Book 4, Chapter 8: Of The Oblation Of Christ Upon The Cross, And Of Resignation Of Self.
Chapter Focus: When we receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we should allow Him to change us, mold us into His disciple. It does us no good to receive Holy Communion, even being mindful for that reception and blessing, and then return from the Altar unchanged. Where is the meaning in that? Which is not to say that we don’t wander through periods of distraction and relapsing into sin. In this passage, Thomas is using the Voice of Christ to call us to join Christ at the Cross with our emptiness, so that the gift we bring to the Altar is ourselves. We need to imitate Christ by freely offering our empty selves to God the Father. Like the Good Thief, we must empty ourselves so that we may be with Him in Paradise (Lk 23:39-43).
Chapter 8, In Short.
1. Because Christ offered Himself on the Cross to God the Father for our sins, we also ought to offer ourselves likewise to Him daily.
2. Offer yourself to Christ, and give yourself fully to God, in order that your offering may be accepted.
The text of Chapter 8: Of The Oblation Of Christ Upon The Cross, And Of Resignation Of Self.
The Voice of the Christ:
Of My Own will I offered Myself to God the Father on the Cross for your sins with outstretched hands and naked body, so that nothing remained in Me that did not become fully a sacrifice for the Divine propitiation. So you also ought to offer yourself willingly every day to Me for a pure and holy oblation with all your strength and affections, even to the utmost powers of your heart. What more do I require of you than that you study to resign yourself completely to Me? Whatever you give except yourself, is meaningless to me; for I do not seek your gift, but you.
2. As it would not be sufficient for you even if you had all things except Me, so that whatever you would give Me, if you do not give Me yourself, cannot please Me. Offer yourself to Me, and give yourself fully to God, so your offering will be accepted. Behold I offered Myself fully to the Father for you. I gave My whole body and blood for food, that you might remain altogether Mine and I yours. But if you stand in yourself, and do not offer yourself freely to My will, your offering is not perfect, and neither will the union between us be complete.
Therefore if you will attain liberty and grace, the freewill offering of yourself into the hands of God ought to go before all your works. For this is the cause that so few are inwardly enlightened and made free, that they do not know how to deny themselves entirely. My word stands sure: “In the same way, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”(Lk 14:33).” You therefore, if you wish to be My disciple, offer yourself to Me with all your heart.