Daily Retreat 08/04/07
2007 Aug 4 Sat:John Mary Vianney, p M
Lv 25:1. 8-17/ Ps 67:2-3. 5. 7-8/ Mt 14:1-12
From today’s readings: “Do not deal unfairly, then; but stand in fear of your God. I, the LORD, am your God.... O God, let all the nations praise You!... Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip....”
Outline of Leviticus
A simple outline of the book of Leviticus will help in reading through it. The first seven chapters specify certain forms of sacrificial worship, norms for holocausts (that is, “burnt offerings”), as well as peace offerings, and sin and guilt offerings. From reading these pages, it becomes clear that God’s plan provides for the expiation of sins in the context of sacred liturgy (cf. the sacrament of reconciliation).
Chapters 8 through 10 present the priestly ordination of Aaron and his sons, and a close read here will uncover a number of elements that have been taken up in the Christian sacrament of priestly ordination - although there are obvious differences too, since, for instance, there certainly was no bull or ram slaughtered and offered up when I was ordained!
Next, chapters 11 through 15 cover the aspects of ritual purity, what makes one “clean” and “unclean.” Here, it’s intriguing to note how many of these admonitions reflect commonsense concerns for sanitation, such as the prohibitions of contact with rotting carcasses, and the necessity of quarantine to quell the spread of contagious diseases.
Chapter 16 specifies the solemn ceremonies for Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, the crown of the Jewish liturgical year. Part of the rite called for the procurement of two goats, both of which were to have symbolic roles in the ritual of atonement. One of the goats was to be sacrificed, but the priest would lay his hands over the other goat’s head, confessing over him all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins, and thus he would symbolically put the burden of all this upon the head of the goat, and then send him away into the wilderness. This goat, which “escaped” the knife of sacrifice, thus became known in English as the “Scape” goat, and we still use this term for innocent people or things which are made to bear the guilt of others. Chapter 9 of the Letter to the Hebrews explains how Christ, the eternal High Priest, became Himself the ultimate and definitive scapegoat when He shed His own blood in taking on the sins of all the world. So that’s chapter 16, especially recommended!
Now Chapter 27 is an appendix about vows and tithes, and it’s preceded by Chapters 17-26, which form the “Code of Holiness,” centering on God’s repeated command to His people, “Be Holy, for I the Lord your God, am holy!” Chapter 23 lists the Jewish holy days, and chapter 25 outlines the idea of the sabbatical and jubilee years. Chapter 19 is perhaps the best example of this section - note how, in that chapter, the summarized principles of the 10 commandments are applied to everyday life.
As we note how God’s chosen people were so concerned with, and aware of, having God direct the big and little aspects of their lives, then you and I in turn can ask if there is something in our lives, big or little, for which we have not yet turned to God for His guidance, and so say, “God, come here, and help me to look at this, give me Your direction, because I need Your guidance in big and small things, in all things in my life!” That, I believe, is the most important insight that we can lift from the book of Leviticus!
Lv 25:1. 8-17/ Ps 67:2-3. 5. 7-8/ Mt 14:1-12
From today’s readings: “Do not deal unfairly, then; but stand in fear of your God. I, the LORD, am your God.... O God, let all the nations praise You!... Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip....”
Outline of Leviticus
A simple outline of the book of Leviticus will help in reading through it. The first seven chapters specify certain forms of sacrificial worship, norms for holocausts (that is, “burnt offerings”), as well as peace offerings, and sin and guilt offerings. From reading these pages, it becomes clear that God’s plan provides for the expiation of sins in the context of sacred liturgy (cf. the sacrament of reconciliation).
Chapters 8 through 10 present the priestly ordination of Aaron and his sons, and a close read here will uncover a number of elements that have been taken up in the Christian sacrament of priestly ordination - although there are obvious differences too, since, for instance, there certainly was no bull or ram slaughtered and offered up when I was ordained!
Next, chapters 11 through 15 cover the aspects of ritual purity, what makes one “clean” and “unclean.” Here, it’s intriguing to note how many of these admonitions reflect commonsense concerns for sanitation, such as the prohibitions of contact with rotting carcasses, and the necessity of quarantine to quell the spread of contagious diseases.
Chapter 16 specifies the solemn ceremonies for Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, the crown of the Jewish liturgical year. Part of the rite called for the procurement of two goats, both of which were to have symbolic roles in the ritual of atonement. One of the goats was to be sacrificed, but the priest would lay his hands over the other goat’s head, confessing over him all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins, and thus he would symbolically put the burden of all this upon the head of the goat, and then send him away into the wilderness. This goat, which “escaped” the knife of sacrifice, thus became known in English as the “Scape” goat, and we still use this term for innocent people or things which are made to bear the guilt of others. Chapter 9 of the Letter to the Hebrews explains how Christ, the eternal High Priest, became Himself the ultimate and definitive scapegoat when He shed His own blood in taking on the sins of all the world. So that’s chapter 16, especially recommended!
Now Chapter 27 is an appendix about vows and tithes, and it’s preceded by Chapters 17-26, which form the “Code of Holiness,” centering on God’s repeated command to His people, “Be Holy, for I the Lord your God, am holy!” Chapter 23 lists the Jewish holy days, and chapter 25 outlines the idea of the sabbatical and jubilee years. Chapter 19 is perhaps the best example of this section - note how, in that chapter, the summarized principles of the 10 commandments are applied to everyday life.
As we note how God’s chosen people were so concerned with, and aware of, having God direct the big and little aspects of their lives, then you and I in turn can ask if there is something in our lives, big or little, for which we have not yet turned to God for His guidance, and so say, “God, come here, and help me to look at this, give me Your direction, because I need Your guidance in big and small things, in all things in my life!” That, I believe, is the most important insight that we can lift from the book of Leviticus!
posted by FrPitstick | 8/03/2007
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