Sacrifice

A sacrifice is an offering or act of propitiation (atonement)

• a sacred or ritual offering
• from Latin sacri (sacred) + facere "to make, to do"
  • from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"
  • thus "make done"
• as opposed to sacrare, which means "to make sacred", sacrifice is a sacred offering not an act of making holy unto itself

Per CCC 2099

It is right to offer sacrifice to God as a sign of adoration and gratitude, supplication and communion: "Every action done so as to cling to God in communion of holiness, and thus achieve blessedness, is a true sacrifice."

Jesus Christ is the perfect and only complete sacrifice

From CCC 1545:

The redemptive sacrifice of Christ is unique, accomplished once for all; yet it is made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Church. The same is true of the one priesthood of Christ; it is made present through the ministerial priesthood without diminishing the uniqueness of Christ's priesthood: "Only Christ is the true priest, the others being only his ministers."

Old Testament or "Old Temple" sacrifice

Old Testament, Israelite sacrifices were called "korban" (a noun)

• the Hebrew qrb (קרב) means "be near"
  • is related to Akkadian (Ancient Middle East) qribtu, for "act of offering"
  • thus near to God through a sacrifice to him

Types of Old Testament Sacrifices

Burnt offerings (olah for holocaust)	sacrifice of thanks & devotion, as well as for atonement the animal is not consumed = for God alone the sacrificial victim is an “unblemished” animal (see Gn 4:4) the blood was sprinkled around the altar the animal skin was given to the priest the rest of the animal consumed by fire the smoke = “pleasing aroma” for God (Lv 1:9) the smoke “sanctified” (make holy) the altar
Grain offerings (minchah for gift)	·       grain usually in the form of bread ·       also wine (“fruit of the earth”) ·       handful of flour or oil burnt as offering ·       the rest consumed by the priests
Peace or Slaughter offerings (shelamim for peace & prosperity)	·       sacrifice of thanksgiving ·       the animal is slaughtered and consumed ·       the fat of the animal is burnt as offering the best portion to God ·       the priests received the breast or shoulder; the offerer received the rest for consumption the day of or the next
Sin & Trespass offerings (chatat for sin from “to miss or to err”; asham for guilt)	·       sin offerings could be an animal or grain ·       for atonement of unintentional sins ·       which could be for the entire nation of Israel ·       “guilt” or “trespass” offerings” were for intentional sin and required reparation (repayment of harm done; see Lv 7:2)
Notes on Passover and the  Passover Lamb	·       from Exodus Ch. 12 ·       the “lamb” is a 1 year old sheep or goat ·       and must be “without blemish” ·       the lamb is slaughtered, the blood applied to the doorposts & lintels (supporting beam at top of the door) ·       the blood marks the houses that Angel of God will “pass over” when taking the first born males of Egypt (Ex 12:27) ·       the blood is to be applied with a “hyssop” plant ·       no foreigner is to eat it