Catechism of the Catholic Church

2099 It is right to offer sacrifice to God as a sign of adoration and gratitude, supplication and communion: "Every action done so as to cling to God in communion of holiness, and thus achieve blessedness, is a true sacrifice." ¹⁶

2100 Outward sacrifice, to be genuine, must be the expression of spiritual sacrifice: "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit...." ¹⁷ The prophets of the Old Covenant often denounced sacrifices that were not from the heart or not coupled with love of neighbor. ¹⁸ Jesus recalls the words of the prophet Hosea: "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." ¹⁹ 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 By uniting ourselves with his sacrifice we can make our lives a sacrifice to God.