I have come not to abolish but to fulfill

6 MARCH (Mt 5,17-19)

Every prophet has always brought the earlier prophet to fulfilment, proclaiming a particular will of the Lord. Let us read as an example what Isaiah says about the future of the faith, of religion and of priesthood. It is an unthinkable prophecy for any mind of the sons of Israel. In the Lord’s people priesthood belonged only to the sons of Aaron. It was impossible to think of the priesthood for another tribe. Unimaginable was the idea that someone out of the Lord’s people could one day receive this most high honour and ministry: being a priest of the living God. Let us read Isaiah.

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her; Exult, exult with her, all you who were mourning over her! Oh, that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort, That you may nurse with delight at her abundant breasts! For thus says the Lord: Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent. As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap; As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you; in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort. When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bodies flourish like the grass; The Lord’s power shall be known to his servants, but to his enemies, his wrath. Lo, the Lord shall come in fire, his chariots like the whirlwind, To wreak his wrath with burning heat and his punishment with fiery flames. For the Lord shall judge all mankind by fire and sword. and many shall be slain by the Lord. They who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the groves, as followers of one who stands within, they who eat swine’s flesh, loathsome things and mice, shall all perish with their deeds and their thoughts, says the Lord.

I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory. I will set a sign among them; from them I will send fugitives to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. They shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the Lord D, just as the Israelites bring their offering to the house of the Lord in clean vessels. Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the Lord. As the new heavens and the new earth which I will make Shall endure before me, says the Lord, so shall your race and your name endure. From one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, All mankind shall come to worship before me, says the Lord. They shall go out and see the corpses of the men who rebelled against me; Their worm shall not die, nor their fire be extinguished; and they shall be abhorrent to all mankind”.(Is 66,10-24).

Nevertheless, revelation remains still unfinished and imperfect. The one that has to give perfect fulfillment to all the Law and the Prophets is missing. This task and mystery is only of Jesus Christ. He is both the Word of faith, the faith and the mystery of faith. All the mystery is revealed, implemented and realized in Him. God has given us everything, by giving Christ for our salvation and redemption. After that Christ spoke and realized the mystery in his person God has nothing to say to us anymore. Whatever prophet after Jesus Christ, comes to help us understand Jesus, not to tell us anything new or to add anything to the mystery. With Christ all is accomplished.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

There is no opposition between Christ Jesus, the Law and the ancient Prophets. In his person he carries out every previous Word of the Father. The Word of Jesus is the absolute perfection of the Law and the Prophets. The word of Jesus must be observed in its slightest precept, in every minimum detail. Nothing must be overlooked. On the contrary, everything must be observed, practiced and taught so that it is observed and practiced. In the kingdom of Jesus Christ, he is great who lives according to all his Word.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints make us observant of the Word.