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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.
Objection 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.
Objection 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 (Question 79, Article 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 3: For the same reason (cf. Reply Objection
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 (Question 82, Articles 1,3). And
so, in a measure, the priest and victim are one and the same.
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