Of course, the question arises, or at least it did when I first heard it, is there are connection between "offer it up" and Desmond's "lift it up"? (that's a reference to Lost for all you non-geeks out there)
Emotitron Jr. | 10.11.05 - 3:04 pm | #

I thought that Desmond was telling Jack to "lift the problem in prayer."
Julie D. | Homepage | 10.11.05 - 3:09 pm | #

Thanks for this commentary! Fr. Corapi was talking about "offering it up" as his mother and the nuns used to tell him. It's a new concept for me to get used to. With all the terrible things that have happened to me and my family (i.e.father shot and killed mother when I was 4 3/4 yr old), well, I feel for Job! What a long and terrible road we have to travel sometimes. Praise God he's given us a way that is True!
Lana | Homepage | 10.11.05 - 3:29 pm | #

My mother always used to tell us to offer it up for the poor souls in Purgatory, which was intensely irritating... Not, of course, the concept of offering up sufferings, but the pat way in which our (admittedly petty) problems were dismissed. I wonder if anyone else heard the same thing from his or her mother? It's a Catholic upbringing thing.
MrsDarwin | Homepage | 10.11.05 - 4:44 pm | #

I especially love this part about Catholicism.
Hannah | 10.11.05 - 6:19 pm | #

Well, of course, my husband heard it from HIS mother who taught it to me ... who, at the time thought, "What the???"

Yes, you can't go around telling people that all the time or it is a "knee jerk", blow off reaction. It's got to come from the person...
Julie D. | Homepage | 10.11.05 - 7:02 pm | #

Thanks!
Jennifer | 10.11.05 - 8:16 pm | #

I heard this phrase at a Catholic dinner and now say it often. It puts our petty problems in perspective. Also, at the time we say "offer it up" we moved our attention from us "poor me" to love and service. I actually like it.
Hector | Homepage | 10.11.05 - 9:42 pm | #

If you say the Morning Offering, this is automatically taken care of, but sharp irritations/hurts remind us to offer them specifically.
The idea of our suffering, which is inevitable in this fallen world, not being wasted is deeply comforting.
Anne | 10.12.05 - 8:04 am | #

Beautiful post, Julie. I really like your explanation.

God Bless!
ukok | Homepage | 10.12.05 - 8:33 am | #

About your statement:

You also can offer it up without any intention at all and give it to God to use as He will.

This (and the preceeding sentence) makes suffering sound like some kind of spiritual "soul power" commodity to be generated and traded among souls, which in turn makes God sound like a commodity broker.

I agree that the dead and those who may be in purgatory need our prayers, and that our personal (and collective) suffering should be "offered up" as sacrifice, but this explanation sounds too shallow and sweet to me.

There has to be a deeper and richer meaning to it all.
Mark W. | Homepage | 10.12.05 - 11:46 am | #

Mark, certainly that is not how I think of it at all but I think that is one of the things that Vatican II definitely wanted to stop, was the "commodity broker" trading vision of God.

The preceding sentence which dealt with my offering hunger on a fast day toward my parents' conversion ... I always think of St. Therese's example of offering her sickness and tiredness to help missionaries (which was how she had wanted to serve God before being denied that by her order).

In my case when I offer suffering to God to use as he will then I am purposely uniting my suffering to that of Jesus on the cross. Jesus knew what His suffering would accomplish. I can only hope and pray that my suffering will also be used by God to accomplish something that I cannot imagine at that moment whether it is in my life or in some other way. So I offer it to Him ... unite my purpose to His ... in a way it is a "recommitment" that I will take whatever happens and dedicate it to God's will. (Don't know if that makes it any clearer.)

However, I am the first to agree that my explanations are often not the best. That's why I linked to the other site which I felt did a much better job of explaining it.

Did you read that? Perhaps that helps.
Julie D. | Homepage | 10.12.05 - 11:53 am | #

Oops. Missed the link. Sorry.

I know you Julie better than to think that you believe in simple explanations. I did not mean to imply that.
Mark W. | Homepage | 10.12.05 - 12:24 pm | #

Yes, but I am as guilty as the next person (maybe more so!) of not giving the whole picture.
Julie D. | Homepage | 10.12.05 - 1:16 pm | #

My mom always said "Offer it up to the poor souls in Purgatory."
Jacquie | 10.12.05 - 8:39 pm | #