt unworthy to linger more. But, our High Priest, Jesus Christ, entered the Holy of Holies, that is Heaven, once and for all, to offer Himself as a Sacrifice for us all……and we, enter with Him in Heaven, every time we participate fully in the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, the Mass. But what does all this mean to us, today ? How should we celebrate Easter? The sacrifice of the Old Testament makes sense only as a preparation for the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our High Priest. This Sacrifice which we offer together with Jesus, is the Holy Mass. That is why we should participate to the full during Mass. Mass in Maltese is a wonderful word, it is called ‘Quddiesa’ coming from the verb ‘qaddes’ which means ‘to make holy’, so the Mass is a sacrifice which helps one to become ‘holy’. The English word ‘Mass’ (and the Italian word ‘Messa’) are derived from the verb ‘mettere’ meaning ‘to send’ because at a point, those who were present for the Sacrifice, but were not baptized as yet..the cathecumens…had to leave, (mettere send). So whoever participates in the Sacrifice of the Mass would be doing the following: (1) one would be admitting, declaring one’s sins, (2) one would be asking pardon for the sins committed before approaching the altar of Sacrifice to renew the Pact, Covenant, (3) one would be giving homage to God, (4) one would be praising God for His goodness. (4) one would be thanking God (Eucharist means thanksgiving) for all He has provided, for everything comes from Him. The celebration of the Mass consists of (1) the Opening Rite, (2) the Liturgy of the Word, (3) the Communion Rite, (4) the Closing Rite. There exists a continuity from the early centuries of Christianity to this day, in the structure of the Holy Mass. The first Christian communities used to meet in their own house to celebrate the Eucharist, in fact these houses were known as ‘Domus Ecclesia’, Latin Domus, meaning house, and Ecclesia, meaning gathering. So this tradition has been inherited by us from the days of the Apostles. Its beginning was a glorious beginning as it was on Easter, the Resurrection of the Lord. For that reason Sunday is known as the Day of the Lord, Domenica in Italian. St.Paul, rightly considers all those who believe, as ‘a living body’, wherein every member has and can contribute.So we form the ‘Mystical Body’ of Christ, we are the ‘Church’, and in the Sacrifice of the Eucharist we celebrate the Holy Mysteries. …./6 The Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist…..5 Jesus Christ, being both the Priest and the Victim, did what no High Priest could have ever done before. Once a year the High Priest used to enter into the ‘Holy of Holies’, with the blood of the sacrificed animal…not the Priest’s blood…. (Hebrews 9:25), and used to stay there for a very short period, as he felt unworthy to linger more. But, our High Priest, Jesus Christ, entered the Holy of Holies, that is Heaven, once and for all, to offer Himself as a Sacrifice for us all……and we, enter with Him in Heaven, every time we participate fully in the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, the Mass. But what does all this mean to us, today ? How should we celebrate Easter? The sacrifice of the Old Testament makes sense only as a preparation for the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our High Priest. This Sacrifice which we offer together with Jesus, is the Holy Mass. That is why we should participate to the full during Mass. Mass in Maltese is a wonderful word, it is called ‘Quddiesa’ coming from the verb ‘qaddes’ which means ‘to make holy’, so the Mass is a sacrifice which helps one to become ‘holy’. The English word ‘Mass’ (and the Italian word ‘Messa’) are derived from the verb ‘mettere’ meaning ‘to send’ because at a point, those who were present for the Sacrifice, but were not baptized as yet..the cathecumens…had to leave, (mettere send). So whoever participates in the Sacrifice of the Mass would be doing the following: (1) one would be admitting, declaring one’s sins, (2) one would be asking pardon for the sins committed before approaching the altar of Sacrifice to renew the Pact, Covenant, (3) one would be giving homage to God, (4) one would be praising God for His goodness. (4) one would be thanking God (Eucharist means thanksgiving) for all He has provided, for everything comes from Him. The Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist…..5

 Jesus Christ, being both the Priest and the Victim, did what no High Priest could have ever done before. Once a year the High Priest used to enter into the ‘Holy of Holies’, with the blood of the sacrificed animal…not the Priest’s blood…. (Hebrews 9:25), and used to stay there for a very short period, as he felt unworthy to linger more.  But, our High Priest, Jesus Christ, entered the Holy of Holies, that is Heaven, once and for all, to offer Himself as a Sacrifice for us all……and we, enter with Him in Heaven, every time we participate fully in the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, the Mass. 

But what does all this mean to us, today ? How should we celebrate Easter? The sacrifice of the Old Testament makes sense only as a preparation for the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our High Priest. This Sacrifice which we offer together with Jesus, is the Holy Mass. That is why we should participate to the full during Mass.  Mass in Maltese is a wonderful word, it is called ‘Quddiesa’ coming from the verb ‘qaddes’ which means ‘to make holy’, so the Mass is a sacrifice which helps one to become ‘holy’. The English word ‘Mass’ (and the Italian word ‘Messa’) are derived from the verb ‘mettere’ meaning ‘to send’ because at a point, those who were present for the Sacrifice, but were not baptized as yet..the cathecumens…had to leave, (mettere send).                                                                                                        

So whoever participates in the Sacrifice of the Mass would be doing the following: (1) one would be admitting, declaring one’s sins, (2) one would be asking pardon for the sins committed before approaching the altar of Sacrifice to renew the Pact, Covenant, (3) one would be giving homage to God, (4) one would be praising God for His goodness. (4) one would be thanking God (Eucharist means thanksgiving) for all He has provided, for everything comes from Him.                                                                                                                                   

The celebration of the Mass consists of (1) the Opening Rite, (2) the Liturgy of the Word,  (3) the Communion Rite, (4) the Closing Rite. There exists a continuity from the early centuries of Christianity to this day, in the structure of the Holy Mass.  The first Christian communities used to meet in their own house to celebrate the Eucharist, in fact these houses were known as ‘Domus Ecclesia’, Latin Domus, meaning house, and Ecclesia, meaning gathering. So this tradition has been inherited by us from the days of the Apostles. Its beginning was a glorious beginning as it was on Easter, the Resurrection of the Lord. For that reason Sunday is known as the Day of the Lord, Domenica in Italian.    St.Paul, rightly considers all those who believe, as ‘a living body’, wherein every member has and can contribute.So we form the ‘Mystical Body’ of Christ, we are the ‘Church’, and in the Sacrifice of the Eucharist we celebrate the Holy Mysteries. …./6