Why is Water Added to Wine in the Holy Mass?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many people who witness the Holy Mass, but don’t fully understand it, will often come away thinking that it is a beautiful ritual – but nothing more than that. Then there are others who, in their misguided zeal, say that the Holy Mass is far from beautiful...in fact they claim that it is naught but an idolatrous religious affair filled with empty and pagan rituals. Fortunately, those who understand the depth of what is taking place in the Mass know better...

When we celebrate Mass, time and space are transcended, and we in fact enter into the Heavenly Jerusalem where we celebrate the Heavenly Liturgy with the Angels and Saints of all ages (see Heb 12:22). This is one reason for the responsorial at different points in the Mass:

“Lift up your hearts”......“We lift them up to the Lord”.

When we understand that time and space are transcended in the Holy Mass, we also starts to see how it is possible for the Sacrifice of the Mass to be none other than the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross at Calvary. The Eucharistic Sacrifice is not a re-sacrificing of Jesus Christ. Our Blessed Lord was sacrified once-for-all on Golgotha Hill 2,000 years ago. No! The Mass and Calvary are the selfsame sacrifice. In other words, what happened 2,000 years ago on Calvary is made present to us in every single Mass. [For example, see here, here, here, and here.]

To begin to understand the Mass, we first need to understand that it is not just some human ritual invented by the Apostles or Church Fathers. On the contrary, the Mass is the Divine Liturgy that has been instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ for His Holy Church; and all the rituals contained within the Mass have as their Author the Holy Spirit. As such, they can never be empty or idolatrous. In fact, to even say that the Mass is simply “beautiful” would be a gross understatement. The Mass is not simply beautiful – it is so much more than that....it is Divine!

To illustrate this, I’d like to take a look at just one very “small” ritual within the Mass – so small that it can easily go unnoticed...but if we miss it, we also miss something that has the deepest theological significance. I am speaking of the moment in the Mass when the priest adds the water to the wine before the Consecration.

To casual onlookers, this little act may seem a bit peculiar, and they may shrug it off without thinking much of it; but the truth is that this little act carries with it amazing relevance. For example, when the water is added to the wine, it is basically turned into wine – and this might remind us of the first sign performed by our Blessed Lord – when He miraculously turned the water into wine (see Jn 2:1-11). And if He can turn water into wine, then we have no reason to doubt that He can also turn the same wine into His Most Precious Blood.

But wait...there's more...

The Catechism of the Council of Trent reminds us that this practice of adding water to the wine for Consecration is actually derived from Apostolic tradition. And the Catechism goes on to provides us with three principal reasons for this practice:

Firstly, water must be added to the wine in imitation of Our Lord; who mingled water with wine at the Last Supper. This was attested to by St. Cyprian:

“[Solomon] declares the wine mingled [referring to Prov 9:1-2], that is, he foretells with prophetic voice the cup of the Lord mingled with water and wine, that it may appear that that was done in our Lord’s Passion which had been before predicted.” – Epistle 62, Chapter 5

Secondly, by adding the water to the wine, the faithful are reminded of the blood and water that issued from the side of Christ when He was pierced through with the lance (Jn 19:34).

Thirdly, water in Scripture often symbolises “the peoples, and multitudes, and nations” (e.g. Rev 17:15). It is the same “peoples, and multitudes, and nations” that Jesus Christ died for, and so the water mingled with wine signifies the union of the redeemed with Christ their head.

 

Without even going into any great detail in respect of the above points raised by the Catechism of the Council of Trent, one can begin to appreciate that there is a depth of Mystery in this simple little action in the Mass.

But wait...there's more...

The points raised by the Catechism are just a beginning. There is another point that I believe is worth adding, derived from the ritual itself.

When the priest (or deacon, if present) adds the water to the wine, he silently prays the following prayer:

“By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.”

In reversal of the third point raised by the Catechism, in this prayer the people are symbolised by the wine in the chalice; and the divinity of Christ is symbolised by the pure water descending from above. Thus the mingling of water and wine serves to remind us of the Incarnation – the pure water descends from on high to be mingled with the wine, and this mingling is so complete that once they are mingled they cannot be separated. In the same way, God the Son descended from the Highest Heaven to make His tabernacle with men (Jn 1:14).

But wait...there’s more...

By this mingling of water and wine, we are not only being reminded of the Incarnation, but we are being reminded of the very reason for the Incarnation. But not only that...we are also being reminded of the very reason for the Mass!

St. Athanasius reminds us what the reason for the Incarnation was:

“God was made man, so that we might be made God” - On the Incarnation; Chapter 54:3

And as I have pointed out previously , this reality is brought about most especially in Most Blessed Sacrament when we receive the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion. We bring our gifts of bread and wine, as symbols of all that we are and have; then the Lord Jesus Christ turns these gifts into His Own Precious Body and Blood, which He in turn offers to us in Holy Communion...and in this Holy Communion we become united with Him so that we can be drawn more and more into His Divine Nature and be conformed to His image.

Isn’t that amazing? Who would’ve thought that all this could be represented by the simple act of adding a few drops of water to a chalice filled with wine? Often it’s the little things that teach us the greatest lessons...

Ezra Reading the Law - a Foreshadow of the Mass

The First Reading for this past Sunday (Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C) holds a very special place for me. It is a reading that I distinctly remember from my days as a Baptist, and it had a profound effect on shaping my love for the Scriptures. The reading was Neh 8:2-6, 8-10:

Ezra the priest brought the law before the  assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand. Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak till midday, in the presence of the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand; and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law. Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. He opened the scroll so that all the people might see it— for he was standing higher up than any of the  people —; and, as he opened it, all the people rose. Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, “Amen, amen!” Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD, their faces to the ground. Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God,interpreting it so that all could understand what was read. Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all the people: “Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep” — for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and alot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”

I remember when my Baptist pastor preached on this passage, he instilled within me a love for God’s Word and a love for hearing the preaching of God’s Word. I remember that the sermon was a powerful one which showed how important God’s Word was for God’s people – after all, it must have been important if the people were prepared to stand for six hours while they listened to the reading of the Torah. And then Ezra took up his place on a pulpit and explained the Scriptures to the people.

From that day I have been convinced that people should stand when they hear the Scriptures being read in a public assembling, and that the Scriptures should be powerfully expounded so as to open hearts and minds to pursue deeper holiness. In addition, as a Protestant, this passage was for me a strong proof of Sola Scriptura and the centrality of the pulpit in the church building, given that this was where the pastor would preach God’s Word. 

I look back now and see how some of my understanding was wrongly coloured by my pre-conceived Protestant assumptions (e.g. it is not the pulpit that should be central, but the altar; because it is not the preacher that is central, but Christ). But, there was also much good that I learned as a Protestant – which I am now able, as a Catholic, to more fully embrace. This is because Protestantism contains traces of truth (varying in greater and lesser degrees, depending which denomination and church you attend), whereas the Catholic faith is the fullness of Truth.  

Something that struck me very early on in my conversion to the Catholic Church is that the Mass is filled with far more Scripture than ANY Protestant service I ever attended. Apart from every action in the Liturgy being saturated with Sacred Scripture, the first half of the Mass is specifically titled “The Liturgy of the Word” – because during the first part of the Mass, we are fed with Christ from the Table of the Word. At every Mass on a Sunday or Solemnity, we hear three specific readings from Scripture – Old Testament (Prophets), New Testament (Apostles), and Gospel. And there is even a Responsorial Psalm thrown in as well. [This differs for weekday Masses, where the Old Testament Reading is omitted; and during the Easter Season, where the Old Testament Reading is replaced by a reading from the book of Acts]. These Scriptures are read from the Ambo, a wooden pulpit made specifically for that purpose.

What’s more, out of reverence for the Person and Work of Christ, the entire congregation stands for the reading of the Gospel.

After the readings, the priest (or deacon) will break open the Scriptures in the Homily, and seek to apply the Scriptures to the lives of those who have ears to hear.

Just considering these things, we can already see that the Holy Mass is faithful to the pattern followed by Ezra.  But if we dig deeper, we begin to see that what happens in the Holy Mass is actually closer to the pattern set by Ezra than a Protestant worship service.

 

Many Protestants cringe at the idea of “ritual” in worship, as they do the idea of following a liturgical calendar. But notice that Ezra’s reading and exposition of the was a ritual that occurred within the context of a liturgical calendar on the annual Feast of Booths (cp Neh 8:2 with Deut 31:10-13). Like Israel of old, the Church continues to adopt the practice of rituals within the context of a liturgical calendar.

Notice also that Ezra forbade the people from mourning on this specific occasion, given that it was not in accordance with the liturgical occasion being celebrated. That sounds remarkably similar to the Catholic practise of observing different liturgical seasons in different ways e.g. Lent and Advent are times focussed on fasting, preparation, and sombreness; whereas Easter and Christmas are filled with joy and celebration.

Something that is particularly interesting here is that Ezra exercised his authority as a priest to command the people not to mourn on this occasion – and he didn’t make any appeal to Scripture (contrary to the notion of Sola Scriptura). Rather, it was by virtue of his authority as a priest that the people were bound to obey.

Moreover, we see that the celebration itself was liturgical in nature. The people all stood upon the opening of the book; then Ezra pronounced a blessing, to which all the people had a uniform response (“Amen, Amen”) whilst all raising their hands. Then they all prostrated themselves and worshipped the Lord. This uniformity of action and response points to a liturgical structure which was already in place – there is no way that this uniformity of action and response could ever be achieved in a setting where everyone was acting independently and spontaneously.

 

This highlights some very important points...

 

Catholics are often accused of hating Scripture, and rejecting it in favour of traditions and rituals. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Without the Catholic Church, there would be no Bible as we know it. Not only was the New Testament Canon (which is accepted by all Protestants) officially defined by the Catholic Church; but the Catholic Church has also been the defender of Sacred Scripture for 2,000 years and will continue to do so until the Lord returns. The Catholic Church loves and venerates Sacred Scripture, and everything that the Church does and teaches is grounded firmly in Scripture.

As we have seen from the example of Ezra’s reading of the Torah, this includes ritualistic worship. In other words, ritualistic liturgical worship is Scriptural worship. In fact, this passage in Nehemiah shows that Sacred Scripture is not only at home, but is also intended to be read and understood, within the liturgy of God’s people.

 

Despite their good intentions, those Protestants who claim to reject any form of liturgical ritual and accuse Catholics of false worship (simply because our worship incorporates ritual) do so wrongly. On the contrary, this passage from Nehemiah shows that ritual has its place in the worship of God’s people.

 

[I might add that Protestants who supposedly reject “rituals” have their own rituals. They claim that their worship and prayer is relatively spontaneous, and thus “led by the Spirit”; but one doesn’t have to attend their worship services or prayer meetings for very long to notice underlying structures and patterns in their worship (aka liturgical rituals), or particular phrases within their prayers that are not unlike “rote” prayers often used by Catholics].

But there is one more point in this passage which points to the Mass as being more faithful to Ezra’s pattern than a Protestant worship service.

 

The first part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Word, is very clearly foreshadowed in this Old Testament ceremony. But what about the second part, the Liturgy of the Eucharist?

 

Ezra tells God’s people that they are not to mourn; instead they were instructed to go their way, and eat the fat and drink the wine; and send portions to those who were without.

 

This, I think, is an allusion to the Eucharist because when we celebrate the Eucharist, we are celebrating the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Eucharist is a wedding feast in which we are fed and nourished with the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then at the end of the Mass we are dismissed, not unlike Ezra’s dismissal of the people, to go on our way (“Go, the Mass is ended”) so that we can live lives filled with the joy and presence of Jesus Christ.

 

To eat the “rich foods” and “drink its sweet wine” meant to eat and drink the very best that the Promised Land had to offer. This was the shadow...and its fulfilment is eating and drinking of the very best of our Heavenly Homeland, that is, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

So, as Catholics, we shouldn’t be ashamed of embracing our liturgical rituals. Not only because they are deeply symbolic, but also because they are firmly established in Sacred Scripture. May we also continue to grow in our love for Sacred Scripture, especially when we hear it read in the Mass – because it is the Word of God given to His Holy Catholic Church. As we listen to the Scriptures read in the Liturgy, we receive Jesus in the Table of the Word – which in turn prepares us to receive Him in the Table of the Eucharist. 

Relationship or Religion?

A little while back I was having an online conversation with a well-meaning non-Catholic Christian who was trying to “encourage” me to give up my Catholic faith for what he called was “the real Jesus”. He argued that I needed to give up the Rosaries, Crucifixes, Missals, etc. because they were distractions to truly knowing Jesus. Instead, he suggested that I take up the King James Version Bible, because it is only through the KJV that I will know Jesus. 

Sadly, many “fundamentalist” Christians (like this particular gentleman) believe that “religion” is a hindrance to knowing God. They are often heard to say that “Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship” – a relationship with Jesus. The below video entitled “Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus” provides a good example of what this kind of thinking entails.

My favourite response to the above video was this one by Fr. Claude Burns.

 

Unfortunately, what this kind of thinking (“Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship”) fails to grasp is that religion is not opposed to relationship. And neither are religious articles a hindrance to knowing God and growing in relationship with him. As an example, consider our everyday lives – we have families, and part of what it means to be a family is to have photo albums, heirlooms, and a plethora of other articles that give witness to the family bond. These articles don’t hinder our family relationship; rather, they exist as a testament that we are family; and they very often evoke fond memories reminding us of what it means to “be family”. In this way, these articles enhance our familial relationships. So for this man to suggest that I destroy all my “religious articles” would be like me asking him to destroy anything that reminds him of his family.  

Ultimately, religion and relationship go hand in hand. Religion is ultimately about relationship, and because of this, the two cannot be separated. As Fulton J. Sheen so wisely put it: 

“Religion is not what you do with your solitariness, but what you do with your relationships.” – Fulton J. Sheen; Seven Words of Jesus and Mary

When we consider religion in this context, the words of St. James and St. John in Sacred Scripture where they talk about religion comes to life in an amazing way:

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” – James 1:27

“If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?” – James 2:16

“How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” – 1 Jn 3:17-18

In a nutshell, religion IS about relationship; and a relationship with Christ cannot exist without religion. But I think it goes even deeper than this. As I was mulling over this, I came to realise that talking about having a “relationship with Christ”, even within the context of religion, is still grossly understated. I mean, when you really get down to it, what does it mean to have a “relationship with Christ”?

A “relationship” could mean anything – I have a relationship with my work colleagues; with my neighbours; with my friends; and also with my family. These are all relationships, but that doesn’t mean that they’re all the same. What makes my relationship with my friends deeper than that with my work colleagues? And what makes my relationship with my family surpass all of these? And when you come down to it – how do I know that to have a “relationship with Jesus” isn’t like the relationship with my work colleagues?

You see, the depth of relationship is about depth of communion. The relationship that I have with my wife surpasses all other relationships because of the depth of communion that I have with her – a communion so grounded in love that in it two become one flesh. And our children form part of this intimate communion because they are the fruit of the love that my wife and I have for each other.

And that is where religion really comes into focus because religion is about communion – the creature seeking communion with the Creator; mortality seeking communion with immortality; man seeking communion with the Divine. 

But this aspect of communion is taken to a whole different level when we speak of it in the context of the true religion and the fullness of faith found in the Catholic Church. This is because the Catholic faith is not so much about man seeking communion with God; but rather God seeking communion with man. 

That is the whole reason for the Incarnation. God became man and dwelt among us so that He could restore us to communion with Him, and this is the reason that Our Lord cried out on the Cross “I thirst” (Jn 19:28). God-become-man thirsts for communion with His creatures; and God becomes man so that He can redeem us and restore us to communion with Him.

I have blogged before on the “transaction” that takes place in the Holy Mass (for example,  see here, here, here, and here ). Like the intimacy of a marriage, the Holy Mass is about a mutual exchange of persons in love. The Eucharist involves us lovingly offering ourselves up on the altar in the bread and the wine; and Christ in turn lovingly giving Himself to us by changing the bread and wine into His Body and Blood. But when He does so, He is also changing us by feeding us with Himself.

So really, there are two Transubstantiations that take place in the Mass. The first, and most obvious, is when the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. The second is when we, represented by the bread and the wine, are changed into the image of Christ.

To make the point in a better way than I ever could, I would like to quote the Blessed Fulton Sheen again:

“We are on the altar under the appearance of bread and wine, for both are the substance of life; therefore in giving that which gives us life we are symbolically giving ourselves. Furthermore, wheat must suffer to become bread; grapes must pass through the wine-press to become wine. Hence both are representative of Christians who are called to suffer with Christ, that they may also reign with Him....

“[In the Mass] I give myself to God. Here is my body. Take it. Here is my blood. Take it. Here is my soul, my will, my energy, my strength, my property, my wealth – all that I have. It is yours. Take it! Consecrate it! Offer it!...Transubstantiate me so that like bread which is now Thy Body, and wine which is now Thy Blood, I too may be wholly Thine. I care not if the species remain, or that like the bread and the wine I seem to all earthly eyes the same as before. My station in life, my routine duties, my work, my family – all these are but the species of my life which may remain unchanged. But the substance of my life – my soul, my mind, my will, my heart – transubstantiate them, transform them whole into Thy service, so that through me all may know how sweet is the love of Christ.” – Calvary and the Mass, A Missal Companion

As Catholics, may we never be ashamed to say that we love our religion; because it is through the Catholic Church that God has given man the best opportunity of being reunited in communion with Him.

Keeping Christ in Christmas

Whilst Christmas Day has come and gone...it feels like almost an eternity ago...we are still in the Christmas Season, which traditionally finishes with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (13 January this year). Since we are still in the Christmas Season, I thought I still have some time to post a blog about Christmas...

Together with Protestant Christians, we often decry the fact that Christmas has become nothing less the unashamed promotion of materialism and consumerism. While the world thinks that Christmas is about the accumulation of gifts, Christians try to remind the world that their need for Christ far outweighs their need for material goods. And so, every Christmas, Christians the world over seek to remind people that “Jesus is the reason for the Season”, and that we ought to “Keep Christ in Christmas”.

I recently posted a picture on Facebook (see above) which contained the phrase:

“The best way to keep Christ in Christmas is to keep Mass in Christmas”

I posted the picture because I initially thought the slogan was quite clever, and also thought-provoking. It challenges us to see that there are two sides to Christmas – yes, there is Christ. But there is also Mass (after all, the word “Christmas” is derived from the reference to “Christ’s Mass”). 

So for us Catholics, Christmas is not just about remembering that “Jesus is the reason for the Season”; it is also about fulfilling our Holy Obligation to attend the Sacrifice of the Mass – which in itself reminds us that Calvary was the ultimate reason for Christmas. 

Then in Mass earlier this week, I had another thought which I think is substantially more profound. Mass cannot be separated from Christmas because Mass and the Nativity are intricately connected. 

Just as Mary received Our Lord with faith, humility, reverence, and obedience so too do we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion. Just as Mary became a living Tabernacle at the Annunciation, so too do we become living Tabernacles in Holy Communion because we carry the Lord Jesus within us. 

But Holy Communion is not the ultimate point of going to Mass. The very word “Mass” comes from the Latin “Ita Missa Est” – “Go, you are sent”. It is true that the summit of the Mass is receiving Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, but we do so not solely for ourselves. We receive Our Lord so that we can be sent. To do what? To share Christ with others, even as He shares Himself with us in Holy Communion. 

And that is where the Nativity comes into it. Mary received our Lord at the Annunciation; but she gave Christ to the world in the Nativity. In this way, the Mass really is the mystery of the Incarnation because we receive the Lord in the Eucharist, and then we go out into the world so that we can bring Him to others. In this way, Christ is born afresh in us every time that we are sent forth from Mass.

So the best way to keep Christ in Christmas really is to keep Mass in Christmas. Because God’s grace and Christ’s Presence given to us in the Blessed Sacrament is the surest way to share Christ with a world that so desperately needs Him.

Advent and Adoration

The season of Advent officially began this past Sunday. The word “advent” basically means “coming” – as such Advent is typically a time when we prepare for the coming (or advent) of Christ. This involves preparing ourselves for Christmas (the celebration of Christ’s First Advent) as well as the Last Day when the Lord Jesus Christ returns in His glorious Second Advent. 
 
The readings for the First Sunday of Advent (Year C) were a reminder to us of this preparation. We were reminded of the First Advent in Jeremiah 33:14-16, where the prophet foretells the promise of the Messiah who would come to restore God’s people.
 
In the Gospel reading (Lk 21:25-28, 34-36), we were reminded of the Second Advent. In its immediate context, the Gospel reading is the account of Jesus’ prophecy of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70AD – but there is also an undertone of the Final Judgement at the end of time. In addition, Jesus also incorporates the particular judgement which will be faced by “every man” – the judgement which takes place upon our death and determines our eternal destiny i.e. Heaven or Hell.
 
Sandwiched between these two readings, we heard St. Paul’s words to the Thessalonians encouraging them to make more and more progress in living lives of holiness (1 Thess 3:12-4:2). This reading from St. Paul really serves as an encouragement to each and every one of us to live worthy of the name “Christian” – especially as we prepare for Christmas; but also as we live our lives in continual preparation to oneday stand before the Son of Man. 
 
These readings really hit home for me this week. I’ll explain why shortly, but first some background...
 
As part of “contemplating the fact of Christ” during this Year of Grace (for all dioceses around Australia), our parish priests decided that it would be a good idea to have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for a few minutes after Mass on the first Sunday of each month. It just so happened that this past Sunday, the First Sunday of Advent, was also the first Sunday of the month. And so, we had time for reflection during Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. 
 
Concurrently, over the past week or so, I have been thinking about the beauty and importance of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament – and I was struck by a thought. Exposition refers to the Blessed Sacrament being “exposed” in a monstrance (as pictured above). Any Catholic who has spent time praying with the right dispositions before the Blessed Sacrament will tell you that it changes a person. I was reminded of someone who likened it to being exposed to the sun – when we are exposed to the sun, our skin is changed. And that’s when it hit me!!! I realised that Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is not so much about Jesus in the Sacrament being exposed to us (although this is true) – it is MORE about us being exposed to the Blessed Sacrament. And being exposed to the Son most certainly changes us. 
 
As I contemplated this in light of the readings at Mass, I was reminded of 1 Jn 3:2 where St. John, speaking in the context of the Beatific Vision, reminds us:

“...what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we know is this: when He [Jesus] is revealed, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.”

What an awesome thought!!!
 
Now, read that verse in context of the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus is no less present in the Blessed Sacrament than He will be when He comes again in glory. The only difference is that in the Blessed Sacrament, His glory is veiled. If we can expect that we will be gloriously changed when we behold Him in His Second Advent; we can also expect that He is already changing us now – especially when we are exposed to Him in the Blessed Sacrament. 
 
So, in addition to receiving Holy Communion in a state of grace, what better way to prepare for Christmas, and to make progress in holiness, than to spend some time during this Advent season in Eucharistic Adoration. Jesus waits for us – and He waits for us so that He can change us and conform us more and more to His glorious image.
 
Wishing you and yours a blessed Advent as you progress more and more in holiness in preparation for the coming of the King of Kings!

Did Jesus Abrogate the Priesthood?

The Second Reading for today (31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B) begins with the following verse:

“...the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but He [Jesus] holds His priesthood permanently, because He continues forever.” Heb 7:23

Protestants often like to appeal to this verse (and other similar ones) to argue that the Catholic Church is in error because we still have priests. They argue that this verse clearly teaches that we no longer need priests, because Jesus is now our One and Only High Priest. What’s more, they appeal to verses like 1 Pet 2:9 and Rev 1:6 claiming that we are all priests and therefore no longer have need of a priesthood.

Unfortunately, as well-meaning as their arguments might be, they are not accurate. For example, Israel was also a “kingdom of priests” (see Ex 19:6), and yet they still had a ministerial priesthood. The Church teaches that all Christians are indeed priests, by virtue of our baptism; but, there is a difference between this common priesthood of all believers and the ministerial priesthood:

Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church "a kingdom, priests for his God and Father." The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly. The faithful exercise their baptismal priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in Christ's mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are consecrated to be a holy priesthood. (CCC #1546)

The ministerial or hierarchical priesthood of bishops and priests, and the common priesthood of all the faithful participate, "each in its own proper way, in the one priesthood of Christ." While being "ordered one to another," they differ essentially. In what sense? While the common priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace --a life of faith, hope, and charity, a life according to the Spirit--, the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. The ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church. For this reason it is transmitted by its own sacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders. (CCC #1547)

But what about Heb 7:23 quoted above? The Scriptures can sometimes be a funny thing – they can easily be twisted to teach almost anything that you want them to teach (2 Pet 3:16). Which is why St. Peter warns that the interpretation of Scripture is not a private affair (2 Pet 1:20). Rather, the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, is the pillar and foundation of truth (1 Tim 3:15) – as such, it the Church is entrusted with the right interpretation of Scripture. 

The common Protestant interpretation of Heb 7:23 is just one such misinterpretation. In fact, the way this verse is often used against Catholics is actually taken out of context. The point the author of Hebrews is trying to make starts a few verses earlier.

Beginning in Heb 7:11, the author of the Epistle talks about the Levitical priesthood according to the “order of Aaron”. He goes on to make the point that Jesus was not of the line of Aaron, so He could not be a Levitical priest. But, he argues, this is not a problem because God made a promise that the Messiah would be of the “order of Melchizedek”. He goes on to show how the “order of Aaron” was not an eternal arrangement; but the “order of Melchizedek” was. 

At this point, we need to take a bit of a detour before proceeding because we need to understand what the “order of Aaron” and “order of Melchizedek” actually refer to. 

Melchizedek lived a few hundred years before the time of Moses and Aaron. According to Gen 14:18, he was the King of Salem (later Jerusalem) and also the “priest of God Most High”. He seems to appear out of nowhere to bless Abram (later Abraham) after Abram won a battle to rescue his nephew (Lot). Throughout the book of Genesis, we see that this kind of blessing was familiar to the Patriarchs – it was the blessing conferred to the eldest son to take up the mantle of the father; and he would in turn bless his eldest son as his death drew near. Now, what was this all about? 

Before the establishment of the Levitical priesthood, there was already a priesthood in existence. It began with the first man (Adam) and was passed on by the priestly blessing to the firstborn son – and so the priesthood was perpetuated. Without going into too much detail, Melchizedek is none other than Shem (the son of Noah) who passed on the priestly blessing to his descendent, Abram (presumably because his death was imminent). This same blessing was passed from Abram, to Jacob, to Isaac, and so on down until we reach the time of Moses and Aaron. 

So if there was a priesthood before and leading up to Aaron, why was it changed? Again, without going into too much detail, the Levitical priesthood was instituted because of the failure of the then-existing priests (i.e. the firstborn sons) in the incident of the Golden Calf (see Ex 32). The Levites alone were willing to take up God’s challenge to dispel the idolaters within Israel (Ex 32:25-29), and for this reason they were instituted as the “new” priesthood. 

“Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of a son or a brother, and so have brought a blessing on yourselves this day.” (Ex 32:29)

Notice especially that their ordination as the new priesthood is made in the context of a blessing replacing the old priesthood (hence the reference to the “son or brother”).

In summary, the “order of Aaron” refers to the priesthood that replaced the priesthood of the firstborn – the “order of Melchizedek”. And this is where Jesus Christ comes into the picture. The Son of God became a Man to reverse the sins of mankind, beginning with the sin of Adam. So, in Christ, the “order of Aaron” is no longer necessary because the “order of Melchizedek” is restored in Him – the only begotten and firstborn Son of God. 

Now, how does this relate to my original comment on Heb 7:23? It still doesn’t necessarily prove that priests are still required for God’s people today. Having established the foundation of the author’s argument, let us proceed now to the verses that follow. Here is the reading in full:

The former priests were many in number,
because they were prevented by death from continuing in office;
but he [Jesus] holds his priesthood permanently,
because he continues forever.
Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him,
since he always lives to make intercession for them.
For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest,
holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners,
and exalted above the heavens.
Unlike the other high priests, he has no need
to offer sacrifices day after day,
first for his own sins, and then for those of the people;
this he did once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness,
but the word of the oath, which came later than the law,
appoints a Son, who has been made perfect forever. (Heb 7:23-28)

It is clear, from reading the passage in its entirety that the priesthood of Jesus Christ, after the “order of Melchizedek”, is in the context of Him being instituted as the new and eternal High Priest. In the “order of Aaron”, the high priest was replaced whenever he died – but Jesus lives forever, so He will never be replaced – He is the Eternal High Priest. In this context, Heb 7:23 is not referring to priests in general; rather it it is referring particularly to the office of the high priest.  

This fits with what the author says in the very next verse:

Now the main point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens (Heb 8:1)

The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews goes on to remind us that the worship of the Old Covenant, including its priesthood, was “a sketch and shadow” of heavenly worship (see Heb 8:5). If God never changes (Heb 13:8), then we can expect that the heavenly worship owed to Him never changes. So, if the Old Covenant worship, as a shadow of heaven, included a ministerial priesthood, then we can expect that there should continue to be a ministerial priesthood in the New Covenant. [This is another reason why Catholic and Orthodox liturgy looks more like Old Testament worship than does your typical Protestant service – with things like vestments, incense, altars, etc. Catholics and Orthodox understand that our earthly liturgy is nothing less than heavenly worship.]

At this point, the Protestant might say “OK – fair enough. But for a priesthood to be valid, there must be sacrifice. But there can’t be sacrifice, because Heb 7:27 tells us that Jesus offered Himself ONCE FOR ALL. There is no more sacrifice – therefore, there can be no more priests.”

Without realising it, in arguing this way, the Protestant actually proves too much because, if there is no more sacrifice, and hence no more need for priests, then there is also no more need for a high priest – including the eternal High Priesthood of Jesus. 

At first glance, Heb 7:27 may appear to say that sacrifice has ceased; but if we look more closely at what the author to the Hebrews is saying, we find that there is more than initially meets the eye. Yes – the Sacrifice of Jesus offered on the Cross was offered once for all. But that is not the end of the story. In Heb 7:25 we are told that Jesus makes intercession on behalf of sinners forever. So whilst the Sacrifice of Calvary was offered once for all, it is perpetually re-presented by the Son in intercession to the Father for the sins of the world.

If earthly worship is a reflection of heavenly worship, it makes sense that the priests on earth, acting in union with the Eternal High Priest (i.e. in persona Christi), offer that same once-for-all Sacrifice in the Holy Mass. As the Catechism says:

The sacrifice of Christ [on Calvary] and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different. (See CCC #1367)

So, contrary to Protestant objections, the Catholic priesthood is a God-ordained priesthood in the “order of Melchizedek” with Jesus Christ as the Eternal High Priest.

How does this relate to the other readings for today – the First Reading (Deut 6:2-6) and the Gospel Reading (Mk 12:28-34) – where we are reminded that the greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and to love our neighbour as ourselves?

If we really examine ourselves, it doesn’t take long to see that we fail dismally on both accounts – we don’t love God will absolutely every fibre of our being as we should. And how often, in our dealings with others, are our motives self-centred – proving that we still love ourselves more than our neighbour? 

Again, this is where our Lord Jesus Christ comes into the picture. He loved His Heavenly Father and His neighbour so perfectly, that in obedience to the Father, He offered up His life as the ransom for humanity on the Cross of Calvary. As pointed out above, this once-for-all Sacrifice is perpetuated in the Blessed Eucharist in which Jesus gives Himself to us in His fullness so that He can draw us up into Himself. And so, as we worthily receive our Blessed Lord – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity – in Holy Communion, we will also see Him transform our lives as we grow in our love for God, and for our neighbour.

Thanks be to God for the great gift of Jesus in the Eucharist! And thanks be to God for the great gift of priests who continually offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for love of Him and love of neighbour!

The Mass - Fire from Heaven

One of the beauties of studying Sacred Scripture is that the more we meditate upon God as He has revealed Himself to us, the deeper into truth He draws us...and the deeper we go, the more we realise just how unfathomable are the depths of the knowledge of God. Which is one reason why spending an eternity in Heaven learning and loving God will NEVER be boring.

My blog post last week  explored the topic of how Abel knew that his sacrifice was acceptable to God (i.e. by the visible sign of fire from heaven). In my blog, I touched on a New Testament fulfilment of this in the descent of the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire on Pentecost. Based on a subsequent comment on my blog post by a reader (and fellow-blogger),  I would like to explore a bit more just how much significance this has for us Catholics today – so much so that it impacts the grind and routine of our everyday lives.

I pointed out in my previous blog that the Holy Spirit was the fire which descended from Heaven on Pentecost to declare the acceptability of the Apostles and to empower them for their mission. But the Holy Spirit did not descend and remain only during the lifetime of the Apostles. Before His ascent back to Heaven, Jesus taught His disciples that although He was leaving them (in one sense) He would always remain with His Church until the end of the ages (Matt 28:20). Now there are many ways in which Jesus remains with His Church – the primary way obviously being His Presence in the Most Holy Eucharist. However, there are also many other ways in which He remains with us. One of these is in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Before going to His Passion, Jesus told the Apostles that He would not leave His Church comfortless but that He would send the Great Comforter – the Holy Spirit – to lead and guide His Church into all truth (Jn 14:16-26).

As we know the Holy Spirit was definitively poured out on the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday as tongues of fire rested upon each of their heads. And so began their mission to build the Church of Christ. But what happened when the Apostles died? Did their ministry cease? Not at all! For example, St. Paul instructed Sts. Timothy and Titus to ordain faithful men to continue the Apostolic mission, just as they themselves had been ordained (2 Tim 2:2; Tit 1:5). Part of this entailed the laying on of hands. Just as the Apostles had passed on the Holy Spirit and their authority to their immediate successors through the laying on of hands (1 Tim 4:14), so their successors were instructed to do the same. And thus arose the Church’s teaching of Apostolic Succession.

I mention this because it is necessary to understand that every Mass around the world is offered by someone who has been ordained with the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. Which is why we don’t need to have a literal “Pentecost experience” (i.e. fire from heaven, etc.) every single time someone is ordained. This isn’t unusual in the Scriptures either. For example, it was only the first Temple sacrifice that was consumed by fire from Heaven – the rest of the burnt offerings were no less acceptable to God, although they were not subject to the same miraculous circumstances. 

Understanding this, we can now take the next step to see how Abel’s sacrifice relates to us lay people who populate the pews. For this, I would like to look at the Epiclesis i.e. that part of the Eucharistic Prayer which is offered after the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy...). Here is citation from one of the Eucharistic Prayers, which will no doubt be familiar to many of us:
 

“You are indeed Holy, O Lord,
the fount of all holiness.
Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray,
by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,
so that they may become for us
the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ...”
- Eucharistic Prayer II

In this prayer we notice that the priest (who has received a special charism of the Holy Spirit through ordination) speaks on our behalf when asking the Father to send down the Holy Spirit to make holy the gifts offered upon the altar. In another form, Eucharistic Prayer I, the Epiclesis is phrased in words asking God to accept the gifts offered on the altar [keep in mind here the acceptance of Abel's sacrifice]. 

What are the gifts offered on the altar? Simply answered they are bread and wine, fruit of the earth and work of human hands – but the bread and wine symbolise so much more than simple bread and wine. In another previous blog, I showed that these gifts of bread and wine symbolise us, all that we are and have. It is through the Eucharist that we present ourselves – all our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings – as living sacrifices to God; and by receiving the Lord Jesus in Communion, we are in turn conformed to His image. And so, just as the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, all the things that we bring to the altar in the Holy Mass – whether it is our family, our work, our struggles, whatever it might be – is united to Christ so that these same things are transformed so that we can become more like Our Blessed Lord.  

Now to bring this back full-circle to the topic at hand...

In the Mass, we offer ourselves on the altar as living sacrifices, but it is the Holy Spirit that makes our offerings holy and acceptable to God; and it is the Holy Spirit that transforms us more and more to be like Christ through the same Eucharist [have a read of Rom 12:1-2 in this light; it is quite awe-inspiring].

The sacrifices of Abel and a few others in the Old Testament were shown to be accepted by fire descending from Heaven. The Holy Spirit descending as tongues of fire from Heaven on Pentecost was a fulfillment of this. But the fulfillment is also ongoing, because whatever we offer up during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is made acceptable by Holy Spirit descending (like He did on Pentecost) to transform our gifts into the Body and Blood of Christ.

If the Epiclesis, which represents only a very small portion of the whole Mass, is so full and rich and relevant to us; how much more so are all the rest of the parts of the Mass? If ever we are tempted to think that Mass is boring and irrelevant to our daily lives – hopefully remembering something this “small” will serve to convince us otherwise...and hopefully it will serve as an encouragement to learn more deeply the beauty and truth contained in the Church's liturgy.

 

POST-SCRIPT:

As mentioned above, this blog was inspired by a comment from a reader of my previous blog on Abel’s sacrifice (Renee of forgettheroads.com). So, I am indebted to Renee for helping me to make the connection between two profound truths – and seeing in another way just how beautifully and intricately related all the truths of our Catholic faith are. So, thank you Renee – and God bless!

By the way, I have included the link to Renee’s blog above because it is certainly worth a read...

How did Abel know his offering was acceptable?

A few years ago, as I was reading through the book of Genesis, I noticed something interesting. After the Great Flood of Gen 7, we are told that Noah “built an altar to the Lord...and offered burnt offerings on the altar” (Gen 8:20). In Gen 8:21, we learn that God was pleased with Noah’s offering and subsequently made a covenant of peace with Noah and with the whole of His Creation.

When I read this, it got me to thinking back to Cain’s and Abel’s offerings in Gen 4:3ff. But I noticed something...Abel’s sacrifice was simply called an “offering”; whereas, Noah’s sacrifice was called a “burnt offering”. This caused me to embark upon a study which led me to a variety of conclusions – one of which was how Cain and Abel knew which offering was acceptable to God.

The conclusions I had drawn excited me – so much so that I mentioned them to a few other Christian friends at the time. To my disappointment, they didn’t seem as enthusiastic about what I had discovered – and for the most part, they probably thought I was getting “too lost in details” and seeing things that weren’t actually there. So, I relegated the thought to my mental filing cabinet under “Insignificant / Irrelevant”...

...

...That was until I started reading Genesis again over the past few days from my Douay-Rheims Bible [not because I think that only REAL Catholics read the D-R; but because I personally find the poetic flow of the older English assists me in my devotional reading of Scripture]. Lo and behold! I found that my view regarding the offerings of Cain and Abel actually agreed with the footnote to Gen 4:4 in my D-R Bible.  Boy – was I excited!!! All over again!!! [Sometimes I think that God puts these little gems in Scripture for us to find so that He can take pleasure in our delight – much like I enjoy watching my kids’ excitement when they find the Easter eggs I’ve hidden around the garden on Easter Sunday morning].

So I decided to retrieve my previous thoughts on this topic from the category of insignificance and share them here in my blog – with the hope that whoever reads it will be able to join me in the excitement of marvelling at the wonder of our God and the Scriptures He has given us...

Here goes...

Gen 4:2-5 tells us that:

“Abel was keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. In the course of time [probably a reference to the Sabbath] Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.”

We see in the above passage that God accepted Abel’s offering, but didn’t accept Cain’s (see also Heb 11:4). The reasons as to WHY God accepted Abel’s offering over Cain’s is a topic for another occasion. For now, I simply want to focus on how I think Cain and Abel knew which offering was acceptable to God.

As already noted above, Gen 8:20 is the first time in the Scriptures that we find reference to “burnt offerings” (Hebrew = “olah”). However, this isn’t the first reference to a sacrifice because we have the offerings (Hebrew = “minchah”) of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. In fact, it is arguable that whilst Gen 4:4 is the first time the word “offering” is used, it is not necessarily the first sacrifice in the Bible.

It is likely that the animal sacrifice of Abel was itself modelled on what had already happened in Gen 3 – where an animal would’ve been put to death (i.e. sacrificed) in order for God to clothe Adam and Eve in “garments of skin” following the Fall (see Gen 3:21). [As a side note, this foreshadows the Lord Jesus Christ, who would be the Sacrificial Lamb to cover the sin of mankind]. Whilst not conclusive, the fact that “burnt offerings” are not mentioned before Genesis 8 indicates that before the Great Flood, worshippers probably did not burn the offerings themselves.

My theory is that when Noah built the altar to the Lord and offered “burnt offerings”, he used the materials that he had readily to hand i.e. he used the wood from the ark which he no longer needed. And thinking a bit laterally here, I would venture to guess that they probably also used the already cut and prepared wood of the ark to build their homes – I mean, why not? Who in their right mind would go about trying to saw, plane, and shape leftover driftwood following the Flood when all the hard work had already been done in building the ark? This might be one reason why Noah’s ark hasn’t officially been found – because it was “demolished” for Noah’s burnt offering, and subsequently building materials. Now this might seem like a digression – and it kind of is...but not completely because it fits into the bigger picture. Stay with me here...

OK – so there were offerings before Genesis 8, but they were not “burnt” by the worshippers themselves. Which brings me back to the question: How did Abel know that his offering was acceptable to God? The answer to the question, I believe, is found by looking at a pattern that continues to surface throughout the history of God’s people in Sacred Scripture:

Leviticus 9:24 – Moses has finished instructing the people regarding the building of the Tabernacle, and Aaron is instituted as the first Levitical High Priest. God sends down fire from heaven to consume the offerings made by Aaron to show His acceptance.

1 Chron 21:26 – David builds an altar and offers sacrifices at the threshing floor of Ornan (the site upon which the Temple would be built by David’s son, Solomon). God showed acceptance of David’s offering by sending fire from heaven. [This in itself was a sign showing that God also accepted the moving of the Ark of the Covenant from Bethel to Jerusalem].

2 Chron 7:1 – King Solomon had finished the building of the Temple – which would now become God’s permanent dwelling place amongst His people – as opposed to the moveable Tabernacle. After Solomon had completed his prayer of dedication, God send down fire from heaven on the offerings to show His acceptance.

1 Kings 18:17-39 – Israel had been led astray by a wicked king (Ahab) and his evil wife (Jezebel – who was not an Israelite). Of particular concern to the prophet Elijah was the fact that Israel was now no longer serving the true God, but rather they were serving the god of Jezebel’s people (Baal). If you are not familiar with the story, I would encourage you to read it in the passage cited; but the long and the short of it is that God showed His acceptance of Elijah’s sacrifice (over the sacrifice of the prophets of Baal) by sending down fire from heaven. 

The common theme in all of the above accounts is how God through the history of His people showed His acceptance of true worship. Each of the accounts represents a momentous occasion in the history of God’s people – and in each account God shows His acceptance of true worship by sending down fire from heaven.

So given this, and the fact that burnt offerings only seem to come in after the Great Flood, it would appear that this is how Cain and Abel knew that God had accepted Abel’s offering i.e. He send down fire from heaven to consume Abel’s offering. Without elaborating on the reasons why, the Douay-Rheims’ footnotes concur with this view:

“[God] showed His acceptance of [Abel’s] sacrifice...as we may suppose, by some visible token, such as sending fire from heaven upon his offerings.”

Now, I don’t know about you – but I find this kind of thing exciting to discover and an encouragement to dig for other little gems that might be hidden for “Scripture sleuths”. However, as fantastic a little titbit as this piece of information might be, I have to admit that what I didn’t appreciate all those years ago is how this interesting concept is actually relevant for Christians...and more importantly, for Christians living today.

The New Testament also contains an account of God sent down fire from heaven – it happened on a day called Pentecost (see Acts 2:1ff). By sending down fire from heaven in the Person of the Holy Spirit, God was not only empowering the Apostles for their mission of building His Church; but He was also declaring His acceptance of them in this task.

As Christians 2,000 years on, we are continually called to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God (Rom 12:1). Ultimately, it is union with Christ’s Sacrifice that makes our sacrifices acceptable to God. More particularly, it is when we present the sacrifice of ourselves united to the Sacrifice of Christ in the Eucharist that it is accepted by God as our “spiritual worship” (as St. Paul calls it) – for more on this, see here for a previous blog that I wrote on this subject.

One of the criteria required for the Eucharistic Sacrifice to be valid is ordination in a line of succession with the Apostles. And so it is that if we really want to worship God in the way that is acceptable to Him today, then we must follow the Church that He built upon the foundation of His Apostles – because Jesus promised that He would build His Church (Matt 16:18); and that the Holy Spirit that He would send would lead the Church into all truth (Jn 16:13).

The Holy Spirit that God poured out upon the Church founded by Christ upon His Apostles 2,000 years ago has never left the Church – and He never will. So, if we want to worship God today in Spirit and Truth, if we want to know how to present our bodies as living sacrifices acceptable to God, then the best way to do so is by listening to the Holy Spirit speaking to us through the Holy Catholic Church.


[For a follow-up post to the above - see http://justingridveritasluxmea.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/the-mass-fire-from-heaven.html]