The Church as Sacrament of Unity and Salvation

On Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (7:1-10) entitled "Melchizedek is a type of a perfect priest". Our treasure, which follows, is from the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council. Lumen gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. This dogmatic constitution was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 21 November 1964, following approval by the assembled bishops by a vote of 2,151 to 5. As is customary with significant Roman Catholic Church documents, it is known by its incipit, "Lumen gentium", Latin for 'Light of the Nations'. The document's purpose is to declare and explain that the Church is, at its core, a mystery of communion—the People of God, the Body of Christ, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit—in which all the baptized share in Christ's mission. Rather than seeing the Church only as a hierarchical institution, it emphasizes that every member, clergy and laity alike, is called to holiness and to participate in the Church's mission of bringing Christ to the world, each according to their vocation. As early as the second century, this letter or treatise, which is of great rhetorical power and force in its admonition to faithful pilgrimage under Christ's leadership, bore the title "To the Hebrews." It was assumed to be directed to Jewish Christians. Usually, Hebrews was attached in Greek manuscripts to the collection of letters by Paul. Although no author is mentioned (for there is no address), a reference to Timothy suggested connections to the circle of Paul and his assistants. Yet the exact audience, the author, and even whether Hebrews is a letter have long been disputed. The author saw the addressees in danger of apostasy from their Christian faith. This danger was due not to any persecution from outsiders but to a weariness with the demands of Christian life and a growing indifference to their calling. The author's main theme, the priesthood and sacrifice of Jesus, is not developed for its own sake but as a means of restoring their lost fervor and strengthening them in their faith. Another important theme of the letter is that of the pilgrimage of the people of God to the heavenly Jerusalem. This theme is intimately connected with that of Jesus' ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.