20/01/2023

St Paul can seamlessly flow from  the inspiration that he is recording in his letter to the Hebrews to the recorded testimony that he studied as he grew up and under the tutelage of Gamliel. The Holy Spirit confirms that Jesus is indeed the the New Covenant replacing the Old as was revealed to Jeremiah. God reveals that the Chosen People, the ones gifted with the revelation made to the prophets, have abandoned that grace and chosen new paths for themselves.

The psalm is a song of joyful praise. It is pure happiness. Mercy and faithfulness have met and become united as one. We can be faithful in our merciful response to divine justice. We can know the Father Son and Holy Spirit as Jesus the human son of Mary and the Incarnation of the total being of God he is as Word.

St Paul proclaims that we have a High Priest who is Truth and unimaginable Glory. The psalm thanks God for this and in the Gospel we witness Jesus choosing disciples to become Apostles, the first priests ( "do this in memory of me" ) of the New Covenant. This simple group called by God to be his witnesses to the Life, Death and Resurrection has grown into the tangled institution that we call the Church today.

We are all responsible for each other. The teaching of the first century is still the only way for us to live our lives. It is much more than human teaching; it is the revelation by God of his Love. I know that, although "Now anything old grows more antiquated until in the end it disappears" could be applied to me, the Church as the Body of Christ will last until the end of time.

Dear Lord we your people on earth are in need of Sacraments the outward signs of your Grace confected to be the sustenance for our souls. You have chosen your priests today just as you did your Apostles. You protected your Apostles from themselves and it seems that only one was lost. Only you can know that, for your perfect Justice, which is far beyond comparing with our own, is tempered by your perfect Mercy. Hear the prayers of Mary and your Saints that clergy and all your people can at this moment become united enemies of sin and lovers of your Evergreater perfections.