Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

Preface: This week, I reflect on the Responsorial Psalm, “which is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and holds great liturgical and pastoral importance, because it fosters meditation on the word of God.” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 61)

You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.
From Psalm 110:4b

This is a royal psalm about a king being crowned, even though today’s refrain is declaring the subject a priest: “You are a priest forever.” In ancient times, well before King David and Israel, kings often performed priestly duties, offering sacrifices to the gods. Well before the Israelites occupied it, Melchizedek was the priest-king of Salem (what became Jerusalem), a city in the land of Canaan. He was a priest of “God Most High,” translated ‘El ‘Elyon, a Canaanite god. He blessed Abram (later known as Abraham), saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand.” (Gen. 14:19-20) Abram had just come back from defeating four opposing kings.

This mysterious figure, Melchizedek, had offered bread and wine as his sacrifice. This gives us one key to his comparison with Jesus, who offered bread and wine as a memorial of his death.

Another key is given in the Letter to the Hebrews: “Without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, thus made to resemble the Son of God, he [Melchizedek] remains a priest forever.” (Heb 7:3) Since nothing more was known about this priest-king of Salem who blessed Abram, and since rabbinical tradition disregarded any family history not recorded in the Torah, his priestly line will not die out–it remains forever. In those days, priesthood was passed on by family inheritance, from one son to the next, not by ecclesial ordination as it is today. So, Melchizedek resembles Jesus, the Son of God, because Jesus’ priestly line also remains forever–it is passed on by spiritual election.

So, what are we singing today? Christ is a priest forever, like Melchizedek, who offered bread and wine, and whose priesthood will not fade away.

Reflection by Br. Luke Kral, OSB