When you hear the term offer it up, what exactly goes through your mind?

 

I'll admit that I have not always been filled with great joy and excitement at the idea of offering things up.  I have often failed to see its deeper meaning.  Perhaps for many, this is easy to do when we are caught up in the busyness of everyday life.  It can be hard enough to see the natural good and lessons to be learned from all that life throws our way, let alone see God's grace at work in a deeper way.

 

What does it really mean to offer something up?  And why is mortification necessary?

 

Without mortification, we can't live Christian lives.  In order to say "yes" to following Christ, we have to be able to say "no" to anything and everything that does not help us along this journey.

 

Fr. John Hardon sums up nicely the how and why of mortification.

 

The best description of mortification was given by Our Lord. He said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mat 16:24)

 

Mortification, therefore, is self-denial. And self-denial is doing the will of God, even when the Divine will crosses at right angles to our will.  Mortification is the imitation of Christ in the surrender of what we naturally like in order to please God.

 

Christ came to make all things new.  As Christians we have difficulties, hardships, frustrations and challenges like everyone else out in the world.  Through God's grace we are not only able to mortify ourselves when we get out of check, but everything in our life takes on a whole new meaning when done out of love.  In this way, our actions become an offering to God that He takes pleasure in.  Through God's grace this is made possible.  "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Phi 2:13)

 

 

Practically applying this to your life

 

Offer to God your sufferings and tribulations, but don't stop there.  Offer Him your joys, the activities that you take great pleasure in and even the simple tasks that make up your everyday life.

 

When making an offering to God, that offering can merit graces for you and others.  Having a specific intention for what you are offering to God can help you be more aware of this reality.

 

When I was in seminary, a group of us were working in the kitchen.  I remember a visiting guest looking confused at one of the religious brothers who was working with great joy and diligence.  He did not understand why he was working so hard and was so joyful.  When he asked the brother about this, he answered that he was offering his work up to God for the salvation of souls.

 

What are specific things in your everyday life that you could better do out of love for God? 

 

Some ideas:

• Beginning your day with a morning offering

• Getting out of bed the first time your alarm goes off

• Getting on the treadmill or going for a jog

• Doing an act of kindness that goes unoticed

• Mortifying any inclination to complain and offering God gratitude for something.

 

What specific intentions could you offer these things up for? 

 

Some ideas:

• For the conversion of a specific person

• The souls in purgatory

• A loved one in need

• In reparation for sins

• Those alone and suffering

 

Some final thoughts from Fr. John Hardon:

 

We can practice mortification by giving up some delicacy in food or drink, or some pleasure that we could legitimately have. But we also practice mortification every time we patiently accept whatever trial or pain God sends us, and every time we faithfully carry out whatever His mysterious providence commands of us.

 

It is this second kind of mortification that Jesus had in mind when He told us that “anyone who loses his life for my sake, will find it.” (Mat. 16:25)

 

 

If you found this helpful please share