The Transfer of the Precious Relics (438) of Our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom.
Polyeleos Feast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Hebrews 7:26-8:2; John 10:9-16.
Read Hebrews 7:26-8:2
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Jesus Christ is our High Priest. Unlike the high priests of the Jewish Temple who continually had to offer up sacrifices and enter the holy place, Jesus offered Himself up once and for all and then ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father. Jesus, Who sacrificed Himself for our sake as the One Who offers and the One Who is offered, now sits eternally in the holiest place. He had no need to offer a sacrifice for His own sins as other priests would have to do because He was sinless. He was unblemished, as an unblemished lamb. His sacrifice was for everyone.
When St. Cyril of Jerusalem teaches the newly baptized about their initiation into the Church, he uses the imagery of vines. Upon baptism, catechumens are “transplanted henceforth among the spiritual olive-trees, being grafted from the wild into the good olive-tree, from sins into righteousness, from pollutions into purity,” being made “partaker[s] of the Holy Vine” (Catechetical Homily #1). Remember that Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (Jn. 15:5-6).
In the Old Testament, kings, priests, and prophets were anointed to inaugurate their service. Likewise, we are anointed with holy chrism after being baptized as we begin in our new life in Christ. The word “Christ” means “Anointed One,” and so we become “little Christs” upon our chrismation. Jesus is the ultimate priest, prophet, and king, and we share in these roles as we are grafted onto Him, the true Vine.
As little Christs, we participate in the priesthood of Christ. Whenever we pray the Divine Liturgy, it is our prayer of thanksgiving and our bread and wine that we offer to the Father. Emulating our great High Priest who offered Himself on the cross, we offer “ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.” Everything that we are, we freely give to God. The next time we attend the Divine Liturgy, let us be mindful of this.