When the mass is celebrated, we are not performing a commeration of the life of Jeus but it is an event that celebrates the Paschal Mystery (the birth, suffering, death, ressurection and the descent of the Holy Spirit), but does not repeat it. In other words the mass brings the past and the future into the present. It is the celebrations that are repeated.
We can see this when we look at what happens at the mass. In the Eucharistic prayer, we recount the saving life of Jesus. The main parts being he took, blessed, broke, gave. However the mass does not perform these actions when they are spoken but at other times, times when the Church, the people of God drawn into the mystery take part. When we say Jesus took the bread, we look to the presentation of the gifts when the priest, acting in place of Jesus, takes the offetory after their procession to the alter. The blessing is the whole Eucharistic prayer, the Breaking of bread happens at the fraction rite, the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei) and the give at the communion rite.
This whole process was given to the Church as a gift and is again a sign of God's saving work within it.
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