Pleasing Sacrifice

Reaction Paper II in our class in Theology of Holy Orders

The term “sacrifice” is always been referred to as an offering. In its original context, “to sacrifice” mean at first only to burnt offerings, then to all kinds of offerings. It is also means “to immolate” then to “to slay”. The least of the sense is “to murder”. However, the most common idea of the word “sacrifice” is that of an offering. That is why we always say we are offering a sacrifice to God and ultimately the greatest sacrifice is Christ’s death on the cross. Here the meaning of the word “sacrifices” is connected to the suffering of Christ on the cross, the sacrifice wherein the Father was pleased. Since Christ is the Son of God, it was undoubtedly that the Father would ignore or reject his Son’s offering.

Evidently, it was in the crucifixion of Christ where the idea of sacrifice got itself related to suffering. It was clearly understood that Christ suffering was a sacrifice. However, such sacrifice (suffering) was not in vain, for it was rewarded with the glory of Resurrection. Now, as followers and believers of Christ, we are commanded to carry our own crosses daily if we want to become his disciples. However, there are again many questions that linger in my mind, like: Will Christianity always be connected with suffering? Are we as Christians be condemned for suffering because that what a Christian is, to share in the life, passion and resurrection of Jesus? Is there a possibility of a future glory without necessarily going into suffering and pain? If Christian life is a life of sacrificing one’s self, does it always entail that we have to suffer one way or the other in order to live our Christian life?

But in today’s global village and cyberspace, I don’t think people will buy anymore to the idea to suffering and pain hoping that this will lead us to heaven. The saying “mag-antus para mag-santos” does not click anymore to the common tao, even to the Christian themselves. I believe that the challenge now for us is to rethink the idea and value of suffering in our lives.

However, come to think of it, suffering is a reality that is happening around us. We could never do away with this human reality. All over the world we could see and hear thousand and millions of people undergoing suffering because of the scourge of war, armed conflict, famine, poverty, hunger, catastrophe and natural calamities, ecological disasters, HIV/AIDS, other debilitating illness and disease that succumbs mankind everyday. Such suffering may be a form of sacrifice, however, not because we are undergoing these suffering, rather we are these confronting and trying to eradicate and decimate all of these forms of human suffering and misery. Our sacrifice would be to fight all the sufferings and evils of this world. We should understand that it is not is suffering that we will attain heaven, but through our works and effort of eliminating suffering and human misery that we will be rewarded of heaven, not in the future but rather here and now.

Moreover, I could say that we still cannot do away with this suffering, nevertheless, because in our struggles to fight such human misery and wretchedness, we ourselves are undergoing a form of suffering one way of the other. Still such suffering would be our sacrifice to the betterment of the world and to spread the kingdom of God here and now.

What could be more pleasing than these sacrifices, where one offers still his life for others. And I bet, just as God the Father is please with his Son’s sacrifice on the cross, he too, will be well please with our sacrifice of fighting against oppression and human misery. What could make a Father happier than to see his children live in harmony, peace, and equality?