Acceptable as Abel

Learning how to offer an acceptable sacrifice

02/15/2021

Genesis 4:1-15, 25 The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the LORD.” Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil. In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil, while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen. So the LORD said to Cain: “Why are you so resentful and crestfallen. If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.”

Here is my personal definition for the word “sacrifice,” which you will not find in any dictionary. Sacrifice is some suffering willingly endured for the sake of love. For example, you made such a sacrifice this morning by coming to 7 a.m. Mass on Monday morning in a snow storm in 7 degree temperature! I really expected to celebrate Mass this morning with only my Guardian Angel in the congregation, and of course, Ed’s cat. Your suffering this morning is part of what makes the “Holy Sacrifice of the Mass” really a sacrifice.

One of my favorite Scripture verses is Col. 1:24, where St. Paul talks about his own definition of sacrifice, saying: “Now, I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church.” Now you know where I borrowed my own definition of sacrifice, from St. Paul. Right in the middle of the Mass – at the heart of the Eucharistic liturgy – the priest says: “Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the Almighty Father.” Part of your sacrifice this morning was driving through snow to come to Mass, and it is indeed “acceptable to God the Almighty Father.” Why? Because your sacrifice shows how much you love God; that is, more than life and limb. Sacrifice is some suffering willingly endured for the sake of love. The key ingredient is love.

This definition of sacrifice may shed some light on the sacrifices of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4, our first reading. First, we must recall that Cain was a farmer, “a tiller of the soil,” while Abel was a shepherd, “a keeper of the flocks.” They both have noble professions, and so in that respect they are equal. Furthermore, they both make sacrifices. Cain offers “the fruit of the soil,” and Abel offers “one of the best firstlings of his flock.” But did you catch a subtle difference in the two sacrifices? Cain brought “an offering from the fruit of the soil,” but Abel brought “one of the best firstlings of his flock.” In other words, Cain made a mediocre gift, while Abel brought his best.

What was missing between the two brothers? Love. When you love someone, especially God, you want to give them your best, not your least and not your leftovers. Listen to my definition of sacrifice again: “Sacrifice is some suffering willingly endured for the sake of love.” Mother Teresa often repeated: “Do small things with great love,” which is another way of saying, “Make small sacrifices with great love.” That is what made Abel’s sacrifice so acceptable, he sacrificed the firstlings of his flock with great love. Love is the key ingredient.

My friends, we may not be farmers or shepherds, but does that mean we have no sacrifice to offer to God? Not at all. The modern equivalent of Cain’s fruits and Abel’s flocks is our time, treasure and talent. We all have 24 hours in a day, and 7 days in a week that we can spend on all sorts of pursuits. But what if we took a little of that time and sacrificed it to God by coming to Mass at least on Sundays and holy days? But don’t do it begrudgingly but rather gladly, even lovingly, and then it will be an acceptable sacrifice to God. The key ingredient is love.

We all have treasure, and in this country we usually have much more than we need. What if we took a little of that treasure and sacrificed it to church and charity? Again, don’t do it reluctantly, or just for a tax deduction, but eagerly, even lovingly, and it will be a sacrifice as acceptable as that of Abel. And thirdly, we all have talents and abilities to do certain things easily and efficiently, like the person who came at 6 a.m. today with their snow blower and cleared off the sidewalks of the church. What if you took a little of your talent and offered it to God to build up his Kingdom on earth? If you shared your talents with love, I am convinced it will be an acceptable sacrifice to Almighty God.

The Genesis story of Cain and Abel is not some mythological fairytale about sibling rivalry that finally ends in fratricide. It is a story about sacrifice, and what kind of sacrifice is acceptable to God, namely, a sacrifice of love. And we find the highest expression of that acceptable sacrifice here at the Mass, where we receive, in the words of Hebrews 12:24, “the sprinkled Blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!