The New Covenant Sealed by Jesus' Total Gift of Self on the Cross

In today's first reading, Exodus 24:3-8, after Moses gave the people the ten commandments, the people promised that they would "do everything that the Lord told us."  Moses ratified the people's covenant by sprinkling them with the blood of young bulls that were sacrificed to the Lord. As he sprinkled the blood upon the people, Moses said:  "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words of his."

At every Catholic Mass, the priest says, at the consecration,  may "..the Holy Spirit graciously sanctify these offerings (bread and wine) that they may become the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for the celebration of this great mystery, which he left us as an eternal covenant."   Each of us, then, in Holy Communion, consume the Body and Blood of Jesus. Jesus' blood mingles with our blood in our body. We are not simply sprinkled with Jesus' blood. No, we consume it and say, in the Memorial Acclamation:  "When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come."  We acknowledge the New Covenant sealed for us in Jesus' death and resurrection and, ultimately, ours as well!  God offers us the free gift of salvation--He held nothing back that we would come to know our union and God and embrace being disciples of the Lord according to His Word. In Holy Communion, we gratefully accept God's total gift of Himself for our salvation. Likewise, we promise to "do everything that the Lord told us" in the sacred reading of the Liturgy of the Word, which precedes the Liturgy of the Eucharist at every Catholic Mass.

Let us, with Mary, Jesus' Mother, pray, as she did in the Magnificat: 

"My being proclaims your greatness,
and my spirit finds joy in you, God my Savior.

For you have looked upon me, your servant, in my lowliness;
all ages to come shall call me blessed.

God, you who are mighty, have done great things for me," in sharing your Body and Blood with me as the New Covenant. "Holy is your name."

In this holy sacrament of the Eucharist, you have "raised the lowly to high places."

Thank you, Lord, for having handed down this faith to me from my parents! I pray that my faith in the Eucharist grows ever more stronger!  Thank you!

Faithfulness to the New Covenant

In today's first reading, 2 Kings 22: 8-13; 23: 1-3, the High priest Hilkiah, found the book of the law in the Temple. He gave the book of the Law to the scribe, Shaphan, who read it to the king of Judah. He was appalled that the Covenant had been violated. "The king then had all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem summoned together before him." The book of the law was read to all of them, as they gathered in the Temple of the Lord and listened to the reading. "Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the Lord that they would follow him and observe his ordinances, statues and decrees with their whole hearts and souls, thus revising the terms of the covenant which were written in this book. And all the people stood as participants in the covenant."

At every Catholic Sacrifice of the Holy Mass, we gather before the altar, where bread and wine are consecrated and become the body and blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God. In our Amen, standing before the altar,  we recommit ourselves to obey the New Covenant sealed in Jesus' blood.

How faithful are we to the New Covenant to love the Lord our God with our whole heart, our whole soul and all our strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves? How faithful, that is,  are we in bearing good fruit in each choice we make throughout the day in our relationships with family members, co-workers, community members, and any other persons with whom we do business? Are we patient, forgiving, kind, just, merciful? Do we love tenderly? Do we sacrifice our time and energy and talent for the good of others?

With today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 119, may each of us pray: "Give me discernment, that I may observe your law and keep it with all my heart. Lead me in the path of your commands, for in it I delight. Incline my heart to our decrees and not to gain. Turn away my eyes from seeing what is vain: by your way give me life. Behold, I long for your precepts; in your justice give me life."  I ask fir these graces, as well, Lord, for all world leaders and especially for the leaders of this country in which I live.

God's Everlasting Covenant

"The Lord remembers His covenant forever," we pray in today's responsorial psalm.  The New Covenant is sealed in Jesus' blood poured out for us on the cross on the first Good Friday.  Just as in the Covenant expressed in the Old Testament to the people of Israel to inherit the land  of Canaan, so, in the New Covenant, we who believe in Jesus and keep His Commandments are promised an eternal inheritance, a home in heaven with God forever, as we past from this life into eternity.

Holy Week is a time to remember the wondrous deeds of the Lord--His total self-emptying love upon the cross to secure our salvation.  On that first Good Friday, we have been redeemed, made whole, purified in Jesus' blood. Jesus gave His life for you and me. Jesus died for you and me. Jesus gave His back to be scourged for you and me. Jesus allowed His head to be crowned with thorns for you and me. Jesus walked the hill to Calvary carrying the cross on which He would be crucified for you and me.

We Catholics believe that every Eucharist recalls these saving acts of our salvation. We believe that Jesus' self-emptying, sacrificial love is made present to us at every Eucharist. The very words of Jesus at the Last Supper, when giving the bread and the wine to the Apostles and saying "'Take it,...,this is my body"....This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many," is repeated by the priest at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  We Catholics believe that, when the priest says "This is my body," "This is my blood" that the bread and wine used at every Mass are changed into Jesus' body and blood, just as they were when Jesus spoke those words at the Last Supper.

Today's responsorial psalm reminds us that "The Lord remembers his covenant forever." Let us also always remember the wondrous deeds of the Lord at the Last Supper in giving us the Eucharist for our daily food and on Good Friday offering His life on the cross to secure our eternal salvation.

God, a Mighty Champion, a Warrior

In today’s first reading, Jeremiah 20: 10-13, the prophet describes the situation around him:  “I hear the whisperings of many: ‘Terror on every side! Denounce! Let us denounce him!’ All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. ‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.’ But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion.”

I couldn’t help but think of Jesus.  The Scribes and Pharisees, the chief priests and leaders  of His day were looking for ways to trap Him. They wanted evidence that would justify their intent to have put Him to death and then wash their own hands clean of any wrongdoing.  What these “bounty hunters” rejected was that Jesus was the Son of God, the Anointed One, the sinless Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, who would die and rise again as He prophesied. God the Father was on His side. God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were champions of the New Covenant. God’s promise of eternal salvation, of crushing Satan’s head, the ultimate enemy of God’s Covenant, would not be thwarted by the faithlessness, the jealousy, and the pride of the Scribes and Pharisees, the chief priests and leaders of Jesus’ day.

T o this very day, those who taunted Jesus on the cross  are “put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion.” That Good Friday scene is never forgotten! You and I, when we attempt to thwart the will of God in our lives or the lives of others, are also put to utter shame and thrown into confusion. Only when we repent of our ways, acknowledge our sinfulness and ask for forgiveness are the shame and the confusion lifted.

Confidence in God through Christ Jesus

In today’s first reading, 2 Cor. 3: 4-11, St. Paul shares the confidence he has through Christ toward God—a confidence each of us has as well.  God has given us the qualities needed to be ministers of a new covenant, the covenant of the spirit.  Moses was qualified by God as a minister of the letter of the law, the old covenant given on Mount Sinai and written in stone.    The “letter brings death,” Paul tells us. The spirit “gives life.”   The law condemns us. The spirit does not.  We have an example of the latter—the law bringing death—in the Pharisees, whom Jesus confronted many times. Paul himself was practicing a law that brought death to people until his conversion on the way to Damascus.

 

Each of us has a choice to be involved in “the ministry of righteousness,”  or of being a minister of the old covenant,  adhering to the  letter of the law, as did the Pharisees, as did Paul until his conversion, using the law to condemn others. In other words, like the Pharisees and like Paul before his conversion, we can choose to stand on a pedestal of self-righteousness, depleting life instead of giving life.   Or, we can acknowledge the Righteous One as our Savior, who alone justifies and glorifies those who walk humbly with their God (cf Micah 6:8) doing what is right in God's eyes, following the law of the Spirit. That is the confidence of which Paul speaks .

What choice are we making?

The Beatitutes' Blessings

Mt 5: 1-12: The Beatitudes: “Blessed are you, (your name), the Kingdom of heaven is yours when you realize your dependency upon me, when you know that you are my creation, my possession; when you realize your creatureliness and my transcendence, imminence and indwelling, when you are obedient to the directions of the Spirit that I whisper from within you and around you and through others. The Kingdom of heaven is yours when you assume a listening, respectful stance toward others and are sensitive to the feelings of others, the fragility of the esteem of another, the other’s need for affirmation and support. The Kingdom of heaven is yours when you do not lord it over others, are meek and humble of heart.    

Blessed are you, (your name) when you mourn when others are suffering loss: the loss of a loved one, the loss of valued possessions, the loss of dignity and respect, the loss of self-esteem and support, the loss of freedom.  Blessed are you, (your name),  when you mourn these  things and take steps to restore loss self-esteem, offer support to “weakened knees” raise up fallen heart and allow others to grieve their losses.

Blessed are you, (your name), when you are meek and humble of heart, you will inherit “solid land”; you will not sink into the “mud” of a disgruntled, angry, proud heart.

Blessed are you, (your name,) when you show mercy; mercy will be shown to you.

Blessed are you, (your name), who are pure of heart, when the purity of the Spirit within you transforms that about you that is less than what God intends it to be. As your heart grows in purity, so, too, do your eyes see more clearly where and when God is present or absent. Yes, you will see God at work when your heart is pure.

Blessed are you, (your name),  when you keep the peace by being peaceful within and without, when you seek to resolve conflict peacefully rather than avoiding it or pretending peace has not been compromised by your behavior or speech or negative attitudes. When you strive to restore peace peacefully, people will then call you a woman/a man of God.

Blessed are you, (your name), when, standing up for what is right, when acting justly, when showing mercy, when being forgiving, when acknowledging Me, you are persecuted, ridiculed, “stoned” with disparaging words, your reward in heaven for speaking the truth and doing what is right will be great.