Reflection Thursday Week 2 (Year C) Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo
Readings: Heb 7:25–8:6 Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10,
17 and Mark 3:7-12
Here I am Lord I come to Do Your Will
This Psalm 40 reminds us of the quality of the High
Priesthood of Jesus- the subject and object of our reflections through out this
week. Jesus' priesthood is not for sale. It is not tribal. It is not political.
It is not based on law and legality like the old Aaronic priesthood. Christ is
higher than Abraham and Moses and the levitical practices of the old law. The priesthood of Christ is personal. It is
eternal. Its origin is God. It is the type of Melchizedek- the righteous king
and the prince of peace( shalom) and the source of everything good, that we need in this
life.
It calls for our total surrendering, like the little boy Samuel, “Here
I am Lord I come to do your will! It is about the will of the High Priest.
According to the author of the letter to the Hebrew, we have come to do the will of the one who is holy (hosois). We have come to do the will Christ, one who is innocent, kind and clean (akakos). We have come to do the will of the one who is undefiled (amiantos)- one who is clean worthy to enter the presence of God the Father. We have come to do the will of one who is separated from sinners, and the one who is higher than the heavens.
According to the author of the letter to the Hebrew, we have come to do the will of the one who is holy (hosois). We have come to do the will Christ, one who is innocent, kind and clean (akakos). We have come to do the will of the one who is undefiled (amiantos)- one who is clean worthy to enter the presence of God the Father. We have come to do the will of one who is separated from sinners, and the one who is higher than the heavens.
We have come to do the will of the one and sinless Jesus, one who is different from the Levitical priest, a sinful man.
In the ancient days in the old covenant, before the High
priest would offer earthly sacrifice in the an earthly sanctuary for the sins
of the people, he had first to offer sacrifices for his own sins, for he was a
sinful man. That was the sacrifice Jesus never needed for he was without sin.
Jesus not only offered himself for us, but his offering is perfect, better,
heavenly, and once and for all.
Jesus is a perfect example of the supreme majesty in
heaven. He mediates for us. Through him we encounter God. Jesus gives us access
to the Father, the Reality, in the Eucharist and in our relationship with one
another.
Christ’s sacrifice, that heavenly and eternal sacrifice on the cross which we
reenact at each mass makes possible the purification of all sins and
uncleanness. It allows those who believe in him come near to God, to come into
the true holy place and to do his will.
No wonder a large number of people in today’s Gospel (Mark
3:7-12) flocked to Jesus who is the way to the Father, the way to peace and
wholeness. He cured many who came to him and whenever all those unclean spirit
saw the “Clean Spirit” they would fall down before him.
The more reason in our life's journey and as we search for
wholeness, as we search for success, as we search for our ordinations, as we
search for a productive administration and ministry here( in our communities) let us strive to access these goals
through the door of Christ, by always been able to say, ‘Here I am not Lord I
come to do your will” (Ps 40).
