20190305
OFFERING
A PURE AND VIRTUOUS SACRIFICE
05 MARCH, 2019,
Tuesday, 8th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
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First reading
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Ecclesiasticus 35:2-15 ©
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Give to the Most High as he has given to
you
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A man multiplies offerings by keeping the
Law;
he offers communion sacrifices
by following the commandments.
By showing gratitude he makes an offering
of fine flour,
by giving alms he offers a
sacrifice of praise.
Withdraw from wickedness and the Lord will
be pleased,
withdraw from injustice and
you make atonement.
Do not appear empty-handed in the Lord’s
presence;
for all these things are due
under the commandment.
A virtuous man’s offering graces the
altar,
and its savour rises before
the Most High.
A virtuous man’s sacrifice is acceptable,
its memorial will not be
forgotten.
Honour the Lord with generosity,
do not stint the first-fruits
you bring.
Add a smiling face to all your gifts,
and be cheerful as you
dedicate your tithes.
Give to the Most High as he has given to
you,
generously as your means can
afford;
for the Lord is a good rewarder,
he will reward you seven times
over.
Offer him no bribe, he will not accept it,
do not put your faith in an
unvirtuous sacrifice;
since the Lord is a judge
who is no respecter of
personages.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 49(50):5-8,14,23 ©
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I will show God’s
salvation to the upright.
‘Summon before me my people
who made covenant with me by
sacrifice.’
The heavens proclaim his justice,
for he, God, is the judge.
I will show God’s
salvation to the upright.
‘Listen, my people, I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against
you,
for I am God, your God.
I accuse you, lay the charge
before you.
I find no fault with your sacrifices,
your offerings are always
before me.
I will show God’s
salvation to the upright.
Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God
and render him your votive
offerings.
A sacrifice of thanksgiving honours me
and I will show God’s
salvation to the upright.’
I will show God’s
salvation to the upright.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Ph2:15-16
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Alleluia, alleluia!
You will shine in the world like bright
stars
because you are offering it the word of
life.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Mt11:25
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Mark 10:28-31 ©
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Whoever has left everything for the sake
of the gospel will be repaid
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At that time Peter began to tell Jesus,
‘What about us? We have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell
you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father,
children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be
repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and
land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in
the world to come, eternal life.
‘Many
who are first will be last, and the last first.’
OFFERING A PURE
AND VIRTUOUS SACRIFICE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ Ecc 35:1-12; Ps 50:5-8, 14, 23; Mark 10:28-31 ]
We are called to offer
sacrifices to the Lord. “Do
not appear empty-handed in the Lord’s presence; for all these things are due
under the commandment. A virtuous man’s offering graces the altar, and
its savour rises before the Most High. A virtuous man’s sacrifice is
acceptable, its memorial will not be forgotten.” How then should we offer a pure
sacrifice?
The most common way is
through rituals, the offering of animals in ancient days and in some religions
today. For us
Christians, we offer the Sacrifice of the mass, worship and prayers. However,
the truth is that God does not need our sacrifices. This is what the
psalmist says, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and all
that is in it is mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of
goats?” (Ps 50:12f) In
Isaiah, the Lord said, “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? I have
had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not
delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.” (Isa 1:11)
Why then do we still
offer sacrifices? They are offered principally for three reasons.
Firstly, we have the sacrifice of atonement. The offering of animal sacrifices was an
expression of the sorrow of the people for their sins. The animal took
the place of “punishment” on behalf of the people as a repayment for their
sins. But it is also a sacrifice for the people because to offer an
animal was costly. More than just an expression of atonement, it is
important that those who offer sacrifices be truly committed to living a
righteous life. This is what Sirach teaches us in the first reading. “A
man multiplies offerings by keeping the Law. Withdraw from wickedness and
the Lord will be pleased, withdraw from injustice and you make
atonement.” So true repentance and sorrow for our sins implies the desire
to live from now on the commandments of the Lord. It means to live a life
of justice towards our fellowmen. Otherwise, the sacrificial offering is
merely external and not genuinely that which comes from the heart. The
psalmist says, “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken
and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Ps 51:17)
Secondly, a sacrifice is
offered in thanksgiving to remind us that we are dependent on God. “Honour the Lord with generosity, do not
stint the first fruits you bring. Add a smiling face to all your gifts,
and be cheerful as you dedicate your tithes. Give to the Most High as he
has given to you, generously as your means can afford; for the Lord is a good
rewarder, he will reward you seven times over.” The reason why we give
tithes is to remember that all we have come from God. An offering of
thanksgiving is not something that is forced on us but comes from a grateful
and thankful heart. Otherwise, the sacrifice would be worthless because
the Lord loves a cheerful giver. St Paul wrote, “Each of you must give as
you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves
a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in
abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share
abundantly in every good work.” (2 Cor 9:7f)
However, this
thanksgiving is not confined simply to offering gifts to the Lord but also to
our fellowmen.
“By showing gratitude he makes an offering of fine flour, by giving alms he offers
a sacrifice of praise.” We are called not just to offer thanksgiving to
God by helping the Church but also to extend helping hands to those who are
poor and in need of help because they too are God’s children. As St James
says, “Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily
food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your
fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of
that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” (Jms 2:14-17)
A thankful heart is always a generous and giving heart towards God and others.
Thirdly, we have the
communion sacrifice.
This was done through the offering of the animal when part of the animal was
burnt as a symbol of God partaking of the sacrifice and the other part eaten by
the people. It is therefore a symbol of communion. This is what we
do at every Eucharist. The mass is not just a sacrifice for the
forgiveness of sins through the shedding of the blood of Christ but also a
sacred meal whereby we receive His body and blood and become in communion with
Him. Again, our communion with the Lord is to bring about our communion
with our fellowmen. Communion sacrifice is not just a vertical communion
but it has a horizontal dimension as well. For this reason, “he offers
communion sacrifices by following the commandments.” The sign that we are
in communion with the Lord is when we follow His commandments and laws.
“Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will
come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does
not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the
Father who sent me.” (Jn 14:23f)
In the final analysis,
the perfect sacrifice is the offering of one’s life to God and for our
fellowmen. In the letter of Hebrews, the Lord says what He wants from us
is the offering of ourselves, not the animal sacrifices. “Sacrifices and offerings you have
not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin
offerings, you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come
to do your will, O God.'” (Heb 10:6f) Giving
of our entire self is what the Lord is asking of us if we want to offer a pure
and perfect sacrifice. Jesus for us is that perfect sacrifice. “And
it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of
the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Heb 10:10) Giving ourselves entirely to
the Lord is what a virtuous sacrifice entails. St Paul exhorts the
Christians, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Rom 12:1)
However, in giving
ourselves entirely to the Lord, our motives must be clear. We must bear in mind that the offering of
ourselves is for the atonement of our sins, as an expression of gratitude to
God for His blessings; and to be in communion with Him in love and truth.
The temptation for us is to offer these sacrifices with not so noble
motives. Even the apostles followed the Lord and offered their lives to
serve Him when in truth they were not intending to serve Him but
themselves. The Lord said to His disciples, “How hard it will be
for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God. Children, how hard it is
to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of
God.” (Mk 10:23, 24b, 25) “The disciples were perplexed at
these words. They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then
who can be saved?'” (Mk 10:24a, 26) It was a scandal to them as it is to
us.
Many of us who serve the
Lord expect the Lord to treat us well. We expect the Lord to bless us
with wealth, health, status and a good life. This was what Peter and the apostles thought as
well. Peter asked Jesus, “What about us? We have left everything and followed
you.” Many good Catholics are scandalized that they suffer much by
serving the Lord, when they are misunderstood, wrongly criticized and
unappreciated in church ministries. Sometimes they suffer in their personal
life because of tragedies that struck the family, quarrels and divisions or
health issues concerning loved ones. They feel that the Lord had betrayed
them. This was what St Teresa of Avila complained to the
Lord. Once, she was travelling to another convent and she fell off a
horse while crossing a cold stream. The current was so strong. She
lost her footing and was almost swept away. When she complained to the
Lord, He said, “Do not complain, daughter, for it is ever thus that I treat
My friends.” St Teresa responded, “Ah, Lord, it is also on that account
that you have so few!”
The truth is that the
Lord’s promise is not primarily that of this world. The values of the Kingdom are not
the values of this world. Hence, He said, “Many who are first will be
last, and the last first.” He has come to change the world’s value
system. Instead of power, He spoke of service. Instead of glory, He
spoke of the joy of making a difference in the lives of others. Instead
of controlling and dominating people, He spoke of being one with them in
fraternal love as brothers and sisters. Instead of territory, He spoke of
a love that transcends space and time. This was what the Lord said to
Peter, “I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers,
sisters, father, children or land for my sake and the sake of the gospel who
will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children
and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the
world to come, eternal life.” So we need to purify ourselves even
when we offer sacrifices to the Lord, both ritually and even in good
deeds. Let us offer our sacrifice with pure, holy and contrite hearts
with minds renewed in Christ, for St Paul says, “Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may
discern what is the will of God–what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
(Rom 12:2)
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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