Hierarchy

Last night at our business meeting I had access to a whiteboard like I use in Catechism class, so I drew 6 mountains and added notes and drawings over them to make these points:

1. A mountain is naturally hierarchical: it's wide at the bottom, and comes to a point at the top where everyone wants to be. Cultures throughout history have gone to mountaintops to get closer to God. In fact if a culture isn't near a mountain, such as Babylonians or Mayans, they will build an artificial mountain.

2. At Mount Sinai the Israelites met with God hierarchically. The people around the base, the elders midway up, Aaron and Moses at the top with God in the Shekhinah cloud.

3. The plan of the Meeting Tent is hierarchical. The people may occupy the front court, the Levites the outer Holy Space, and the High Priest the Holy of Holies, where God descends from the Shekhinah cloud hovering above. (all true as well for Solomon's Temple)

4. The miracle of the Loaves and Fishes is hierarchical. Many people are hungry; the apostles mediate between the people and Jesus; Jesus works the miracle, but does not directly engage the people.

5. The Church is hierarchical. Christ is the invisible head, the pope is his prime minister, the bishops, priests and deacons minister more directly to the people.

6. The Mass is hierarchical. The people occupy the main part of the church, but may not go past the altar; the priests and deacons occupy the sanctuary proper, Jesus, the High Priest offers the sacrifice directly to the Father in the heavenly Holy of Holies.