the light of sacrifice
“Upon its altar Solomon offered a thousand holocausts. In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.” —1 Kings 3:4-5
After Solomon sacrificed a thousand holocausts, the Lord appeared to him. The Lord wants to reveal Himself to us, but we have built walls of selfishness separating us from Him. If we accept His grace to change from selfishness to self-sacrifice, we will be receptive to the Lord’s revelation. Sacrifice is the prerequisite for receiving many of the Lord’s revelations.
Noah and Abraham offered sacrifices to the Lord before He revealed His covenant to them (Gn 8:20ff; 15:9ff). After offering many sacrifices during the ark’s procession into Jerusalem (2 Sm 6:13ff), David received the astounding revelation that his kingdom would endure forever (2 Sm 7:16). The ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, the Son of God, on the altar of the cross was the prerequisite for God’s ultimate revelation of the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit, and the Church.
The purpose of One Bread, One Body is to encourage you to go to Mass daily or as often as possible. We want to prepare you through God’s Word to enter into the continuing presence of Jesus’ once and for all sacrifice on Calvary (see Heb 10:10, 12). Then, as you live the sacrifice of the Mass (which is the memorial of the sacrifice on Calvary), you will receive God’s revelation. You will know God, His plan, and His love. See the light through sacrifice.
Prayer: Father, I will carry my crosses and walk in the light.
Promise: “He pitied them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them at great length.” —Mk 6:34
Praise: St. Ansgar made great personal sacrifices to evangelize the Danish and Swedish peoples. We praise You, Father, for the saints who have gone before us with light for our path.
Reference:
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 1, 2024, through March 31, 2024. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio June 7, 2023"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.