In Romans 12:1, St. Paul urges us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. There are many ways that we can offer our bodies as a living sacrifice.
One way is by doing penance for the sins of others.
Another way is to offer service in the military to defend the freedom of others even if it means experiencing war, bodily injury, and pain.
Anyone who is a firefighter or police officer who puts themselves in harm’s way to protect the lives of others is offering their body as a living sacrifice.
A mother who will labor to give birth is offering her body as a living sacrifice.
Parents who are not getting enough sleep because of feeding and attending to a new baby are offering their body as a living sacrifice for their baby.
Another way to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice is by living chaste lives.
Living a chaste life is offering our body as a living sacrifice since it is something that can be hard, secular society does not really value chastity, and we may be ridiculed or put down by others when choosing to live a chaste life. In Romans 12:2 St. Paul advises, “Do not conform yourself to this age.” Though Paul lived in the first century, we can apply St. Paul’s advice to our time in this century and in this millennia. We can follow St. Paul’s advice when it comes to living a chaste life. We do not need to conform ourselves to the general secular society. St. Paul continues “be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” Every day, we must watch our mindset and resolve to do God’s will in terms of chastity so that what we do is “good and pleasing and perfect.”