The Lamb’s Supper, Lesson 2.4

The Lamb's Supper: The Bible and the Mass

Lesson Two: Given for You - The Old Testament Story of Sacrifice

Lesson Objectives

  1. To understand the biblical background to the Penitential Rite and the Gloria in the Mass.
  2. To understand how God is worshipped in the Old Testament.
  3. To understand the biblical notion of sacrifice as it is presented in the Old Testament.

IV. Study Questions

1. What is the first sacrifice recorded in the Bible?
2. Who is the first priest mentioned in the Bible?
3. Why did Moses originally ask Pharaoh for permission to leave Egypt?
4. What did the Ark of the Covenant contain? Where was the Ark housed when Israel became a kingdom?
5. What are the five basic types of sacrifice prescribed in the Old Testament?
6. What is the todah sacrifice?

For prayer and reflection:
  • Do you understand your worship in the Mass as a form of sacrifice?
    Try preparing for Sunday Mass by reading some of the todah psalms (for example, Psalms22; 69; and 116). See if this helps to deepen your appreciation of the Mass.
  • Do you understand life as an offering of obedient sacrifice to God?
    Read and pray over Psalms 40 and 50 and the story of the Maccabeean martyrs (see 2 Maccabees 6:12-7:40). Ask for the strength to make yourself an ever more acceptable offering to the Lord.

    • Begin Lesson 3

    Lesson Outline

    1. Introductory Rites
      1. God's Mercy and Glory
      2. Our Sacrifice
    2. Origins of Worship
      1. The First Priest
      2. Offering the Beloved Son
      3. Passover Sacrifice
      4. Temple of the King
    3. House of Sacrifice
      1. Seasons of Sacrifice
      2. What Sacrifice Means
      3. The Thank Offering
      4. Everywhere They Bring Sacrifice
    4. Study Questions

    Other Lessons

    • Lesson One: A Biblical Introduction to the Mass
      • Lesson Objectives
      1. 1. To understand basic Catholic beliefs about the relationship between the Bible and the Liturgy.
      2. To understand the biblical basis for the Mass.
      3. To understand how in the Mass, the written text of the Bible becomes Living Word.

      Begin Lesson One

    • Lesson Three: One Sacrifice for All Time
      • Lesson Objectives
      1. To understand the death of Jesus Christ on the cross as a sacrifice.
      2. To see the parallels between the Old Testament sacrifices and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
      3. To understand how that sacrifice is re-presented to us in the Mass.

      Begin Lesson Three

    • Lesson Four: Fulfilled in Your Hearing: The Liturgy of the Word
      • Lesson Objectives
      1. To understand Scripture as the living Word of God.
      2. To understand the place of Scripture at the center of the liturgy.
      3. To see Scripture as an encounter with Christ, the living Word of God.
      4. To see how the Liturgy of the Word prepares us for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

      Begin Lesson Four

    • Lesson Five: Heaven On Earth: The Liturgy of the Eucharist
      • Lesson Objectives
      1. To understand the deep biblical foundations for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
      2. To see how the Book of Revelation describes the liturgy of heaven.
      3. To understand how the Mass we celebrate on earth is a participation in the liturgy of heaven.

      Begin Lesson Five

    • Lesson Six: Memory and Presence: Communion as the Coming of Christ
      • Lesson Objectives
      1. To understand the deep biblical foundations of Jesus’ command that the Eucharist be celebrated “in memory of Me.”
      2. To see how Scripture portrays Jesus as the Passover Lamb and how that portrayal is reflected in the Mass.
      3. To understand the Eucharist as parousia, the “coming” of Christ, and as the “daily bread” we pray for in the Our Father.

      Begin Lesson Six