JESUS, THE ULTIMATE

SACRIFICE FOR THE

SALVATION OF THE
WORLD

2.5
 Concern is allowing oneself to be moved by the needs of others
and be ready to help them.
OBJECTIVES:
 Doctrine: To explain the sacrifice of
Jesus as the one and only priest
To compare and contrast common
and ministerial priest hood
 Morals: To respond to the call as
priest through love and service, and
bearing sacrifices
 Worship: To describe the Sacrament
of Baptism making all sharers in the
priesthood of Christ
“DO NOT NEGLECT TO DO GOOD AND TO
SHARE WHAT YOU HAVE, GOD IS PLEASED
BY SACRIFICES OF THAT KIND.”
Hebrews 13:16
 Key Understandings

2. 3.
1. We all share
in the
Christ’s priesthood Redemption
Sacrifice of Christ’s, requires our
expresses offering acceptance
God’s great praises and and living
love for sacrifice
humanity
out of our
faith
 Praising Gratefully
Psalms 50:1-15
The Gods of gods, the Lord, has spoken and
summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its
setting. From Zion, the perfection of beauty, God
shines forth.

Our God comes and will not be silent! Devouring fire

precedes him, it rages strongly around him. He calls
to the heavens above and to the earth to judge his
people:
 Gather my loyal ones to me, those who made a
covenant with me by sacrifice. ”The heavens proclaim
his righteousness for God himself is the judge.

“Listen, my people, I will speak; Israel, I will testify

against you; God, your God, am I. Not for your
sacrifices do I rebuke you. Your burnt offerings are
always before me
I will not take bullock from your house, or he-goats
from your folds. Foe every animal of the forest is
mine, beast by the thousands on my mountains.

I know every bird in heights; whatever moves in the

wild is mine. Were I hungry, I would not tell you for
mine is the world and that fills it.
 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of he-
goats? Offer praise as your sacrifice to God; fulfill
your vows to the Most High. Then call on me on the
day of distress; I will rescue you, and you shall honor
me.
 Listening Reflectively
When they came to the place called the Skull, they
crucified him there, along with the criminals there.
one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said,
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what
they are doing. ”And they divided up his clothes by
casting lots. The people stood watching, and the
rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved
others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah,
the Chosen One. ”The soldiers also came up and
mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and
said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.
”There was a written notice above him, which read:
this is the king of the jews.
 One of the criminals who hung there hurled
insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save
yourself and us!. ”But the other criminal
rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said,
“since you are under the same sentence? 41
We are punished justly, for we are getting what
our deeds deserve. But this man has done
nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus,
remember me when you come into your
kingdom”. Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you,
today you will be with me in paradise.”
Knowing Lovingly
What did Christ do as a priest?
 “Christ offered himself to the father by dying on the cross. He
is the perfect sacrifice saving us from the slavery of sin and
established a new covenant with the Father through him in the
spirit for us. This is his mission known to us even before his
birth, “You are to name him Jesus because he will save his
people fro their sins” (Matthew 1:21)
 Today in our country, we continue to seek salvation from evils
we experience everyday. In the Catechism for Filipino Catholics
494, the following are identified:
 From spiritual root of all evils,
 From the cosmic demonic powers of evil,
 From the enslaving, oppressive forces in the economic, sociopolitical areas, and
 From the absurdity and meaninglessness of personal life. In each area Chirst
has worked his unique salvation.
Jesus saved us from cosmic demonic powers of evils. Like angels,
demons are real. They are real beings, not merely symbolic. We
learned that Jesus Himself cast of evil spirits. “What do you want of
us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you
are, the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24)
But there is nothing to fear because Christ has saved is from all
cosmic evils. In Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, he spoke of Christ’s
power over evils and their activities, “He brought you to life along with
him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond
against us, with its legal claims, which was oppressed to us, he also
removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross; despoiling the
principalities and the powers, he made a public spectate of them,
leading them away in triumph by it.” (Colossians 2:14-15)
How are we saved?
We are saved by God’s love for us.
The Father loves me for this: that I lay down my life to take up
again. No one takes it from me: I lay down freely” (John 10:17-18).
He sent his only begotten Son out of his love for us “God so loved
the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in him may not be die, but may have eternal life” (John
3:16)
Vatican II states that: “He speaks the word of God” (John 3:34),
and completes the work of salvation which his father gave him to
do ( see John 5:36,17:4)… through his whole work of making
himself: through his works nad deeds, his signs and wonders, but
especially through his death and glorious resurrection from the
dead and final sending the spirit of truth” (DV 4 )
What is called to share in the following Jesus as the priest?

Christ shares his priesthood to us. “With the definitive sacrifice of the cross,
Jesus communicated to all his disciples the dignity and mission of priests of the
new and eternal Covenant.” moreover, for the sake of this universal priesthood,
he called and appointed with a specific and authoritative mandate the twelve “as
his companions whom he would send to preach the Good News. They were
likewise to have authority to expel demons” (Mark 3:14-15). This sharing in his
priesthood we can do by living our common priesthood or royal priesthood or
responding to the vocation of ministerial priesthood or that which received
through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
As we receive the Sacrament of Baptism and Confirmation, we are consecrated
and sent as priests by offering all our words and deeds for the greater glory of
God. Some of us, the faithful are appointed to hold the sacred power of Order.
These are the ordained priests who, given the sacred power, offers sacrifice and
forgive us.
The common priesthood of this faithful is  The second half of the Preface of the Chism
beautifully expressed in the first half of the Mass provide us the reason for Christ instituting
Preface in the Chism Mass, Holy Thursday. the ministerial priesthood.

“Father, by your Holy spirit you “He appoints them to renew in his
anointed your only Son. High Priest name the sacrifice of redemption as
of the new and eternal Covenant. they set before your family his paschal
With wisdom and love you planned meal. He calls them to lead your holy
that this one priesthood should people in love nourish them by your
word, and strengthen them through the
continue in The Church. Christ gives Sacraments. Father, they are to give
the dignity a Royal Priesthood to their lives in your service and for the
the people He Had made His own. salvation of your people. As they strive
From these, with a brother’s love, he to grow in the likeness of Christ and
chooses to share. His sacred honor you by their courageous witness
ministry by the laying on of hands.” of faith and love.”
Witnessing Prayerfully

Aaron of the Old Testament

Aaron, (flourished 14th century BCE), the
traditional founder and head of the Israelite
priesthood, who, with his brother Moses, led
the Israelites out of Egypt. The figure of
Aaron as it is now found in the Pentateuch,
the first five books of the Bible, is built up
from several sources of traditions. In the
Talmud and Midrash (Jewish commentative
and interpretive writings), he is seen as the
leading personality at the side of Moses.
He has appeared in different roles in
Christian tradition
Aaron is described in the Book of Exodus of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old
Testament) as a son of Amram and Jochebed of the tribe of Levi, three years
older than his brother Moses. He acted together with his brother in the
desperate situation of the Israelites in Egypt and took an active part in the
Exodus, their liberation from bondage there. Although Moses was the actual
leader, Aaron acted as his “mouth.” The two brothers went to the pharaoh
together, and it was Aaron who told him to let the people of Israel go, using
his magic rod in order to show the might of YHWH (God). But Moses alone
went up on Mount Sinai, and he alone was allowed to come near to YHWH.
Moses later was ordered to “bring near” Aaron and his sons, and they were
anointed and consecrated to be priests “by a perpetual statute.” Aaron’s sons
were to take over the priestly garments after him. Aaron is not represented as
wholly blameless. It was he who, when Moses was delayed on Mount Sinai,
made the golden calf that was idolatrously worshiped by the people.
Aaron is a central figure in the traditions
about the Exodus, though his role varies in
importance. At the beginning he seems to
be coequal with Moses, but after the march
out of Egypt he is only a shadow at Moses’
side. Moses is obviously the leading figure
in the tradition, but it is also clear that he
is pictured as delegating his authority in all
priestly and cultic matters to Aaron and
“his sons.”
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica.’Aaron Biblica Figure’.n.p. 2015 Web. 11 Nov 2015.
 Questions:
1. Where can the story of Aaron be found?
2. Why is Aaron considered the founder and head of the
Israelite priesthood?
3. What were his contributions for the people of Israel?
4. What positive values can you learn from him?
5. How do you respond with the works or responsibilities
delegated to you by someone in authority?
“LOVEWANTS TO SUFFER FOR THE BELOVED. LOVE WANTS TO
EXPIATE THE SINS THAT HAVE SO DEEPLY PENETRATED
MANKIND. LOVE WANTS TO MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF LOVE
AMONG THOSE WHO SIN. LOVE WANTS TO RELIEVE THE DEBT OF
SUFFERING THAT SINNERS OWE TO GOD. LOVE WANTS TO GIVE
WHAT SINNERS ARE DEPRIVING HIM OF BY THEIR SINS”.
- FR. JOHN HARDON S.J.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!