Oblation (from the
Latin oblatus: offering) now refers more specifically to the people's
gifts of bread and wine to be consecrated as the Eucharistic Sacrament. A
familiar offertory sentence provided for Eucharistic liturgies "Let us with
gladness present the offerings and oblations of our life and labor to the Lord"
may be paraphrased "Let us joyfully offer money, bread and wine - symbolic of
our existence and responsibilities - to the Lord."