Venerable Father Daniel the Stylite (493).
Nativity Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Hebrews 10:1-18. Mark 8:30-34.
Read Hebrews 10:1-18
St. Paul reflects on the fulfillment of the Old Covenant sacrifices in the ultimate offering of Jesus Christ. Through His voluntary self-offering, “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). Unlike the repeated sacrifices of the Old Testament, which were “a shadow of the good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1), Christ’s sacrifice is perfect and eternal, bringing about true sanctification.
St. Athanasius of Alexandria reflects on this mystery: “He offered His body unto death on behalf of all, and with it He obliterated death itself.” (On the Incarnation, Chapter 2, Section 9). The body of Christ, offered willingly, not only satisfies divine justice but also restores humanity to communion with God. In the Eucharist, Christians partake of this same body, uniting themselves to His sanctifying work.
The Fathers emphasize that Christ’s sacrifice was not merely transactional, but transformative. St. John Chrysostom writes, “He has sanctified them by offering Himself, and that one oblation has done what all the offerings of the law could not do.” This sanctification calls believers to live as holy and renewed people, reflecting the image of Christ in the world.
The new covenant invites us into intimate union with God, where “I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds” (Hebrews 10:16). This inner transformation, enlivened by the Holy Spirit, fulfills the will of God and manifests the fullness of life offered through Christ’s one perfect sacrifice. As Christians, we are called to live in gratitude and holiness, embodying the sanctification given through His ultimate gift.