🕂 The Transfer of the Precious Relics of our holy Father John Chrysostom.
Polyeleos Feast.
Hebrews 7:26-8:2; John 10:9-16.
Read Hebrews 7:26-8:2
The concept of priesthood exists in many of the world’s religions. The basic idea of priesthood, if looked at most broadly, is that the priest is someone whose role is to make some kind of offering to God, the divine, the gods, etc… in order to bring about some desired effect. Different plants and animals and even humans have been sacrificed in worship to different gods throughout history to bring about rain, fertility, peace, victory, prosperity, and a whole host of other desired things.
In the Old Covenant, God the Lord mandated a system of sacrifice. There were daily, monthly, yearly, and occasional sacrifices to be offered for different purposes. These sacrifices would be in thanksgiving, for forgiveness of sin, for restoration to ritual purity, for atonement, etc….
The priests who offered these sacrifices were imperfect men and their sacrifice, while necessary according to the Law of Moses, had no eternal value. Even the greatest sacrifices offered at Yom Kippur and Passover had to be repeated yearly. They were not salvific.
These sacrifices of the Law did however prefigure and were fulfilled by the sacrifice to end all sacrifices made by the eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ. This High Priest, being the Son of God, sits at God’s right hand. His sacrifice on the cross, unlike the sacrifices of the Old Testament, brings us salvation. His sacrifice is the perfect sacrifice made by the perfect God-man.
Since Christ has won salvation by His offering on the Cross, our sacrifice is to join ourselves to His. To offer our lives—our entire being—to God. To offer our lives in worship, prayer, service to others. To love others with the same love that led Christ to accept the Cross. This is our offering—to be in and of Christ, the Eternal High Priest.
We apologize that you have received this reflection so late in the day.