In an article with the Denver Catholic, the Parochial Vicar of St. Cajetan Catholic Church in Denver, Father Israel Perez-Lopez, elaborated on the Eucharistic celebration and its importance.
He said he wanted to approach the mystery of the celebration and let people better understand its significance in light of the upcoming Eucharistic Revival.
The vicar also aims to elaborate on the Eucharist’s value in the lives of God’s children. The event will also help understand how the Christians are called to participate in it and the significance of making the Holy Sacrifice the source and summit of their lives.
Holy Mass and Its Importance
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Eucharist is the center of the Christian life. Perez-Lopez then added that it is also a mystery of love.
And, in light of these assertions, the Mass appears as a mystery of presence, sacrifice, and communion.
The Holy Mass is the greatest valuable gift that God could have given to people.
God cannot offer people something more significant than the Eucharist, and the reason for this is pretty straightforward, based on the report.
As said, God makes Himself available to Christians through the Holy Mass.
In the Eucharist, Jesus, God, man, and the Bridegroom of the Church entirely surrender to Him. Thus, God is the greatest and most valuable thing there is.
Hence, Perez-Lopez stated that it is accurate to say the Mass includes the entirety of the church's spiritual richness.
In other words, it is like her soul, where all of her virtue emanates from, or it is the focal point where the entirety of the Christian life is encapsulated.
Christ’s Presence and Sacrificial Love in the Holy Mass
At Mass, she explained that Christ wants to remain fully present. He wants to live his life in partnership with his earthly bride.
With this, Perez-Lopez elaborated on what makes the presence of Christ in the Eucharist special.
He stated that God is present as Creator, Father, and Friend.
God is present as God in these ways—in his creations and the souls of the righteous.
On the other hand, following the Incarnation, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity manifested himself in this world as a real God and a true man during his earthly existence.
This presence of Christ's humanity is sacramentally extended via the Eucharist.
The mystery of the substantial transformation of the bread and wine into flesh and blood of Christ brings forth the love that Jesus has for his church most beautifully.
Christ's sacrifice, by which he earned all the gifts that humanity can receive for their redemption, is likewise made present during Mass.
The one sacrifice that Christ made is made present in the Eucharist.
The sacrifice is still made by the same priest (Christ), who also gives the same victim (Christ), but it is no longer done in a bloody way.
She believed that Christ does not die again. The offering is just made sacramentally.
And with this, Perez-Lopez stated that the church is encouraged to actively engage in this mystery by joining Christ's one sacrifice.
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