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Question:
I want
to
better
understand
“sacrifice”
as it
pertains
to the
Old and
New
Testament.
In the
Old
Testament
there
appear
to be
many
animals
sacrificed
to
include
the
sprinkling
of
blood.
Why?
Also is
this
sacrifice
somehow
related
to the
Eucharist
becoming
the
“living
sacrifice”
during
the
Mass?
Answer:
The
concept
of
sacrifice
in the
Hebrew
world
was
strictly
used to
describe
religious
rites
and
objects.
Sacrifice
was a
joyful,
festive
time of
thanksgiving
to God
and the
sacrifices
performed
were
gladly
offered
as an
expression
of one’s
attitude
toward
God.
The
larger
the
sacrifices
offered
the
greater
the joy
one is
expressing
towards
God. The
stress
was on
giving,
not on
the
giving
up.
Sacrifices
were
offered
for
favors
and
expressions
of
thanksgiving
for
favors
received
from
God.
Sacrificial
offerings
represented
the
primary
means of
worship
of God.
The Book
of
Leviticus
is the
primary
document
for
types of
sacrificial
offerings
to be
made
though
throughout
many of
the
books in
the Old
Testament
we find
sacrifices
being
offered.
The
early
Israelites
offer
sacrifices
for many
reasons;
Noah for
thanksgiving,
Job was
seen as
a
righteous
and
pious
man
because
he
offered
frequent
sacrifices,
and
Moses
sealed
the
covenant
at Mt.
Sinai
through
the
offering
of the
blood of
an
oxen.
The
gifts
offered
usually
reflected
a
nomadic
(shepherds
with
flocks
of
animals)
or
agricultural
(farmers
offering
the
first
fruits
of grain
or
wine).
We also
read of
offerings
of
incense
which
sweetness
of smell
is
pleasing.
The
elements
of
sacrifice
help us
to
understand
the
meaning
and
motivation.
Sacrifice
was the
way the
human
being
could
give a
gift to
God.
Sacrifice
also was
a way to
show
homage
to God.
Sacrifices
were
offered
to atone
and
expiate
sin
(make up
for and
release)
for
one’s
offenses.
Sacrifice
was a
way to
share
communion
with
God.
Blood is
essential
to
physical
life.
Its
critical
role for
sustaining
life
helped
the
Israelites
elevate
blood to
a high
status
symbol.
We find
in the
Old
Testament
the
prohibition
against
eating
blood.
Blood
was seen
as
bearer
of life
given to
God in
atonement
for
human
sins.
The
blood of
the
animal
offered
substituted
for the
blood of
sinful
humans.
When
Moses
sealed
the
covenant
at Mt
Sinai
between
God and
his
people
he used
the
blood of
an oxen
sprinkled
on the
altar
and the
people
as a
sign of
the
covenant
between
them and
God.
Since
blood is
a life
giving
force,
this
powerful
sign
states
that the
people
of God
are
willing
to give
their
lives
for
their
faith in
God and
God in
return
will
protect
his
people
and make
of them
a great
nation.
With the
establishment
of the
Temple
in
Jerusalem
the
focus of
sacrificial
worship
changed
from a
few of
the
earlier
ideas of
sacrifice.
The
purpose
of the
Temple
was to
house
God, to
feed God
in
exchange
for
God’s
protection.
The
annual
trip to
Jerusalem
to offer
sacrifices
at the
Temple
to God
became a
primary
responsibility
of all
the
Jewish
faithful.
The
priest
now had
greater
control
of
Temple
worship
until
the Fall
of
Jerusalem
in 70 AD
and the
destruction
of the
Temple.
With the
destruction
of the
Temple
the
primary
mean of
worship
shifted
from
sacrificial
offering
to
prayer.
Relationship
between
the
Eucharist
and
Sacrifice
Sacrifice
becomes
one of
the key
ways to
understand
both the
death of
Christ
and the
celebration
of the
Eucharist
that he
left us
as his
memorial.
By
participating
in the
Eucharist
we
participate
in the
Paschal
Mystery
of
Christ’s
dying
and
rising,
which is
made
present
for us
in the
Eucharistic
sacrifice
of the
Mass.
In
participating
at
Eucharist
the
community
joins
together
in
praise
and
worship
of God.
We echo
in our
lives as
St. Paul
urged
the
Church
in Rome
(Romans
12:1), “
I urge
you
therefore,
by the
mercies
of God
to offer
your
bodies
as a
living
sacrifice,
holy and
pleasing
to God,
your
spiritual
worship.”
The
whole
assembly
of the
faithful,
from the
hands of
the
priest,
offers
the
sacrifice
of
Christ
to the
Father,
the
members
of the
assembly
are
called
to offer
their
bodies
as a
living
sacrifice,
holy and
pleasing
to God.
Our part
is to
offer
ourselves
as a
spiritual
sacrifice
in the
charitable
works we
do
through
our
bodies
united
to the
faith in
our
heart in
the name
of the
love of
God.
There is
no need
to
substitute
the
blood of
an
animal
for
ourselves
since it
is the
blood of
Christ,
his body
and our
bodies
and
lives as
the
actual
sacrificial
offering
made to
the
Father.
Fr. Tom
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