“Why, this scripture explains that Christ sent his Church, as Himself, in order to bring to us His sacrifice at the celebration of the Mass. This is also the essence of what John O’Brien is saying. The language is his own.”
Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All Hebrews 10
1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am —it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, O God.’ “[a] 8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made). 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
ONCE FOR ALL. Almighty God bows his head in humble obedience to no one !! And if you think a man who calls himself a priest can give orders to Our Lord and Savior, then you need to seriously consider changing your place of worship.
Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” A man who exalts himself believing he can give orders to the Almighty, will be humbled.
You need to find a good Bible believing church where they don’t threaten you with eternal damnation for questioning their doctrine, questioning their authority or disagreeing with them. All those canons that end with “let him be anathema” does not sound like a loving Godly church. Read the Bible, there IS POWER in the WORD of GOD.
You can flame me for this, but for a Christian to not point out unsound doctrine, would just be indifference.
You asked me for the scripture that explains the power of the priest, and I gave it to you.
You now raise another point, that it would be incorrect to conclude that Christ is re-sacrificed anew at every Mass. He is not, the Church does not teach that He is, and indeed, insofar as John O’Brien says “offered up again” and “not once but a thousand times”, he is either expressing himself with insufficient clarity or is teaching wrong theology, it is hard to say without the context. Since he also speaks of “eternal Victim”, chances are, he is just being a bit unclear.
The proper teaching is that the one sublime sacrifice at the Golgotha becomes present to us again and again at Mass, each time a priest consecrates the host.
Regarding anathemizing incorrect beliefs, that is wholly scriptural: “If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema” (Gal. 1:9).