“For a tabernacle was constructed, the outer one, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of offering; this is called the Holy Place...” (Hebrew 9:2.)
Origen of Alexandria (part 2 of Pope Benedict’s reflections on Origen) comments on these verses from the Gospel proclaimed at Mass today:
“Each one of us can build a tabernacle for God in himself. For if, as some before us have said, this tabernacle represents a figure of the whole world, and if each individual can have an image of the world in oneself, why should not each individual be able to fulfill the form of the tabernacle in oneself? . . . For that part within you which is most valuable [NT Vol. X, p. 133] of all can act the part of priest—the part which some call the first principle of the heart, others the rational sense or the substance of the mind or whatever other name one wishes to give to that part of us which makes us capable of receiving God.” (Homilies on Exodus, 9.)
“In the introductory sentence (9:1), the holy place of the first covenant receives a pejorative description: it was "of this world," in Greek: kosmikon(here only and in Titus 2:12 in the Bible); so it was not really God's dwelling. To describe it the author relies on the Law of Moses, which does not speak of a building but only of a tent, divided in two, "the Holy and the Holy of Holies" (Exod 26:33). The author is therefore not speaking of Herod's temple, like the Gospels, or of Solomon's temple, but only of the tent in the desert, to which he has already alluded in Heb 8:5. He insists on its division into two parts, which he calls "the first tent" (9:6) and "the second" (9:7). He does not use the expressions "the Holy" nor "the Holy of Holies," but he simply uses, without any articles, the corresponding adjectives: the first tent "is called holy" (9:2), the second is "called holy of holies," that is to say "very holy." Many manuscripts have some variant readings here that seek to bring the text back to the wording, quoted above, in Exod 26:33: "the Holy and the Holy of Holies." That is mistaken. Without the article, holy of holiesqualifies many things in the Old Testament.” (Cardinal Albert Vanhoye, The Letter to the Hebrews: A New Commentary. Paulist Press 978-0809149285, pages 137.)
“In the introductory sentence (9:1), the holy place of the first covenant receives a pejorative description: it was "of this world," in Greek: kosmikon(here only and in Titus 2:12 in the Bible); so it was not really God's dwelling. To describe it the author relies on the Law of Moses, which does not speak of a building but only of a tent, divided in two, "the Holy and the Holy of Holies" (Exod 26:33). The author is therefore not speaking of Herod's temple, like the Gospels, or of Solomon's temple, but only of the tent in the desert, to which he has already alluded in Heb 8:5. He insists on its division into two parts, which he calls "the first tent" (9:6) and "the second" (9:7). He does not use the expressions "the Holy" nor "the Holy of Holies," but he simply uses, without any articles, the corresponding adjectives: the first tent "is called holy" (9:2), the second is "called holy of holies," that is to say "very holy." Many manuscripts have some variant readings here that seek to bring the text back to the wording, quoted above, in Exod 26:33: "the Holy and the Holy of Holies." That is mistaken. Without the article, holy of holiesqualifies many things in the Old Testament.” (Cardinal Albert Vanhoye, The Letter to the Hebrews: A New Commentary. Paulist Press 978-0809149285, pages 137.)
Collect
Almighty ever-living God,
Who choose what is weak in the world
to confound the strong,
mercifully grant, that we,
who celebrate the heavenly birthday of Your
Martyr Saint Agnes,
may follow her constancy in the faith.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Who choose what is weak in the world
to confound the strong,
mercifully grant, that we,
who celebrate the heavenly birthday of Your
Martyr Saint Agnes,
may follow her constancy in the faith.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Glory to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen
