The Eucharistic Sacrifice as a Culminating Symbol of our Christian Salvation With Reference to Chagga Understanding of Sacrifice
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Date
2009
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Abstract
"Christ's death on the cross is the culmination of that turning of God against himself
in which he gives himself in order to raise man up and save him. This is love in its most
radical form." According to the belief of the church as set forth by the Holy Father Benedict
XVI, "the Holy Eucharist is the gift that Jesus Christ makes of himself, thus revealing to us
God's infinite love for every man and woman Jesus continues in the sacrament of the
Eucharist, to love us 'to the end', even to offering us his body and his blood."2
This is a teaching of the church, which in the course of my studying theology I came
to realize is not well understood by many of our faithful Christians. I keep asking myself
why Christians are still making animal sacrifices or ritual sacrifices. Why some disciples of
Jesus are Christians during the day and pagans at other times? Does it mean that the
Eucharistic sacrifice of Christ celebrated every day is not enough? Is there a unifying point
between Eucharistic sacrifice and traditional sacrifices? Is there a way forward from this
juncture? These are some of the questions which will guide me as I write this essay. The aim
of this long essay is to discourage this attitude of double life standard in my culture and in
other cultures in the now and future mission of the church.
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Keywords
Eucharist Sacrifice, Sacrificial offering, Salvation