DE-FACTO EXPOSITION ON MELCHIZEDEK AND THE CATHOLIC VIEW OF THE HOLY MASS

Catholics and Protestants differ in what they believe about the Holy Eucharist. Catholics believe that the Eucharist is truly a sacrifice. When Catholics celebrate Mass, God makes Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross present to us once again, allowing us to participate in it and offer it up to him in union with Jesus. In contrast, Protestants believe that the bread and wine are just a memorial service whereby we remember Jesus’s sacrifice, but Catholics do not actually participate in it. To help resolve this debate, let us turn to the story of Melchizedek and see how it connects to the Last Supper.