Sacrifice and Priest for God

In the words of Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop:

"How marvelous is the priesthood of the Christian, for he is both the victim that is offered on his own behalf, and the priest who makes the offering. He does not need to go beyond himself to seek what he is to immolate to God: with himself and in himself he brings the sacrifice he is to offer God for himself. The victim remains and the priest remains, always one and the same. Immolated, the victim still lives: the priest who immolates cannot kill. Truly it is an amazing sacrifice in which a body is offered without being slain and blood is offered without being shed."

Saint Paul says: "I appeal to you by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, living and holy." We are all called to be both sacrifice to God and his priest. Embrace holiness and chastity. Put on the armor of Christ with his cross acting as your protection from evil. Pray always and live in the Holy Ghost. Make your heart an altar to God. Present your body to God for sacrifice with full confidence. God wants us to live by faith. He wants our self-surrender. He wants our offering of free will.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching