Wrap-Up for Leviticua 8-10

Chapters 8-10 in Leviticus form a section often called “The Priestly Code”. It is the second of two parts into which Leviticus can be divided. It deals with the sacrificial system from the point of view of the priests. Although it is oftentimes valid to draw parallels from the Old Testament to the New and to see how the Old is fulfilled in the New, it is not always accurate to cite direct connections between the Old Testament and our own world today. The cultural gap between the world today and the Old Testament world of almost three thousand years is just too wide to draw a direct link. We must be careful then, when discussing certain Old Testament topics, that we take into account the differences in morals, mores and culture before drawing too many conclusions.
A case in point is a discussion of the Levitical priesthood and priesthood in the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the priesthood of the Old Testament as “the chosen people was constituted as ‘a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ Within the chosen people of course, God selected the tribe of Levi and set it apart for priestly and liturgical service. As the commentary states, the priest were appointed to “act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” The commentary goes on to say that this priesthood was powerless to bring about salvation, needing to repeat its sacrifices ceaselessly and unable to bring about a definitive sanctification. Definitive sanctification came only with the High Priesthood of Jesus and His death on the Cross. Jesus’ sacrifice was a one-time sacrifice for all time. Jesus was both Priest AND Victim. Jesus was the only priest that could affect Redemption. Once this was done, all further sacrifices were rendered unnecessary. Jesus transmitted his priestly

authority to the Apostles (Mt16:18-20). The Apostles conferred this authority to the bishops and their successors. Unlike the Levitical priesthood, which was primarily ceremonial, the Priesthood instituted at the Last Supper gave priests the POWER to act not only in Jesus’ name but also in His person. We call this “In Persona Christi” and it means that the Priests is the visible person of the invisible Christ and acts with Jesus’ Hands, Heart and Soul!. No Levite ever approached this kind of Spiritual power and authority. So, again, we must be cautious about drawing parallels between the Levitical Priesthood and the Priesthood today.
As the Levites were set apart for Liturgical service, so the unction was used to designated a person or thing consecrated to God. In those days, oil was mixed with perfumes such as frankincense and myrrh were used for particular functions. Today, oil has the same purpose in the Catholic Church, besides it’s use in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders and anointing of the Sick, oil is used to dedicate altars and sacred vessels and vestments. An interesting fact about the three oils used in Catholic Sacraments is that the Oil of Chrism used in Confirmation is the only oil that you can smell. It contains balsam, which in the early years of the Church was used to anoint the dead. The other two oils, the Oil of the Catechumens and the Oil of Unction are odorless.
The high priest’s vestments were probably more akin to the ceremonial vestments worn by the Pope and Bishops today rather than the Mass vestments that we see each week. The fact that the vestments had a symbolic meaning beyond just ornamentation is similar to Papal vestiture throughout history. The high priest wore the golden plate with the name of God on it. The Pope wears the

Crucifix on his mitre and the Fisherman’s Ring as a sign not only of authority but also humility and simplicity. The high priests’ ephod was to show that he bore the weakness of the people on his shoulders. The Pope carries his crozier (staff) to indicate a simple shepherd leading his sinful flock to Christ. Finally, as the high priest donned the pomegranates to indicate harmony and unity, the Pope wears the pallium (The white cloth scarf around his neck) which is a Byzantine tradition worn by a Roman Pope to show that the Church breathes with two lungs, East and West.
Blood, the sign of life was used in the ordination ceremony to anoint the right ear, hand and toe of the priest, preparing him to listen carefully to the word of God. We indicate that today in the ordination ceremony and before the proclamation of the Gospel, when the priests makes the sign of the Cross on his head, lips and heart, saying; “ May the Word of God be in my mind, on my lips and in my heart.” The Levites also used blood to consecrate the vestments. Blood is not used in any part of the Catholic liturgy until the wine becomes the Precious Blood of Our Lord at the Consecration.
The interesting incident of Nahab and Abihu demonstrates that there is a fine line between outward observance and interior disposition. Jesus constantly battled the Pharisees concerning this. Outward observance of liturgy can only have meaning if our hearts are properly disposed toward God and neighbor.



In conclusion, there are some parallels between the Levitical priesthood and the priesthood of today but we must be careful. Although we see a foreshadowing in the use of oil and vestments and the conduct of the priests, the Levite would never tell you that he was representing God when he performed his sacrificial duties. This was not remotely on his mind. He saw himself “set apart” to lead the people in the way of holiness and fidelity to the Covenant. The Catholic priest, on the other hand, not only is ordained for these things but also is armed with the authority of Our Lord to make him present on the altar at every Mass. The Second Vatican Council in it’s document entitled “Presbyterorum Ordinis” (The Ministry and Life of Priests) says the following: “…through the ministry of priests, the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful is completed in union with the sacrifice of Christ, the only mediator, which the Eucharist is offered through the priests’ hands in an unbloody and sacramental manner until the Lord Himself shall come. The ministry of the priest is directed to this and finds its consummation in it.” (PO I-2). The Levitical Priesthood was the remote origin and foreshadowing of what was to come. The Catholic priesthood is the fulfillment of Jesus’ High Priesthood on earth and in Heaven.

TA 4/16/10