Photo: Colosseo. FIAMC Press Services
Anne Lastman
Some would say that the Holy Thursday night meal with Jesus and his apostles was simply a meal shared together, probably a Passover meal, sacred, but not Eucharist as we have come to know it. It was not at the time or for time to come understood as a “memorial meal” That Lamb, bitter herbs, salty water reminiscent of the tears shed by the chosen people Israel, an egg, for new life, unleavened bread, cup of wine, parsley (spring-new life)and Haroshes a mixtures of sweet ingredients and seeds and cinnamon and honey mixed representing bricks used to form the paste mortar used with the bricks and suffering in Egypt and then the sweetness of freedom from Egypt. This is the sweetness of overcoming the hardships, to find freedom.
This for the Jewish people, that is the Seder, the feast celebrated by Jesus throughout his earthly life, and at the Last Supper with those chosen to continue his work after his departure. A last supper. Like his people who had the last meal before the speed with which they had to prepare to escape before the angel of death came to destroy the Egyptians. The usual meal of family not on that particular night but a meal eaten with blood drip from the lintel above their doorway. The meal before liberation from the pharaoh of earth and humanity, sin. This is the feast which was/is most important to Jews past, present and for all time because it’s a feast where each generation firmly believes themselves to be present with their ancestors at the first celebration of Passover (Exodus). For the Jewish people the annual Passover is not a remembrance or even anniversary but a presence with their ancestors of that first instruction and the speed with which they had to prepare to escape. The Lamb to be cooked and shared with others who did not have. The unleavened bread because there was no time for leaven to raise the flour and preparation, to ensure that the angel of death passed by their doorway, saw blood on the Lintel, and bypassed the house from death, but an event where today’s population is not retelling the story but is with them the first Passover. They are present hearing the words and commands and they are carried from past, through time to present to future. Always unchanging because it’s the same one as the one of approximately 4000 BC. Hearing the same voice speaking continuously. The Lord God guides them throughout the journey feeding a miraculous meal to tie each generation to the next to the next tied together. He is their rope which binds them together. He is their Isaac who is bound and they are bound to Yahweh. This meal ties them, unbreakable with an unbreakable bond. This is the Covenant made by God with them. An eternal covenant with His chosen people.
This is the sacred meal which Jesus would have shared with his family all his life as he grew to manhood and even through his own mission on earth and finally with a small group of people, sitting around a type of table on which all elements would be placed, but not sitting on chairs or table as we know but likely a round cleansed wooden plank with a cloth (saved for this meal only) . In that culture and time meals were eaten whilst sitting on ground and it’s possibly how John was able to lean on the breast of Jesus.(Jn13:23) during their last Passover before the new covenant would be created and sealed with his blood. He was
The sequence of the meal would be retold verbatim. The why. The Lamb used at the time and shared. Unleavened bread and why. It’s the feast of the freedom of the Jews from slavery. No time to wait for leaven to make flour rise.
The Passover has been and is a feast of freedom. The new Passover Lamb (Jesus) is also the feast of freedom from sin and escape from the original “Egypt” of satan
Jesus would have celebrated this feast with the same reverence as all community and ancestors past. However, during the course of the evening the Lamb became Himself, “behold the Lamb of God who takes away the Sin of the world” (Jn.1:29) ) As the Lamb of old and blood on the lintels ensured passage from death into freedom, so too now the “Lamb” of God, Jesus, whose blood and subsequent death ensured passage from death to freedom to restore again the relationship with his Father the Creator. “I tell you I will not eat again until it is fulfilled.” “(Lk.22:16) He had desired to eat this Passover with them because at this feast he would reveal to them that he would institute the new covenant between Him and the Father. He as man representing all of humanity. A Covenant between man (Jesus) which would never be broken. He with whom Yahweh would make and seal a covenant which unlike past covenants made and broken. This one would never be broken. The covenant with Jesus as fully human, priest, sacrifice. A covenant never be destroyed.
It ‘s often assumed that the Passover, and following the Eucharist, are a retelling of the story, or history of events with accretions added to them and retold verbatim once year (on Mt Gerizim) where Joshua had led them hear the retelling of the Law and then return to own tribes. Joshua gathered the people and reminded them of God’s promises and delivered them from their enemies. Neither Passover nor Eucharist are events which retell a story of long ago. Those present at every Passover from the first one are not retelling the story but believe that the participants are present with their ancestors as the events occurred. So too with the Eucharist. It’s not a retelling of their history of an event past and memory and reminder of it but full reality of our very presence with the Lord and apostles who hear his words. Of the new and everlasting covenant. “this is my body eat. This is my blood drink” He speaks these words then and they continue and be heard from then onward. The Priest as “Alter Christi” utters these words loudly (Jesus voice heard through priest) by those present at this feast. Around the “table” he utters the words of the new covenant sealed to be sealed with his blood. We hear His words repeated to us. As on Mt Gerisim, the hearing of the words of the Law, today we hear the promise by him to do this as a reminder that every time these words are said He is present to say them and give himself to all who would want “have life in him”.
The human understanding of time is lineal in order to organize our life, but In God’s timing it’s always NOW. He still hears His son “say Father forgive them they know not what they do” (Lk .23:34) so every time his brother or sister sin the Father still hears His son’s words to forgive them. On the cross the son took all the sins of the world. And when in this state he couldn’t see his father and feared he had been abandoned just like when we sin we cannot see our brother Jesus and fear he has turned away from us. But like the Father had not turned away from his son, our brother Jesus does not turn away. He has my (our) sin written in him/on him on the cross.
The human being now saved by God the son to God His Father on our behalf and the Father now looking at the creature through Jesus.
The Eucharist is the nourishment for the journey. The place where all redeeming, forgiveness, is accepted because of the intimate relationship between the Father and the son
Eucharist is a sacrament because it was instituted by Jesus and because it is Jesus that is consumed it is our “manna” from heaven. It’s both a Sacrament and Sacrifice because it’s offered up as the unblemished lamb and consumed as was the Passover lamb. The Eucharist Sacrament is for the sanctification of the people whilst sacrifice is for the sanctification of the people and some say glory of God, I can’t say that God is glorified through the death of his son, but the condition of reversal of the promise of death which original disobedience brought to humanity and would be through willing. Sin brought pain and death. Obedience, honour, acceptance for the reversal of that curse and fear of the unknown state of death. This was to be the final act of reparation for the sins committed by “Adam” and which would be further committed by the creature along the journey but now with forgiveness available through the intersession of one who did not listen to the voice of the murderer from the beginning. Of one who willingly accepted all the suffering due to sinner and finally accepted the indignity of death. This event (Eucharistic sacrifice) present, really and continuing till end. Till the end of time this anamnesis will be valid. The promise of being continually fed by his sacrificial offering of his body and blood.
