He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it

“For we are conformed (morphoumetha) to the young bull and to the sheep, as among the tame animals, dying to the world through the putting to the death of the flesh, in order that we might live to God through the Gospel way of life, and ascending as in a truly spiritual and most fragrant sacrifice through the Son to the Father.” St. Cyril of Alexandria, Patrologia Graeca, 68.1013B.

Sometimes we read passages about multiple offerings in the Old Testament and we are not sure what to make of them. Although much can be said about those offerings, here we see 1 element. In sacrificing these animals upon the altar, the Israelites learned (and we with them) that we are to sacrifice ourselves on the altar of Love in offering our whole life to God. By giving up these passions and the many things which chain us and bind us, we die to death and corruption and put on life. Humanity’s problem is not that we owe someone something but rather that we have chosen to try to find life away from Him Who is Life itself.  Let us die to our passions that we might live to God, for He is the True Life.