
WHAT NOT TO MISS AT MASS
This Pure Victim
The Oblation
What Not to Miss
- Oblation means the same thing as offering.
- Jesus presented himself as an offering to the Father on the Cross. His offering has just been re-presented on the altar at the consecration.
- As Christ's Body, the Church makes his offering our own. Thus, the Mass is a sacrifice—the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Christ that we get to offer ourselves!
- We are offering Christ to the Father in the oblation, but we are also offering ourselves in union with Christ.
- Everyone gathered for Mass, plus all other members of the Church throughout time and space, make this offering together.
- We ask God the Father to accept this offering knowing that he will! After all, this is his perfect Son whom he loves, and he also loves us, who are united with his Son.
- What do we receive in return for this offering? In the words of the Roman Canon, "eternal life" and "everlasting salvation"!
Next Time You Go to Mass...
- In spirit, place your life on the altar with Christ.
- Give the Father your body, mind, and soul, your possessions and relationships, your past, present, and future, and everything else you can call your own.
- Unite your offering with that of everyone else in the church, and with the whole communion of saints.
- Ask God to give you the answer to this question: "How can I live my life as a perpetual offering to God?"
From Eucharistic Prayer I (Roman Canon)
Then the priest, with hands extended, says:
Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, the Resurrection from the dead, and the glorious Ascension into heaven of Christ, your Son, our Lord, we, your servants and your holy people, offer to your glorious majesty from the gifts that you have given us, this pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation.
Be pleased to look upon these offerings with a serene and kindly countenance, and to accept them, as once you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim.
Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, the Resurrection from the dead, and the glorious Ascension into heaven of Christ, your Son, our Lord, we, your servants and your holy people, offer to your glorious majesty from the gifts that you have given us, this pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation.
Be pleased to look upon these offerings with a serene and kindly countenance, and to accept them, as once you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim.
From Eucharistic Prayer II
Then the priest, with hands extended, says:
Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you.
Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you.
Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.
This collect prayer begins the Mass for Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Jesus is calling us to "take up battle against spiritual evils." We'll explore fasting itself in a few weeks; during the week of Ash Wednesday, we're going to dig into an important set of weapons the Lord gives us to fight evil: sacramentals.
What's a sacramental? Well, if you attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, you're probably going to receive one on your forehead.
This collect prayer begins the Mass for Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Jesus is calling us to "take up battle against spiritual evils." We'll explore fasting itself in a few weeks; during the week of Ash Wednesday, we're going to dig into an important set of weapons the Lord gives us to fight evil: sacramentals.
What's a sacramental? Well, if you attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, you're probably going to receive one on your forehead.

A Ministry of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church
480 152nd Avenue, Holland, MI 49424
lanecatholic@oll.org
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Copyright © 2025