Hagelin 2 L B pg. 1

I. Intro & Review

When the new translation of the Mass came into usage five years ago, several unfamiliar words appeared. One of those words is “oblation.” What does that mean? Oblation sounds like a terrible ice cream flavor or a great beer, or a B-List horror movie. Oblation? But it’s actually quite important and the main point of today’s homily. So, we’ll come back to it.

Today marks the second week of our discipleship series titled “Follow.” Last week I preached on how fully accepting the adventure of following Christ requires that we first “repent and believe in the Gospel.” Repentance is not firstly about moral behavior, but more like expanding our imagination: to believe in something (or rather SOMEONE) Who transcends our limitED experience and limitING expectations. You cannot truly embark upon following the Lord Jesus if your imagination is restricted, if you are unwilling or unable to picture and believe in a more abundant life.

II. Worship

Our worship hugely helps with this. Accordingly, this week’s topic in the series “worship me.” In today’s Gospel, James, Peter and John hear the Father declare Jesus to be His beloved Son, but they don’t yet grasp that this means Jesus IS God, and one not only to follow, but also worship.

Next weekend we will hear Jesus say: “true worshipers…worship the Father in Spirit and truth.” For the apostles – as with us – becoming “true worshipers” is a process that includes a deepening understanding Who Jesus is, how to follow Him more accurately, and how He is present in the Holy Liturgy.

The Sunday Liturgy (and the prayers we learn) forms a worship-structure that facilitates an encounter with Christ, and through Him the Father and the Holy Spirit. That’s God and the Church’s part of this: Jesus promises to show up in the Liturgy. The liturgy and prayers are given to us; but we will worship badly and not be transformed if we fail to do our part. What is our part in Worship? Oblation.

Hagelin 2 L B pg. 2

III. Oblation

Technically an oblation is anything non- bloody we offer to God. So, the unlucky ram in today’s First Reading is NOT an oblation but a bloody sacrifice (technically called a holocaust). The truer dynamic of Abraham’s life, however, is that of oblation – giving His life to God: leaving his homeland and laying aside his plans to follow God’s call.

Older folks out there: do you remember the Morning Offering? “O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings.” That is your oblation, what you offer to God. “Prayers, works, joys, sufferings” is a summary of everything (both the significant and seemingly mundane); your very life offered to God in a non-bloody manner. My friends, there is no true worship without oblation. You are not really worshipping God if you don’t have “skin in the game.” Let’s take a look at Abraham’s oblation, and two things his worship accomplished.

IV. Detachment & Transformation

The first effect of TRUE worship is detachment and transformation. To be “detached” is to not be ATtached to things of this Earth. If we are attached to earthly things we CRUSH them – if we OFFER them they can be transformed.

Follow me now: it is very telling that the angel calls Isaac the one “whom you love.” Is Abraham unaware that he loves Isaac? Of course not. Then, why does the angel say this? To signify that God is asking Abraham to offer is whatever is dearest. If the thing Abraham loved the most was his iPhone X, that’s what the angel would have asked for. Apparently Abraham was disciplined in his texting Sarah and playing Pokémon Go. Sounds funny, but it’s a true point. The angel would have asked Gollum for the Ring of Power, Midas for his gold, Casanova to be chaste, and for Augustus Caesar to give up his power.

I ideally we get to the point where – like Abraham – we are ready to offer the Lord everything. Notice, I didn’t say GIVE to God, but OFFER it to Him. Detachment from something doesn’t mean we must GIVE it away (OR that God will take it); but offer it willing to let it go if God deems that better for us. Doing this habitually leads to detachment from the things of earth and greater freedom to love God and neighbor. Hagelin 2 L B pg. 3

Brothers and Sisters, God doesn’t need what we offer Him. The Almighty didn’t need proof of Abraham’s loyalty: God knew what would happen. The logic, therefore, is that God cannot transform us when we fail to offer ourselves to Him. And NOTE(!!!) we naturally have angst about God taking what is most precious (Abraham doubtless did on the journey to Moriah), but God DOES NOT end up taking what we cannot bear to give up, but INSTEAD provides the offering Himself. The ram caught in the thicket is offered instead of Isaac, Abraham’s detachment from the world is confirmed and strengthened, and they get a free Barbeque lunch on top of it! By offering our lives to God, He can transform them…and give them back to us with interest

And in today’s Second Reading Paul beautifully sums up why we should not be afraid to offer our lives to the Lord: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how we he not also give us everything else along with Him?”

V. Enlightenment

The second dimension of worship is enlightenment. In today’s First Reading the Lord is teaching Abraham (and us) that He, Yahweh, the God of Judaism and Christianity, not only will not ask for child sacrifice, but prohibits it. Other religions in Abraham’s time and place regularly practiced child sacrifice, so it is a crucial message.

Why doesn’t God just tell us that? Well, He does. The sanctity of human life is ingrained in the Creation story, and child sacrifice is forbidden in the Law of Moses; but dramatic actions speak louder than words. For example, today’s Gospel concludes that James, Peter and John were “questioning what rising from the dead meant.” When just earlier that week, Jesus told them about His death and resurrection. HE JUST TOLD THEM!

In other words, we are incredibly dense, but the dramatic story of Abraham and Isaac POWERFULLY makes the point that God will not require child sacrifice. This enlightenment dimension of oblation and worship, is that it clarifies who God is, who we are, and how we are to act in light of God’s love and plan for us. Without Abraham’s oblation – his willingness to go on this journey and become detached even from his beloved son Isaac – he (and we) would have Hagelin 2 L B pg. 4 been deprived of a powerful lesson: enlightenment about Who God is, and how He provides. If you don’t offer yourself to the Lord, you rob Him of the privilege of speaking into your experience, and showing you how He loves you uniquely – of enlightening you in any PERSONAL way. If you don’t have “real skin in the game” you won’t be enlightened.

VI. Prayer

Finally, real skin in the game directly relates to oblation and prayer – both at Mass and as individuals. There is only one rule. Be real. I have said that to you before. There is only one important rule of prayer. Be real. Acknowledging what is on your heart, relateing that to God (oblation part of this), receiving how Her holds you or speaks to you, and then responding as prompted.

Our oblation, is offering the good, the bad and the ugly in our lives; the significant with the mundane – this allows the Lord Jesus to transform and speak to our lives. This over time establishes our experience with the Lord, so that more and more convinced of His goodness, power, and love – His care about our hopes, dreams, joys and sufferings – we are willing to be braver and braver in what we offer Him as He transforms what we offer we become more detached from the vanities of this world, and thus freer and more peaceful, more alive, and more full of joy.