III About the second reason for the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, that is to say, the Sacrifice of the
III
About the second reason for the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, that is to say, the Sacrifice of the Altar
B. The second reason is that there may be the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. As to this, three things have to be considered: (1) the manner of offering; (2) the question about the sacrifices of the law; (3) the excellence of our Sacrifice.
We will consider the first two points in this Meditation, and the third point in the next.
(1) First there is the form of offering, and that is threefold. It is seen: I, in the typical nature of the ancient sacrifices; 2, in the truth of the human form; 3, in the species of bread and wine. The first is of the synagogue, given under the law; the second is of the love of God, offered on the Cross; the third is of the faithful soul, consecrated on the Table of the Church. The first is given for a sign; the second for redemption; the third for comfort.
1. Jesus was offered under the law, not in person, but in figure. So the lamb without blemish which they slew at the Pasch and whose flesh they ate was, as St. Gregory says, a figure of Christ.
2. Jesus, in His manhood, died on the Cross. We are sanctified by the offering of that Body of Jesus Christ, once offered for sin.
3. As Melchisedech offered bread and wine, so Jesus gives His Body and Blood in the Sacrifice of the Altar, under the species of bread and wine.
(2) Next there is the question about the sacrifices of the law, in which three points are to be considered: 1, the difficulty about the insufficiency of these sacrifices; 2, the solution of the difficulty; 3, the reason for those sacrifices is given.
1. Sometimes those sacrifices are spoken of as not being pleasing or acceptable to God, and therefore as not taking away sin. On the other hand they are also spoken of as pleasing God and blotting out sin. This is seen by the texts corresponding to this part.
2. The difficulty may be solved as follows: In a sacrifice there are always three things: the sacrifice itself, the person of the offerer, and the forgiveness of sin. As to each of these things two points have to be considered. Thus as to the sacrifice, there were the flesh and blood of the animal that was offered, and much more the spiritual gift or blessing which was signified by it. So Christ was signified by the lamb or the calf; penance by the she-goat; a life, strong and active, by the ox; a life, lifted up on high and contemplative, by the bird. Next as to the offerers, some are worthy, some are unworthy. The unworthy ones were those who only thought of these sacrifices in a carnal way. The worthy ones were those who looked at them spiritually. They saw Christ in them, either explicitly or implicitly; and they believed in Him. By this spiritual knowledge they guided their lives. Lastly, there was the forgiveness of sin; and this must be thought of as to two effects—that is, with regard to punishment because of the transgression of the law; and with regard to guilt, that is, the stain on the conscience.
If you think of these things, you easily reconcile those passages in the Sacred Scriptures where apparently contradictory words are used in speaking of the ancient sacrifices. For in truth those sacrifices in themselves—that is, ex opere operato—could not please God, nor for them did He put away guilt, so far as regards the guilt, that is the stain on the soul; but in the sight of men sins were reputed to be forgiven, that is with reference to the penalties of the law. But the sacrifices of the just pleased God, not indeed in themselves, but because the offerers had faith in the Saviour. They saw Him in them and believed that He would come, and they trusted to Him for the redemption of the world. So their sins were forgiven, not only as to punishment, but as to guilt. Thus the sacrifice of Abel was more acceptable to God and more availing than that of Cain. For Cain, like others who are unworthy, saw only the sacrifice; but, in the lamb which he offered to God, Abel saw a better victim—that is, the Saviour—and believed in Him. God therefore had regard to Abel and his offering.
3. The reason has to be given for the institution of the sacrifices of the law. For since they were instituted by God, who does nothing without a reason, and yet were changed, we naturally ask why they were instituted. As to this we may say briefly, that though in themselves they had no power to take away guilt, yet in many ways they were useful for the teaching of wisdom. They were given to servants, for a while, as signs of better things, and, as it were, to children, as letters of books, by whose properties and measures they might advance in the discipline of the true faith till these elements should cease in true knowledge; till signs and shadows should pass away in the unveiled truth.
N. The moral precepts of the law had always to be kept. These had to be set in their hearts. Some precepts were given for a time, and so had to be taken away. These were said to be hung up as a sign on their hands. Some sacrifices were said to be written on the posts and doors of their houses, as if they were letters for children. By these, however, many good things were to be learnt, and chiefly: a, faith in the Redeemer; b, a moral law; c, hope of a heavenly reward. The first they learnt from the sacrifice of sheep; the next from the sacrifice of bulls, calves, and rams; and the last from the sacrifice of the animals that were burnt outside the gate.
a. When a sheep was offered they learnt three things about the true faith; 1, the innocence of the Saviour; 2, His meekness; 3, the redemption of man by His death.
b. When horned animals were offered as a holocaust—that is, when they were reduced to ashes by the burning of fire—the worshippers could learn three things about the moral law: 1, that they should resist the devil and all their vices; 2, that they should have a great love of God and their neighbour; 3, that in all things they should be humble both in mind and body.
c. When the animals were burnt outside the gate, and their blood was brought by the priest into the holy place, as the blood signifies the souls of the just, they could learn three things about their hope of Heaven: 1, the penance of the living; 2, the office of the Redeemer; 3, the suffrage of gifts.
R. 1. As the bodies were burnt without the camp, the faithful should do penance and keep themselves free from the delights and pleasures of the world. To do penance here and to bear sufferings well here help us much in the hope of reaching Heaven at last.
2. As the blood was carried by the High Priest into the Holy of Holies, so the souls of the just after this life, by the kindness of our Lord, are taken to Heaven. So the lilies which the Spouse gathers in His garden are the souls that love Him.
3. This blood, carried by the Priest into the Holy of Holies, availed for the remission of the sins of the living; that is to say, the souls of the Blessed with God pray for the forgiveness of our sins, who are yet exiles and pilgrims in the world. The Saints offer their prayers for us to our Lord, and He offers them to His Father, that we may be forgiven and brought safely to our home.
The Voice of the Holy Ghost
(1) About the form in three ways; 1. The ancient oblations were types; If all the multitude of Israel shall be ignorant, and through ignorance shall do that which is against the commandment of the Lord, and afterwards shall understand their sin, they shall offer for their sin a calf, and shall bring it to the door of the tabernacle. Lev. 4:13, 14.
2. The truth of the human form; He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearers. Is. 53:7.
He was offered because it was His own will. Is. 53:7.
Who needeth not daily, as the other priests, to offer sacrifices first for his own sin, and then for the people’s; for this He did once in offering Himself. Heb. 7:27.
3. The species of bread and wine; The Lord hath sworn, and He will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech. Ps. 109:4.
Whilst they were at supper Jesus took bread, and blessed and broke, and gave to His disciples, and said, Take ye, and eat; this is My Body. And taking the chalice He gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of this. For this is My Blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many for the remission of sins. St. Matt. 26:26, 27.
(2) The sacrifices of the law; 1. and 2. The difficulty about them; Your holocausts are not acceptable, nor are your sacrifices pleasing to Me. Jer. 6:20.
If any one of the people of the land shall sin through ignorance, doing any of those things that by the law of the Lord are forbidden, and offending, and shall come to know his sin, he shall offer a she-goat without blemish; … and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a sweet savour to the Lord, and he shall pray for him, and it shall be forgiven him. Lev. 4:27–31.
It is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sins should be taken away. Heb. 10:4.
Almost all things according to the law are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission. Heb. 9:22.
If the blood of goats and of oxen, and the ashes of a heifer being sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled to the cleansing of the flesh, how much more shall the Blood of Christ, who by the Holy Ghost offered Himself unspotted to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God! Heb. 9:13, 14.
But that in the law no man is justified with God is manifest, because the just man liveth by faith. Gal. 3:11.
By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice exceeding that of Cain, by which he obtained a testimony that he was just, God giving testimony to his gifts, and by it he being dead yet speaketh. Heb. 11:4.
The Lord had respect to Abel and his offerings. Gen. 4:4.
3. The reason for their institution; Lay up these My words in your hearts and minds, and hang them for a sign on your hands, and place them between your eyes; … thou shalt write them upon the posts and doors of thy house. Deut. 11:18–20.
The law was our pedagogue in Christ. Gal. 3:24.
N. Three chief goods; a. Faith in the Redeemer; This is what thou shalt sacrifice on the altar: two lambs of a year old continually; one lamb in the morning and another in the evening. Ex. 29:38, 39.
He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearers. Is. 53:7.
b. Moral teaching; Thou shalt offer the whole ram for a burnt-offering upon the altar; it is an oblation to the Lord, a most sweet savour of the victim of the Lord. Ex. 29:18.
Thus saith the Lord God, In the first month, the first of the month, thou shalt take a calf of the herd without blemish, and thou shalt cleanse the sanctuary. Ezech. 45:18.
Take of the herd a calf for sin, and a ram for a holocaust, both without blemish, and offer them before the Lord; … also a bullock and a ram for peace-offerings. Lev. 9:2–4.
In a contrite heart and humble spirit let us be accepted, as in holocausts of rams and bullocks. Dan. 3:39, 40.
c. Hope of Heaven; The bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the holies by the High Priest for sin are burned without the camp. Heb. 13:11.
R. Three things to be learned from this; 1. To do penance; If we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ. Rom. 6:8.
I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that shall be revealed in us. Rom. 8:18.
2. The office of our Saviour; I will come again, and will take you to Myself, that where I am you also may be. St. John 14:3.
Whither is thy Beloved gone, O thou most beautiful of women? Whither is thy Beloved turned aside, and we will seek Him with thee? My Beloved is gone down into His garden, to the bed of aromatical spices, to feed in the gardens and to gather lilies. Cantic. 5:17; 6:1.
3. The suffrage of gifts; It shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord; I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth. Osee 2:21.
The smoke of the incense of the prayers of the Saints ascended before God from the hand of the Angel. Apoc. 8:4.
Prayer
O Holy Ghost, brighten my faith in Jesus, my Redeemer and Lord, the Son of the most high God. Help me to be more faithful in using all the grace that Thou givest. Strengthen my hope of eternal life and my confidence in God. By Thee I can do acceptable penance; by Thee I can love Jesus; in Thee I offer my prayers. My Beloved is here with me in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Jesus, my Love, is waiting for me. He dwelleth in His garden among the lilies. I long to receive Him worthily, but my spirit is weak and my heart is cold. Still, in my weakness and darkness, I hunger for this living bread and this water of life. O Spirit of God, purify my soul more and more, that it may be a more fitting dwelling for Jesus.