January 30, 2013

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Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 319

Reading 1 from St. Paul's epistle to the Hebrews
Heb 10:11-18

Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.

A reference to the Jewish faith and the Levitical priesthood which sacrifices do not effect justification in our souls.  As opposed to the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, which are the works of Christ and wash our souls of sin, effectively justifying us in God's eyes.

But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering he has made perfect forever
those who are being consecrated.

"Being consecrated" is the key idea here.  For us, justification is a continuing process.  When we are baptized, we are "justified", "consecrated", "made holy".  To be "consecrated" is to be set apart for holy purposes.  Sanctified is also another word that could be used.  Well, the title of my blog is how we are consecrated, "washed, sanctified and justified".

So then, St. Paul is saying that Christ offered Himself ONCE for our sins and now sits at the right hand of God.  His one sacrifice released the grace which is now applied to us in the Sacraments for our continuing consecration to God.

When he says that Christ waits until His enemies are His footstool, that is a reference to the end of time when Christ will judge the world, reward the righteous, punish the wicked and give the whole universe back to the Father.

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying:
This is the covenant I will establish with themafter those days, says the Lord:“I will put my laws in their hearts,and I will write them upon their minds,” 

he also says:
Their sins and their evildoingI will remember no more. 

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.

This is a confirmation of what was previously explained.  Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself once and offered Himself once for our sins.  Because He is God, there is no further need for Him to offer Himself again.  God died on the Cross and fulfilled the promises of the Old Testament.  Only He could do that:

Hebrews 9:16
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

The Testator of the Old Testament is God Himself.


The offering which we offer is HIS ONE OFFERING.  We don't offer our own.  We unite ourselves to His.  There is no need for another offering for sin.  Jesus offering suffices.  It is the only one that does.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
“Rule in the midst of your enemies.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Sit at my right hand.... This is a reference to the current period.  Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of the Father awaiting the Day of Judgment when He will reward everyone according to their deeds (Rev 22:12).

Rule in the midst of your enemies....This is a reference to the awesome power of God through Christ.  No power on earth can stand against Him (Nahum 1:5-7).

Yours is princely power.... This is a direct reference to Christ who is the Son of God and thus the King of the whole world and of Heaven (Revelation 17:14).  It is also a hidden reference to the children of God who have now been revealed in the Sacrament of Baptism (Romans 8:21-23).

The Lord has sworn.... God has sworn and oath by His Word.  Mankind swears by God because there is no higher authority.  God also did so, because He wanted to emphasize that He is absolute authority (Hebrews 6:17).

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mk 4:1-20

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.

This is a reference to the Bark of Peter, from which Jesus preaches to this day.  The Bark of Peter is the Catholic Church.  Bark being an old name meaning boat.  Sometimes it's spelled "barque".

Anyway, because Christ speaks through the Church and St. Peter is the Pope, this is an apt symbol for the Catholic Church.

On this occasion, Jesus entered St. Peter's boat in order to speak to the multitudes.

And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,

The multitude was on land and Christ in the boat.  He spoke a long time in a story telling fashion, speaking in riddles and fables that transmitted spiritual truth.  One of those was the Parable of the Sower.

“Hear this! A sower went out to sow.And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.

Listen!  A farmer scattered seed and some seed fell on the walkway rather than on the field.  And the birds came and ate the seed.

Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.

Other seed fell on the rocks where there was little nourishment.  It grew quickly but when the sun came up, it was burned and died for its roots could not go deep because of the rocks.

Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.

Still other seed fell among thistles and weeds and could not grow because the weeds sucked up the nutrients.  Therefore, the seed could produce no fruit.

And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

But the rest of the seed fell upon the field and produced much fruit, multiplying abundantly.

Whoever can hear out to listen.

And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.

When the crowds left, the Apostles asked Him about the Parables He had just taught the people.

He answered them,
“The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.

He replied, "certainly, because the mysteries of God will be revealed to you."

That sounds strange to most.  But it confirms the Catholic Teaching that the Church is the infallible Teacher of God's Word.  The Apostles were the first members of the Church and the Church is built upon them.  Christ explained the mysteries to them, not so that they could keep it to themselves, but so that they could explain it to those who sought the knowledge through them.  This is the importance of the Church.

But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that
they may look and see but not perceive,and hear and listen but not understand,in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.”

Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 6:9.  At the time of Isaiah, the people of Israel were for the most part unrepentant and God was punishing them.  In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees and the leaders of Israel continued in the errors of their forefathers.

Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?

Jesus implies that without Him, no one, not even the Apostles will be able to understand the mysteries of God.

The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.

For the seed which landed in the grass, the seed is the Word of God.  The birds represent Satan.  The path is those people who have hardened their heart.  Since the seed remains visible because it is rejected, the birds come and eat it.  Therefore since the Word is rejected, Satan comes and snatches it.

And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,
when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.

Rocky ground represents people of fickle character.  Although they received the Word when it is convenient.  As soon as their is a bit of trouble, they will let it go.

Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.

The Word sown amongst thistles is another type.  These people are surrounded by distractions and anxieties and although they hear what is said, it does not register and they do not hold on to it.

But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

But fertile soil represents the people who are hungry for the Word of God, who seek it out and want it and when they receive it, put it into action.  And their light is seen by many in the world who will also accept it.  And it multiplies and increases a hundredfold.