The
Eighth Sunday of Dinha/Epiphany
February 27, 2011
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The Eighth Sunday of
Epiphany
Basilica Hymn
Like a day that is filled
and passes
They will pass away, and
you will remain
And his place will be
unknown
The
shadow of the Law has passed by means of the grace that
has been revealed: for as the Hebrews were saved from
slavery to the Egyptians by a lamb, thus were the
Gentiles freed from ignorance by the epiphany of Christ;
instead of the pillar of light which shone before the
people, the Sun of Justice has risen, and, in place of
Moses, Christ has come, and has saved and ransomed all
our souls, that we may lift up praise to him, and
thanksgiving every day.
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ܚܕܒܫܒܐ ܕܬܡܢܝܐ ܕܕܢܚܐ
ܕܒܵܣܵܠܝܼܩܹܐ.
ܐܲܝܟܼ ܝܲܘܡܵܐ ܕܐܸܬܼܡܵܠܝ ܕܲܥܒܲܪ܀
ܗܸܢܘ݂ܿܢ ܥܲܒܼܪܝܼܢ ܘܐܲܢ̄ܬ ܩܲܝܵܡ ܐܲܢ̄ܬ.
ܘܐܵܦ ܠܵܐ ܡܸܬܼܝܲܖܥܵܐ ܕܘܼܟܬܹܗ.
ܥܒܲܪ ܠܹܗ ܛܸܠܵܠܹܗ ܕܢܵܡܘܿܣܵܐ.
ܒܝܲܖ ܛܲܝܒܘܼܬܼܵܐ ܕܐܸܬܼܓܲܠܝܲܬ̤.
ܐܲܝܟܲܢ ܓܹܝܪ ܕܒܸܐܡܪܵܐ ܐܸܬܼܦܪܸܩܘ ܥܸܒܼܪ̈ܵܝܹܐ
ܡ̣ܢ ܫܘܼܥܒܵܖܵܐ ܕܡܸܨܪ̈ܵܝܹܐ.
ܗܵܟܲܢ ܐܵܦ ܥܲܡܡܹ̈ܐ ܐܸܬܼܚܲܪܲܪܘ.
ܒܖܸܢܚܹܗ ܕܡܵܪܲܢ ܡ̣ܢ ܛܘܼܥܝܲܝ.
ܘܲܚܠܵܦ ܥܲܡܘܼܖܵܐ ܕܢܘܼܗܪܵܐ ܕܡܲܢܗܲܪ ܗ̄ܘܵܐ
ܩܖܵܡ ܥܲܡܵܐ.
ܕܢܲܚ ܫܸܡܫܵܐ ܕܙܲܕܝܼܩܘܼܬܼܵܐ.
ܘܲܚܠܵܦ ܡܘܼܫܹܐ ܡܫܝܼܚܵܐ ܐܸܬܼܵܐ.
ܘܲܦܪܲܩ ܘܫܲܘܙܸܒܼ ܢܲܧ̈ܫܵܬܼܵܐ ܕܟܠܲܢ.
ܕܠܹܗܘ̤ ܡܲܣܩܝܼܢܲܢ ܫܘܼܒܼܚܵܐ.
ܘܬܲܘܕܝܼܬܼܵܐ ܟܠܗܘܿܢ ܝܲܘ̈ܡܵܬܼܵܐ؛
ܬܢܝܼ.
ܫܲܒܲܚ
ܒܵܗ̇.
ܥܵܠܲܡ.
ܕܢܲܚܘ ܘܐܸܬܼܒܲܕܲܩܘ.
.
ܢܹܐܡܲܪ.
ܡܲܪܝܲܡ ܒܬܼܘܼܠܬܵܐ.
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The Lamb
The Old Testament is full
of metaphors that God used to communicate his Divinity, love
and plan to the people of Israel. Just as a child is
introduced to difficult concepts through metaphor, God took
Israel by the hand and, metaphor by metaphor, revealed his
plan for their salvation. It all began with the lamb at
Passover. The instructions for the lamb of this sacrifice
were specific; “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a
year old” (Exodus 12:5). Those who did not eat of the lamb
and mark their doorposts with its blood were cut off from
Israel. The only way to escape Egypt was by eating the lamb
of Passover. For Israel, Egypt was the land of slavery and
oppression. Though there were many of them, they could not
escape it alone. It took the power of God to free them from
it.
God is much more forward with his people today. Through the
Church, we now understand what the Israelites were only
given to understand through metaphor. We do not kill a lamb
without blemish in order to escape our slavery, we eat the
true Lamb, the Lamb of God, Jesus. It is through this lamb
that we are rescued from our sinfulness and given a promise
of eternal happiness, of a heavenly paradise. Unlike the
Israelites who were given the fulfillment of God’s promise
on earth through the “Promised Land,” we are given a much
more eternal promise, that of Heaven and unity with God for
eternity.
Freed From Ignorance
God is no longer hidden
within a cloud that his glory may not smite the people of
Israel. The light in our darkness is not a pillar by night.
We see Jesus, unveiled and in glory. Our Sun of Justice is
the Son of God Himself. In his revelation at the Baptism in
the Jordan, we are given the revelation of the Trinity. Like
children who are weaned from their Mother’s milk and given
solid food, God no longer speaks to us in metaphor. He
reveals himself fully in Jesus and through the Church. Where
Moses was the mediator between God and Israel, we have the
New Moses who leads us through the wilderness of our
sinfulness and brings us to the Promised Land, the true
paradise flowing with milk and honey.
