270. Old Law Ceremonies: Figurative and Literal Reasons

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

Structure of Ceremonial Observances #

• All Old Law observances have two kinds of reasons: literal (practical, ordered to worship at that time) and figurative (prefiguring Christ and New Law mysteries)
• Literal reasons relate to reverence for divine worship, removing impediments to worship, and maintaining distinction between God’s people and idolaters
• Figurative reasons demonstrate how external observances prefigure spiritual realities

The Parable of the Prodigal Son and Animal Symbolism #

• The fatted calf vs. the goat: calf represents something more noble, goat something inferior
• Goat symbolism: The goat is fetida (stinking), particularly when in rut; signifies lustful sins and sins of the flesh
• Cedar wood signifies things that don’t corrupt and retain strength
• Hyssop is fragrant herb with odor signifying spiritual qualities
• Scarlet thread/worm: has living color, signifies various virtues

Sacrifices for Sin and Atonement #

• When blood of the goat is carried into the Sancta Sanctorum (Holy of Holies), it signifies cleansing the tabernacle from uncleanliness of Israel
• Bodies of sacrificed animals are burned outside the camp to show consumption of sins
• The scapegoat: priest places hands on its head confessing sins of Israel; goat is sent into desert carrying punishment for sins
• This signifies remission of sins through the goat’s deportation
• Not offered to demons (Gentile practice) but designates the effect of the sacrifice

Figurative Meaning of Sacrificial Animals #

• Calf: Christ through his virtue
• Ram: Christ as leader of the faithful
• Goat: Christ through likeness of sinful flesh (the sin that will be punished)
• Christ is offered for sins of both priests and people; through his passion, both greater and lesser are cleansed
• Blood in the Holy Holies: Through blood of Christ’s passion, entry into kingdom of heavens is cleared for us
• Bodies burned outside: Signifies Christ suffered outside the gate (Hebrews reference)
• Scapegoat sent out: Signifies either Christ’s divinity going into solitude or the evil that ought to be cast away from us

Leprosy Purification Ceremonies #

• Literal reason: Leprosy laws don’t actually cleanse from leprosy; they show that a previously cleansed person is now restored to worship and human society
• Two-stage restoration: First, judged to be pure/clean; second, restored to company of men and divine worship after seven days
• Four elements of purification address four defects:
  • Cedar against putridness/corruption
  • Hyssop (fragrant herb) against foul odor
  • Living bird against insensibility
  • Scarlet worm against ugliness
• Living bird is released in the field because leper is restored to pristine liberty
• On eighth day: hair shaving, vestment washing, sacrifice offered for defect or sinfulness
• Blood applied to right ear, thumb, and great toe (parts where leprosy is first diagnosed)
• Three liquors applied: blood against corruption of blood, oil designating grace, living water for cleaning

Figurative Meaning of Leprosy Purification #

• Two sparrows: One divinity, one humanity of Christ
  • One offered in clay vessel (humanity offered in passion)
  • Other remains living (impassible divinity cannot be restricted by passion)
• Cedar, hyssop, scarlet: Faith, hope, and charity (traditional appropriation)
• Dipping in water: Through faith in God and man we are baptized; man is washed through water of baptism
• Washing vestments: Works are purified
• Cutting hair: Bad thoughts removed
• Touching earlobe: Hearing guarded against corrupting words
• Anointing thumb and toe: Action made holy; perfection in other matters

Priestly Consecration and Institution #

• Purpose: Priests instituted through special purification/consecration as ministers of worship, separated from others
• Three components of priestly institution:
  1. Purification (through ablution of water and sacrifices)
  2. Adornment and consecration (with special vestments and anointing oil)
  3. Application to service of worship
• Levites: Purified through water ablution and hair shaving; offered to Lord but not consecrated like priests
• Lesser priests: Only their hands were consecrated (applied to sacrifices and animal blood)
• Application through vestments: Hands of lesser priests were sanctified; fat of ram and torta placed in their hands
• Blood applied to right ear, thumb, and great toe to signify obedience to God’s law, execution of sacrifices, proper living
• Vestments sprinkled with animal blood in memory of blood of lamb of liberation from Egypt

Sacrifices in Priestly Consecration #

• Calf for sin: In memory of remission of Aaron’s sins (reference to golden calf casting)
• Lamb in holocaust: In memory of Abraham’s obedience, which priests ought to imitate
• Ram as peace offering: In memory of liberation from Egypt and the lamb’s blood
• Bread from basket: In memory of manna given to people

Figurative Meaning of Priestly Consecration #

• Those consecrated to spiritual service of Christ ought to be:
  1. First purified through water of baptism in faith of Christ’s passion (expiative and purgative)
  2. Shaving all hairs of flesh = removing bad thoughts
  3. Ordained with rituals and consecrated by oil of Holy Spirit
  4. Sprinkled with blood of Christ
  5. Intent to carry out spiritual services

Priestly Qualifications and Bodily Defects #

• Commands that ministers have no stain or bodily defect
• Men with defects held in contempt; this was to be prevented
• Ministers not to be applied from any random genus but from a certain succession/pedigree (posapia)
• From more clear and noble lineage to show honor and reverence
• Historical context: In earlier times, family lineage mattered more; in contemporary democracy, self-made men admired; American upward mobility lost in political discourse about policy
• Special ornate vestments and consecration given to honor both God and the minister

Priestly Vestments of High Priest #

• Eight vestments:
  1. Inner tunic/investment
  2. Hyacinth tunic with bells at extremity (would be annoying to wear)
  3. Hyacinth and purple coloring with scarlet (kokoe vis tincta)
  4. Ephod (super humoral) going around shoulder, covering shoulders and front
  5. Cincture/girdle of gold, hyacinth, purple, and scarlet with scarlet threads
  6. Two stones on shoulders inscribed with names of twelve tribes of Israel—to remind of their salvation; carried them in his chest/heart
  7. Rational/breastplate: made of same materials as ephod, square, placed on wrist, joined to ephod at shoulders; contained twelve precious stones in four orders with inscribed tribal names
     • Signifies thinking frequently of their salvation
     • Carried them in his chest as if having them in his heart
     • In rational: God commanded laying down of teaching and truth (Urim and Thummim)
     • Jews fabled that a stone changed colors according to diverse things happening to Israel
  8. Tiara (headdress)

Key Arguments #

Against Rational Foundation of Old Law Ceremonies #

• Objections: Why would God command such strange practices? Cutting flesh (circumcision), eating hastily, elaborate animal sacrifices, restrictions on priests’ physical appearance?

Resolution Through Two-Fold Causality #

• Every observance has both literal and figurative causes demonstrating its rationality
• Literal cause: Practical purposes in Old Law context—reverence for worship, removal of impediments, prevention of contempt
• Figurative cause: Prefiguring Christ and mysteries of New Law
• Both dimensions valid and demonstrable

Important Definitions #

Appropriation (appropriatio) #

• Taking something known through reason and faith to manifest something less known to us (like the Trinity)
• Works through likeness between what is proper to divine nature (known to all three persons equally) and what has particular connection with one divine person
• Example: Appropriating mercy to Father, faith to Son, charity to Holy Spirit—not exclusive but having particular connection

Two-fold Uncleanliness #

• Spiritual uncleanliness: Pollution of soul through sin; requires sacrifice for expiation
• Bodily uncleanliness: Corruption of body or contact with corrupt things; requires ablution with water
• Distinction crucial for understanding Old Law purifications

Literal vs. Figurative Reasons #

• Literal (lettered) reason: Immediate practical purpose in Old Law context
• Figurative reason: Prefiguring or signifying mysteries of Christ and New Law

Examples & Illustrations #

Goat in Prodigal Son Parable #

• Older brother complains father never killed a goat for his merrymaking
• Goat inferior to fatted calf
• Goat stinks, especially when in rut (rutting season)
• Stinking odor signifies odor and uncleanness and sharpness of sin

Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Discourse of Reason #

• Definition of reason: “ability for a large discourse looking before and after”
• First appearance (Act 1): “A beast that lacks discourse of reason would have mourned longer” (on mother’s hasty marriage)
• Second appearance (Act 4, Scene 4): The explicit definition
• Looking before and after in multiple senses: temporal (two months, from funeral/wedding), qualitative (comparing uncle to first husband)
• Touching upon fundamental causes: nature vs. will; natural defects vs. responsible action
• Quote: “Nature cannot choose its origin”
• Distinctions in choosing friends: “Give me that man that is not passion slave” (on slavery to anger, lust, fear)
• When confronting mother: distinguishing and comparing two men, one like Hyperion, other like satyr
• Demonstrates “beautiful understanding of the relation between custom and virtue and vice”

John Paul II’s Episcopal Consecration #

• Famous photograph shows John Paul II with linen tied around head after anointing
• Oil of consecration used to flow; head wrapped so oil wouldn’t flow down
• Looks like he’d been wounded; called “pretty beautiful” by Berquist
• Bishops still anointed with oil in coordination ceremony
• Psalm 132 reference: oil from head of Aaron descends to beard and vestments

Parish Saint’s Day #

• Children dress as saints (including bishops with tiaras)
• Children tell stories about their saints
• Impressive that tiaras stayed up on children
• Brother Paul (Augustinian) dressed as bishop for St. Augustine

Questions Addressed #

Why were animals subjected to burning and elaborate sacrificial procedures? #

• Answer: Through literal reason, to commemorate specific historical sins (golden calf) and cleanse from bodily corruption. Through figurative reason, burned sacrifices signify consumption of sins; burning outside camp signifies Christ’s passion outside the gate.

How does the unclean purify the unclean (red heifer paradox)? #

• Answer: Ashes of red heifer (from unclean sacrifice) remove bodily uncleanliness. Those handling them become unclean until evening, signifying that dealing with effects of sin requires spiritual purification itself. The paradox is resolved by distinguishing types of uncleanliness.

Why would bodily defects disqualify priests from ministry? #

• Answer: Literally, to maintain reverence and prevent contempt of ministers. Figuratively, bodily defects signify spiritual defects (sins and vices) from which priests must be free to serve God worthily. Priests must appear pure and whole, reflecting their spiritual state.

What is the connection between Old Law practices and New Law sacraments? #

• Answer: Old Law observances prefigure New Law sacraments through figurative causality. For example: purification ceremonies prefigure the sacrament of penance; priestly consecration prefigures holy orders; sacrifices prefigure the Eucharist.

Connections to Broader Themes #

Thomistic Appropriation in Trinity #

• Mercy appropriated to Father (from gospel: “Be merciful just as your father is merciful”)
• Faith appropriated to Son (object of faith is first truth; Son is the light, the way, the truth)
• Charity appropriated to Holy Spirit (proceeds by way of love; object of love is goodness/end)
• These appropriations make less-known (Trinity) more intelligible through more-known concepts (mercy, faith, charity)

Contemporary Reflections #

• Discussion of how democracy values self-made man vs. historical emphasis on family lineage
• How upward mobility in United States lost in contemporary political discourse
• How priests’ vestments still honor the ministry through beauty and ornateness
• Distinction between material cleanliness and spiritual purity as applied today