By Susan Klemond

“He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest for ever.” ~ Hebrews 7:3

One of several mysterious strangers who seem to drop in on Abraham out of nowhere is Melchizedek, described in Genesis 14 as a “priest of God Most High.”

Thousands of years before Our Lord instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, Melchizedek brought out bread and wine and blessed Abraham.

A couple of chapters later in Genesis, three other strangers showed up at Abraham’s camp and, over dinner, told the elderly patriarch and his wife, Sarah, that they would become parents the following year. The three strangers, pictured in a famous icon, are thought to have been angels or even the Holy Trinity.

Melchizedek is mentioned again in the New Testament in today’s reading from the 7th chapter of Hebrews, where we learn that one meaning of his name is “king of peace.” But ironically, Church historians say the priest and king gave Abraham resources to fight a war.

After the conflict, when Abraham received the enigmatic priest’s blessing, he gave Melchizedek a tenth of his war spoils.

This gesture suggests that Melchizedek was different from other priests. Because of his “indestructible life,” Melchizedek is viewed as an archetype for Jesus Christ, and Hebrews quotes Psalm 110: “Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

We know that Jesus, our High Priest, is the Son of God, but he also had parents and a genealogy. The long line of Catholic priests, bishops, and cardinals descends directly from Our Lord’s priesthood through Holy Orders, but each has parents and a beginning and end of days.

Our priests are ordained in the line of Melchizedek, but they do not have “indestructible lives.” Something to consider on this “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children” is how many who might have been part of that priestly line if they hadn’t been aborted.

It’s possible that if some of the nearly 65.5 million babies killed in the U.S. since abortion was legalized in 1973 had been allowed to live, they might now be offering Mass, administering the sacraments, and as a result, we wouldn’t now have a shortage of priests.  

Prayer:

Lord, we thank you for the great gift of your holy Catholic priests who make it possible for us to receive you in the Eucharist and minister to us in so many ways. Please protect all unborn priests and all children in danger of being aborted.

Call to Action:

Attend one of the pro-life rallies or prayer gathering marking the 52nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision or spend time praying for the unborn children who are still at risk, despite the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down this decision in 2022.

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