The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ’s Passover and the sacramental offering of his unique sacrifice in the Church’s liturgy. It is not merely a recollection of past events: when the Church celebrates the Eucharist, Christ’s Passover is commemorated and his once-for-all sacrifice on the cross remains present. The Eucharist is therefore a sacrifice, for it makes present the sacrifice of the cross, remembers it, and applies its fruit. Christ’s sacrifice and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice, though the manner of offering is different. In the Mass, the Church joins herself to Christ’s offering and intercession for all people. As the faithful bring their praise, sufferings, prayers, and work, these are united with Christ’s total offering and acquire a new value. This is a beautiful invitation for our daily prayer: to place all that fills our lives before the Lord and unite it with his sacrifice.
In the Eucharist, the whole Church is united with the offering and intercession of Christ. The Pope is associated with every celebration as the sign and servant of the unity of the universal Church, and the local bishop’s name is mentioned as a sign of his presidency over the particular Church. The Church offers the Eucharistic sacrifice in communion with the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, standing as it were at the foot of the cross with Mary, united to Christ’s offering and intercession. The sacrifice is also offered for the faithful departed who died in Christ but are not yet wholly purified, that they may enter into the light and peace of Christ. As a family, we can receive these words with gratitude, praying in communion with the whole Church, the saints, and the faithful departed.
The sacrament of Penance, instituted by Christ, offers sinful members of the Church—especially those who have fallen into grave sin after Baptism—a new possibility for conversion and for recovering the grace of justification. Over time, its celebration developed from rigorous public penance to the private practice of confession between penitent and priest, making repeated reception possible and bringing forgiveness of grave and venial sins into one sacramental celebration. Its essential structure joins the penitent’s acts of conversion—contrition, confession, and satisfaction—with God’s action through the Church, which forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ, prays for the sinner, and helps restore ecclesial communion. As we prepare for Penance, we can prayerfully examine our conscience in the light of God’s Word, especially the Gospels and apostolic teachings, with sorrow for sin and a resolve not to sin again.