Daily Reflection Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus Christ appears before God on our behalf. The author of The Letter to the Hebrews describes Jesus as one who is “holy, innocent, and undefiled.” It almost sounds like he’s describing an unblemished lamb, one which would be used for the temple sacrifice. Jesus is the high priest who offers his own blood to wash away our sins. He offered himself as a sacrificial lamb, once and for all time and for all people. This is the Paschal Mystery. That the Son of God should offer himself for the salvation of humanity is astonishing.



This is what Pope Francis says in his recent letter, Desiderio Desideravi. Here he reflects on the liturgy, emphasizing the beauty and the truth of the Mass. He writes that we should be astonished by the Paschal Mystery. He warns that if we are not astonished at the fact that the Paschal Mystery is rendered present in the concreteness of the sacramental signs of the Eucharist, we risk being impermeable to the ocean of grace that floods every celebration. This astonishment, he says, will lead to wonder and to adoration. Our celebration of the Eucharist is astonishing.