23/05/2024

Hebrews   10:11-18             Mark 14 : 22-25

Today's feast celebrates the Eternal Priesthood of Jesus the Son of God. A priest of the original covenants by which God defined for us, our relationship with him was a man who was set aside by the community to approach God on behalf of the people and offer sacrifice on their behalf.

God has never needed anything from his Creation. He is himself the "Good" that he sees therein. The only thing required of Adam was to obey one simple commandment to become the creature that recognised the "Good" as Our Father God.

Thousands of years have passed since Adam talked with God in the Garden. During the years of the Old Testament some men are depicted as being chosen to talk with God on behalf of the people, even to haggle with him about his decisions. Some of these men were priests but not all.

Our God lead Abraham to Mount Zion where Abraham in complete obedience was ready to kill his own son in an obedience to God that he thought would become worship acceptable to God. Abraham was ready in his mind and will but God prevented the deed and provided the ram. Priests in the Temple repeated that sacrifice in Jerusalem until the Temple was destroyed.

Although the Word had emptied himself of his Divinity, Jesus as the perfect man knew the mind of God as well as he knew his own, "You who have seen me have seen the Father". The ram provided for Abraham to complete his sacrifice has become the Lamb of God filled with all that is evil and the death on the Cross has brought forgiveness to the whole world.

The Sin of Adam has separated us from perfect human sonship as lived by Jesus. The sinless Jesus has made it possible for us to return to the state of being that walked and talked with God. He has taken his humanity into the Spiritual Perfection of Father Son and holy Spirit and there the Sacrifice of Calvary is the perfect memorial that is repeated here on earth in the Mass.

The Truth of the Mass depends not only on the "motions", "ex opere operato" but also on the Holiness of the Priesthood, the Community of the Love of Christ who established it the night before he died in the pain which is ever greater than we can ever imagine.

We would never have found ourselves in this parlous state on earth today if we had remained true to all the revelations of Jesus. Jesus directly confronted the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. The Pope did confront our Bishops and Abbots who spend their time flying round the world but absolutely nothing came of it as the deep-seated hypocrisy of our sin can only be addressed by the one who knows he has it and in sincerity implores the forgiveness of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Dear Lord, I am totally devoted to you as I write what comes into my mind. You know that I am trying to live without sin and in accordance with your will. It isn't right that Monks and Priests live such worldly lives that are closer to luxury than the poverty that you praised and they profess. You talked directly to Adam please talk again to all of us who are living closer to damnation than to you.You and I know that this moment will soon pass and I will become again the miniscule being that you because you are the Ever-greater knows and loves. May the prayers of  Mary and all the saints be heard that we and the Holy Souls can be loosed from our sins and with the help of thy grace come at last to You our eternal God. Amen