Whether Christ Is Sacrificed in This Sacrament?
Objection 1: It seems that Christ is not sacrificed in the
celebration of this sacrament. For it is written (Heb. 10:14) that
"Christ by one oblation hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified." But that oblation was His oblation. Therefore Christ is
not sacrificed in the celebration of this sacrament.
Obj. 2: Further, Christ's sacrifice was made upon the cross, whereon
"He delivered Himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for
an odor of sweetness," as is said in Eph. 5:2. But Christ is not
crucified in the celebration of this mystery. Therefore, neither is
He sacrificed.
Obj. 3: Further, as Augustine says (De Trin. iv), in Christ's
sacrifice the priest and the victim are one and the same. But in the
celebration of this sacrament the priest and the victim are not the
same. Therefore, the celebration of this sacrament is not a sacrifice
of Christ.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says in the Liber Sentent. Prosp. (cf.
Ep. xcviii): "Christ was sacrificed once in Himself, and yet He is
sacrificed daily in the Sacrament."
_I answer that,_ The celebration of this sacrament is called a
sacrifice for two reasons. First, because, as Augustine says (Ad
Simplician. ii), "the images of things are called by the names of the
things whereof they are the images; as when we look upon a picture or
a fresco, we say, 'This is Cicero and that is Sallust.'" But, as was
said above (Q. 79, A. 1), the celebration of this sacrament is an
image representing Christ's Passion, which is His true sacrifice.
Accordingly the celebration of this sacrament is called Christ's
sacrifice. Hence it is that Ambrose, in commenting on Heb. 10:1,
says: "In Christ was offered up a sacrifice capable of giving eternal
salvation; what then do we do? Do we not offer it up every day in
memory of His death?" Secondly it is called a sacrifice, in respect
of the effect of His Passion: because, to wit, by this sacrament, we
are made partakers of the fruit of our Lord's Passion. Hence in one
of the Sunday Secrets (Ninth Sunday after Pentecost) we say:
"Whenever the commemoration of this sacrifice is celebrated, the work
of our redemption is enacted." Consequently, according to the first
reason, it is true to say that Christ was sacrificed, even in the
figures of the Old Testament: hence it is stated in the Apocalypse
(13:8): "Whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb,
which was slain from the beginning of the world." But according to
the second reason, it is proper to this sacrament for Christ to be
sacrificed in its celebration.
Reply Obj. 1: As Ambrose says (commenting on Heb. 10:1), "there is
but one victim," namely that which Christ offered, and which we
offer, "and not many victims, because Christ was offered but once:
and this latter sacrifice is the pattern of the former. For, just as
what is offered everywhere is one body, and not many bodies, so also
is it but one sacrifice."
Reply Obj. 2: As the celebration of this sacrament is an image
representing Christ's Passion, so the altar is representative of the
cross itself, upon which Christ was sacrificed in His proper species.
Reply Obj. 3: For the same reason (cf. Reply Obj. 2) the priest also
bears Christ's image, in Whose person and by Whose power he
pronounces the words of consecration, as is evident from what was
said above (Q. 82, AA. 1, 3). And so, in a measure, the priest and
victim are one and the same.
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