Why do we proclaim Christ's death at Mass, even though he rose from the dead?
The short answer
The acclamation rephrases Paul: "as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). We proclaim his death because by it we are redeemed — and he is risen and alive. The Mass offers the same sacrifice of Calvary, not a new one.
Paul's words
The acclamation at Mass rephrases what Paul says of the Eucharist: "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Why proclaim his death
We proclaim his death because by it we are redeemed, and we should proclaim it from the rooftops until he comes in glory. Christ is not dead; he is risen (1 Corinthians 15:12-20) and alive in heaven with all who have died in him.
One sacrifice
The sacrifice offered at Mass is not a new one. It is the same sacrifice of Calvary, which transcends time and frees those who lived before it and after it.
Continue exploring
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- Did the Church change the Mass to make it more acceptable to Protestants?Q&A
- Doesn't the new Mass reject Pius V's mandate in Quo Primum?Q&A