As the Sign of Peace draws to a
close, the priest mingles a little bit of the Host with the Precious
Blood in the chalice, praying quietly as he does, “May this
mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal
life to us who receive it.” This symbolizes the resurrection of
Christ, when His Body and Blood were reunited to His spirit, but it
also symbolizes the unity of the Church with Christ.
Around the same time, we sing or recite the Lamb of God sequence:
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
Jesus is our Lamb of God. John the Baptist said so clearly, indicating that Jesus was to be the sacrifice that would replace all the animal sacrifices of ancient Israel. He is the new and perfect Sacrifice of the new and eternal Covenant. He gave Himself up on the cross for our sins, and that sacrifice on the cross is re-presented in an unbloody manner at every Mass.
Yes, the Mass is a sacrifice
where we enter into the sacrifice of the cross and unite ourselves to
Jesus, Who is both priest and victim. We give ourselves completely to
Him as He gives Himself completely to us.
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