Participating in the Sacrifice

Are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? // 1 Corinthians 10:18

I sank into prayer during the silence of the Eucharistic prayer at the Traditional Latin Mass, turning over in my mind the diagnosis of polycystic ovaries my doctor had confirmed at my appointment the week before. It seemed I could not go a year without a new diagnosis of something.

“I can handle the monthly ovulation pain,” I had told my doctor. Chronic physical pain, I am learning, is just a part of my life.

The clear ringing of the bells broke through the silence as the priest elevated the host above his head. As I gazed for that brief moment at the Lord, my heart filled with the warmth of gratitude. Christ’s sacrifice was being made present on the altar, and I realized that I had been given a gift in being able to suffer with my Lord and my God. The Lord showed me a concrete way how in eating of His Sacrifice, I also participated in the Sacrifice.

As Saint Paul tells us in the First Reading, in the Mass we participate in the Body and Blood of Christ. When we receive the Lord in the Eucharist, we become more fully united with the Church, the Body of Christ. As we are united to the Lord and to each other, we can offer our sufferings along with His One Sacrifice. As baptized Christians, we share in the priesthood of Christ, and are called to participate in His sacrificial offering by bringing our own suffering to the altar at Mass.

Sister, take some time to pray today with your own sufferings either at Mass or through a prayer of spiritual communion. The Lord desires to show you how to offer them with Him and to give you a share in the joy of redemptive suffering.

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About Susanna Spencer

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Susanna Spencer holds a master's in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and is the Devotions Editor for Blessed is She. She is a freelance writer and editor and a teacher. She lives with her philosopher husband, three teen daughters, one pre-teen son, and a miracle baby girl in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She loves reading theology and novels, attending beautiful liturgies, cooking delicious food, and casually following baseball. She is the author of the Gospel Studies including Seek His Kingdom: A Meditation on Matthew , Listen to Him: A Meditation on Mark, Preach in His Name: A Meditation on Luke, and Abide in His Love: A Meditation on John. She was the contributing author and editor for our children’s devotional prayer book, Rise Up. She was the Theological Editor of the Blessed Conversations Studies. Find out more about her here.