Let us first discuss the symbolism of the Mass. In almost every culture, the sharing of a meal together is considered a special event. For Catholics, the Mass is such a sacred meal, a gathering of our Christian family to celebrate Christ's saving Death and Resurrection. The unleavened bread and the wine were used in the Jewish Passover meal. Even more basic, however, is the ordinariness of these substances.
Water quenches our thirst and is used also used in cleaning.
During the Mass, we offer the symbolic gifts to God through the action of the priest. So we see that there is much symbolism and rich tradition in the Mass as a meal. But for Catholics, the Mass is more than just a symbolic meal. We believe the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ at the Consecration of the Mass just as it did at the Last Supper. There is indeed a sacrificial dimension to the Mass.