OFFER ME

OFFER ME

We want to worship God adequately. We want to atone for our sins adequately and be right with God. We want to thank God adequately for the many graces he gives us in spite of our unworthiness. And surely we want to ask God for so many favors.

On our own we can't do these adequately. Even if we die a thousand deaths we can't atone for our sins adequately, nor give utmost worship to God, nor thank Him enough. And our impetratory (asking) power is ever so weak; because we are simply creatures, finite beings. We are nothing before God.

In the Old Covenant the chosen people would offer sacrifices of bullocks, goats or lambs for these four purposes (ACTS, Adoration, Contrition,Thanksgiving, and Supplication). But God was only pleased with their sacrifices because He chose to be, seeing their offerings as expressions of their love. Those animal offerings were actually nothing for God. In fact strictly speaking whatever we give God is not worthy of God. They're all His anyway.

But when Jesus came and offered the ultimate sacrifice of His life on the Cross, He made perfect atonement for all our sins, gave to the FATHER the Supreme act of Worship and Thanksgiving, and made intercession for all our petitions. "All our petitions were gathered up, once for all, in His cry on the Cross and, in His Resurrection, heard by the Father". (CCC #2741). Jesus' gift of Himself to the Father on our behalf was the perfect gift to God, worthy of Him– the gift of God (the Son) to God (the Father). At the same time He could represent us, being God-man.

At the last supper He instituted the Mass, the sacrifice that will perpetuate His offering on the Cross. Now He simply asks us to OFFER HIM again and again for all those four purposes. He is the 'Lamb of God' who takes away our sins. He tells us: "Offer Me". What a gift, what a treasure the Mass is! At Mass the Sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary is made actually present, so we can PLUG INTO IT and offer Jesus to the Father.

That's it? There's more. We also offer ourselves in union with Jesus' offering. "In the Eucharist the Sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the Faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ's sacrifice present on the altar makes it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with His offering" (CCC #1368). And so joined with Jesus our offerings take on an infinite value at Mass. Now through Jesus we are able to give God adequate worship, atone for our sins, thank Him abundantly, and effectively ask for favors, for ourselves and others.

If only Catholics will truly understand what's in the Mass and look at it with the eyes of faith, they, and we, will venture on going to Mass as often as we can, even daily. May Catholics truly appreciate the Mass, and not just attend it with a vague idea of praying at
Mass, but really praying the Mass, that is, to truly offer Jesus to the Father, and offer themselves (ourselves) in union with Him. Everything can be offered. Every little affliction, misfortune, pain, discomfort. Even our mistakes and sins can be offered in the spirit of genuine Repentance, Worship, Thanksgiving, and Petition.

The more we do this, the more, little by little our lives will become a fragrant offering to God, until we, too, become a pure victim, a holy victim, a spotless victim, holy and acceptable to God.

We will not anymore feel so down or be pushed down by any misfortune. But rather we will see in every little suffering a material to be offered. In the end what will matter is that after this earthly pilgrimage we will one day be with God. For if we have suffered with Him we will also reign with Him.