By bringing the humble human gifts of bread and wine – our earthly food and drink – and placing them on the altar, we perform, often without thinking of it, that most ancient, primordial rite that from the first day of human history constituted the core of every religion: we offer a sacrifice to God. “Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock: (Genesis 4: 2-4)
A thousand books have been written on sacrificial offerings, and produce the most varied explanations. All have their own points of view, endeavoring to elucidate the essence of the sacrifice, some finding it in fear, some in joy, some in lower and some in higher causes. And whatever may be the value of all these explanations, it remains indubitable that wherever and whenever man turns to God, he necessarily senses the need to offer him the most precious things that he has, what is most vital for life, as a gift and sacrifice. From the time of Cain and Abel, the blood of sacrifices has daily covered the earth and the smoke of burnt offerings has unceasingly risen to heaven.
Our refined sensibilities are horrified by these blood sacrifices, by these primitive religions. In our horror, however, do we not forget and lose something very basic, very primary, without which in essence there is no religion? For in its ultimate depths religion is nothing other than thirst for God. The psalmist wrote: My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. It seems that perhaps primitive people knew this thirst better, they sensed it more deeply.
To want God means above all to know with one’s whole being that HE IS, that outside of Him there is only darkness, emptiness and meaninglessness, for in him and only in him is the cause, the meaning, the goal and the joy of all existence. This means to love him with our whole heart, our whole mind and our whole being. This means, finally, to feel and to recognize our separation from him and, therefore, our deep desire to be once again united with him. This thirst for God fuels our earthly journey.
Where there is this thirst for God, this yearning for genuine life, there necessarily is sacrifice. In our Liturgy we join with Jesus in offering our very lives back to God in Thanksgiving for the gift of life.