CCC 2100

Outward sacrifice, to be genuine, must be the expression of spiritual sacrifice: "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit...."¹⁷ PS 51:17. The prophets of the Old Covenant often denounced sacrifices that were not from the heart or not coupled with love of neighbor.¹⁸ Cf. Am 5:21-25; Isa 1:10-20. Jesus recalls the words of the prophet Hosea: "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice."¹⁹ Mt 9:13; 12:7; Cf. Hos 6:6. The only perfect sacrifice is the one that Christ offered on the cross as a total offering to the Father's love and for our salvation.²⁰ Cf. Heb 9:13-14. By uniting ourselves with his sacrifice we can make our lives a sacrifice to God.