Homily for Thursday, Week 4 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
4th Week of Ordinary Time

Feb. 6, 2025
Heb 12: 18-24
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

“You have approached Mt. Zion and the city of the living God” (Heb 12: 22)

The New Jerusalem (Laura Sotka)

The Letter to the Hebrews is a long exposition of Christ’s fulfillment of the OT, using parallels and contrasts.  Today we have a contrast.

When the Hebrews recently liberated from Egypt reached Mt. Sinai, they found it fearsome, maybe a little like Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings.  Except for Moses, they weren’t to approach even the base of the mountain under penalty of death.  From the mountaintop, God spoke to them thru Moses.

The mountain to which Jesus leads his people is not terrifying but festal.  That great crowd of witnesses mentioned earlier (12:1) is there, and the angels of God and the spirits of all the just (12:22-23).  It’s God’s welcome party for his faithful people.  Most especially, we find waiting for us in the heavenly Jerusalem, God’s new holy mountain, Jesus our mediator, Jesus the priest who intercedes for us (7:24-25), Jesus who shed his blood in sacrifice for us (12:24).

When Cain murdered Abel, Abel’s blood cried out to God from the soil (Gen 4:10).  It’s implied that the cry is for vengeance.  In the ancient world (still today in some cultures), the one who avenged a death was a redeemer, a vindicator.  Not in our world, the world of Jesus our mediator.  His blood pours out forgiveness, not vengeance.  His blood makes perfect, pleasing to God, those whom it covers.  It makes us just before God.  It’s far more eloquent than the blood of Abel (12:24).  It vindicates and redeems us.