We pick up today (Hebrews 10:19-25) where we left off yesterday, with a call to persevere in our following of Christ and our living out of the Gospel message. We are reminded that, through Jesus, we have special access to God. The symbols used are taken from the Temple rituals but are applied to Christ: “…we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus…” The sanctuary is the very presence of God and not just some man-made structure, and we enter by the blood of Jesus and not the blood of animals as in the old dispensation. We enter: “…by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)…” Jesus is the Way and, in the Acts of the Apostles, the Christians are called “followers of the Way”. The high priest of old used to enter into the presence of Yahweh by passing through the curtain or veil protecting the Holy of Holies. He alone could enter and then only once a year. But now all of the baptized can now pass into the presence of God whenever they wish through the blood of Jesus, our perfect and only High Priest, whose death has permanently removed the barrier of sin.
At the moment of Jesus’ death: “…the curtain of the temple veil [separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies] was torn in two, from top to bottom (Mark 15:38). God’s presence had moved from the sacrifices of the Temple to the sacrifice offered on the Cross.
In the old dispensation there was an external sprinkling of water and a cleansing of the body before entering the sanctuary. For us, it must be a cleansing of the inner being, of our thoughts, attitudes and intentions, so that they are totally in harmony with God and committed to following the Gospel.
There is an echo here of a passage from the prophet Ezekiel: “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness’s, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:25-26)
We are told to remain steadfast in our hope that God will take care of us because we have confidence in the fidelity of our God to his promises.
Finally, we are to be vigilant in our relationships with our brothers and sisters. We are to provoke each other, not to anger or hostility but to love and good deeds. As part of this, we must not neglect attending the gatherings of the community (the Eucharist?), as some apparently were doing. The Greek term here suggests abandoning the community and not just a physical absence. Instead, we are to be a constant encouragement to each other, especially as we see “the Day approaching” (the parousia)—Jesus’ final coming.
There is matter here for us to reflect on—our faith and hope in God, our commitment to Jesus and his Gospel and, especially, on how that affects our relationships with both our fellow Christians and all the people who impinge directly or indirectly on our lives.
Let us learn to appreciate and value our Eucharistic gatherings, which are not just the observance of some regulation, but a real coming together of people who share the same vision and who wish to support each other in giving an effective witness to the vision of life Jesus has left to us.
Today we continue to read a section of Mark (Mark 4:21-25) who presents us with a series of parables that have disparate images. No one lights a lamp and then covers it up. Our Christian faith is a light for the world and not to be kept hidden. Our message is not meant to be kept secret, but to be broadcast and shared. How many around us know that we are Christians? How many around us see us practice our faith openly? How many around us are influenced by our living according to the Christian vision? Our faith, our knowledge of Jesus and his Gospel, is not something private to be kept to ourselves.
A ‘good’ Catholic is not just one who keeps all the Commandments, goes often to Mass and stays in the ‘state of grace’, but rather are those who radiate their faith, share it generously with others and are as much concerned with others having the experience of loving and being loved by God as they have. If we are not seen to be Christians we have somehow failed, no matter how good our inner lives may be. To be a Christian is not just to be a good person but an apostle, an evangelizer, a sharer of faith by word and action. What we give out to others is what we ourselves will receive, remembering that for to those who have, more will be given, and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
That is what happened to the man who buried his master’s money in the ground so as not to lose it. Those who invested it got even more in return. In the Christian life, we gain by giving, not by getting. It is only when we give that we can get, and when everyone gives, everyone gets.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!