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| Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek by Dieric Bouts the Elder, 1464–67 |
FOURTH WEEK OF LENT SUNDAY
SUNDAY Year I
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, t 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. t To whom the ...
Second
Reading From the writings of
Cardinal Jean Danielou, S.J. (Le myslm de I'Avenl,
60-66)
Homilies, Patristic Lectionary,
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 honor of becoming high priest; he received
it from the One
who said to him: t You are a priest for
ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
V. No oath was
taken when others were made priests, but the priesthood of Jesus was confirmed
by the oath of God, who said to him: t You
are a ...
FOURTH
WEEK OF LENT
MONDAY
Year
I
First Reading Hebrews 7:11-28
Responsory Ps 110:4; see Heb 7:17
The Lord has sworn an oath he will not retract: + You are a priest for ever in the line of
Melchizedek.
V. Melchizedek was the first to offer sacrifice to God. +You are a priest ...
Second
Reading From the writings of
Saint Cyril of Alexandria (Glaphororum in Genesim, lib. 2, 7-9: PG
69,99-108)
Melchizedek, a foreshadowing of Christ
We have to understand that even the Son
himself, the Word of God the Father, is not said to be a priest and to belong
to a priestly order except insofar as he has become like one of us. It was his
human nature that made it possible for him to be called a prophet and an
apostle, and it also
enables him to be a priest. When he had taken upon himself the nature of a
slave; then servile duties were suitable for him. This is what is meant by his
stripping himself of his divine dignity. He was one in nature with the Father
and his equal; he had even the heavenly seraphim as his attendants and he was
waited on by angels in their thousands. But as scripture says, it was when he
had stripped himself of all his glory that he was proclaimed our priest, the
priest of the true tabernacle.
It was then too that he who is above the whole
universe was sanctified together with us: as it is written, He who sanctifies and
those who are sanctified are all members of the one human race. That is why he is not ashamed to call us
his brothers and sisters: "I will proclaim your name," he declares,
"to my brothers and sisters. 11 He who, as God, sanctifies others became a man
and dwelt among us; and being a man he called himself our brother, and was
sanctified, we are told, together with us. He was a priest, therefore, and he
was sanctified with us, in virtue of his having taken a human body.
Now the reason Paul saw a likeness to Christ
in Me1chizedek is that he was called king of justice and peace. This title, in its
deeper, spiritual sense, is fitting for none but Emmanuel, who was proclaimed
prince of justice and peace to all who dwell upon earth. Through him we have
shaken off the burden of sin and have been justified. The impurity of our
lives, which separated us from God the Father, has now been washed away and we
are at peace with him; indeed we have, in a sense, been made one with him through
the Spirit, according to the words of Scripture: He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
Me1chizedek gave Abraham his blessing and
offered him bread and wine. Christ, the great and true priest, gives us a
similar blessing in the Eucharist, the heavenly gift that supports us on our
journey through life. Saint Paul therefore took Melchizedek's blessing as a
symbol of the priesthood that is greater than the law. Another way in which
Christ blesses us is by interceding for us with the Father. The blessing
Me1chizedek gave Abraham was, Blessed be the most high God, who has delivered your enemies into your power; but our Lord Jesus Christ, himself the
atonement for the whole human race, made the prayer, Holy Father, keep them
in your truth.
Responsory
We have as our high priest Jesus, the Son of God. + Let us then approach the throne of grace
with perfect confidence, to receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of
need.
Y. God made Christ's sacrificial death the means of expiating the sins
of all believers. +Let us then ...
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