Bad Sacrifices, Bad Prayers

Si offeratis caecum ad immolandum, nonne malum est? Et si offeratis claudum et languidum, nonne malum est? offer illud duci tuo, si placuerit ei, aut si susceperit faciem tuam, dicit Dominus exercitum. LXX: Quia si offeratis caecum in sacrificium, nonne malum est? Et si offeratis claudum et languidum, nonne malum est? offer illud duci tuo, si susceperit te, si acceperit faciem tuam, dicit Dominus omnipotens.  De diversitate victimarum, et quae vel offerri debeant, vel non offerri, in Levitico plenius discimus. Reversi itaque de Babylone sacerdotes et Levitae, janitores atque cantores, et Nathinnaei servique Salomonis, quorum Ezras scribit katalogon, illicitas Deo victimas offerebant, caecas videlicet et claudas, ac varia debilitate confectas; hoc est enim quod dicit languidum, uno cuncta sermone comprehendens. Si istius modi, inquit, duci tuo offeres munera, nonne respueret? nonne sibi factam putaret injuriam? et hoc audetis offerre Deo, quod dare hominibus non audetis? Longum est nunc omnium victimarum aperire mysteria: de his tantum loquar quae praesenti capitulo continentur. Caeca est animae victima, quae non illustratur Christi lumine, nec habet oculum de Evangelio contuentem. Clauda est rogantis oratio, quae duplici mente accedit ad precandum, et audit eum populo Judaeorum: 'Usquequo claudicatis utroque pede? Et languida, et omni infirmitate cooperta, quae non habet Christi Dei virtutem, Deique sapientiam. Istius modi preces, quae sine lumine veritatis sunt, et non habent sapientiae firma vestigia, et debilitatibus variis contabescunt, si offerantur Ecclesiarum principi, aut cuilibet erudite sapientique doctori, nonne repudiabuntur, et in contumeliam ejus recident, qui talia est ausus offerre?  Sanctus Hieronymous,Commentarium In Malachiam Prophetam

If you offer something blind for sacrifice, is it not an evil? And if you offer something lame and weak, is it not an evil? Offer that to your leader, if it would be pleasing to him, or if he would lift up your face, says the Lord of Hosts. The Septuagint has: Because if you offer something blind as sacrifice, is it not an evil? And is you offer something lame and weak, is it not an evil? Offer that to your leader, if he would take you up, if he would lift up your face, says the Lord Almighty. 1 Concerning the diversity of victims, and what should be offered and not offered we learn much in Leviticus. 2 Coming back from Babylon the priests and levites, the doorkeepers and singers, and the Nathinaeans 3 and servants of Solomon, whom Ezra catalogues, 4 offered illicit things to God, that is, things blind and lame and oppressed by many infirmities, 5 for this what is meant by weak, one word containing everything. If such things, he says, you offer, as your best, will it not be spurned? Will he not think it a harmful deed? And this you offer to God which you would not dare offer to man? A long thing it is to reveal the mystery of every victim, so I shall speak now only of things here mentioned. Blind is the victim of the soul which is not enlightened with the light of Christ, which does not have its eye cleansed by the Gospel. 6 Lame is the prayer of the petitioner which comes forth from a duplicitous mind, and he hears with the people of the Jews, 'How long will you hobble with both feet lame?' 7 And weak is that which is overwhelmed with every infirmity, that which does not have the virtue of the Divine Christ and the wisdom of God. The prayers of these, which do not have the light of truth, and lack the firm way of wisdom, and are withered by various debilities, if they are offered by the leaders of the Churches, or by whatever learned and wise teacher, will they not be rejected and thrown back to the disgrace of those who dare offer such things? Saint Jerome, Commentary on The Prophet Malachi  1 Mal 1.8  2 Lev 21, 22  3 Ezra 8.20  4 Ezra 2.70  5 1ez 2  6 Mt 6.22  7 3 Kings 18.21