Sunday 27 October 2024

Today is Sunday the 27th of October, beginning the 30th week of Ordinary Time. The Monks of Glenstal Abbey sing Nos autem gloriari: ‘We should glory in nothing other than the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection; through him we are saved and set free. May God have mercy upon us and bless us, may he make his face shine upon us and be merciful to us.’ Nos autem gloriari oportet in cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi: In quo est salus, vita et resurrectio nostra: Per quem salvati et liberati sumus. Deus miseratur nostri, et benedicat nobis: illuminet vultum suum super nos, et misereatur nostri. Today’s reading is from the Letter to the Hebrews. Hebrews 5:1-6 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honour, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’; as he says also in another place, ‘You are a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedek.’  The author of the letter to the Hebrews is writing to people with a background in Judaism, trying to explain the Christian faith in terms that they will best understand. It’s likely that you yourself come from a very different background. What is your first impression of this passage? The central idea here is that although Jeus did not become the High Priest of the Temple, he shares much of that man’s role. Jesus knows our weakness from the inside, and so can deal gently with us. Where has that been true in your own experience of how Jesus deals with you? Might it have been better if Jesus had come to earth as High Priest? Why, or why not? Listen, as the passage is read again, for the ways in which it understands that Jesus was called and sent by his Father. As this time of prayer comes to an end, speak to Jesus about his gentle dealings with you, and how you feel about them. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.