4th Sunday of Lent 10.3.13 The New Covenant
We have a long religious history, going back to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and other key figures in Old Testament times. God made covenants with these figures at their various points in time.
Then ‘at the appointed time God sent His Son, born of a woman’ (Gal 4,4).
Each time God makes a new covenant with His people He reveals more of Himself and His intentions.
The final covenant was established when He sent His Son. He revealed there all the major aspects of His dealings with the human race.
This final covenant we call the New Covenant. It is not so new in one sense being 2000 years old, but it is very new in the sense that it is still waiting to see the light of day in terms of acceptance by the human race. It is like a work of art hidden in the attic, still waiting to be discovered.
The newness of the New Covenant involves things like loving one’s neighbour, forgiving one’s enemies, trusting in God at all times, not seeking earthly riches, humbling rather than exalting ourselves... things which do happen, but they have never caught on as the mainstream way that people think and behave.
So the new and final agreement between God and humanity is still waiting for one side to ratify it.
Many think that the moral teachings of Christ are set too high. No one, not even God, really expects anyone to live like that, they say.
But God would never command us to do something we could not do.
In fact He does expect us to live ‘like that’ and promises the necessary graces that we can so live. He transforms us in His grace as we commune with Him.
We ratify for ourselves the New Covenant whenever we eat His Body and drink His Blood.
We are being made like Him when we do that.
The Covenant is like a marriage: when we commune with Him we are being strengthened to live out our side of the marriage covenant. In this marriage all the fault is on one side - the bride’s. All of us together make up the ‘bride’, the Church. At the human level we are very blemished, but being purified. If this is a marriage we need marriage counselling!
St Paul is telling us in the epistle to rejoice at our freedom from slavery. He likens the old covenants to slavery and the new to freedom.
Today is Laetare Sunday. If we are not joyful already then the joy is there waiting to be discovered.
We are in this intimate covenant but we don't realize it. We are living like exiles and foreigners when we are already children of the King. [Children as well as Bride – images of intimacy]
Thus we deny ourselves so much happiness that could be easily had. This is not the sort of self-denial we talk about in Lent!
No one is excluded from this offer, from this covenant. It is meant for all people, beginning with those already in the Church, and seeking to draw in everyone else.
The bread multiplied miraculously (Gospel) is a symbol of the abundance of better things to come. If you think this is impressive - just wait for the main event.
The new Covenant is still waiting to break forth in all its power. Lord, open our hearts to see how fortunate we are, and then to live accordingly.
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