13/01/2023

The Rabbi who is writing the Letter to the Hebrews is still devoted to the Father who lead his people out of slavery in Egypt. The Old Testament is still his Scripture and he seems to know it like the back of his hand. He has also seen the risen Lord and knows that God's revelation is available to all although he is writing to a Church that is composed of the descendants of the Israelites, whom he is using as examples of God working through humanity. 

For the Israelites God's "place of rest" was the reality of Judah, Israel, Samaria the Roman province of Palestine. The Old Testament which has not seen the Resurrection is vague about our beings after death. Sheol is a shadowy place which contains both the "Bosom of Abraham" and the pain of the Dives, the rich man. For St Paul "the place of rest" comes about through Faith and should be the main object throughout our lives.

Jesus too emphasises Faith as the greatest virtue that we need to have if we are to be cured. In the first place, we have to know that no matter how heavily they weigh on our consciences and how evil we know them to be, our sins can be forgiven. Jesus is God and in oneness  with Father and Holy Spirit he is Evergreater than we can possibly imagine. Here he is a living man watching the stretcher being lowered through the roof of the house in Capernaum.( I wonder what the householder felt about the damage to his property). He has been truly dead as are all of our ancestors and he is still living as the first -born of our new humanity as Head of the Church.

The Greatness of Father, Son and Holy Spirit is our place of rest. We cannot imagine or visualise this Greatness now but it is the reality that is promised to all humanity if we have faith in our hearts and righteousness as our goal in living.

Dear Lord let me be true to you as were your mother and your first friends who, although humans the same as we are, by witnessing your life and pondering your words came to believe in the promise made originally to their forebears. May Mary and all the saints worshiping  you in Eternity implore guidance for all your Church and forgiveness  for all of the souls who are misusing our freedom on Earth or atoning for that in Purgatory