The author of Hebrews is eloquent in his depiction of Jesus as the supreme mediator and high priest. As compassionate High Priest, it is he who reconciles us to God and who is the guardian of the new covenant. The author implies that the old covenant is to be discarded, but as the Holy Father has said on numerous occasions while visiting synagogues, the First Covenant with the Jewish people has never been revoked. In Jesus the Covenant is renewed rather than replaced. It is clear that the purpose of the covenant is to bring all humanity close to God. In fact, the laws of God will now be written in human hearts. We have difficulty accepting the presence of God within us. We rely on outside authority too often rather than seeking divine guidance within. God is our teacher, and we are learning to listen.

Jesus chose Twelve to be His apostles. The group contained a traitor and a member of the violent Zealot party. All of the Twelve deserted Jesus in His hour of need. Couldn't Jesus have chosen better followers? He chose ordinary people, just as He chooses us. The whole point of this is that God does extraordinary things with ordinary people. The apostles are no better than we are. Each day we have the opportunity to serve as an apostle - one sent - to proclaim the wonderful news of God's love for humanity and our eternal destiny. Let us take seriously the guiding spirit of God within us and our call to apostleship.