Are you a Hopper?

     In the Old Testament, man's relationship was a lot like this video. Man guarded and protected the land. Man worked and tilled the land to provide for his people. And from man's harvest, he would offer a generous sacrifice to God. What a beautiful image it is to give this little sacrifice to God in remembrance of all that He has done for His people.

     Now we, as people of the New Testament, are called to a new type of sacrifice. It is a sacrifice of ourselves. Our very hearts. Our very lives. WARNING: I am not suggesting that we must each throw ourselves on a huge leaf of "offering" and wait for our predators to come and accept us as a worthy sacrifice. Rather, I am suggesting that we should throw ourselves upon the altar of the Lord.

     The Lord calls us to give Him all of ourselves--our difficulties, our weaknesses, our strengths, our victories--to Him in the Eucharist, that we might die to ourselves, that we might not live for ourselves any longer but for Him. And He calls us to do this as often as we can (at least once a week). But, even more so, we need not wait until the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to completely offer ourselves to God. In every moment of every day--breakfast, work, school, lunch time, coffee breaks, cold-weathered, warm-weathered, working out, cleaning, cooking, sunny days, cloudy days, in every conversation, in every act--we can offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice!

     As seminarians, we are aware of our duty to offer ourselves for you, faithful blog reader, day in and day out. Of course, this is not easy. But you are family, God's family that is, and you were made to be worthy of such a sacrifice. So, today and always, in whatever vocation the Lord is calling you to, live your life with zeal and boldness. And live it always as a humble sacrifice for the Lord!

     And, if you aren't pumped up enough to go out and offer your life for the Lord, here's a short clip that may help: