The offer of the Offertory

Dave has just finished dinner at Mikhail’s house. When Dave brings his plate into the kitchen, he watches Mikhail calmly clearing all other plates. And Dave wonders why Mikhail would go to such an extent to wash the plates while he could always do them in the morning considering that it has been a tiring day

Dave asks, “Mikhail, the plates can always be done in the morning, can’t they?”

“Yes, they can. But I have to go for Mass in the morning”, says Mikhail.

“Well, it can be done after Mass, can’t it?”

And Mikhail says,

“Dave, at Mass, The infinite Sacrifice of Christ the Son in form of the life giving bread and saving cup are offered up to God, the Father for the expiation of our sins for he asked us to do the same in memory of Him during the Last Supper with the Apostles. In the offertory, the Priest prays asking that the gifts to be offered be made holy and acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. This is our chance to offer up our little of the day to the infinite gift of bread and wine that are going to become body and blood of Christ.

We can do some work and offer that good work into the offertory for the Mass like Abel did and Abraham was ready to give and many others. Our offertory like this cleaning of plates is incomparable to the infinite value of Christ’s sacrifice, yet our bit is like the two drops of water the Priests adds in the wine, that is mixed with it and dissolves into the wine.

So also my work is united to the work of Christ’s on the cross and has redemptive value if I am ready to sanctify it, offer it up and enter into my own glory like Jesus entered into his. But for that, I need to offer my bit of the day like Jesus offered all. I need to offer something with love like Jesus offered Love itself.”