Christ Our Advocate

Gospel Reflection 1/19/2023

“Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him since he lives forever to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)

Jesus lives forever, and His eternal presence is in heaven. He is the high priest whom the human race requires, holy and sinless, installed far above humanity. (Heb 7:26) He paid the price for our sins, and in virtue of his ascension, Jesus has taken his place at God's right hand in accordance with Psalm 110, where he presides over the heavenly sanctuary established by God himself.{1} Today's scripture is so important for Christians as this hopeful passage reminds us that Jesus is alive today and always able to bring us into a relationship with the Father. In John 6:4, we are reminded that "Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus."

In today's Gospel, we read that Jesus "intercedes" on our behalf with God, and I believe the word "intercedes" is not something Christians always contemplate. We know that Mary, the mother of God, and the Saints always pray for us, but do we ever consider that Christ is also praying for us? As the apostle, John wrote in 1 John 2:1, "we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Let's remember that Christ is always praying and interceding for us as the ascended Christ is in the presence of the Father. Pope Francis addressed this topic during Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae in 2016, where he said: "The cornerstone of the church is the Lord in front of the Father who intercedes for us, who prays for us. We pray to him, but the foundation is He who prays for us."

As someone who teaches and studies the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I would also like to reflect on what is written about the word "intercession" and, more specifically, Christ's intercession.

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"Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners. He is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them." The Holy Spirit "himself intercedes for us . . . and intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." CCC 2634

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Christians should feel overjoyed that Christ, who in the Bible always prayed for his people, is also interceding on our behalf today. His sacrifice was an intercession for humanity, leading us to salvation and freeing us from sin. Today meditate on the words in Hebrews 7:25 and remember, "Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him since he lives forever to make intercession for them."

“I made known to them your name, and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.” (John 17:26)

Reference:

{1.} Catholic Bible Press. (2021). The New American Bible.