SACRIFICE IN THE MASS, MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE by David Rodríguez, M.Th. for The Fatima Center Rosary Rally - Kansas City, 9 June 2018 Begin with example of voluntary sacrifice of son by Col Moscardó (Alcazar, 1936) vs the inability of Chiang Kai-Shek to do so. Consider the consequences I. WHAT IS SACRIFICE a. Definition Latin roots: sacer (sacerd) and facere (to make) to make sacred In general, we offer something valuable to / on behalf of another person by denying something to ourselves (interior honor / love expressed by exterior act of honor / love) In divine worship: Sacrifice is the offering of a visible object to God, effected through annihilation (destruction, transformation), by a duly authorized person, in order to acknowledge the absolute majesty and sovereignty of God as well as man s response of total dependence and submission upon God. b. Highest Act of Religion Justice render unto each man his due Religion render unto God His due (this is man s greatest duty!) Acts of religion (1) some acts are religious in and of themselves, others are made so by man s intention; (2) some are exterior, some are interior, some have both dimensions. Sacrifice is the greatest act of religion (highest work). c. Characteristics It is part of natural law that man offer sacrifice to God Should be an internal and external offering by man to God (man has a dual nature). Some sensible object is immolated (physically or mystically) as a gift to God. It should be the best and most symbolic representation of man s life. Four things are needed: victim, priest, altar, immolation (act of sacrifice) The greatness of the sacrifice depends upon: the nobility of recipient, giver, and altar, the value of victim (gift), the intentions of the giver. If a sacrifice is offered to one other than God, this is idolatry (greatest of sins). d. Ends Sacrifice bridges the gap between God and man; creating a relationship of deep and personal union. (Sacrifice was still required in Eden and in Heaven!) Page 1 of 6
It has four ends: adoration, thanksgiving, impetration, reparation e. Sacrifice and Love Love is to will the good for another no matter the cost (sacrifice) to oneself. Without sacrifice, there can be no real love (love tried like gold refined in fire). II. THE MASS IS A SACRIFICE a. Old Testament Genesis: Adam, Cain & Abel, Noah, Abraham & Melchisedech Exodus: passover lamb, blood, unleavened bread Leviticus: animals, bread, first fruits, incense Prophets: God s people do not offer sacrifice correctly (cf. 1 Kgs 13:13, Malachias 1:7-8) b. New Testament Christ s Crucifixion on Calvary The perfect sacrifice of Christ! Freely made External & internal Complete immolation Greatest priest Greatest victim Greatest intentions c. Church Holy Sacrifice of the Mass All aspects of OT sacrifices Special and perfect altar Perpetual and eternal The same one, perfect and eternal sacrifice, only now offered in an unbloody and sacramental (mystical) manner Same priest, same victim, same altar, same immolation Offered for Four Ends All grace in the world is poured out by this sacrifice; at Mass we are able to receive from its benefits, the grace is applied to us (and living and dead) d. Emitte Lucem et Veritatem tuam (God s grace is needed) e. Traditional Rite vs New Order of Mass III. SACRIFICE IN CHRISTIAN ANTHROPOLOGY a. Blessed Trinity Father - Logos, so perfect and real, the Son (gives all He has to Him) Son receives and returns all, Love, so perfect and real, the Holy Ghost Three distinct Persons (community) yet only one God (share the Divine Nature) Page 2 of 6
Divine and Trinitarian Sacrifice, linked to perichoresis (peri around, chorein contain, make room for, go forward) Christ s Sacrifice is eternal: pre-existent, made physical on Calvary, goes on forever here on earth in the Mass, will go on for all eternity in Heaven! b. Man is Imago Dei: Individual / Community c. False Extremes: Individualism vs Communism ( liberty as gauge) d. Sacrifice is the Solution! (voluntary sacrifice, always element of the will) Man always had to offer sacrifice, even in Paradise. Adam has a priestly role. After Original Sin the sacrifice involves suffering. That is the remedy because man wanted to avoid death and suffering. Woman has labor pains and submits will to man. Man has to sweat and labor, the earth is cursed; and he will not return to dust. Amen, amen I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loves this life shall lose it; and he that hateth this life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal. (Jn 12:24-25) Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (Jn 15:13) O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be loved, as to love, for it is in giving that we receive it is in dying that we are born to Eternal life. Prayer of St. Francis The Christian life is a continuation and completion of the life of Christ in us. We should be so many Christs here on earth, continuing His life and His works, laboring and suffering in a holy and divine manner in the spirit of Jesus. St. John Eudes God has made human beings so noble that every suffering which purifies us and every effort which raises us up gladdens us while making us better. St. Augustine True happiness com\es from sacrifice my own will! IV. SACRIFICE IN MARRIAGE Married couple who knew on their wedding day, we are going up Calvary! One word for marriage (not love, fidelity, family) SACRIFICE! 10. Now when We come to explain what are the blessings that God has attached to true matrimony, and how great they are, there occur to Us the words of that illustrious Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine. These are all the blessings of matrimony on account of which matrimony itself is a blessing; offspring, conjugal faith and the sacrament. And how under these three heads is contained a splendid summary of the whole doctrine of Christian marriage, the holy Doctor himself expressly declares when he said: By conjugal faith it is provided that there should be no carnal intercourse outside the marriage bond with another man or woman; with regard to offspring, that children should be begotten of love, tenderly cared for and educated in a religious atmosphere; Page 3 of 6
finally, in its sacramental aspect that the marriage bond should not be broken and that a husband or wife, if separated, should not be joined to another even for the sake of offspring. This we regard as the law of marriage by which the fruitfulness of nature is adorned and the evil of incontinence is restrained. (Pope Pius XI, Casti Connubii, 1930) a. Offspring: Procreation and Formation of Children This is the primary end of Marriage! Children! It requires great sacrifice and love! (Even the mother s own body, the man s labor) God prepares us for the Cross and for Heaven this way, and how full of sweetness and solicitude He is in doing thus. True happiness and union comes from doing the good for our children, even when they are old. b. Conjugal Fidelity: Mutually Exclusive Yet another sweet sacrifice! Absolutely essential for a healthy marriage. Devoted love for spouse (best friends!). Friendships with others take a lower priority (even family). Custody of the eyes. Don t speak ill of each other before others. c. Sacrament: Permanent until Death In this context of sacrifice, there is trust, vulnerability, and flourishing! Great stability needed by children, spouses, and society! (rock, like the Church) Remember, marriage mirrors the faithful union of Christ and the Church! Through St. Paul, the Holy Ghost has given us the key to unlocking this great mystery (of man and woman, of their union). If we live according do it, we will have amazing, happy fruitful marriages. Yet the world rejects this heavenly wisdom. To some extent, each of us does St. Paul: Let women be subject to their husbands, as to the Lord: Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the savior of his body. Therefore as the Church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it: That he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life: That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish. So also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the Church. (Epehsians 5:22 32) d. Voluntary (free-will) Greater value in the sacrifice when it is accepted as part of God s Will then if one resists or is forced into the situation. Page 4 of 6
Note: Divorce attacks permanence, contraception attacks fidelity, feminism and sodomy attack procreative aspect, and selfish will to power attacks voluntary aspect. V. SACRIFICE IN FAMILY LIFE a. Selfishness is the poison that destroys marriage! Yet this is what the world preaches! (Abortion, Divorce, Contraception, Adultery, Career, Money, Vacation, Power, Luxury, Vanity, Fame, Pride) b. Practice sacrifice (over and over) - to overcome selfishness (original sin & personal sin). Eliminate our vices and build up virtue - sacrifice habitually. c. Daily Duty with sacrificial love; consciously offer up all you do! Pray to love your Cross. Life is not about being happy but doing the good (love/sacrifice). Our Lady promised Bernadette: I do not promise you happiness in this life but in the next. One earns paradise with one s daily task. St. Gianna Beretta Molla d. Prayer needs Penance (Sacrifice) And Jesus said to His Apostles: This kind can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting (Mk 9:28). Example of the Saints, especially Victim Souls). It is how we undo the evil in this world. God is perfectly just! He who avoids prayer is avoiding everything that is good. St. John of the Cross It is only by sacrifice and suffering, offered as penance, that you will be able, by the grace of God, to convert sinners. St. John Mary Vianney Christian perfection consists in three things: praying heroically, working heroically, and suffering heroically. St. Anthony Mary Claret e. Mortification Death to Self ; Practice sacrifice in little things, so as to do so in the larger things; practice mortification every day (this is where the rubber meets the road in the spiritual life). Every grace must be paid for! We need reparation! Major theme in all of our Lady s apparitions (Fatima, Buen Suceso) These are all things we need to teach our children. They learn first by example. The family that lives this way, will stay together and will be happy. Family mottos Together in Heaven updated to Practicing here and now for Heaven. f. Free-will - Choose to sacrifice voluntarily, so as to discipline yourself to make the sacrifices which God chooses for you (Trustful surrender to Divine Providence). The best penance is to have patience with the sorrows God permits. A very good penance is to dedicate oneself to fulfill the duties of everyday with exactitude and to study and work with all our strength. St. Peter Damian Page 5 of 6
g. Supernatural - Man can have natural virtue to sacrifice in order to gain natural goods. Even more so, we must sacrifice in order to gain supernatural goods. Truth (Faith) and light (Grace), these come from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Know that the greatest service that man can offer to God is to help convert souls. St. Rose of Lima The greatest kindness one can render to any man consists in leading him from error to truth. St. Thomas Aquinas h. Offer it all up as a living oblation, united to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass! Holy Mass teaches us to live a sacrificial life. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; as it hath pleased the Lord, so it is done: blessed be the Name of the Lord (Job 1:21). At Mass, Adore His Sacrifice, Thank Him for His Sacrifice. Pray for the Graces from His Sacrifice (especially that you may imitate Him). Do reparation for your sins that caused His Sacrifice and all those who remain indifferent to His sacrifice or reject His Sacrifice. No one else has this understanding! No one has an adequate understanding or solution for the Problem of Evil. It is so good to be Catholic! Sacrifice! God will not be outdone in generosity. Page 6 of 6