The Perfect Sacrifice

This will be a short blog. I haven't been feeling great for the last few days. I suspect my concussion from a bike accident a few months ago has finally caught up with me. Too much screen time seems to bring on nausea and vomiting. This is the second episode within the last 2-3 weeks. I am learning to offer this up for the salvation of my children.

Today's passage is from Hebrews 9:24-28:
"For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgement, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."

This passage is first of all contrasting the sacrifice offered by the Levitical priest and the supreme sacrifice offered by Christ. Here is a list of the contrasts:

Levitical Priest	Jesus
entered a sanctuary made by human hands (a mere copy)	entered into heaven itself (the true one)
to offer himself again and again (as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year)	appeared once for all at the end of the age
with blood that is not his own (for then he would have had to suffer again and again)	to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself
died once and faced judgement	offered Himself once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time... to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him

It highlights the more perfect sacrifice that Jesus has made on my behalf. Each time I received the Holy Eucharist, containing the real Presence of Christ, I followed what most people do, walked a couple of steps aside, looked up to the cross, and gave thanks!!