Scripture Readings
In Eucharistic Prayer I, the Roman canon, just after the Consecration we hear: “the bread and wine offered by your priest Melchizedek”. Melchizedek, the Canaanite priest-king of Salem, later named Jerusalem, offered food and drink to Abram and his 318 retainers as they returned from a victory, and blessed Abram in the name of the one God they both believed in. Abram accepted Melchizedek’s blessing and gave him a tithe. Their shared meal confirmed them both as God’s people.
When David captured Jerusalem he took over this priest-kingship, hence today’s psalm praising David, appointed by God as a “priest for ever of the order of Melchizedek”. The author of Hebrews saw Melchizedek’s priesthood as superior to the Levitical priesthood and saw Jesus, descendent of David, with his gift of bread and wine to his disciples, as succeeding to this ancient priesthood.
Paul had told the Corinthians to stop misbehaving during the Eucharist. He then gave this earliest description we have of its institution during the last meal Christ shared with his disciples before Calvary.
Melchizedek’s offering of food to Abram is echoed in the feeding of the 5,000 in the Gospel, anticipating Christ giving himself to us as heavenly food in the Eucharist.
Psalm Response: You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
(Genesis 14:18-20 Psalm 109(110):1-4 1 Cor 11:23-26 Luke 9:11-17)
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