Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! The fourth article of the Apostle’s Creed is “Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, He was crucified, He died, He was buried” There are ten (10) In Brief passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding this article of the Creed. The following is a reflection on article 592.
In His saving passion, death and burial (and resurrection) Jesus Christ did not abolish the Law of Sinai. The Law of Sinai is often just called the Ten Commandments, but could also be understood as the whole first five (5) books of Sacred Scripture (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy; cf. Exodus 31:18; 34:4, 29; Leviticus 26:46; 27:34). There is continuity between the Old and New Testaments.
Jesus Christ fulfills the Law of Sinai (cf. Matthew 5:17-19). He does this in a number of ways. Ritual sacrificial worship is a part of the Law of Sinai (“Keep Holy the Sabbath” includes Divine Worship which then as now includes sacrifice). The Passover Lamb of old (cf. Exodus 12:5-13) is a preparation for the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (cf. John 1:29).
Sin offerings (cf. Leviticus 4:8; Numbers 6:12); cereal offerings (cf. Leviticus 2:1); holocaust offerings (Leviticus 9:3); peace offerings (cf. Leviticus 9:4) all find their fulfillment in the sacrificial self-offering of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and made present each time the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered, where we unite our hearts to His Heart. At the Holy Mass we pour out our hearts and receive from the Lord His grace, His word, His very self in Holy Communion.
Unlike the preparations, the sacrifices of old with imperfect gifts, victims and offerings there was no imperfection and there is no imperfection in Jesus Christ or His self-offering upon the Cross. We bring our imperfections to the Lord that He might heal us, as He wills (cf. Matthew 8:2-3) physically and spiritually.
Those who knew the Law of Moses or the Law of Sinai had a real understanding of God and His rights as well as their responsibilities toward Him, even if imperfectly (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:12). Jesus Christ has revealed to all by His saving crucifixion, death and burial the ultimate sense of the Law of God (cf. Romans 8:3; Hebrews 1:1-2).
Finite creatures though we are, whenever we sin against God, despising His holy will, made explicit through the Commandments, we incur an infinite debt which could only be repaid by an infinite source. Jesus Christ who is true God and true man has paid the price of our redemption at the cost of His life’s blood. This is the Good News in which we glory. That God loves us so much as to redeem us, saving us from ourselves. For this and so much more we are grateful, we give thanks. The word “Eucharist” has that very meaning.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr