June 12, 2013

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Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time 
Lectionary: 361

Reading 12 COR 3:4-11

Brothers and sisters:
Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.
Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit
for anything as coming from us;
rather, our qualification comes from God,
who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant,

St. Paul tells the Corinthians that God Himself has empowered the Church to officiate the New Covenant.  

not of letter but of spirit;
for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life.

This office is not to be undertaken as legality, but in the Spirit of Love.  Because Love is understanding and gives life.  Whereas, legalism understands only the letter and does not have the Spirit of Love.

Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, was so glorious
that the children of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses
because of its glory that was going to fade,
how much more will the ministry of the Spirit be glorious?

St. Paul is comparing the Old Testament to the New.  And in order to do so, one need only compare the Mediators of the respective Covenants.  Moses, the mediator of the Old Testament.  Jesus, the Son of God, Mediator between God and man.  And Mediator of the New Testament.

For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious,
the ministry of righteousness will abound much more in glory.
Indeed, what was endowed with glory
has come to have no glory in this respect
because of the glory that surpasses it.
For if what was going to fade was glorious,
how much more will what endures be glorious.

St. Paul is saying that the Old Testament has expired and gone away.  And the New Testament will endure forever.  Therefore, which is more glorious?

Responsorial PsalmPS 99:5, 6, 7, 8, 9

R. (see 9c) Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his footstool;
holy is he!
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
O LORD, our God, you answered them;
a forgiving God you were to them,
though requiting their misdeeds.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for holy is the LORD, our God.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.

If you read the Old Testament, you find that Moses, Aaron and Samuel each displeased God one way or another.  But God loved them and forgave them because they sought to do His Will.  It is the same with us today.  God loves us and will forgive our faults if turn to Him, ask forgiveness and seek to do His Will.  

GospelMT 5:17-19

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Jesus Christ did not abolish the law.  The Ten Commandments are in full force.  And Jesus Christ did not abolish the Old Testament.  He fulfilled it and brought it to completion.  Then, He replaced the Old Testament sacrifices with His own, upon the Cross.  And this one Sacrifice is the source of all the grace which we receive in the Sacraments.  Especially, in the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist.

Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,

Sin continues to be sin.  And any transgression of the Commandments remains a sin.  Sin is a violation of the Will of God.  Nothing has changed.

until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Therefore, keep the Commandments of God and you will be saved.