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Author Topic: Metaphysics of the Mass  (Read 382 times)

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Offline Todd The Trad

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Metaphysics of the Mass
« on: October 02, 2021, 07:02:53 AM »
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  • So we know that the Mass is the unbloody sacrifice of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ and the offering of the members of His body/Church. My question regards the metaphysics of this sacrifice. There are different theories I've come across as to the metaphysical nature of the sacrifice, such as;

    Christ is offered in his risen body/form as if to show His Father His scars.

    The Mass is the literal re-presentation of Calvary in the sense that we are witnessing the same moment/moments in time(kind of like traveling in time) because the crucifixion transcends time.

    When Christ is offered He is risen as He is in heaven but merely takes on His crucified form/appearance.

    *If the veil were lifted from our eyes what would we see? Or is Christ merely offered in all His forms being that He's eternal. We know that many mystics have seen Him as an infant, a child, crucified, risen, etc.

    *In traditional art we almost always see Christ crucified during the most Holy Sacrifice. 

    The following is an excerpt from a Jesuit journal prior to vatican 2;

    "Regarding the essence of the sacrifice of the Mass, we may
    distinguish two questions: that of the physical essence, i. e. which
    part of the Mass is or contains the sacrifice (whether the Consecration, the Offertory, Communion, etc.) and that of its metaphysical essence, i. e., under what aspect such part is formally said to
    be a sacrifice (whether because it is merely an oblation of the Body
    of Christ, or also a real, although sacramental, immolation, or a
    true representation of the oblation and immolation of the Cross).
    While the former question has already been quite firmly settled
    among modern theologians, who commonly hold that the sacrifice
    is performed essentially, in the act of consecration, the latter, abstracting from the close relation between the two, is still adrift on the mare magnum of theological disputes, nor does it seem to be
    approaching the secure harbor of a common opinion. It still remains
    the vexata quaestio or the crux theologorum."


    *I'm still undecided on the conclusions but if you want to read the whole thing google search "metaphysics of the sacrifice mass" and on the first page you should see " ON THE ESSENCE OF THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS" from ejournals.bc.edu. It's a PDF and I can't seem to figure out how to attach it on here if I can. 

    What does everyone think? :confused:

    Our Lady of La Salette, pray for us!


    Offline Ladislaus

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    Re: Metaphysics of the Mass
    « Reply #1 on: October 02, 2021, 07:40:55 AM »
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  • This was disputed only among the Modernists.  It was a very settled question among Traditional theologians.


    Quote
    whether because it is merely an oblation of the Body
    of Christ, or also a real, although sacramental, immolation, or a
    true representation of the oblation and immolation of the Cross


    Correct answer in bold (leave out the "true representation" unless by that is meant re-presentation).


    Offline Todd The Trad

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    Re: Metaphysics of the Mass
    « Reply #2 on: October 02, 2021, 09:35:13 AM »
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  • So are you saying that Christ's sacrifice transcends time/ is eternal because Christ in His Divine nature is eternal so in the Mass Calvary is literally made present and re-presented? This has been my understanding.
    Our Lady of La Salette, pray for us!

    Offline SimpleMan

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    Re: Metaphysics of the Mass
    « Reply #3 on: October 02, 2021, 10:03:21 AM »
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  • So are you saying that Christ's sacrifice transcends time/ is eternal because Christ in His Divine nature is eternal so in the Mass Calvary is literally made present and re-presented? This has been my understanding.
    That's always been my understanding as well.  

    If I have been in error all these years, I'll welcome correction.  I'm not one stubbornly to cling onto opinions "because I've always believed them".