Danielou on Melchizedek

http://bibleencyclopedia.com/nasbslides/hebrews/7-17.htm 

Fourth Sunday of Lent Year I

Night Office

First Reading Hebrews 7:1-11

                                                      Responsory   See Gn 14:18; Heb 7:3; Ps 110:5; Heb 7:16

Melchizedek, the king of Salem, offered bread and wine. He was a priest of God Most High like Christ the Son of God, + to whom the Lord has sworn an oath:

V. You are a priest for ever, of the order of Melchizedek. He became a priest, not in virtue of a law concerning physical descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. + To whom the ...

Second Reading From the writings of — Cardinal Jean Daniélou, S.J. (Le mystère de l’Avent, 60-66)

The priesthood of Melchizedek

Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek
 by Dieric Bouts the Elder, 1464–67

When Abraham inaugurated sacred history by leaving Haran in response to the call of God and arriving in Canaan, he was greeted by a mysterious personage about whom the sum of our knowledge is contained in two verses of the book of Genesis: Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the most high God, brought bread and wine and gave his blessing to Abraham, saying: May Abraham be blessed by the most high God, who made heaven and earth.

This mysterious character assumes a major importance for biblical thought. The hundred and tenth psalm sees in his priesthood the symbol and type of the Messianic priesthood: You are a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek. The New Testament invests Melchizedek with outstanding significance, declaring through the writer to the Hebrews that he remains a priest for ever. What is more, the same author pronounces the priesthood of Melchizedek to be superior to the priesthood of the Levites, because the latter was only provisional and would be rendered obsolete by the coming of Christ, whereas Melchizedek's priesthood is eternal. This priesthood of Melchizedek's therefore was a prefiguration of the priesthood of Christ, the true high priest, who has entered the tabernacle as our forerunner, having been made high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The correspondence lies in the fact that Melchizedek's priesthood was established not in accordance with the legal requirements of physical descent, but according to the power of an indestructible life. That is why Melchizedek resembles the Son of God.

Although the covenant between God and Abraham marked a new stage and a step forward in God's plan, it may also appear in some respects as if it were a step backward. Based on a covenant made with all the nations, the religion of Melchizedek embraced the whole human race, whereas the covenant with Abraham was confined to a single people. It marked a narrowing of scope which, while admittedly of a provisional nature, would exclude the gentile nations from the new covenant for nineteen hundred years.

The priesthood of Melchizedek was not the privilege of a special caste; his was a sacrifice every human being can offer, for all are priests of the natural creation. "Melchizedek had not been chosen by men," wrote Eusebius, "nor anointed with man-made oil." In Israel, on the contrary, the carrying out of religious rites was to become the exclusive prerogative of one tribe, the tribe of Levi, and members of other tribes were to be debarred from the ministry. The sacrifice of Melchizedek was not restricted to a particular place; it could be offered any­where on earth.

It is clear then that in many respects the Christian liturgy more nearly resembles the worship of Melchizedek than that of the Levites. Now we begin to see why Paul set Melchizedek above Abraham. Melchizedek can well be regarded as the figure, imperfect it is true but reflecting the likeness, of him who was destined to be high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

                                                                                               Responsory       Heb 5:5-6; 7:21

Christ did not take upon himself the honour of becoming high priest; he received it from the One who said to him: + You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.