Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi.
The first reading from Genesis and the 110th Psalm refer us to the King of Salem, Melchizedek. The second reading from 1COR and the Gospel from Luke speak of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. For our own benefit we should read St. Paul’s references to the King of Salem, Melchizedek and to Christ the high priest in Hebrews Chapters 5, 6, 7.
Our Father in faith Abraham was the one to whom God made the first covenant. Abraham believed His words that God would make of him a great nation and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abraham had two sons, Isaac miraculously conceived by his wife Sarah in her old age. The other Ismael conceived through the slave girl Haggar.
Isaac, the hope of God’s promise was called on to be a sacrifice by his father Abraham. In faith, both son and father acquiesced. But seeing that faith God relented. Isaac had two sons Jacob and Essau. Jacob had twelve sons by four women. It is from these twelve that the tribes were formed and grew into the nation of Israel. Jacobs name was changed by God to Israel just as Abram was changed by God to Abraham.
After the Exodus from Egypt and the covenant with Moses on Mt. Sinai, the practice of sacrificed animals, following the Passover sacrifice of a lamb, for the propitiation of sins would be delegated to the priest of the tribe of Levi.
The Old Testament is the story of salvation history over a period of about 1900 years and it is also the prophecy of the coming into the world of the anointed of God, The messiah. This prophecy began with Isaiah in the 8th century B.C. and was taken up by the other Major Prophets as well. The plans and working of God are a mystery and appear unexpectedly. We are to accept them in pure faith as did Abraham.
The Israelites worshiped Yahweh God in the Ark of the Covenant which went with them in their long journey from the desert to their entry into the land of Canaan and into Jerusalem. They had been ruled by God but now, because their neighbors had kings and human rulers, they demanded to be ruled by a king. It is here that we have the advent of Saul, David and Solomon and Subsequently the breaking up into two kingdoms and continuing war and captivity until the coming of Christ 900 years later and after.
Today in the 14th chapter of the first book of the Bible, we encounter Melchizedek the king of Salem. He and Abraham meet. Melchizedek is the greater for he gives Abraham a blessing and Abraham pays tithes to him, Melchizedek brought out bread and wine and “being a priest of God most high. He blessed Abram.” Melchizedek had no mother or father.
St. Paul in Hebrews tells us that this priest most high was the king of justice and of peace that he had no genealogy having neither beginning of days nor end of life. Then he makes the connection in Heb 6:19 “This hope we have, as a sure and firm anchor of the soul, reaching even behind the veil where our fore runner Jesus has entered for us, having become a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
The reference to “behind the veil” is to the holy of holies in the tent of meeting or in the temple where once a year the priest would offer animal sacrifice to God.
Jesus, meaning God with us, had a Holy Mother but no human father. He came from God and returned to God having secured for those who have faith like Abraham a share in His never ending life.
The Leviticial priesthood was done away with. The high priest is the Son of God, the sacrifice is Himself. The kingdom is not of this world but is the kingdom of the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount in its entirety.
God’s plans are too marvelous. They take our breath away. We must worship Him in spirit and in truth and by becoming little, like children, accepting His plans for us with unquestioning faith and love. “He who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved.” Patience and foresight are necessary.
Jesus tells us that in my blood is the new and everlasting covenant. The Old Testament is not done away with for out of it has come the New Testament, the new and everlasting covenant in the Son of God, Jesus the high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
In the creation story in Genesis there were two trees in the center of the Garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. Adam and Eve in disobedience, the original sin of pride, ate of the fruit of the one tree and thereby were separated from the tree of life.
The shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross has reestablished the tree of life to whoever is baptized into Him and believes and follows after. Jesus words are, “Unless you take up your cross daily and follow me you cannot be my disciple.” Disciple comes from the word discipline.
God the Father spared Abrahams only son but did not spare His own so that we might be reformed in the Son, reformed in God and by God by way of the cross.
The Old Testament sacrifice of an animal cost the one sacrificing something, the value of the animal. In the New Testament the one who paid the price was God Himself. God in the flesh of man died.
Here is the crux of the matter that man does not want to face. To be saved we must imitate our Savior. We must die with Him, little by little, day by day.
God’s will for each one of us is our sanctification. To reach the vision of God we must be made pure. Therefore we must forfeit any title to ourselves transferring it to God for safe keeping.
The second question of the Baltimore Catechism is “Why did God make me? The Answer is, “God made me to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in this life and be happy with Him forever in the next.”
We cannot do that without God’s help. And we have it in the most Holy Eucharist the body and blood of Christ, Corpus Christi.
The high priest, God most high in the order of Melchizedek, Jesus has taken bread and wine and by His word changes them into His body and blood to be received by us in Holy Communion when we are in the state of sanctifying grace. If we have fallen out of grace and are repentant it is restored by the sacrament of Penance.
It is no longer the Levitical priesthood that offers sacrifice to God but God Himself who gives His Body and Blood to us as food that we might become holy and able to offer ourselves through Christ as a perfect sacrifice of praise.
The new covenant is that of the Body and Blood of Christ our high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
This is the gift of eternal life that we know and love the one true God Jesus Christ who became like us and died so we could become like Him and live.
The first reading from Genesis and the 110th Psalm refer us to the King of Salem, Melchizedek. The second reading from 1COR and the Gospel from Luke speak of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. For our own benefit we should read St. Paul’s references to the King of Salem, Melchizedek and to Christ the high priest in Hebrews Chapters 5, 6, 7.
Our Father in faith Abraham was the one to whom God made the first covenant. Abraham believed His words that God would make of him a great nation and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abraham had two sons, Isaac miraculously conceived by his wife Sarah in her old age. The other Ismael conceived through the slave girl Haggar.
Isaac, the hope of God’s promise was called on to be a sacrifice by his father Abraham. In faith, both son and father acquiesced. But seeing that faith God relented. Isaac had two sons Jacob and Essau. Jacob had twelve sons by four women. It is from these twelve that the tribes were formed and grew into the nation of Israel. Jacobs name was changed by God to Israel just as Abram was changed by God to Abraham.
After the Exodus from Egypt and the covenant with Moses on Mt. Sinai, the practice of sacrificed animals, following the Passover sacrifice of a lamb, for the propitiation of sins would be delegated to the priest of the tribe of Levi.
The Old Testament is the story of salvation history over a period of about 1900 years and it is also the prophecy of the coming into the world of the anointed of God, The messiah. This prophecy began with Isaiah in the 8th century B.C. and was taken up by the other Major Prophets as well. The plans and working of God are a mystery and appear unexpectedly. We are to accept them in pure faith as did Abraham.
The Israelites worshiped Yahweh God in the Ark of the Covenant which went with them in their long journey from the desert to their entry into the land of Canaan and into Jerusalem. They had been ruled by God but now, because their neighbors had kings and human rulers, they demanded to be ruled by a king. It is here that we have the advent of Saul, David and Solomon and Subsequently the breaking up into two kingdoms and continuing war and captivity until the coming of Christ 900 years later and after.
Today in the 14th chapter of the first book of the Bible, we encounter Melchizedek the king of Salem. He and Abraham meet. Melchizedek is the greater for he gives Abraham a blessing and Abraham pays tithes to him, Melchizedek brought out bread and wine and “being a priest of God most high. He blessed Abram.” Melchizedek had no mother or father.
St. Paul in Hebrews tells us that this priest most high was the king of justice and of peace that he had no genealogy having neither beginning of days nor end of life. Then he makes the connection in Heb 6:19 “This hope we have, as a sure and firm anchor of the soul, reaching even behind the veil where our fore runner Jesus has entered for us, having become a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
The reference to “behind the veil” is to the holy of holies in the tent of meeting or in the temple where once a year the priest would offer animal sacrifice to God.
Jesus, meaning God with us, had a Holy Mother but no human father. He came from God and returned to God having secured for those who have faith like Abraham a share in His never ending life.
The Leviticial priesthood was done away with. The high priest is the Son of God, the sacrifice is Himself. The kingdom is not of this world but is the kingdom of the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount in its entirety.
God’s plans are too marvelous. They take our breath away. We must worship Him in spirit and in truth and by becoming little, like children, accepting His plans for us with unquestioning faith and love. “He who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved.” Patience and foresight are necessary.
Jesus tells us that in my blood is the new and everlasting covenant. The Old Testament is not done away with for out of it has come the New Testament, the new and everlasting covenant in the Son of God, Jesus the high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
In the creation story in Genesis there were two trees in the center of the Garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. Adam and Eve in disobedience, the original sin of pride, ate of the fruit of the one tree and thereby were separated from the tree of life.
The shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross has reestablished the tree of life to whoever is baptized into Him and believes and follows after. Jesus words are, “Unless you take up your cross daily and follow me you cannot be my disciple.” Disciple comes from the word discipline.
God the Father spared Abrahams only son but did not spare His own so that we might be reformed in the Son, reformed in God and by God by way of the cross.
The Old Testament sacrifice of an animal cost the one sacrificing something, the value of the animal. In the New Testament the one who paid the price was God Himself. God in the flesh of man died.
Here is the crux of the matter that man does not want to face. To be saved we must imitate our Savior. We must die with Him, little by little, day by day.
God’s will for each one of us is our sanctification. To reach the vision of God we must be made pure. Therefore we must forfeit any title to ourselves transferring it to God for safe keeping.
The second question of the Baltimore Catechism is “Why did God make me? The Answer is, “God made me to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in this life and be happy with Him forever in the next.”
We cannot do that without God’s help. And we have it in the most Holy Eucharist the body and blood of Christ, Corpus Christi.
The high priest, God most high in the order of Melchizedek, Jesus has taken bread and wine and by His word changes them into His body and blood to be received by us in Holy Communion when we are in the state of sanctifying grace. If we have fallen out of grace and are repentant it is restored by the sacrament of Penance.
It is no longer the Levitical priesthood that offers sacrifice to God but God Himself who gives His Body and Blood to us as food that we might become holy and able to offer ourselves through Christ as a perfect sacrifice of praise.
The new covenant is that of the Body and Blood of Christ our high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
This is the gift of eternal life that we know and love the one true God Jesus Christ who became like us and died so we could become like Him and live.
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