THEOSISBeda Venerabilis
Ezra prepared his heart through sincere repentance and humbled his body, seeking to be graced with divine mercy. It was only after this preparation that he fervently offered his prayers. Kneeling down and raising his hands, he implored the Lord during the evening sacrifice, fully believing that a sacrificial offering of a contrite spirit and broken heart was far more pleasing to God than the blood of animals. From a typological perspective, Ezra's act of kneeling in tattered garments, reaching out to God, and inspiring many toward repentance through his tearful pleas reflects the Lord Savior.
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He willingly interceded for our sins before and during His suffering, allowing His hands to be extended on the cross, tearing His garments while leaving behind His wounds, ultimately dying for our regeneration. In the apostle’s words, He was "delivered up for our offenses and raised for our justification" (Rom 4:25). This occurred during the evening sacrifice, perhaps because the Lord, at the culmination of the ages, offered the sacrifice of His own flesh and blood to the Father and instructed us to present it along with bread and wine. Or it may signify that, having fulfilled the requirements of the law through His suffering, He liberated us and, having separated us from the nations, made us His own, inviting all who are pure in heart and body to draw near to Him.