Sacrifice Of Mass

The holy sacrifice of the Mass is the fulfillment of all the sacrifices of the Old Covenant. In the New Covenant, the one sacrifice on the altar of Calvary is revisited during every Mass. Jesus Christ merited all graces and blessings for us by His death on the Cross. These merits form an inexhaustible fountain of grace to nourish the supernatural life of souls. At Calvary, Christ not only merited all graces for people but also established certain channels whereby these graces may be obtained. These channels are the Sacrifice of the Mass and the other Sacraments. We offer the Mass to God, in honor of Our Lady, the angels, particular Saints. In it we thank God for what He has done for them, for us through them through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Mass offered general benefits go to the whole Church, the living and the dead. Special benefits are for the priest who offers, and those for whom a Mass is specially offered, and for those who actively participate at the Mass. From the beginning, the Church honoured the memory of the faithful dead who have died in God’s grace and friendship but are still imperfectly purified to enter into heaven. These are the holy souls in purgatory for whom the Church offers prayers in suffrage for them, so that thus purified, the souls may attain the beatific vision of God. Among all the prayers offered for the departed souls, the most powerful is the celebration of the Holy Mass, because it is the memorial of Christ’s Sacrifice for us. During Holy Mass when the priest re-presents the Sacrifice of the Cross, our prayers are united with Jesus’ prayers of agony as He sacrifices Himself for us thereby making it of greater value than all our other prayers. Hence when we pray for our deceased loved ones during Holy Mass, our prayers are very powerful and effective. Considering the merits that our prayers can do for the holy souls in Purgatory, let us offer as many Masses for our departed loved ones and also remember all the souls in Purgatory in every Mass that we participate in.