Completing the Sacrifice

I was recently asked by one of my favorite Lifeteeners about why the cross at a Catholic mass has Christ still on it - whereas the crosses at protestant churches do not have Christ on their crosses. 

Her question was, "If we believe in the risen Christ, then why do we always show him hanging on the cross?" 

So why do our crosses have a crime scene??


Here's some complex theology meant to explain the larger picture. If you're interested and desire specific scripture references or cited sources, privately message me and I'd be happy to share. 

At the Catholic mass we celebrate a SACRIFICE. Like literally, a sacrifice. At our church, Christ is on the cross to remind of us of that sacrifice.

Remember, before Christ came as the perfect sacrifice to die for our sins, the old Jews had to sacrifice a lamb every year as they waited for the perfect sacrifice (Christ) to come. Basically, what would happen is the high priest would walk around town and hear the sins of every person in the village. Then, he would take a baby lamb, give thanks to God, confess everyone's sins and ask forgiveness and then he'd sacrifice the lamb by killing it. What many Christians don't understand is that this is not where the sacrifice stopped. The sacrifice was NOT complete until the priest ATE the flesh of the lamb. If he did not EAT the flesh of the lamb, the sacrifice was not acceptable or pleasing to God. So, review: a complete sacrifice was:

1. Give thanks to God

2. Confess the sin/ask forgiveness

3. Kill the lamb

4. Eat the lamb

Fast forward a few thousand years. We know that Christ is the perfect sacrifice. 
Christ is with his disciples at the last supper. He has them over for dinner and holds up bread and says, "Take this and EAT it for this is my BODY. Do this in remembrance of me"
What he was saying here was that He, Christ, was the lamb for the perfect sacrifice. And he was telling us to eat His flesh, because in order to complete the Pascal sacrifice, one must eat the flesh of the sacrificial lamb. 

So the next day, Christ dies for our sins upon the cross - his sacrifice is nearly complete - but not yet. 
Christ's death was not where the sacrifice ended. The sacrifice is not complete with JUST Christ's death on the cross.

In order to complete the sacrifice we have to EAT the flesh of the lamb - or at mass - the flesh of Christ. Now Christ is humble and remains in the form of bread - but sometimes (like the stories I've told you about bleeding hosts) he reveals his flesh to us.

At mass, when the priest raises the bread and the wine and says, "through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the holy spirit, all glory and honor is yours, now and forever, amen!" That is when Christ enters into the bread and wine and they become his actual flesh and blood. When we start shaking hands, the priest breaks the bread in two. At this moment, we believe as Catholics, that this is the moment that Christ dies on the cross.

And on that death, Christ only died once. So when we celebrate the mass, something extraordinary happens. we believe that we transcend space and time -heaven kisses earth- at every mass we are brought together to the foot of calvary - we are standing at the foot of the cross at mass - right where Jesus died. We are standing and participating in the living sacrifice. THAT is why at our church Christ is still on the cross. because for us, our mass is celebrating the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. And when we go up the communion line and receive Christ in the flesh and in the blood, we take part in COMPLETING the sacrifice. We are taking part in the redemptive nature of Christ's death on the cross. 

How AMAZING is that?! 

And YES! We DO worship the risen Christ!! And if you want to wear a cross around your next without Christ - do it - wear it. We don't worship the crucifix - it's not God. The cross and the crucifix are symbols and images our church uses to draw us deeper into contemplation and reflection.