Jesus freely offered his life as an expiatory sacrifice, that is, he made reparation for our sins with the full obedience of his love unto death. This love “to the end” (John 13:1) of the Son of God reconciled all of humanity with the Father. The paschal sacrifice of Christ, therefore, redeems humanity in a way that is unique, perfect, and definitive; and it opens up for them communion with God. (Catechism Compendium #122)
In today's reading, the Catechism explains the sacrifice Jesus made for us out of love, and in obedience to the will of the Father, for our salvation. It is a good read, but again I wasn't sure which paragraph to use for a quote above so I chose the summary from the Catechism Compendium instead. I do like how the Catechism emphasizes that Jesus was the only one capable of making this sacrifice for us. For "no man, not even the holiest, was ever able to take on himself the sins of all men and offer himself as a sacrifice for all" (CCC 616). Only the God-man Jesus, eternal and without sin, could accomplish this (1 Jn 4:10).
As Christians, we are called to "deny [ourselves], take up [our] cross, and follow [Him]" (Matt 16:24). We also see that same sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross and mystically participate in at the Mass/Divine Liturgy. I like how the Catechism Companion, Vol I puts it:
The Mass is the unbloody sacrifice of Jesus Christ, offered to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. Every time we celebrate and participate in the Mass, it gives glory to the Father and it redeems the world. (p. 180)
Crucifixion, from the Buhl Altarpiece, a large Gothic oil on panel painting from the 1490s
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