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Chapter 17. The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Christian Life • 221
us from our sins. This Eucharistic sacrifice is the memorial of Christ’s
redeeming death. The term
memorial
in this context is not simply a
remembrance of past events; it is a making present in a sacramental
manner the sacrifice of the Cross of Christ and his victory. “When the
Church celebrates the Eucharist, the memorial of her Lord’s death and
resurrection, this central event of salvation becomes really present and
‘the work of our redemption is carried out’” (EE, no. 11). The Eucharistic
sacrifice is offered to adore and thank God, to pray for all our needs, and
to gain pardon for our sins.
In this divine sacrifice which is made present in the Mass, especially
in the Eucharistic Prayer, the same Christ who offered himself once in a
bloody manner on the altar of the Cross offers himself in an unbloody
manner. Present and effective, Christ’s sacrifice is applied to our lives. “If
the blood of goats . . . can sanctify those who are defiled . . . how much
more will the blood of Christ . . . cleanse our consciences from dead
works to worship the living God” (Heb 9:14).
The Mass is also the sacrifice of the Church. The ordained priest in
the Mass links the Eucharistic consecration to the sacrifice of the Cross
and to the Last Supper (cf. EE, no. 29), thus making it possible that
the sacrifice of Christ becomes the sacrifice of all the members of the
Church. “The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and
work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and
so acquire a new value” (CCC, no. 1368). This also reminds us of the
importance of sacrifice in each individual’s life. In a self-centered cul-
ture where people are taught to extend themselves only for something
in return, the sacrifices each of us make, following the example of Jesus,
who freely sacrificed his life in love for all, point to the reality and power
of God’s love for us.
The offering of Christ unites the members here on earth and those
in heaven. The Pope, as chief shepherd of the People of God, is named
at every Mass for the sake of the unity of the whole Church. The bishop
of a diocese is named because he is the shepherd of the local Church and
the instrument of its unity. The text of the Eucharistic Prayer also recalls
the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints as they join
us in this act of worship. Drawing from the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice,