"The grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in performing the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the holy Spirit." (Rms. 15:15-16)

The Offertory is the Entrance Rite to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The minister prepares the gifts.

Bread and wine have always been the principal offerings by the people in the offertory procession. In the Medieval church other items were offered -- oil, candles, etc.... From the eleventh century onward, the practice of donating money gradually took the place of the other offerings.

Following this ritual, the priest takes the bread and wine to the altar and offers them in a prayer recognizing Almighty God's place as giver of all gifts. "Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread/wine to offer...." This prayer is a celebratory praise to God. While the Roman liturgy added such trappings as incensing the gifts (and in some cases the people) the most important part of the ritual is the presentation of the Eucharistic elements for the Mass.

The priest ends this ritual with a washing of the hands (only logical in ancient days after touching so many things during the offering) for a practical and spiritual purpose, the latter being the prayer for spiritual purity: "May the Lord wash away my iniquity and cleanse me of my sin." The priest then invites the people make a spiritual offering and join with him in asking God to accept the gifts: "Pray brothers and sisters that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the Almighty Father."

The Offertory should not be wasted. While we are awaiting the continuation of the Mass, quite possibly singing a hymn, we should be adding to the gifts of the altar with the most personal and meaningful gifts we could offer up: our lives, our hopes, our dreams, pains, joys, etc.... Our offering of self is uniquely personal and quite distinct from that of the priest. It is through our offering that we truly make a spiritual offering that is both communal and personal.

Psalm 20:4 "May God remember your every offering, and graciously accept you."