Our Venerable Fathers Paul of Thebes and John the Hut-Dweller.
Hebrews 10:1-18; Mark 8:30-34.
Read Hebrews 10:1-18
St. Paul emphasizes the profound reality of Christ’s sacrifice, which fulfills the Old Covenant and establishes a New and eternal one. “I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds” (Hebrews 10:16, RSV-2CE) points to the transformative power of God’s grace. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, the external observance of the Law is replaced with an internal sanctification, where God’s will becomes part of our very being through Jesus Christ.
The outcome of this salvation is not merely forgiveness of sins, but a renewal of our nature. St. Cyril of Alexandria explains, “The old man, corrupt and disobedient, is destroyed, and we are renewed in Christ by the Spirit, so that the law is no longer imposed upon us externally but inscribed within us.” This echoes the promise of a relationship not based on fear, but on love and communion with God.
Through Christ’s sacrifice, we gain access to God in a way previously unimaginable. As St. Athanasius states, “He became what we are, so that He might make us what He is.” This divine exchange transforms us, allowing us to share in His divine life through theosis, the process of becoming more like God.
The cross becomes the definitive moment where humanity’s broken relationship with God is restored. The forgiveness offered is not temporary but eternal: “Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:18). We are invited to live in freedom, continually shaped by God’s love within us.