The Sunday evenings of Easter gives us a double dose of Psalm 110. We pray this Psalm on weeks 1 and 3 of the four-week cycle. So it repeats tonight, and we also get the citation in the Hebrews passage we will also read this evening.
It’s a confident text from the early Church. The author has contrasted the tradition of Old Testament sacrifices with the Passion of the Lord–a sacrifice for all time.
Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins
and took his seat forever
at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies
are placed beneath his feet.
By one offering
he has made forever perfected
those who are being sanctified.
“Sacrifice” is certainly part of Christian language when discussing the Paschal Mystery and the Eucharist. It is not always apparent in action. Blood and burnt sacrifices have long disappeared from Judaism, and they were never really a part of the Christian tradition. Does the status of every baptized person as priest blur the distinction? Nearly all Christian prayer involves books, meditation, contemplation, and such. Catholics especially are a words and music people with some movement involved. Do people understand sacrifice now that “offer it up” has become a nearly extinct meme?
Our sacrifices aside, the author reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice, and his intention we join him in the experience of holiness. Sometimes he’s dragging some of us kicking and screaming into sanctification.
Catholic Sensibility 