June 2 - The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Ex 24:3-8
Mk 14:12-16, 22-26
“When Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation” (11).
Christ Jesus is our high priest. He intercedes for us before God. He sacrificed himself to death for us, out of his great love for us. Through his glorious resurrection and ascension he sent the Holy Spirit to pour out his spiritual riches upon us in this age of the New Testament and “the good things that have come to be”. We have the continuous presence of the glorified Christ always available to us in his church. We can contact him in each of the sacraments for all our spiritual needs. He awaits our visit in each tabernacle in our churches. He comes to us in the Holy Eucharist. He has even made his dwelling place in our hearts. He has raised us to a new level of being through baptism so we can share in his divine life and live continuously in the presence of God.
“Passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle…not belonging to this creation” may refer to the heavenly regions through which Jesus passed into the highest heaven, where God lives, the Holy of Holies. Or, it may refer to Jesus’ human body which was glorified and became the dwelling place for all who are united to him (see Jn 14:2).
“He entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption” (12).
In the Old Testament the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement every year to sprinkle the blood of animals to cleanse the people from ritual uncleanness. But the blood of sacrificed animals could not take away sins. Jesus entered once for all into the real Holy of Holies—not its mere symbol—the actual sanctuary of God’s dwelling place, with his own blood, sacrificed on the cross for love of us. By pouring out his blood for love of us, he delivered us from sin. His one sacrifice brought about “eternal redemption” of our sins. That means that his self-sacrifice is forever effective in taking away any sins that we may commit. His outpoured blood has eternal, endless value because he is the God-man—he is divine. His sacrifice has infinite value. This great mystery of redemption is made present on our altars at every mass so that, by our participation, we may receive and assimilate through faith, its saving power.
“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed (13), how much more will the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God” (14).
The blood of these animals brought about ritual purification. It cleansed them from some form of legal uncleanness. Ashes from a red heifer that had been burned were mixed with water and used for the cleansing of those who had become ritually defiled by touching a corpse (see Num 19). If the blood of animals could sanctify those who had contracted some form of external defilement according to the Law of Moses, how much more will the blood of Christ cleanse us from sin? The purifying power of Jesus’ sacrifice penetrates to our inmost depths to remove the sins that defiled our consciences. Sinful actions are “dead works”; they have no spiritual value, whereas good works have enduring spiritual value. They follow us into eternity (see Rev 14:13), because they are spiritually transforming. Spirit assertiveness is required to perform virtuous acts or good works. These put us on the level of spirit through which we participate in the eternity, and incorruptibility of God. After having been cleansed from morally stained consciences, we are then free for God, to worship him with our whole heart and soul. We can then enjoy being in a living communion and an experiential connectedness with him. Our whole lives become “a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” a “spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1). In this way we can join Jesus who “offered himself unblemished to God”.
This reminds us of the prescription of the Law that the animal that was to be sacrificed had to be physically unblemished (Ex 29:1). Ours is a moral integrity and spiritual purity, free from any moral stain. It is “through the eternal Spirit” that Jesus offered himself to God. By his self-gift to the Father in his sacrificial offering, Jesus was taken up into glory. He was then glorified and entered into the eternity of God. It is in this new, heavenly sphere of existence that Jesus “through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God”. This sacrificial self-offering continues, caught up as it is, in the eternality of God.
“For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance” (15).
Jesus established, mediated, a new covenant and sealed it in his blood (Mk 14:24). In this way he “delivered from transgressions (sins) those who were under the first covenant” He said, “this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:28).
For, the old covenant sacrifices were unable to free the people from sin. Only Jesus’ sacrifice could accomplish such a spiritual cleansing.
Therefore those who respond to God’s call “may receive the promised eternal inheritance”, that is, the life of glory with God in heaven.
Ex 24:3-8
Heb 9:11-15
Ps: 116Mk 14:12-16, 22-26
“When Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation” (11).
Christ Jesus is our high priest. He intercedes for us before God. He sacrificed himself to death for us, out of his great love for us. Through his glorious resurrection and ascension he sent the Holy Spirit to pour out his spiritual riches upon us in this age of the New Testament and “the good things that have come to be”. We have the continuous presence of the glorified Christ always available to us in his church. We can contact him in each of the sacraments for all our spiritual needs. He awaits our visit in each tabernacle in our churches. He comes to us in the Holy Eucharist. He has even made his dwelling place in our hearts. He has raised us to a new level of being through baptism so we can share in his divine life and live continuously in the presence of God.
“Passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle…not belonging to this creation” may refer to the heavenly regions through which Jesus passed into the highest heaven, where God lives, the Holy of Holies. Or, it may refer to Jesus’ human body which was glorified and became the dwelling place for all who are united to him (see Jn 14:2).
“He entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption” (12).
In the Old Testament the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement every year to sprinkle the blood of animals to cleanse the people from ritual uncleanness. But the blood of sacrificed animals could not take away sins. Jesus entered once for all into the real Holy of Holies—not its mere symbol—the actual sanctuary of God’s dwelling place, with his own blood, sacrificed on the cross for love of us. By pouring out his blood for love of us, he delivered us from sin. His one sacrifice brought about “eternal redemption” of our sins. That means that his self-sacrifice is forever effective in taking away any sins that we may commit. His outpoured blood has eternal, endless value because he is the God-man—he is divine. His sacrifice has infinite value. This great mystery of redemption is made present on our altars at every mass so that, by our participation, we may receive and assimilate through faith, its saving power.
“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed (13), how much more will the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God” (14).
The blood of these animals brought about ritual purification. It cleansed them from some form of legal uncleanness. Ashes from a red heifer that had been burned were mixed with water and used for the cleansing of those who had become ritually defiled by touching a corpse (see Num 19). If the blood of animals could sanctify those who had contracted some form of external defilement according to the Law of Moses, how much more will the blood of Christ cleanse us from sin? The purifying power of Jesus’ sacrifice penetrates to our inmost depths to remove the sins that defiled our consciences. Sinful actions are “dead works”; they have no spiritual value, whereas good works have enduring spiritual value. They follow us into eternity (see Rev 14:13), because they are spiritually transforming. Spirit assertiveness is required to perform virtuous acts or good works. These put us on the level of spirit through which we participate in the eternity, and incorruptibility of God. After having been cleansed from morally stained consciences, we are then free for God, to worship him with our whole heart and soul. We can then enjoy being in a living communion and an experiential connectedness with him. Our whole lives become “a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” a “spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1). In this way we can join Jesus who “offered himself unblemished to God”.
This reminds us of the prescription of the Law that the animal that was to be sacrificed had to be physically unblemished (Ex 29:1). Ours is a moral integrity and spiritual purity, free from any moral stain. It is “through the eternal Spirit” that Jesus offered himself to God. By his self-gift to the Father in his sacrificial offering, Jesus was taken up into glory. He was then glorified and entered into the eternity of God. It is in this new, heavenly sphere of existence that Jesus “through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God”. This sacrificial self-offering continues, caught up as it is, in the eternality of God.
“For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance” (15).
Jesus established, mediated, a new covenant and sealed it in his blood (Mk 14:24). In this way he “delivered from transgressions (sins) those who were under the first covenant” He said, “this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:28).
For, the old covenant sacrifices were unable to free the people from sin. Only Jesus’ sacrifice could accomplish such a spiritual cleansing.
Therefore those who respond to God’s call “may receive the promised eternal inheritance”, that is, the life of glory with God in heaven.