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The celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice has a variety of spiritual themes that are woven throughout it. Each theme can help us enter into the Mass more deeply and involve our entire body and soul.
Among the spiritual themes present is the concept of offering a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church focuses on this theme in its section of the sacrament of the Eucharist.
Sacrifice of thanksgiving
First of all, the Eucharist can direct our hearts to the great gift of creation and we can pray to God in thanksgiving:
The Eucharist, the sacrament of our salvation accomplished by Christ on the cross, is also a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for the work of creation. In the Eucharistic sacrifice the whole of creation loved by God is presented to the Father through the death and the Resurrection of Christ. Through Christ the Church can offer the sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for all that God has made good, beautiful, and just in creation and in humanity.
Secondly, we can also participate in the Eucharist by offering praise and thanks to God the Father:
The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all his benefits, for all that he has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification. Eucharist means first of all "thanksgiving."
Third, the Eucharist is a sacrifice of praise made possible through Jesus Christ:
The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of praise by which the Church sings the glory of God in the name of all creation. This sacrifice of praise is possible only through Christ: he unites the faithful to his person, to his praise, and to his intercession, so that the sacrifice of praise to the Father is offered through Christ and with him, to be accepted in him.
The next time we attend Mass, we can bring to mind this particular aspect of the Eucharist and how we are encouraged to offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God.
