The Passover

Scripture/Bible:  And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the passover?" 13 And he sent two of his disciples, and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the householder, 'The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I am to eat the passover with my disciples?' 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us." 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city, and found it as he had told them; and they prepared the passover. ………22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." 26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

Reflection:  The Eucharist is the Passover meal of the Christians, a meal that takes us on our journey, helping us to Passover from the darkness of death to the new life in Christ Jesus.  It is a meal that allows us to Passover the obstacles of life. 

Whoever does not value this meal and the beauty thereof are missing what God has ordained for our sanctification in Christ Jesus. “…unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” John 6:53-54

The Jews who had already experienced the Passover miracle when they were brought out of the land of bondage and slavery did celebrate this feast in an appropriate manner through all their generations and until now.

This celebration of an historical event is what gives the Jews their own uniqueness and preserves their culture, even keeping room open to trust God in times of crisis.

This is all the more true for us Christians who believe in the special presence of Jesus at every Eucharist and much more. 

It is an invitation to trust God as our savior totally, because it is he who offered himself for the salvation of humanity and now here remembered at the altar of Sacrifice for the great act that is able to save us.

The doctrine behind the Eucharist suggests that it is no mere ritual but an actual miracle each time Christ is made present body and blood, soul and divinity through the species of bread and wine.

This very reason I see that we Christians need not have a special affinity to the historical Jesus, so as to even go in search for him, since he enters history every time and is real in every historical moment through the Eucharist. Thanks to the great miracle, we are given an opportunity to seek, find and believe. 

Prayer: Down in adoration falling,

Lo! the sacred Host we hail,

Lo! o'er ancient forms departing

Newer rites of grace prevail;

Faith for all defects supplying,

Where the feeble senses fail.

To the everlasting Father,

And the Son Who reigns on high

With the Holy Ghost proceeding

Forth from Each eternally,

Be salvation, honor, blessing,

Might and endless majesty. Amen.

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