Hebrews and the Mass: Daily Mass Homily--Thursday, January 22nd, 2015

(Listen to this homily here).

            The letter to the Hebrews is a very deep work.  Its theological depth cannot be underestimated.  In seminary we had the chance to be taught this letter by a renowned biblical scholar who taught Scripture in Rome.  We studied Hebrews for four weeks and only began to plumb its depths!

            Two points today for your consideration.  First, many biblical scholars think that Hebrews was intended to be a homily at Mass.  Its purpose was to describe the Mass itself.  Today, for instance, we heard words like tabernacle, priest, sanctuary and sacrifice—all of which make sense in a liturgical context.

            Second, many of our brothers and sisters question us about the last word I mentioned—sacrifice.  Some misunderstand what we mean by calling Mass a sacrifice because they think we re-sacrifice Jesus.  They point to a verse from which we just heard: “He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself.”  We do not believe we re-sacrifice Jesus; rather, we re-present the same sacrifice of Calvary at Mass.

            This is indeed a mystery—how can a Mass in International Falls in 2015 be the same sacrifice as in 33 outside of Jerusalem?  What helped me understanding this mystery more fully was learning of identity and distinction between moments of time in which Jesus’ sacrifice is presented.

            Consider what is the same about Mass today and the events of Calvary.  It is the same priest—Jesus.  I stand in persona Christi and it is really Christ, using his priest, who offers Mass.  It is the same victim—Jesus.  It is the same sacrifice—Jesus.  

            The distinctions between the altar and cross account for differences in time, place and appearance.  We are not magically brought back to 33—we remain in our present time.  Neither are we brought to Jerusalem.  Jesus does not come to us as a man, but his presence is real nonetheless under the forms of bread and wine.   

            Hebrews is a portion of Scripture worth revisiting and reading through slowly as it explains Mass and how it is the same sacrifice offered by Christ on Calvary.