It is 23rd January 2017. The readings are from Hebrews 9:15, 24-28; and the Gospel from Mark 3:22-30. The first reading offers us a tremendous hope in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which would have the everlasting effect. His death is the one perfect sacrifice reconciling and unifying all of us with God. Christ intercedes for us that we all be in the presence of God. Blood is the symbol of life. Jesus offered his life blood to consecrate us, to unite us and to make us at peace with God. The unity is the central theme of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. Divided we fall and united we stand together. His shedding of blood is the proof of His deep love for us all no matter how treacherously we all have sinned against His love. The rite and rituals of the old covenant were not equal to the sacrament of forgiveness and therefore it was needed to be repeated as the atonement of sins. But Christ offered his very own self freely unlike the offertory of the high priest of the Old covenant, once and for all and hence He does not repeat it again and again. Jesus has become the mediator of the covenants; and of us and the Father. His second coming would provide us the opportunity to be rewarded by Him for the faithfulness to Christ through unadvertised charity and unity. “So Christ, too offers himself only once to take the faults of many on himself, and when he appears a second time, it will not be to deal with sin but to reward with salvation for those who are waiting for Him.” (Heb.9:28). The responsorial Psalm praises, “Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.” (Ps.97:1). The Gospel narrates the unreasonable accusation on Jesus by the learned men. All that Jesus performed and spoken are guided by the Holy Spirit now been criticized and given a satanic colour. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, there can be no unity in us, in our communities and in our nation. Unity of the spirit happens for the good of all people. We are all united as the family of God only through the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Him and His most precious blood that is sprinkled on us. Whenever we attempt to live in unity, we glorify the Holy Spirit. In the same way, whenever we fail to recognize the presence and actions of Jesus in our lives, we fall prey to the sin of indifference to the Holy Spirit and eventually divided against the who created us. May we all live in unity and promote peace of Christ. Have a good day.