What is sacrifice?

10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
(Hebrews 10:10-14)

Anyone who has had some experience of self-giving love, whether from parents or caregivers, spouses, teachers or friends, can at least begin to imagine what the self-giving love of Jesus is. If we begin with these experiences, the experiences that make us human and give us an inkling of ultimate human fulfillment, we are pointing out to people, without using the word, that Christian sacrifice is already present in their lives. They already know, without anyone having to tell them, that this is the most beautiful thing in their lives, the most beautiful thing that they can hope for. From that awareness, for suffering passes while love remains, they will more easily put into perspective the difficult and painful things that generally accompany self-giving love. They will see that it is the self-giving love and not the suffering that accompanies it that is the essence of the sacrifice of Christ. They will be able to see that it is the self-giving love that they share with others that is the essence of their own sacrifice. Sacrifice will have been unveiled.

Peace and love,

Sue

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)