Once for all

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary offer fruit for meditation on sin and judgement. The psalm today praises God as Judge of the World. The text from the Letter to the Hebrews indentifies the difference between Jesus, the Son, being the mediator of our Covenant with God and the traditional mediation of human priests. The Will of God is that Jesus offer the once for all sacrifice of Himself in the heavenly sanctuary to remove sin, the separation of humanity from intimacy with the Divine. Friar Jude Winkler explains the misconception that Catholic Eucharistic Liturgy attempts to repeat what is the once for all act. The essence of the Eucharistic experience is to move from the finite to the infinite, from the imperfect to the perfect and from the human to communion with the Divine. The constraints of living in time are removed and the Eucharist is celebrated beneath the Cross and beside the Tomb. Friar Jude notes the relationship of perfection to the act done once in Greek thought. The audience of this Book were Jews with knowledge of Greek language and customs. The judgement of people after death is mentioned in this passage as the return of Jesus to those who have been waiting for Him. The decision to turn away from God and the decision to return to intimacy remain with us. When we accept the invitation to full Life, Jesus welcomes us.