Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, Second Reading, Year B (Hebrews 9:11-15)

¹¹ But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. ¹² He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. ¹³ The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. ¹⁴ How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! ¹⁵ For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

The second reading for the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) comes from the letter to the Hebrews and reflects on the new covenant between God and humanity created by Christ’s sacrifice. In the verses just before this passage, the author discussed the rites of the old covenant, showing how they foreshadowed the much greater reality of Jesus. The first words here “when Christ came” shows that a turning point in world history has occurred: the time of preparation is over, and the time of fulfillment has come. Jesus, the true high priest, has brought us the good things God always intended for his children. We may not yet fully experience them, but they are here.

The author contrasts Christ’s once-and-for-all sacrifice with those of the Old Testament, showing how, in three specific ways, they are greater. First, Christ did not enter an earthly tabernacle but God’s own residence in heaven. Second, he did not offer the blood of poor, unsuspecting animals but freely gave his own blood. Third, his blood offers much more than ritual purity but a cleansing that goes to the depths of the person.

Moses’ tabernacle, therefore, was but a pale foreshadowing of the perfect and eternal tabernacle of Jesus’ risen body. Now at God’s right hand, he is the beginning of a new creation, in which the entire universe will become what God intends it to be. In the Old Testament, access to the tabernacle was strictly restricted, but the new tabernacle opens the way to God for all. In verse 12, the contrast between the old and the new continues for while the high priest would enter the sanctuary once a year, Christ entered God’s true home once for all time. Of course, as the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son had always been there, but, as a human being, he entered only after his death, resurrection and ascension. Through his sacrifice, Christ achieved a perfect atonement. Unlike the ultimately fruitless sacrifices of the high priest, there is no need for any repetition.

The paradox, of course, is that Jesus is both the high priest and the victim: he is both the sacrifice and the one offering it. He freely gave his own life for our redemption. Sin held us all as slaves, but Christ broke its hold. Verse 13 refers to Yom Kippur which contained another atonement ritual when a red heifer without blemish would be sacrificed and completely burned with cedar, hyssop and a red cloth. The ashes were then mixed with water and were later used to purify anyone who had become ritually defiled by touching the dead. But, like the other animal sacrifices, this only provided outward cleansing, and so once again, the author insists on how much more effective Christ’s blood is. Christ himself is the perfect sacrifice, unblemished, not because he had no physical deformity, but because he had no sin. All the acts of the law are only dead works now, and only through Christ, who can change our hearts, can we truly worship the living God.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote of a circumcision of the heart which is what Christ brings. This circumcision of the heart is the sign of the new covenant of whom Christ is the mediator. He has removed the faults committed under the first covenant and created a universal and everlasting one which cleanses our very souls. With our sins wiped away, we can now receive the promised eternal inheritance. This is the ultimate meaning of the Eucharist, a word that comes from the Greek for “thanksgiving”. Indeed, we should give thanks for such a wonderful and totally undeserved gift.