Sacrifice

Monsignor Luigi Giussani, the founder of the ecclesial movement, Communion and Liberation is one of my favorite authors. He wrote: "The cross of Christ revealed, on the one hand, the dominion that sacrifice has on the life of all and, on the other hand that its meaning was not necessarily negative, or better, that it had a mysteriously positive significance: it was the condition for men to reach their destiny.... Sacrifice becomes a moral value... when it becomes a... response to Christ's death. If sacrifice is accepting the circumstances of life, as they happen... then sacrifice becomes the keystone of all life — life's value is in the sacrifice one lives."

In Jeremiah there is a verse which says, "I will put anguish in them so that they will find me." We humans have such a hard time with sacrifice. We shun it if we can. But what if it is the coin of the realm for heaven? Revelations 3:18 says: "Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich..." What if this "gold" is sacrifice? Am I willing to store up this sort of treasure in heaven?

In coming times there may not be enough of anything for anyone. Am I willing to share even the last bit I have left rather than say, "No, I need this, I have none to share with you."? I believe that we will have a much greater opportunity to sacrifice in the coming times and whether or not we do will prove whether or not Christ will find any faith on Earth when He returns. He asked if there would be any so there must be a possibility that there would not be.


Sacrifice is a moral value that must be planted firmly in our lives now while it has a chance to take root. Is Christ the only one to sacrifice? No, if our goal is to be like him. He gave everything, we must be willing to do the same in the circumstances of our own lives. Store up for yourselves this sort of treasure in heaven.