Holy Martyrs Menas, Hermogenes and Eugraphus.
Nativity Fast.
Hebrews 9:8-10,15-23. Mark 8:22-26.
Read Hebrews 9:8-10,15-23
We are invited to reflect on the difference between the old way of worship in the Old Testament and the new way Jesus opened for us. In the old covenant, the Day of Atonement happened every year. The high priest would enter the holiest place in the temple to offer sacrifices for the people’s sins. It was a temporary fix—a yearly reminder of how much people needed forgiveness.
But with Jesus, something far greater happened. He didn’t offer an animal sacrifice; He offered Himself. By dying on the cross, He made one perfect sacrifice that didn’t just cover our sins for a while—it took them away forever. This sacrifice wasn’t just for us who live after Jesus, but even for those who lived and died before Him. His sacrifice reached across time, fulfilling all the promises of God.
The Bible uses the word covenant here, which can also mean a “will.” Like a will, this new covenant needed a death to put it into effect—Jesus’ death. His blood, the symbol of life, was given so we could receive a new kind of life, a life transformed and made holy, a life that brings us into a closer relationship with God.
It means we don’t need repeated sacrifices to be right with God. Rather, every Sunday we celebrate His resurrection and partake of His precious and life-giving Body and Blood in the Divine Liturgy. Jesus’ offering was enough, once and for all.
This passage reminds us that we are deeply loved by a God who made the ultimate sacrifice to be in relationship with us. It challenges us to live as people who have been transformed—grateful, holy, and dedicated to God. Through Jesus, we’re invited to share in a life that never ends. Let us come to Him with hearts full of gratitude, trusting in the power of His perfect sacrifice.