One of the most deeply moving moments at Mass takes place after the Sign of Peace. The priest takes the consecrated host and breaks it while the people pray or chant: ‘Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world…’ This fraction rite is a beautifully ritualistic and symbolic playing out of the sacrifice of Christ.

In referring to the ‘Lamb of God’, the chant points us to the ritual traditions of the Jewish people, who would slaughter lambs and other animals for sacrifice, offering them to God as expiation for sin.

More so than any animal sacrifice, all God’s holy people make of their lives a sacrificial offering. Jeremiah confirms this, using language that would have been understood in his own time as referring to sacrifice. He is like ‘a gentle lamb led to the slaughter’ (Jeremiah 11:18-20). Here, we see a prefiguration of Christ’s own sacrificial offering.

Jesus is the definitive ‘Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world’ (John 1:29) — literally the one who will be offered as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. He, despite his gracious words and powerful signs, is rejected by the authorities, who conspire to arrest him and have him killed. Though innocent, he offers no resistance to their violent intent but, like a gentle lamb, is led to the slaughter.

Jesus is the sacrifice, offered as expiation for sin. As the bread is broken, and the ‘Lamb of God’ is chanted, remember in your heart and mind the one whose body is broken on the cross, and who gives himself to us as bread broken for the world. But let us not fail to make our lives also an offering, broken and shared, offered to God for the good of the world.

by Fr Michael Grace