Reasons for the Ceremonial Precepts of the Old Law

Since the ceremonial precepts were instituted by divine wisdom, they were most reasonable means to a necessary end.

Worship conducted according to the ceremonial preceptswas partly direct worship of God and partly a prefiguring of Christ and his Church.

Sacrifice is the highest act of religion. It directsmen’s minds to God, to recognize him as creator and lord ofall. It withdraws men from the worship of false gods. According toits importance, sacrifice in the Old Law was the most vivid ofall ceremonial proceedings in prefiguring the New Law; it forecast in a striking way the coming of the perfect sacrifice, that of the cross.

The very instruments and vestments used in the ceremonial service of the Old Law were treated with ceremoniousreverence. Thus were men’s minds impressed with the truth thatthe formal worship of God is no routine action of ordinary life.

The sacred things and the purifying preparations (suchas washings, sprinkling with ashes, prescribed anointings, and so forth) were significant both as contributing to the formal worship of God and to the foreshadowing of Christ.

And the observances (clean and unclean foods, specialgarments, planting of divers seeds, etc.) helped to keep the minds of an easily distracted people employed with truly religious thoughts, making them aware in all things of their duty to God. Theobservances also prefigured the perfect food of the Eucharist, the perfect garment of grace, and the fruitful works of Christianpenance.