Wednesday January 23, 2019
Introduction
Year I. Hebrews gives us an example of rabbinical reasoning that compares the absence about data of the origin of Melchizedek with the divine origin of Jesus. The priest Melchizedek comes as if from nowhere, without any levitical, human genealogy mentioned. Likewise, Jesus has no levitical, human genealogy; he is eternal.
Gospel. We sometimes reduce our religion to a matter of casuistic laws: Is it permitted to heal on Sundays? When does it become a mortal sin if I am late for Mass? Is it wrong if I do not raise my hands for the Our Father? We sometimes behave like immature kids. God wants us to grow up in our faith. Where is the good news of Jesus? Where is our love for the Lord and for people?
Opening Prayer
Gracious and holy God,
you have chosen us to be
your kingdom of peace and mature love.
But we have to acknowledge with shame
that there is still much room for growth.
Make our love richer, more sensitive;
Complete the work you have begun in us,
that we may have a permanent place in your heart
and reflect the adult, healing goodness
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Reading 1: Heb 7:1-3, 15-17
Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High,
met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings
and blessed him.
And Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything.
His name first means righteous king,
and he was also "king of Salem," that is, king of peace.
Without father, mother, or ancestry,
without beginning of days or end of life,
thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up
after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so,
not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent
but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.
For it is testified:
You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4
R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
Alleluia: See Mt 4:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mk 3:1-6
Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up here before us."
Then he said to the Pharisees,
"Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
Intercessions
– That people everywhere may be given the time to rest and recover from the pressure of their work, and be given the opportunity to worship God and help people, we pray:
– That the faithful who go to Mass on Sundays will also live according to the Gospel on weekdays, we pray:
– That the Eucharistic celebration on Sundays may be to all Christian communities a source of great joy as we deeply encounter the Lord and receive the strength to follow him on his ways, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Our healing God,
you set the table of your Son
not merely for a select few
but for all, for the sick and the suffering,
for the weak and the lonely.
Let Jesus’ love, his acceptance of people,
his spirit of sharing and healing be ours
in all our Christian communities.
Teach us to set the table of ourselves,
as Jesus did, your Son and our brother,
who lives with you and stays with us,
now and for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Our saving and healing God,
we thank you for uniting us
at the table of your Son in this Eucharistic celebration.
Let the Christian community be
to all people what you are to us:
love and healing, peace and joy
and a surprisingly generous gift,
a gift freely given and never regretted.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
When did you visit me? Perhaps, the best day to visit our brother Jesus in the sick is Sunday, the day of the Lord! Bring God’s healing to people, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary
Today’s reading from Hebrews contains a categorization of Melchizedek as a type of Jesus. The name itself is explained in terms of the two Hebrew words king and justice. Melchizedek is said to be the king of Salem, translated as “king of peace.” Both terms are applied to Christ, who is both king of justice and king of peace. Moreover, there is no mention of Melchizedek’s geneal¬ogy. Therefore, he is not a priest because he comes from a priestly line but rather a priest by divine appointment, like the Son of God, who, without a priestly lineage, is destined to remain a priest forever. Melchizedek also offers bread and wine, which is of sig-nificance to Christians.
What is clear is the intention of Hebrews to see Christ alone as priest of the new covenant. That has ramifications for all of us who live in Catholic and priestly communities. There are times in our lives when the parish priest goes beyond our fondest expecta¬tions. His care for his people, his ready availability, his attentive¬ness to liturgy and preaching. For such a blessing one can only be grateful. But somewhere along the path of life, there will be a pas¬tor of a different ilk, perhaps more given to scolding than affirm¬ing'. Frustrated parishioners may ask, “What did we do to deserve him?” This is all part of the human face of the church. In moments of trial we must keep our attention fixed on Christ, our one high priest, who remains always the center of our lives. When things go adrift, we must return to Christ the first priest, who will never abandon us and will see us through the difficult days.
Christ claimed that it was always a good thing to express kindness on the Sabbath. It is well to remember that there are no limits placed on our ability to do good.
Points to Ponder
Christ, king of justice and king of peace
Church life: sometimes positive, sometimes not
Doing good: anywhere anytime.
