20230121 THE PERFECT SACRIFICE OF ATONEMENT
21 January 2023 Saturday, Week 2 in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Hebrews 9:2-3,11-14 © |
He has entered the sanctuary once and for all through his own blood
There was a tent which comprised two compartments: the first, in which the lamp stand, the table and the presentation loaves were kept, was called the Holy Place; then beyond the second veil, an innermost part which was called the Holy of Holies.
But now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men’s hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer are sprinkled on those who have incurred defilement and they restore the holiness of their outward lives; how much more effectively the blood of Christ, who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God through the eternal Spirit, can purify our inner self from dead actions so that we do our service to the living God.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 46(47):2-3,6-9 © |
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all the earth.
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise,
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
God is king of all the earth,
sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations;
God reigns on his holy throne.
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Gospel Acclamation | 2Co5:19 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.Ac16:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 3:20-21 © |
Jesus' relatives were convinced he was out of his mind
Jesus went home, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind.
THE PERFECT SACRIFICE OF ATONEMENT
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HEB 9:2 -3,11-14; PS 47:2-3,6-9; MK 3:20-21]
The sense of justice is found in every human person. We all seek justice in life even though we might not always render justice to our fellowmen. However, if we are the ones suffering from the injustices of others, because of dishonesty, cheating, discrimination, slander and even killing, we demand restoration of our rights and our reputation. We would even bring a person to court to demand justice. But not just contented with our rights and dignity restored, we seek punishment of those who have offended us and caused us to suffer unjustly. Revenge and retributive justice are sought by us so that we feel justified. In other words, those who make us suffer should also go through similar sufferings inflicted on us. This is why the ancient principle in humanity, “an eye for an eye” is the norm of society.
How we deal with our fellowmen is also how we deal with God when it comes to offences committed against Him and His justice. But only God is a perfect and supreme being and incomparable. Yet, because God is all good, all perfect, all true and all holy, justice demands that if we were to meet Him, we must be purified of our sins. “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully.” (Ps 24:3f)
Consequently, we need to be purified of our sins, which in the Old Testament was done by the offering of the atonement sacrifice. Once a year, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies to offer the atonement sacrifice for his own sins and the sins of the people. For his own sins, he had to sacrifice a calf; and for the sins of the people, he had to sacrifice a goat. The blood of the calf and the goat was then sprinkled on the Mercy Seat above the Tabernacle, which contained a jar of manna, the staff of Aaron and the tablets of the commandments. The Lord promised, “There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the covenant, I will deliver to you all my commands for the Israelites.” (Ex 25:22)
The killing of the calf and the goat was not itself the heart of the sacrifice, but the blood that was collected and sprinkled on the Mercy Seat symbolized life which comes only from God. The Israelites were forbidden to consume blood simply because it is a symbol of life. But at the same time, it was a sacrifice insofar as the calf, which the High Priest offered, came from his own pocket. In this way, his sins were forgiven, the altar and the people were also purified. One of the other goats, called the Scapegoat was then let into the wilderness “bearing the sins of the people.” Yet, they all knew very well that the sacrifice of atonement that they offered did not change them deeply from within. It was only a ceremonial cleansing but not of the heart because there was no personal involvement of the people.
For this reason, the letter to the Hebrews understood the Old Testament sacrifice as a pattern of the new sacrifice that was to come. What they sacrificed at the temple was a pale reflection of the heavenly sacrifice and the heavenly tabernacle. Jesus was considered the new tabernacle or the new temple of God. In His incarnation, Jesus revealed to us the true sacrifice that is needed for anyone to come to access to God. Jesus is the New Temple and Tabernacle of God Himself because He is God’s presence, the Emmanuel, the Word made flesh. As Jesus said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” (Jn 14:9) Jesus came to reconcile us with His Father by His life, passion, death and resurrection. He came to take away our sins so that we can once again come before God His Father. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. (Jn 1:29) “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 Jn 2:2) “whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.” (Rom 3:25)
But why must Jesus be an expiatory sacrifice for us all? Why must God demand Christ’s death for the forgiveness of our sins? Does it not make God out to be cruel and calculating? In the first place, Jesus’ death as an atonement sacrifice is necessary not so much to satisfy a blood-thirsty God but to satisfy the law of justice. God is forgiving but justice must also be rendered, otherwise it would seem that God is oblivious to what is wrong. Hence, Christ’s death as the Son of God and the Son of Man, offers the perfect atonement sacrifice that satisfies the law of justice. He has, so to speak, paid for our sins. St Paul said, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” (Gal 3:13) “You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.” (1 Pt 1:18f)
Secondly, His sacrificial death not only rendered the debt owed to justice but equally importantly, it shows us the mercy and love of God. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16) St Paul reflected, “He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” (Rom 8:32f) So the death of Christ on the cross reveals the depth of His Father’s love. The Father emptied Himself with our Lord Jesus for the salvation of the world.
Thirdly, His sacrificial death opens the way for us to share in His sacrifice and death ourselves. This is because when we see the Lord like the Suffering Servant, who was “wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities” (Isa 53:5), we too would be willing to carry the cross after Jesus (cf Lk 9:23) so that just as “upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed”, (Isa 53:5) we, too, by our sacrifice, will also bring healing, mercy and love to the world. This was what St Peter urged us. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Pt 2:21-24)
Indeed, the passion and death of our Lord was simply the summation and culmination of the way our Lord lived His life as a ransom for many. (Mt 20:28) In today’s gospel, we read of Jesus facing opposition, not just from the religious authorities but even from within His own family circle. Being rejected by the religious authorities was bad enough, but when we suffer rejection from those closest to us, the pain would be even greater. The entire life of Jesus was a sacrifice. He had left His stable trade as a carpenter to become a vagrant and an itinerant preacher. He was at odds with the religious authorities over the way He regarded the Sabbath Law and welcomed sinners like the tax-collectors. He was not welcomed in the synagogue but had to go to the fields and shore of the sea to preach and heal. He was misunderstood as ‘crazy’ by His own relatives.
Therefore, the author of Hebrews concluded that Christ was the perfect sacrifice. “Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men’s hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us.” We too are now able to offer this sacrifice not just every time we celebrate the Eucharistic sacrifice but through our participation in this sacrifice, Jesus made it possible for us to make His memorial sacrifice our own. “Do this in remembrance of me!” (Lk 22:19) We actualize what we celebrate at Mass when we offer our own lives as an expiation and an oblation, like St Paul, for our salvation and the salvation of others. (2 Tim 4:6)
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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