The Victory of Christ Made Present
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I have always loved the opening interviews to the movie The Incredibles…
Mr. Incredible, the superhero complains: “No matter how many times you save the world it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved, you know! I feel like the maid, “I just cleaned up this mess, could you keep it clean for ten minutes.”
I am sure that is how Jesus feels about us. He saved us by His death and Resurrection and we just keep messing it up again. The fact is, we are constantly in need of being saved because we are constantly messing up our souls. It’s like the law of physics called entropy, that everything gradually declines into disorder, everything always tends to fall apart. It applies to the soul as well. I am constantly in need of being saved because I am constantly wrecking my soul.
Well, that is exactly why Jesus gives us the Mass and the Sacraments – but for a reason that might surprise you. In the Mass and each Sacrament, Jesus makes the saving events from His life present, so that what took place in Him can take place in us. In the Mass and each sacrament Jesus makes his victory over Satan, sin and death present, so that His victory may continue in us.
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In the Mass and each Sacrament Jesus signifies and makes present His suffering, death and Resurrection.
The Catechism (1085) says: When his hour (to suffer, die and Rise) comes Jesus lives out the unique event of history which does not pass away: Jesus dies, is buried, rises from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of the Father “once for all. It is a real event that occurred in our history, but it is unique: all other historical events happen once, and then they pass away, swallowed up in the past. The suffering, death and Resurrection of Christ, by contrast, cannot remain only in the past because…all that he did and suffered for all men - participates in the divine eternity…while being made present in them all. The event of the Cross and Resurrection abides and draws everything toward life.
Jesus is an eternal Person. Eternal means “Present.” For God, there is no past or future, only the present moment. Since Jesus is God, every event from His life remains PRESENT.
This is really important because we tend to wreck ourselves in little and big ways every day.
But Jesus makes His suffering, death and Resurrection, His Victory over Satan, sin and death present in the Mass and each of the Sacraments.
Each time we go to Mass or Confession – Jesus extends His victory in us, healing and strengthening us again.
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If you want to understand the Mass and the Sacraments, you need to understand two words. Anamnesis and Epiclesis.
Anamnesis is the opposite of amnesia. Anamnesis means to recall or remember. When the Gospel is read at Mass and each sacrament it’s not just a story of something that took place in the past. No, no its so much more, when the Gospel is read in the Mass and each sacrament, the Holy Spirit recalls an event from the life of Jesus.
But not only are the events recalled, they are made present so that what took place in Jesus can take place in us. (1103, 1104 see also 1363).
How does the Liturgy do this? Through the prayer called the Epiclesis signified
· When the priest prays with his hands palms side down over the bread and wine in the Mass
· Then the bell is rung to wake us up to the fact that the Holy Spirit is making the event of Calvary Present; the suffering, death and resurrection, the Victory of Christ, is being made present right at that moment – right there – right then.
That is why 1370 can say: In the Eucharist the Church is as it were at the foot of the Cross with Mary United to the offering and intercession of Christ. And (CCC 1367) In fact, the sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice.
The Mass and the Sacraments are the only place in the world the saving event of Calvary is made present, so that we may stand in the Fountain of Grace and Mercy that poured forth from the Savior’s Heart and drink in His divine life in the Eucharist!
That is why I am a Catholic
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There is an Epiclesis in every sacrament, a moment when the priest prays with his hands palms side down, asking the Holy Spirit to make the saving events of Jesus present.
· In Reconciliation, as the priest is giving you absolution, he raises his hand over your head and prays and epiclesis…
God the Father of Mercies
Through the Death and Resurrection of his Son
Has reconciled the world to himself…
And I absolve you from your sins…
· The Victory of Christ, His Death and Resurrection are made Present to cleanse you of sin right then and there.
· Now, we should examine our conscience each day and ask forgiveness with an act of contrition;
· But there is something vastly more powerful - the saving death and resurrection of Jesus, in which his blood is poured out for the forgiveness is sins, that is actually made present in the Sacrament of Confession to apply the Salvation of Jesus once again to you.
· The Cross of Jesus takes away sins – the Cross of Jesus is made present in Confession to take away your sins – that is why I feel literally lighter after confession.
· Because the whole weight of guilt is lifted and destroyed by Jesus.
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You know, it’s funny, those who never examine their lives closely think they are good (I’m good)…that their sins are small and insignificant – they almost forget they are in constant need of saving. But those who look at their lives in reality and with humility begin to see more and more just how often and how much we sin…we gossip, we fall through our pride, ego, envy, lust, impatience…and we see more clearly the evil ripple our sins cast in the world. But Don’t despair – God is allowing us to see just how impossible it is for us to save ourselves and just how much we need a Savior. And even more importantly – we can meet our Savior whose saving work is constantly made present in the Mass and Sacraments so that we may be healed and redeemed.
Go to Him there! And go often