“It is the Passover of the LORD. For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking dow every first bor of the land, both man and beast, and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt-I, the LORD! But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you. ‘This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.’” (Exodus 12: 11-14)
During Lent I had the opportunity to attend a Seder meal at St. Monica Catholic Church. All the rituals of the meal were explained. Passover is the first of seven appointed festivals given to Israel to observe on a yearly basis. Passover is celebrated by having an evening Seder, a ceremonial meal that recounts the story of Israel’s miraculous deliverance and redemption. To be a part of that evening was a blessing. To experience all the richness of our faith; God’s mercy for the Israelites and to see how it culminate into the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Below are some of the things that were mentioned that night, it increased my desire to know more about the roots of my Catholic faith.
Passover is a wonderful celebration of God’s mighty works among his people Israel, however it points to another far greater work of deliverance and redemption. This deliverance and redemption would be provided by another “Passover Lamb,” Jesus the Messiah. This Passover Lamb would be the One to deliver us from the bondage of sin and death for all eternity. This Passover Lamb has made us “unleavened” by His broken body and she blood poured out for our redemption and forgiveness. For we read in scripture:
“Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).
It was not only necessary for the Israelites to sacrifice the unblemished lamb, but to consume its flesh. Eating the sacrifice signified that the recipient actually partook of the redemption that God provided through the blood of the lamb. The redemption was not merely external, but it became internal through eating the sacrifice. There was, as we would say, a communion with the sacrifice that God provided. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, then, is the fulfillment of the Passover meal. We actually do come forward and partake of the true Passover Lamb who is Jesus Christ. He was slain two thousand years ago in Jerusalem, yet that sacrifice is re-presented to us in the Holy Mass. We are allowed to partake in His sacrifice. In other words, we have communion with Christ and His redemptive act on the cross.
We know that Christ intended this because He died in the context of the Jewish Passover. Moreover, on the evening before Christ died on the cross, he instituted a sacramental meal that involved eating His flesh and drinking His blood. When we share in the Paschal Mystery of the Holy Mass, we share not only in Christ’s sufferings, but we unite our own sufferings to His sufferings. We become united to his sacrifice in a way that is both real and intimate.(Excerpts from The Crucified Rabbi: Judaism and the Origins of Catholic Christianity by Taylor Marshall).
So we can say with St. Paul, “Christ our Paschal Lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore, celebrate the feast” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).
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