21 January 2023 - through the veil

Today's Readings

(Audio)

The old temple contained transitory images that reminded the people of Israel of God's faithfulness in the past and of their need for him in the present, but which above all pointed forward to the new and better realities which they merely foreshadowed. We hear about the fullness of these heavenly realities of these signs in the book of Revelation.

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands (see Revelation 1:12).

The chief point that the author of Hebrews seemed to be making was that the configuration of the earthly symbols emphasized the way they were separated from the people, that entry into the true Holy of Holies where the fullness of the presence of God was found remained closed. As the author wrote, "In this way the holy Spirit shows that the way into the sanctuary had not yet been revealed" (see Hebrews 9:8).

he entered once for all into the sanctuary, 

not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own Blood, 

thus obtaining eternal redemption.

The offerings that were established to be offered during the existence of the earthly temple could not truly open the way to the sanctuary because all they could do was "sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed", that is, in an external way that did not address the root problem of sin. By their endless repetition they really did reveal our need for a cleansing that would actually go deep enough to address this root cause.

how much more will the Blood of Christ, 

who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God,

cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.

It was chiefly the problem of sin that relegated humanity to remain outside of the Holy of Holies, outside of God's presence. Immediately after the sin of our first parents in the Garden of Eden we witnessed them recognize that they could no longer dwell fully in the presence of God. 

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden (see Genesis 3:8).

It was, in a way, as though their very clothing was the first veil of separation from God. This separation would continue to mark history until the veil placed over the presence of God was finally torn in two by Jesus himself.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split (see Matthew 27:51).

Jesus did with his own Blood what no amount of blood of goats and calves could ever do and opened the way for us to come into the fullness of the presence of God. This one offering was eternally accomplished by his death and resurrection, but the need to avail ourselves of it to cleanse our consciences remains, even for the baptized. Even Christians sometimes still fall back into dead works, whether those that are explicitly sinful, or those works in which we try to do with our own effort that which only God himself can do. But doing so is acting against the purpose for which we were created because we are meant to be creatures of worship, to worship in Spirit and truth. How does this cleansing continue in the lives of believers? Chiefly through the Sacraments and through spending time with Christ in prayer and in the reading of his word. It is by becoming united with Jesus himself that we come with him into the presence of the Father.

When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,

for they said, "He is out of his mind."

As we try to live more and more in union with Jesus himself we will perhaps discover that the world not only doesn't understand but is actively hostile to our attempts. Just as the relatives of Jesus tried to stop him, thinking it was for his own good, so too might we encounter opposition. If so, blessed are we.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven (see Matthew 5:11-12).

Matt Maher - Because He Lives