Reflection for Thursday in the 19th Week after the Octave of Pentecost
In the spirit of St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop and Confessor — Class III Feast
Readings: Hebrews 7:23-27 & Matthew 24:42-47
Date: October 4
“Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.” (Ps 109:4)
On this Feria Quinta, within the 19th week after the Octave of Pentecost, Holy Church gives us readings that call us to deeper fidelity and watchfulness. In the Epistle (Heb 7:23-27), we behold Our Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal High Priest, whose unchangeable priesthood contrasts with the mortality and insufficiency of the Levitical order. In the Gospel (Matt 24:42-47), Our Blessed Lord exhorts His disciples to vigilance and fidelity in service, ever watchful for the hour of His return.
In the spirit of Sanctus Antonius Maria Claret, the tireless missionary bishop aflame with apostolic zeal, we are reminded that these two readings are not only theological reflections but urgent calls to sanctity and action.
Hebrews 7:23–27 – The Eternal Priesthood of Christ
“But this man, because he continueth for ever, hath an everlasting priesthood: wherefore he is able also to save for ever them that come to God by him: always living to make intercession for us.” (Heb 7:24–25)
St. Paul here sets before us the superiority of Christ’s priesthood over the old covenant. The priesthood of the sons of Aaron was marked by death; they were many because they were mortal. Christ, however, “continueth for ever,” and in Him we have the fulfilment of Psalm 109:4 — the Messianic prophecy fulfilled in the mystery of the Incarnation and in the perpetual sacrifice He offers in Heaven and on our altars.
St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, declares:
“He ever liveth to make intercession. This is the office of a priest: a continual intercession. Not once a year, like the high priest, but always. His very presence before the Father is intercession.” (Hom. XV on Hebrews)
This reality is not distant or abstract. It touches the daily life of the faithful: we approach the altar knowing that the Sacrifice of the Mass is a participation in this heavenly intercession, and that the same Christ who offered Himself once on Calvary now pleads for us, presenting His wounds before the Father.
This priesthood is also the model of all sacerdotal ministry. St. Anthony Mary Claret, who lived the priesthood with heroic fidelity, wrote in his Autobiography:
“A Son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a man who burns with the fire of divine love, and who spreads it wherever he goes. He desires all to be saved and comes down to earth to make Christ known and loved.”
What is this but the very priesthood of Christ incarnated in the life of a missionary bishop?
Matthew 24:42–47 – Watchfulness and Fidelity in the Master’s Service
“Watch ye therefore, because you know not what hour your Lord will come.” (Matt 24:42)
Christ’s exhortation to vigilance is not one of anxious fear, but of faithful service. The good servant is the one found at his post, nourishing the household, doing his master’s will — not out of fear of punishment, but out of love and loyalty.
St. Augustine writes:
“Let us so live as if He were to come today; and if He does not come today, let us still live as if He were. By living thus, we shall be ready whenever He comes.” (Sermon 93, On the New Testament)
The Church in her wisdom places this Gospel alongside the Epistle to remind us that we serve not an absent Lord, but One who even now intercedes for us and is present in His Mystical Body and in the Eucharist. The priestly heart of Christ beats in the life of the Church, and we are all called — whether lay or ordained — to be faithful stewards of His mysteries.
In the Light of St. Anthony Mary Claret
The spirit of today’s saint, St. Anthony Mary Claret (1807–1870), illumines this liturgical pairing. As a bishop, confessor, and founder of the Claretian Missionaries, he understood deeply the call to vigilance and service. He was ceaseless in preaching, hearing confessions, writing, founding schools and religious houses. What drove him? His love for Christ the High Priest and his burning desire to see souls saved.
He often repeated: “The love of Christ urges us on.” This love was not sentimental, but cruciform — shaped by sacrifice, self-denial, and the Eucharist. He understood, as today’s readings remind us, that Christ’s priesthood is not only a doctrine but a lived reality, one into which all the faithful — and especially priests — are called to enter.
Concluding Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, eternal High Priest and faithful Shepherd of souls, grant us the grace to remain vigilant and faithful in Thy service. Through the intercession of St. Anthony Mary Claret, inflame our hearts with the fire of divine charity, that we may be found watching when Thou comest and ready to enter into Thy joy. Amen.
“Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come, he shall find so doing.” (Matt 24:46)