Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 3, 2018
First Reading: Exodus 24.3-8
3Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do."4And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.5And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD.6And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar.7Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient."8And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."
Psalm 116
1I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.2Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.3The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.4Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!"5Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful.6The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.7Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.8For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling;9I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.10I believed, even when I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted";11I said in my alarm, "All mankind are liars."12What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?13I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,14I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.15Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.16O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds.17I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.18I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,19in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
Second Reading: Hebrews 9.11-15
11But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)12he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.13For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh,14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.15Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
Gospel: Mark 14.12-16, 22-26
12And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"13And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him,14and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?'15And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us."16And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.22And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body."23And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.24And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.25Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."26And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Sermon
The readings today guide us through a journey from the old covenant to the new, highlighting the profound shift brought by Christ's sacrifice. In Exodus, we witness Moses establishing a covenant with the Israelites, sealed with the blood of animals, symbolizing their commitment to God. This act was a sacred ritual, binding the people to follow God's laws and establishing a holy nation. The context of this reading is the giving of the Law at Sinai, where the Israelites agree to obey God, and Moses mediates this covenant through sacrifice.
Hebrews then elevates our understanding by introducing Christ as the ultimate High Priest. His sacrifice transcends the temporary rituals of the old covenant, offering eternal redemption through His own blood. This reading emphasizes the superiority of Christ's sacrifice, which purifies our consciences and enables us to serve God in a new way. The context here is the early Christian community, reassuring them of the lasting power of Christ's sacrifice compared to the repeated offerings of the old covenant.
In Mark's Gospel, we see the institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper. Jesus transforms the Passover meal, declaring the bread as His body and the wine as His blood, ushering in the new covenant. This act reinterprets the old covenant, making His sacrifice the foundation of a new relationship with God. The context is Jesus preparing His disciples for His departure, leaving them with a sacrament that unites them with Him and with each other.
These readings connect by showing the progression from the old covenant, mediated by Moses and animal sacrifices, to the new covenant through Christ's ultimate sacrifice. The old covenant was a shadow of what was to come, fulfilled in Christ's offering. This transition invites us to reflect on how we live out the new covenant in our daily lives. Just as the Israelites were called to obedience, we are called to live in accordance with Christ's teachings, serving others and maintaining unity through the Eucharist.
In our daily lives, this means embracing a life of love and service, recognizing that our actions reflect our commitment to the new covenant. We are to be the body of Christ, working towards justice and compassion. The moral lesson here is the call to live as a community bound by love, just as Christ's blood binds us to Himself and to each other. Let us respond to this gift by living with gratitude, humility, and a deep commitment to our faith, remembering that we are part of a covenant that transcends time and space.