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.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Divine Instructions

Scripture/Bible:  That very day two of them were going to a village named Emma'us, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cle'opas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 19 And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning 23 and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see." 25 And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:13-27

Reflection:  What could they have been talking among themselves? Is it the sad event and the suffering that Jesus went through or they may have been discussing from a depressive state having lost someone whom they looked up to as their savior?

In reality it is a post resurrection scene; an event that has made them bewildered and compelled them to discuss; what could this be; visions of Angels, missing body and appearances? There are more in a state of shock and in a dilemma on what to believe.

Yet they did not have conclusive evidence to base their thoughts on anything that is conclusive and concrete. Neither were they on any sort of sure foundation when they were discussing things.

Human nature seeks logic and a sound reason but they deceiving themselves through ill-conceived rationalization is a different question altogether.  To find logic and meaning to life and the things of life is intrinsic to human nature.
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Hence, maybe, they were discussing in order to arrive at some degree of sanity concerning their faith in the man whom they once followed with all their hearts and mind.

The only one who can instruct us in the divine is the risen Jesus and his Spirit, who subsequently also works through the Church, both visible and invisible. 

Allow Jesus in a concrete way to answer the many queries in our heart and mind and he will teach you beautifully because he knows how you think and what will convince you easily. The disciple did that unknowingly and reaped a bounty of wisdom that will surely lead them into eternity. 

Prayer:  Lord, you will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go; (cfr. Ps 32:8)

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us