Monastic Lectionary for the Divine
Office
Edited by
Friends of Henry Ashworth
Exordium Books 1982
Sunday
of the Fourth Week in Lent Year II
A READING FROM THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS
(Consecration
of the priests: Leviticus 8:1-17; 9:22-24)
The LORD said to Moses, “Take Aaron and his sons
with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, ...
A reading from THE commentary on
St john’s Gospel by St Cyril of Alexandria
The commentary was
written before the outbreak of the Nestorian controversy in 429. The author of
Hebrews contrasts the mediation of Moses with that of Christ. Cyril enlarges on
this theme emphasizing that Christ is both priest and sacrifice, and that his
sacrifice was offered for the sins of the whole world.
As a man the Mediator between God and man intercedes on our behalf,
and because he is our very great and most holy High Priest who offers himself
as a sacrifice for us, his prayers appease the anger of his Father. Christ is
himself both sacrifice and priest, mediator and victim without blemish, the
true lamb who takes away the sin of the world.
The mediation of Moses in ancient times was a clear type and symbol
of the mediation of Christ as manifested in the last days, and the high priest
of the Law was a figure of the High Priest who is above the Law. Indeed, all
that relates to the Law is a foreshadowing of the truth. The saintly Moses,
and with him the celebrated Aaron, always stood between God and the people of
Israel. They placated God’s anger at the people’s sins, calling on heaven to be
merciful to their weakness; they invoked blessings on them and offered the
sacrifice and gifts ordained by the Law for sins, or as thank-offerings for the
blessings God had given them.
But Christ, who appeared in the last days to supersede the types and
symbols of the Law, is both High Priest and Mediator. As a man he intercedes
for us, but as God he is one with God the Father in bestowing blessings upon
those who are worthy of them. Paul’s saying, Grace and peace be with you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus
Christ,
teaches us this quite clearly. Christ prays for us as a man, but as God
he also gives. For being a High Priest who is holy, innocent, and undefiled, he
did not offer himself in sacrifice for his own frailty as did those to whom it
fell to offer sacrifice according to the Law. No, it was for the salvation of
our souls and on account of our sin that he made this offering, and made it
once for all. He undertook to plead on our
behalf and he is himself the sacrifice for our sins, and not for our sins only
but also for the sins of the whole world, for the sins of every nation and race that is called to attain
righteousness and holiness through faith.
St Cyril of Alexandria, On John 11.8 (PG 74:505-508);
from Word in Season II, 1st ed.
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