Catholic Radio Dramas

Christ the High Priest

From a homily on Leviticus by Origen, priest (b. 185)

Christ the high priest makes atonement for our sins

Narrated by Frank Dugan, Huntington Beach, California

Once a year the high priest, leaving the people outside, entered that place where no one except the high priest might enter. In it was the mercy-seat, and above the mercy-seat the cherubim, as well as the ark of the covenant and the altar of incense.

Let me turn to my true high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. In our human nature he spent the whole year in the company of the people, the year that he spoke of when he said: He sent me to bring good news to the poor, to announce the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of forgiveness. Notice how once in that year, on the day of atonement, he enters into the holy of holies. Having fulfilled God’s plan, he passes through the heavens and enters into the presence of the Father to make him turn in mercy to the human race and to pray for all who believe in him.

John the apostle, knowing of the atonement that Christ makes to the Father for all men, says this: Little children, I say these things so that you may not sin. But if we have sinned we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the just one. He is the atonement for our sins. In the same way Paul refers to this atonement when he says of Christ: God appointed him to be the atonement for our sins in his blood, through faith. We have then a day of atonement that remains until the world comes to an end.

God’s word tells us: The high priest shall put incense on the fire in the sight of the Lord. The smoke of the incense shall cover the mercy-seat above the tokens of the covenant, so that he may not die. He shall take some of the blood of the bull-calf and sprinkle it with his finger over the mercy-seat toward the east.

God taught the people of the old covenant how to celebrate the ritual offered to him in atonement for the sins of men. But you have come to Christ, the true high priest. Through his blood he has made God turn to you in mercy and has reconciled you with the Father. You must not think simply of ordinary blood but you must learn to recognize in stead the blood of the Word. Listen to him as he tells you: This is my blood, which will be shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.

There is a deeper meaning in the fact that the high priest sprinkles the blood toward the east. Atonement comes to you from the east. From the east comes the one whose name is Dayspring, he who is mediator between God and men. You are invited then to look always to the east: it is there that the sun or righteousness rises for you, it is there that the light is always being born for you. You are never to walk in darkness; the great and final day is not to enfold you in darkness. Do not let the night and mist of ignorance steal upon you. So that you may always enjoy the light of knowledge, keep always in the daylight of faith, hold fast always to the light of love and peace.

Source: The Liturgy of the Hours – Office of Readings

Origin, born in 185, witnessed the persecution of the Church in Alexandrian. Early on he evidenced a certain genius while leading a life of virtue. He was well educated and deeply devout in his faith. When his father was thrown into prison and condemned to a martyrs death, Origen wrote him a moving letter encouraging him to persevere courageously in the faith.

The family fortune had been confiscated by the imperial magistrates and Origen became a teacher and so helped support his mother and his six younger brothers. He sold his manuscripts and started a catechetical school which soon became a center of learning through his eloquent exhortations. Origin devoted himself to the study of philosophy, the scriptures and Hebrew.

He was sought out who heard of his teaching. He traveled to Rome, and was invited to Arabia by its governor who wanted to meet him. In 215 he traveled to Palestine, Greece and Caesarea where the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained him a priest. His ordination was invalidated when two councils were held at Alexandria, one of which pronounced a decree of banishment against Origen while the other deposed him from the priesthood. St. Jerome declares expressly that he was not condemned on a point of doctrine.

Before St. Augustine, Origen was the most influential theologian in the church. His threefold plan of interpreting Scripture (literal, ethical, and allegorical) influenced subsequent exegetical works. In spite of Origen’s fame as an apologist for Christianity, there was question as to his orthodoxy. His somewhat recondite blending of pagan philosophy with Christian theology led to his condemnation by Justinian in the Monophysite controversy. There is good reason to believe that he was often the victim of misquotation and unfair interpretation.