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You hear of him at Mass all the time, because his name in is the Roman Canon, when the priest says: Be pleased to look upon these offerings with a serene and kindly countenance, and to accept them, as once you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim.
Maybe you recognize his name from Psalm 110, the famous “Dixit Dominus” (The Lord said to my Lord): The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." From the harp of David himself, this statement has such enormous significance that is expanded in the letter to the Hebrews, of which we hear a great deal during Holy Week: We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19-20)
This New Testament text points back to the story of Abraham, when among the many difficulties he encounters in following God to the fulfillment of His promise, Abram’s kinsman Lot and his family and possessions are taken by an enemy. Abram raises a force to rescue him, and after defeating the enemy, and while returning with his kinsman and all the goods from his victory, Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14:18-20)
This is the first time in Sacred Scripture that anybody is called a priest. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 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. See how great he is! (Hebrews 7:2-3) Jesus is the perfect and eternal high priest; the author of Hebrews wants us to see the connection.
Saint Cyprian of Carthage stated outright what you should be discerning from these same texts when he wrote in about 250 AD: In the priest Melchizedek we see the Sacrament of the Sacrifice of the Lord prefigured, in accord with that to which the divine Scriptures testify, where it says Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed (Abram). That Melchizedek is in fact a type of Christ is declared in the psalms by the Holy Spirit, saying to the Son, as it were from the Father: “Before the daystar I begot you. You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Over the past few weeks, between the harangues about the Appeal, I have spoken of tithing, that is, offering to God one-tenth of everything. That’s a word not often used in our time, or in our churches. Where does this come from, some medieval churchman looking to fund his grandiose plans? Some megachurch preaching a “prosperity gospel?” Rather, it originates with Abram before he was even Abraham, in the book of Genesis of all places. You know, “In the beginning.”
What is the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim? Melchizedek … brought out bread and wine. Melchizedek is the first priest, and a type and promise of the great High Priest Jesus Christ. Abram was heavy laden with spoils from his great victory, And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
