Homily: Friday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time - Entering into God's rest

All this 1^st week of Ordinary Time until the beginning of February, the first readings on normal weekdays are taken from the Letter to the Hebrews.  The Church does not know who wrote the letter to the Hebrews; for many years, a certain verse of chapter 13 seemed to point to Saint Paul, but the jury is still out.

This Letter seems to be addressed to new Jewish Christians, that is Christians of Jewish ancestry.  They were undergoing a severe persecution for their new faith.  The letter states how they  "endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword's point". So the letter is written to them to strengthen their resolve against abandoning their faith in the face of severe testing.  In fact, scholars say that it is not a letter at all, but a sermon, which should be read aloud in its entirety, if you wish to experience its full power.

Hebrews, over and over again shows how images and stories from the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus.  As the Council of Trent declared: the New is Hidden in the Old and the Old is unveiled in the New. 

Both yesterday and today, we heard how the author quotes Psalm 95, as a warning against growing weary and giving up in their witness to Jesus. They are urged to remember the example of Israel’s revolt in the desert that cost a whole generation the loss of the promised land.  It is Jesus who promises to lead us into true paradise.

During Ordinary time we focus on our day-to-day discipleship of Christ.  Not only are we reminded of the need to persevere in times of trial, but we do well, to read and reflect on Scripture, both Old Testament and New, to find strength in our ordinary-day-to-day discipleship.

There was a heretic condemned in the early church by the name of Marcion.  Marcion claimed that the God of the Old Testament and his religion were evil, compared to the new God and new faith presented by Jesus.  So Marcion rejected the entire Old Testament, and even books of the New Testament which did not support his view.

Rather, the Church upholds the Old Testament as inspired text.  In the Old Testament we see God preparing humanity in varied ways for receiving the saving faith and remaining true to that faith in times of trial. And reading and reflecting upon it can open our hearts to that saving faith which strengthens us in times of trial.

The letter to the Hebrews uses the image of a pilgrimage for the Church.  Pilgrims need the sort of attentiveness, patience, obedience, and perseverance found in this beautiful letter.  May we open our hearts to receive all that we need to remain faithful to God on this our pilgrimage, particularly through reading and reflecting on God’s Holy Word, that we may truly enter into his rest, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.