“The Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Recently, I have found myself particularly aware of words that I have been saying everyday for almost thirty-three years. These words are those said at the consecration of the Precious Blood, which state: “The Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for the many for the forgiveness of sins.” What has struck me most profoundly about these words spoken by Jesus at the Last Supper are the words “Eternal Covenant.” There could be no eternal covenant had Jesus not risen from the dead.

When someone is alive, we can make agreements, contracts and covenants with him or her. Once they are dead, we do not imagine conducting an agreement or covenant with them. The fact that Jesus spoke to us about an eternal covenant witnesses to His intention at the Last Supper to offer Himself for us as an eternal sacrifice for our salvation. It witnesses to His certainty at the Last Supper that the Father will raise Him up from the dead. Our being present with the Church at every Eucharist we attend ultimately witnesses to the faith of the Church that He has indeed risen from the dead and to our own personal conviction of this reality. Continue reading →

Jerusalem is, and has been for several millennium, a great walled city that must be entered through one of the several gates in the city’s wall. It is a holy and sacred city. For the Jews, Jerusalem is that city where God dwelt among His people in the great temple at which they could visit Him and offer Him sacrifices. In His Holy City, God would listen to His people and they could be assured that they were standing in His presence. Whenever there was a great feast for the Jewish people they would go up to the city of Jerusalem to be near to God and celebrate with Him. For the Jewish people to live within the walls of Jerusalem—the Holy City—was the perfect life; it was equivalent to living with God on earth. In the mind of the Jewish person, the perfect place to die was within the walls of Jerusalem. To die within the walls of the Holy City meant that one had died with God in His Holy City and had indeed lived a blessed life. Continue reading →