Q: The word ‘sacrifice’ in ordinary American English means to ‘give up.’ It is ALWAYS difficult to explain how the Church uses this word. Am I clear that a synonym for it would be ‘offering?’ If not, please give me a simple synonym for sacrifice.
A: “Offering” works. The word “sacrifice” is used quite a bit in contemporary conversation. Some soldiers pay the “ultimate sacrifice.” Parents sacrifice for their children. Even baseball has two types of sacrifice (bunt and fly).