Catholic Commentary on Leviticus 8

"Moses did everything the LORD commanded him." (Leviticus 8:9)

The Ordination of Aaron

The ordination ceremony for Aaron and his sons, commanded in Exodus 29, is now carried out before the whole community at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Moses washes them, clothes Aaron in the priestly garments, anoints the tabernacle and everything in it with the anointing oil, then anoints Aaron by pouring oil on his head. He clothes the sons. He offers the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the ordination offering, applying blood to the right ear lobe, right thumb, and right big toe of Aaron and his sons - the organs of hearing, working, and walking, consecrating the whole person for the service of God. Moses did everything the LORD commanded him. The refrain that characterised the construction of the tabernacle continues: obedience is the consistent note of Moses's ministry.

The anointing of Aaron is the origin of every ordination in the Church. The Catechism identifies holy orders as the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church, the anointing that sets apart for the service of God and the community (CCC 1536). The oil poured on Aaron's head, running down his beard and the collar of his robe, is the image that Psalm 133 uses for the unity and blessing of fraternal life: how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, the ordination consecrates the whole person: ear, hand, foot. The priest who is set apart for God is set apart in their hearing, their working, and their walking. Pray for your priests today, that their ears may hear God's word, their hands may be worthy instruments of his sacraments, and their feet may walk the paths of faithful service.

Prayer

Lord God, you consecrated Aaron and his sons for the service of your sanctuary. Consecrate your priests today in their ears and hands and feet. And receive the ministry they offer on our behalf, as you received Aaron's. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

8
Moses Consecrates Aaron and His Sons
(Exodus 29:1–9)
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Take Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull of the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread, 3 and assemble the whole congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”
 
4 So Moses did as the LORD had commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 5 And Moses said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded to be done.”
 
6 Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. 7 He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him. He tied the woven band of the ephod around him and fastened it to him. 8 Then he put the breastpiece on him and placed the Urim and Thummim * 8:8 Literally Lights and Perfections in the breastpiece. 9 Moses also put the turban on Aaron’s head and set the gold plate, the holy diadem, on the front of the turban, as the LORD had commanded him.
 
10 Next, Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it; and so he consecrated them. 11 He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them.
 
12 He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him. 13 Then Moses presented Aaron’s sons, put tunics on them, wrapped sashes around them, and tied headbands on them, just as the LORD had commanded him.
The Priests’ Sin Offering
 
14 Moses then brought the bull near for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 15 Moses slaughtered the bull, took some of the blood, and applied it with his finger to all four horns of the altar, purifying the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it so that atonement could be made on it.
 
16 Moses also took all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it all on the altar. 17 But the bull with its hide, flesh, and dung he burned outside the camp, as the LORD had commanded him.
The Priests’ Burnt Offering
 
18 Then Moses presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 19 Moses slaughtered the ram and sprinkled the blood on all sides of the altar. 20 He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces, and the fat. 21 He washed the entrails and legs with water and burned the entire ram on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
The Ram of Ordination
(Exodus 29:10–30)
 
22 After that, Moses presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 23 Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Moses also presented Aaron’s sons and put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled the blood on all sides of the altar.
 
25 And Moses took the fat—the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with their fat—as well as the right thigh. 26 And from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one cake of unleavened bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer, and he placed them on the fat portions and on the right thigh. 27 He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the LORD as a wave offering.
 
28 Then Moses took these from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering. This was an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. 29 He also took the breast—Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination—and waved it before the LORD as a wave offering, as the LORD had commanded him.
 
30 Next, Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, as well as Aaron’s sons and their garments.
 
31 And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’ 32 Then you must burn up the remainder of the meat and bread.
 
33 You must not go outside the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are complete; for it will take seven days to ordain you. 34 What has been done today has been commanded by the LORD in order to make atonement on your behalf. 35 You must remain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and keep the LORD’s charge so that you will not die, for this is what I have been commanded.”
 
36 So Aaron and his sons did everything the LORD had commanded through Moses.

*8:8 8:8 Literally Lights and Perfections

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