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Questions / Jesus

If Christ died once for all, why is the Mass a sacrifice?

Scripture

Answered on video by Dr. Brant Pitre

Video: A Sacrifice Once for All Time | Dr. Brant Pitre, Catholic Productions, published Nov 3, 2021. Checked 10 October 2026. Loads from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only when you press play. Watch on YouTube

In short: Catholics agree: one sacrifice, once for all. The Mass doesn’t repeat it. It makes that same sacrifice present. Hebrews 10:12

The answer, in writing

Church teaching

Hebrews says Christ “offered one sacrifice for sins forever.” Hebrews 10:12

The Church teaches that the Eucharist is a sacrifice because it re-presents, makes present, the sacrifice of the cross. CCC 1366

The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice; only the manner of offering is different. CCC 1367

Our words

The Mass doesn’t add a second sacrifice or kill Jesus again. It brings you to the one sacrifice, once for all, so you can be there.

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Sources on this page

How we know · 2 Catechism paragraphs · 1 Bible passage
  1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1366, 1367 (official text on vatican.va).
  2. Scripture (World English Bible, Catholic edition, public domain; modern verse numbers, Douay-Rheims numbers in brackets where they differ): Hebrews 10:12.

Stone & Incense restates Church teaching in plain words and cites every teaching claim. Our own wording is not an official Church text. Found a mistake? Report an errorCorrections.