CCC
1090 "In the earthly liturgy we share in a foretaste of that
heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the Holy City of Jerusalem toward which
we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God,
Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle. With all the warriors of
the heavenly army we sing a hymn of glory to the Lord; venerating the memory of
the saints, we hope for some part and fellowship with them; we eagerly await the
Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, until he, our life, shall appear and we too will
appear with him in glory."
1370 To the offering of Christ are united not only the members still
here on earth, but also those already in the glory of heaven. In
communion with and commemorating the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, the
Church offers the Eucharistic sacrifice. In the Eucharist the Church is as it
were at the foot of the cross with Mary, united with the offering and
intercession of Christ.
Then, we pray [in the anaphora] for the holy fathers and bishops who have
fallen asleep, and in general for all who have fallen asleep before us, in
the belief that it is a great benefit to the souls on whose behalf the
supplication is offered, while the holy and tremendous Victim is present. . . .
By offering to God our supplications for those who have fallen asleep, if
they have sinned, we . . . offer Christ sacrificed for the sins of
all, and so render favorable, for them and for us, the God who loves man.
1372 St. Augustine admirably summed up this doctrine that moves us
to an ever more complete participation in our Redeemer's sacrifice which we
celebrate in the Eucharist:
CCC
1090 « In terrena liturgia caelestem illam praegustando participamus, quae in sancta Civitate Ierusalem, ad quam peregrini tendimus, celebratur, ubi Christus est in dextera Dei sedens, sanctorum minister et tabernaculi veri; cum omni militia caelestis exercitus hymnum gloriae Domino canimus; memoriam sanctorum venerantes partem aliquam et societatem cum iis speramus; Salvatorem exspectamus Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, donec Ipse apparebit vita nostra, et nos apparebimus cum Ipso in gloria ».23
1370 Christi oblationi coniunguntur non solum membra quae adhuc hic in terris sunt, sed etiam illa quae iam sunt in caeli gloria: Ecclesia, in communione cum beatissima Virgine Maria et eiusdem, sicut etiam omnium sanctorum omniumque sanctarum, faciens memoriam, Sacrificium offert eucharisticum. Ecclesia in Eucharistia, cum Maria, est quodammodo iuxta crucem, oblationi Christi unita et intercessioni.
1371 Sacrificium eucharisticum offertur etiam pro fidelibus defunctis, « pro defunctis in Christo, nondum ad plenum purgatis », 339 ut Christi lumen et pacem ingredi possint:
« Ponite [...] hoc corpus ubicumque: nihil vos eius cura conturbet; tantum illud vos rogo, ut ad Domini altare memineritis mei, ubiubi fueritis ». 340
« Deinde [in anaphora] et pro defunctis sanctis Patribus et Episcopis, et omnibus generatim qui inter nos vita functi sunt [oramus]; maximum hoc credentes adiumentum illis animabus fore, pro quibus oratio defertur, dum sancta et perquam tremenda coram iacet victima. [...] Et nos pro defunctis, etiamsi peccatores sint, preces Deo offerentes, [...] Christum mactatum pro peccatis nostris offerimus, Deum amicum hominum cum pro illis tum pro nobis propitiantes ». 341
1372 Sanctus Augustinus in synthesim mirabiliter hanc redegit doctrinam quae nos incitat ad participationem semper magis completam in nostri Redemptoris sacrificio quod in Eucharistia celebramus:
« Tota ipsa redempta civitas, hoc est congregatio societasque sanctorum, universale sacrificium [...] [offertur] Deo per Sacerdotem magnum, qui etiam Se Ipsum obtulit in passione pro nobis, ut tanti Capitis corpus essemus, secundum formam servi. [...] Hoc est sacrificium christianorum: "Multi unum corpus in Christo" (Rom 12,5). Quod etiam Sacramento altaris fidelibus noto frequentat Ecclesia, ubi ei demonstratur, quod in ea re, quam offert, ipsa offeratur ». 342