MARY, OUR MOTHER

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #480

And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread and blessed and broke and gave to his disciples and said: "Take ye and eat. This is my body." And taking the chalice, he gave thanks and gave to them, saying: "Drink ye all of this. For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins. And I say to you, I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father." (Matt. 26:26-29)

THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS: Our Lord did not give His Sacred Body and Blood, under the form of bread and wine, only to be received by His apostles; He offered them, first, as a sacrifice to His heavenly Father. That the most holy Sacrament is a Sacrifice is shown by the separation of the Blood from the Body, as also by the words of institution: "This is My Body, which is given for you," which is offered up for your salvation. Our Lord therefore instituted the Most Holy Sacrament to be a Sacrifice, and commanded the apostles and their successors to continue to offer this unbloody Sacrifice, which we call the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Our Lord offered up the first Mass at the Last Supper, and in it we can distinguish the three principle parts of the Mass. First, "He took bread, gave thanks, and blessed it": that was the Offertory. Then He said: "This is My Body -- This is My Blood," and by these almighty words changed the bread into His Sacred Body, and the wine into His Precious Blood: that was the Consecration. Finally, the apostles ate His Body and drank His Blood: that was the Communion.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)