What exactly is a "spiritual sacrifice," per 1 Peter 2:5?

[panther]

In 1 Peter 2:5, Peter tells us to “form a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

What is meant by a spiritual sacrifice in this case?

Thanks!

 

[HamtramckSteve]

One of the facets of a “spiritual sacrifice” is uniting our sufferings to Christ’s, as St. Paul urges us to do.

Another facet is the Eucharist. It’s the same sacrifice offered on Calvary, but in an unbloody manner.

 

[COPLAND_3]

St. Thomas Aquinas says this,

**A devout layman is united with Christ by spiritual union through faith and charity, but not by sacramental power: consequently he has a spiritual priesthood for offering spiritual sacrifices, of which it is said (Psalm 1:19): “A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit”; and (Romans 12:1): “Present your bodies a living sacrifice.” Hence, too, it is written (1 Peter 2:5): “A holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices.” **

 

[AmbroseSJ]

I wonder also if St. Peter was contrasting the imperfect but physical Jewish sacrifice in the Temple, with the spiritual sacrifice we, as a royal priesthood offer to the Father through both our High Priest, and Victim, Jesus Christ in the sacrifice of the Mass. But further than that, we offer ourselves, and our will to God as a sacrifice of love, thanksgiving and repentance, in union with that of our Redeemer.

A very perceptive question!

 

[drafdog]

If you are a young person (teen or younger) it means taking out the garbage without complaint, helping clean up after dinner, keeping your room neat, doing your homework, etc.
If you are a little older, it might be volunteering to drive to the store to do the family grocery shopping, organizing and running the laundry for the household, helping younger family members with homework, going to younger siblings’ sporting events and cheering like mad even when they’re losing.
If you are an adult it means bringing home a small bouquet of flowers now and again for the wife for no special reason, going out together just the two of you for a quiet meal, making sure the children have their homework done, rooms clean etc before going out to play, passing up a new outfit at the mall so that the kids have shoes that fit properly, giving up bridge night to go to the kids’ play at the school auditorium, trading in the fun two seater for a sedan with room for the baby seat.
I think you see where this is going. The idea of a sacrifice is that something dies. In the old testament it was an ox, bull, goat, sheep, bird or whatever. This was clearly a physical sacrifice because a living animal was killed. Today we “spiritually die” to ourselves in order to place someone else ahead of ourselves.
Religion is about dying. We die to ourselves continually so that when the time comes to die physically there is no longer a fear of death because we have done sufficient dying for others that the ego is no longer important.

Matthew