Anyone who has offered his heart to God belongs to God, and God is
the Lord of his life! This is particularly clear in the giving of
offerings. We offer to God, in acknowledgment and gratitude, the bread
and the wine which are in fact the symbol of our suffering and efforts,
our hope and our love, and of our working together with Him. These gifts
are representative of us because, like all gifts, they are the symbol
of those who offer them. They express our willingness to please and our
friendliness and readiness to offer what we have to Him who has showered
us with all good things. We do not offer gifts because they are
necessary, but because they are an acknowledgment of the other and
express our gratitude.
And God rewards us in His divine way! Our gifts, which are simple
but true expressions of our lives, become for us divine marvels. By the
strength of God's Word, they are transformed from bread and wine into
the Body and Blood of Christ. What a miraculous transformation! God is
unequaled in His gifts. We bring a little bread and wine, the fruits of
our labors and of our working together with God, and He, in these very
offerings, offers Himself and becomes our food!
It is, therefore, important to note this transformation and to take
part in it with our hearts and our love. This tribute, in the form of
gifts offered, is complete when we put into the bread and wine our own
lives, our suffering, sickness, hardships, our families and the world
itself. This is also the moment of our sacrifice, and of our
understanding with Christ who offers His life for us in every Mass.
Celebrate Mass With Your HeartFr. Slavko Barbaric, O.F.M.
Reprinted from
Witness Ministries,
a lay apostolate dedicated to renewing appreciation for the Mass as the
greatest gift which God has given to His beloved spouse, the Church.
Their mission is to show how, in the Eucharistic Liturgy, Jesus renews
and transforms us–and the world–in His life and love.