Thanks to Salem Radio's Virtuoso Dueling Intellects on the Hugh Hewitt Show

Yesterday I along with millions of other lucky Americans were listening to the Hugh Hewitt Show and I was reminded of Shakespeare's play Henry V and the line "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" came to mind because listening to Hugh Hewitt and Dennis Prager is a blissful experience!
These two intelligent, patriotic and God Loving Americans of the Judeo-Christian tradition illuminate this "Happy" audience with Wisdom from Dennis and Pragmatic Political savvy from Hugh and charming wit from both! These intellectual Olympians are Dream Team Stars of New Media who are reminiscent of a Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin Duet crooning intellectually with their velvet voices enlightening the American Consciousness! How interesting that these good men are from the August bull pin of the Salem Radio Network which includes among other giants Laura Ingraham, Bill Bennett and Michael Medved! After listening to these two intellectual virtuosos I was reminded of the Catholic Eucharistic Prayer I where the church honors Melchizedek the King of Salem who is received by Abraham, the Jewish father and Father of faith for all Christians. The Catholic Church's teaches us that Melchizedek prefigures the Royal and Perfect Priesthood of Jesus Christ!

History informs us that Abraham had defeated King Chedorlaomer and the other three allied kings, and then was met by Melchizedek, the Canaanite King of Salem and "a priest of God Most High." The word Melchizedek which means "My king is righteousness" and Salem which means "peace." Interestingly Melchizedek presented bread and wine to Abraham, and blessed him with these words: "blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of Heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand" (Genesis 14:19-20). The key is that bread and wine were customarily offered in sacrifice among the "first fruits" of the earth in thanksgiving to the Creator. Melchizedek was technically a pagan priest but he recognized the one supreme deity as indicated by his use of the title "God Most High," just as the Jewish people did. Accepting this blessing and offering, Abraham gives to Melchizedek a tithe of one-tenth the spoils from his campaign.

Early Church Fathers understood and accepted the imagery discussed above as evidenced by St. Cyprian of Carthage ( 3rd century) letter to Cecil he wrote: "Also 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: "And Melchizedek, the King of Salem, brought out bread and wine, for he was a priest of the Most High God; and he blessed Abraham." Thus Melchizedek is indeed a type of Christ as 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." The Preistly Order certainly is that which comes from this offering of Bread and Wine because St. Cyprian wrote "because Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God; because he offered bread; and because he blessed Abraham. And who is more a priest of the Most High God than our Lord Jesus Christ, who, when He offered sacrifice to God the Father, offered the very same which Melchizedek had offered, namely bread and wine, which is in fact His Body and Blood."
St. Cyril of Jerusalem, another father of the Church, in his Catechetical Lectures (Mystagogia 5) also referenced Melchizedek's sacrifice as a "type" which prefigured the Holy Eucharist.

To summarize the original priesthood for the children of Israel originated with Aaron and was to perpetuate through his lineage giving them the Levitical Order. For Christians, Jesus Christ established a new lineage of priesthood, according to the order of Melchizedek, as affirmed in Hebrews 5.

Thank you Hugh Hewitt, Dennis Prager and the Salem Network for moving me to reflect on these interesting parallels. Reason, Fact, Truth tempered by their mutual faith, belief in Yahwh or God the Father and love for Abba is why this conversation duet was so melodic and music to my ears. Indeed we were blessed yeaterday and to those of us who listened were like Henry V's "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers"!
Thank you both for a great hour you Gentlemen and Sages of New Media, Hugh Hewitt and Dennis Prager,

Dominus Vobiscum(Lord be with You) and thanks for reading..

Francis Xavier Yubero, M.D.