Sacrifices can range from fasting to bodily asceticism (cold showers, physical work) to offering up pain (such as cancer patients could). Even the day-to-day inconveniences we face can be offered up for souls.

Jesus’ suffering and death redeemed us from our sins. This means he paid a price we could never pay on our own.

Yet, this doesn’t mean our salvation is automatic. That is obvious from the many warnings that Jesus gives about the possibility of souls being lost (see Matthew 25, for instance). Salvation is a gift of God, but he won’t force it on us. He wants our cooperation.

The lives of the saints manifest the many sacrificial things they needed to do in order to die to their own will and cooperate with the Holy Spirit for God’s plan for their lives.

We know, for example, that many of them suffered great trials, accusations and, like the martyrs, the willingness to die for Christ by cooperating with his grace when told they must renounce God or die.

While we never know what we may be asked of in life on this earth, one thing we do know is that if we accept with humility whatever comes our way, God will bring good out of it. We hear in Scripture that “all things work for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28). This is especially hard to believe when the good does not appear good or in fact requires suffering, sacrifices or changes in our lives that we would not choose for ourselves.