Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Christ Our Great High Priest


"According to Leviticus 16 the Jewish high priest sacrificed two victims for sin, then entered the holy of holies, and sprinkled the throne of mercy with the blood of the victims. This final action was the decisive one for the expiation of sins. The death of Christ on the cross corresponds to the immolation of the two victims by the high priest, and the ascension of Christ corresponds to the high priest’s entrance into the holy of holies as well as to the sprinkling of the throne of mercy with the blood of victims. In the eyes of the writer of this Letter [Hebrews], then, the climactic moment in the mystery of salvation is not the immolation of Christ on Golgotha but his glorious exaltation and entrance into the heavenly sanctuary where God greets him as high priest, ‘living for ever to intercede for all.’ Our heavenly high priest constantly prays to God for the Church. He is always offering and interceding, just as on Calvary he offered ‘through the eternal spirit.’"

-Andre Feuillet in his book The Priesthood of Christ and His Ministers.

No comments: