Day 35: Monday in Holy Week, March 17

In the book of Exodus, God dictates strict instructions for the construction of His tabernacle. An incredibly immense and thick blue, purple, and scarlet curtain was to be hung separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. The ark of the covenant was to be placed behind this curtain. Once a year, the High Priest washed himself, put on special clothing, and carried incense so that its smoke would cover his eyes in the presence of God. On this Day of Atonement, the High Priest would make a sacrifice inside the Most Holy Place for the sins of Israel.

As Christ died, this curtain was a torn in two, from top to bottom. Christ’s death was the ultimate atonement for all sins—through the sacrifice of His blood our sins were washed away forever. When the curtain tore, the Old Covenant was concluded, as it had been prophesied, and God made His presence available to all. Hebrews 10:19-20 states that we now have “the confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body…”

For me, as we reflect on Christ’s amazing sacrifice, the first catechism question comes to mind: What is the chief end of man? The answer—to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever—rings in my mind and sparks the questions: How often do I glorify God in my daily actions? Where do my thoughts wander? What is the evidence in my life that the curtain has been torn, that I enjoy a new and living way that has been opened to and for me?

Jenny Riedel, College Freshman