“Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own…” (Hebrew 9:25.)
Origen of Alexandria (part 2 of Pope Benedict’s reflections on Origen) comments on these verses from the Gospel proclaimed at Mass today:
“But this world, which is itself called an “age,” is said to be the end of many ages. Now the holy apostle teaches that in the age that was before this, Christ did not suffer, nor even in the age before that; and I do not know that I am able to enumerate the number of previous ages in which he did not suffer. I will show, however, the statements of Paul from which I have arrived at this understanding. He says, “He has appeared once for all at the end of the age to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” He says that Christ was made a “sacrifice” once, and “at the end of the ages has appeared to take away sin.” Now after this age, which is said to be made for the consummation of other ages, there will be other ages again to follow; for we have clearly learned this from Paul himself, who says, “that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness toward us.” He did not say “in the age to come” or “in the two ages to come” but “in the ages to come.” I think, therefore, that by his language many ages are indicated. ” (On First Principles, 2.)
“The author then points out that the heavenly activity of Christ is not a repeated sacrificial activity, and he contrasts it with the repeated sacrificial activity of the high priest of the Old Testament. Let us here notice the skill of the author. When describing the former worship, he said in 9:7 that the high priest enters into the second tent “once every year,” at Kippur. In 9:12 he speaks of a relation of similarity between the liturgy of Christ and that celebration of Kippur, saying that Christ has entered into the sanctuary “once.” In 9:28, however, he points out that “once every year” in the long run amounts to “many times,” and he then expresses a contrasting relation between the liturgy of Christ and the former liturgy: Christ did not offer himself “many times.” Another contrast is suggested, but without insistence: the high priest of the former liturgy uses “the blood of another,” the blood of a sacrificed animal; it will be recalled that in 9:12, the author said that Christ, for his part, did not use “the blood of goats and calves”; he used “his own blood.”” (Cardinal Albert Vanhoye, The Letter to the Hebrews: A New Commentary. Paulist Press 978-0809149285, pages 156-157.)
“The author then points out that the heavenly activity of Christ is not a repeated sacrificial activity, and he contrasts it with the repeated sacrificial activity of the high priest of the Old Testament. Let us here notice the skill of the author. When describing the former worship, he said in 9:7 that the high priest enters into the second tent “once every year,” at Kippur. In 9:12 he speaks of a relation of similarity between the liturgy of Christ and that celebration of Kippur, saying that Christ has entered into the sanctuary “once.” In 9:28, however, he points out that “once every year” in the long run amounts to “many times,” and he then expresses a contrasting relation between the liturgy of Christ and the former liturgy: Christ did not offer himself “many times.” Another contrast is suggested, but without insistence: the high priest of the former liturgy uses “the blood of another,” the blood of a sacrificed animal; it will be recalled that in 9:12, the author said that Christ, for his part, did not use “the blood of goats and calves”; he used “his own blood.”” (Cardinal Albert Vanhoye, The Letter to the Hebrews: A New Commentary. Paulist Press 978-0809149285, pages 156-157.)
Collect
Almighty ever-living God,
direct our actions according to Your good pleasure,
that in the name of Your beloved Son
we may abound in good works.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
direct our actions according to Your good pleasure,
that in the name of Your beloved Son
we may abound in good works.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
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
