12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(The Body and Blood of Christ)

I offer the note on Genesis 14:17: (from Biblegateway online free cf. Bibliography). It is not impossible that Melchizedek, the Canaanite priest of the supreme god El had found faith in the true God (see Vatican II, Lumen gentium, no. 16). His offering of bread and wine was undoubtedly a sacrifice of thanksgiving (also known as a communion sacrifice), in which the gifts offered to the divinity were then divided among those present and consumed, to signify that human beings are called to table fellowship with God.
     According to Hebrew exegetes, these two personages prefigure David, descendant of Abraham and distant successor of Melchizedek on the throne of Jerusalem. In blessing Abraham, Melchizedek was blessing David, the instrument of God’s conquests, who after conquering Jerusalem made it the center of worship of the Lord (2 Sam 6). At the same time, in paying homage to Melchizedek, Abraham was paying homage to Jerusalem, the city that the Lord would choose as his own dwelling and that from that time forward would worship the true God. It is clear that these visions needed to be broadened.           According to Ps 110:4, Melchizedek prefigures Christ, a descendant of David, because only in this new David will kingship and priesthood be united again as they were long ago in Melchizedek; moreover, Christ will have an everlasting priesthood, different from the hereditary priesthood that began with Aaron. The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 7, will explain the message of the psalm, saying that, since tithes are paid to a superior, Abraham’s action was one of homage to a priesthood higher than the Israelite temple priesthood. Behind the veil of the ancient priest-king we are therefore to discern the person of Christ, who in virtue of his own sacrifice that will be completed in Jerusalem is the true source of the blessing bestowed on Abraham, that is, his victory and liberation of prisoners (see a similar observation in 1 Cor 10:4) and all the victories of the people of God. For this reason, the Christian tradition sees in Melchizedek’s sacrifice of bread and wine (see the First Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass, the Roman Canon) a sign and prediction of the Eucharist, which is the thanksgiving for the redemption wrought by Christ and a pledge of victory for believers who remain in union with him.

Genesis 14:18 Salem: according to the entire Jewish tradition, is none other than Jerusalem (Ps 76:3). This very old Canaanite city was already inhabited before 3000 B.C. and is explicitly mentioned in Egyptian texts beginning with the start of the 19th century B.C. God Most High: in Hebrew, El-Elyon, a compound name made up of two Phoenician-Canaanite names for the supreme divinity; the writer sees in Melchizedek a worshiper of the true God.

     In 1Corinthians 11:23-26 we read the earliest New Testament account of the institution of the Eucharist and here we have echoes of Melchizedek’s sacrifice of bread and wine in thanksgiving for Abraham’s victory as a foreshadowing of Jesus’ victory over sin and death.

     Our Gospel for today taken from Luke 9:11-17 presents, what I think, a similar picture to what we see in our first reading. Here Jesus is the victor/king and priest who heals and provides hospitality with bread and fish – a foreshadowing of his giving of himself in bread and wine to be food for all after his death, Resurrection and Ascension. He is victor/king because he is triumphantly followed – more for what he can give (healing) than because they see in him the One sent by God. He sees to their needs (teaches, heals and feeds) because this is his Father’s will – showing them the works of the kingdom and pointing them out to the ones he will leave in charge of the Father’s continued work on earth. Jesus is the priest who blesses the bread and the fish in the Spirit’s power and his disciples distribute the food. Jesus is more than King and Priest – he does the work of his Father by multiplying the food in the power of the Spirit of God. Here shows Jesus forth the works of the Kingdom – so he is Priest, Prophet and King.

Reflection and Discussion:

1. Have you experienced any further enlightenment regarding your understanding of this Feast, as a result of reading this commentary?

2. How will this affect your devotion to the Blessed Eucharist?

Bibliography: https/www.Biblegateway.com – New Catholic Bible (NCB)

This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Bernadette Teresa Chellew, KZN. South Africa, Bat Kol Alumna 2008

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