June 6th - Reflection

Leviticus 9:1-11, 22-24 (NRSV) The high priest Aaron offers sacrifice On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. He said to Aaron, "Take a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord. And say to the people of Israel, 'Take a male goat for a sin offering; a calf and a lamb, yearlings without blemish, for a burnt offering; and an ox and a ram for an offering of well being to sacrifice before the Lord; and a grain offering mixed with oil. For today the Lord will appear to you.'" They brought what Moses commanded to the front of the tent of meeting; and the whole congregation drew near and stood before the Lord. And Moses said, "This is the thing that the Lord commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you." Then Moses said to Aaron, "Draw near to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and for the people; and sacrifice the offering of the people, and make atonement for them; as the Lord has commanded." Aaron drew near to the altar, and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. The sons of Aaron presented the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; and the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. But the fat, the kidneys, and the appendage of the liver from the sin offering he turned into smoke on the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses; and the flesh and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp. ... Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he came down after sacrificing the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the offering of well-being. Moses and Aaron entered the tent of meeting, and then came out and blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. Reflection Sin offering - burnt offering - peace offering. We present an offering to God for our sins. We come to God and repent of the sins we have committed and humbly seek God's forgiveness. We then offer the burnt offering and dedicate our lives to God. God does forgive us. We acknowledge this forgiveness with a deep joy that leads us to offer our lives and our very beings to God. This offering is a response to the love God first shows us through Jesus Christ. This is a deep and personal moment even though it may be in the midst of the congregation. Finally the peace offering which is true communion with God. An offering that results in the eucharistic meal. God in us and we in God. God is in one yet as we see through many. God invades our very being with his sacrifice of love in Jesus Christ. In these offerings we are set on fire with the fire of the Holy Spirit. We are alive in Christ and called, gifted and sent into the world to proclaim God's glory through Jesus Christ. What an offering of love! What a wonderful God! Thanks be to God! Prayer Lord, you gave yourself for me...now I give myself to you. You are God! --- Amen