Chapter 20.—Of the Supreme and
True Sacrifice Which Was Effected by the Mediator Between God and
Men.
And hence that true Mediator, in so
far as, by assuming the form of a servant, He became the Mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, though in the form of
God He received sacrifice together with the Father, with whom He is
one God, yet in the form of a servant He chose rather to be than to
receive a sacrifice, that not even by this instance any one might
have occasion to suppose that sacrifice should be rendered to any
creature. Thus He is both the Priest who offers and the Sacrifice
offered. And He designed that there should be a daily sign of
this in the sacrifice of the Church, which, being His body, learns
to offer herself through Him. Of this true Sacrifice the ancient
sacrifices of the saints were the various and numerous signs; and
it was thus variously figured, just as one thing is signified by a
variety of words, that there may be less weariness when we speak of
it much. To this supreme and true sacrifice all false sacrifices
have given place.