Thursday of week 2 of the year, year 1

Salvation in Jesus alone

Mark 3:7-12

In as much as the readings give a distinction between the priest and Jesus, one should make the proper distinction as follows:
1. the priest of the Old Testament is different from the priest of the New Testament.  The priests of the Old Testament make their self-atonement for the sins committed against God.  The priests of the New Testament act on behalf of Jesus to save us through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
2. the priests of the Old Testament offer as many as possible different gifts for the atonement of sins.  The priest of the new Testament give witness to Jesus' once-and-for-all offering of the expiation of sins.
3. The priests of the Old Testament offer on peoples' behalf while the priests of the New Testament configures himself toward Jesus who is himself the offering.

We are all called to the universal priesthood in these ways:
1. to lead others to the very action of salvation of Jesus;
2. to capitalize on Jesus' once-and-for-all offering by a total oblation to the Master;
and
3. to acknowledge that only in living out Jesus could there be definitive salvation.