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Posts Tagged ‘Jewish Passover’
Download 18th Sunday Yr B
Reflection Questions:
- The Exodus story teaches us of our covenant relationship with God. Each time the people grumbled, Moses prayed to God, and God responded faithfully to his covenant love commitment. Remembering the first reading is chosen to highlight the Gospel reading, John 6 and Exodus are both reflecting on the meaning of the Jewish ‘Passover’. The treasured memory of God feeding his people with ‘manna’ (literally from the word ‘man hu’ meaning ‘what is this?’) was an essential part of the passover celebration. Rather ungratefully, God’s people continually grumbled. Do I grumble frequently against ‘Moses and Aaron…..’ How could I speak words of ‘affirmation’? How could I practice gratefulness for the ‘daily feeding’ by God of every gift and blessing?
- Parts of the Letter to the Ephesians are prayers used at Baptism in the early church community. A colorful image is pointed to in the Baptism ceremony. In ancient times one’s clothing was considered part of oneself. In the ceremony you took off your old clothes and put on a new white garment. Your old self was put aside. Your new self is the life of Christ. Your new life-style is as a citizen of Heaven not a citizen of Rome. How could you show Righteousness, Holiness and Truth more in your life? Amongst your family? At work?
- Last week we began 5 weeks of hearing the Gospel of John chapter 6. It is important to notice the context of John 6. The famous ‘bread of life’ passage is the second of three passover celebrations in the Gospel of John. At each passover, Jesus replaces the passover with his own ‘body’ (see John 2, 6, 19). Last week the crowd tried to take Jesus away to make him ‘King’ because there was a Jewish expectation (2 Baruch 29:3,18) that there would be a miraculous feeding of bread from heaven which would reveal the promised Messiah. Jesus comments to the crowd, they are only looking and working for ‘food’ to fill their bellies. He promises something greater. Can you understand what Jesus is doing when he claims he is the ‘Son of Man’, the one on whom the Father, God, has ‘set his seal’? What does it mean if you ‘set your seal’ upon your letter, object…?
- The crowd asks for proof from Jesus that he is ‘better’ than Moses who fed Israel with ‘manna’ in the desert. Jesus responds using a very important phrase: ‘I AM the bread of Life’. I AM is the divine name given by God to Moses in Ex 3,16. Jesus reminds the crowd that it was God not Moses who fed his people, and in fact, I AM is standing right in front of you.
- The Gospel of John often requires the reader to step down into deeper levels of meaning. Never hungry and never thirsty recognises a physical ‘hunger’ and invites the reader to recognise a deeper spiritual hunger and thirst for life. Beyond feeding your body and satisfying your thirst, what do you really live for? What is ‘life’ for?
- Many people came seeking Jesus but they did not want to follow him. Jesus will soon make the connection that He is and will become the ‘bread of God’ from Heaven which gives life. He will do this with the gift of his ‘Body’ and his ‘Blood’ on the cross which will be received in the celebration of the Mass John 6, 55. Do you ‘see’ that you truly receive Jesus at Mass? Do you ‘seek’ AND ‘follow’ Jesus?
- What is one action that you will do to be ‘livingtheword’ this week?
Download Reflection – 17th Sunday Yr B
Reflection Questions
- Over the next 5 weeks, our scripture readings focus upon the events of God feeding his people. We depart from the normal Gospel of Mark readings from Mark chapter 6 and are placed into the Gospel of John chapter 6. The next five weeks provide an opportunity for prayer and deeper reflection upon the Eucharist and its meaning for our lives.
- Jewish people recognised miraculous events of Prophets feeding God’s people with bread symbolised God feeding his family and satisfying their hunger. It was normal to bring Barley – which was harvested around the time of the Jewish passover – to the temple as an offering. Significantly, because the temple in the North (Gilgal) was following false Baal worship the bread / barley offering is presented to a holy man (Elisha) who distributed it to the poor. Do you experience the prophetic connection between worship and being fed and ‘morality’ – now feeding the poor of the world on behalf of God?
- Last week we heard Jesus has united us all together – Jews and Gentiles. Paul encourages us ‘to live in a manner worthy….’ showing this unity. How do you experience disunity?
- Imagine your life, relationships, work-place. How could you practice unity-creating virtues: humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with, striving to preserve unity, maintaining a ‘bond of peace’? What is your biggest challenge?
- Because the Gospel of Mark (Yr B) has only 16 chapters, we jump into John chapter 6 for 5 weeks to explore Jesus’ feeing the 5,000. The story of Jesus feeding with ‘bread’ is told 6 times in the Gospels. John is the most theologically full with special words and meaning. It is around the Jewish Feast of the Passover. At passover Jewish people remembered Moses the great prophet feeding them with ‘manna in the desert’. The promised Messiah (King) would also do a miraculous feeding. We notice in each of the three Passovers of Jesus’ public ministry (Jn 2, 6, 19) the passover is fulfilled and replaced ‘with his body’. 5 loaves and 2 fish = 7 the perfect Jewish number indicating a perfect feeding. Taking the loaves, gave thanks, gave it to distribute, gather (synagein), fragments (klasma) are all special words used by the early church for the celebration of the Eucharist. Twelve indicates ‘all Jewish tribes / people’. What do you make of all these ‘clues’ in the reading today? What does this story now mean for you?
- In the midst of large crowds who are hungry, Philip offers no solution. Instead he remarks it will cost so much to fix this problem, 2/3rds of a years wage! What thought or feeling decides your (in)actions: cost or compassion? Do you offer your small contribution of money or compassion, or give up in the sight of large injustice / poverty / hunger?
- The crowds ‘see’ the sign Jesus has worked, think of him as ‘truly the prophet’ they have been waiting for – the Messiah. The one promised. They wish to make him King. A Political Ruler. Why do you think Jesus ‘withdraws’? Why is the ‘lifting up of Jesus’ on the cross the enthronement moment in the gospel of John?
- What is one action that you will do to be ‘livingtheword’ this week?
Download Feast of Corpus Christi
Reflection Questions
- The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) began as a response to increased devotion to the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in the 12th Century. This led to a desire to ‘see’, Jesus in the consecrated elements. In 1220 in Paris the practice of elevating the host began.
- A Covenant was a binding agreement and promise between two parties. Moses conducts a ‘sacrifice’ which seals the bond between God and Israel. Blood = life. Life = God. Everyone sprinkled now participates in a relationship and keeps the ‘agreement’: the 10 commandments. Being sprinkled with ‘blood’ was a very significant event. How would you make a life-long bond and commitment today? Can you connect the sprinkling of blood, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, the blood of the covenant in the eucharist?
- The New Testament Letter to the Hebrews explores the Book of Numbers and Leviticus and helps us understand Jesus as fulfilling and replacing the role of the High Priest in the Temple. The Feast of the Atonement (at-one-ment described in Lev 16) involved God forgiving sins through the action of blood being rubbed on the Mercy Seat in the most holy of holies, the tabernacle. Life represented by Blood rubs out Death represented by Sin. As well as blood bringing forgiveness, the ashes of a sacrifice were sprinkled onto water and it became ‘waters of purification’ for blessing and making people ‘clean’. Can you see the links to Holy Water as we enter the Church? Our Bodies receiving the blood of Christ in the chalice? The Cross of Jesus is in the Cup? How could you prepare yourself to make this a deeply special experience?
- The Jewish Passover involved a special meal with meat of a lamb (sacrifice), bread (remembering both unleavened bread and the quick escape from Egypt and the manna from heaven while in the desert) and cups of wine (the 3rd cup remembered passing through the red sea from Egypt into the desert). Jesus now changes the words and actions and institutes a new sacred meal. He speaks interpretative words upon the bread and wine to teach us his meaning. He longer looks backward in history, but forward to the next day of his death on the cross. The unrisen bread will now become his body broken on the cross. The 3rd cup of wine will become his blood poured out establishing a new covenant. Do you see the beauty and eternal significance of the celebration of Mass? Do you have any questions to ask that would help you grow in faith and understanding? Who could you ask?
- Receiving Jesus in Holy Communion can become ‘easy’ and ‘ordinary’. The Feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus highlights the importance of the Mass in our lives. Do you accept the invitation to be in a ‘covenant’ and intimate relationship with God? Will you seek to maintain union in prayer and action during the week? Will you agree to ‘participate’ in the building of the Kingdom of God of peace and justice? Are you willing to imitate Christ; to live for God and love all people to the extent that your body is broken and your blood poured out? Can you see a deeper invitation as you receive Jesus?
- What is one action that you will do to be ‘livingtheword’ this week?
Download: Holy Thursday Yr A
- Holy Thursday is a celebration of the Institution of the Eucharist and the Priesthood and a reminder of the last command of Jesus for disciples to love and serve each other. There are some dramatic images of blood being painted on doorways and a humble servant washing dirty feet. Both are heavy with meaning as we enter the celebration of the sacred 3 days of Easter.
- A lamb being sacrificed and the blood placed on the doorways of the house caused the angel of death to ‘pass-over’ the house. All the houses not marked with blood were affected by death (see Ex 12,23). Symbolically blood represented life. It also had the power to overcome sin and death. It cleansed. It forgave sin. Can you make the link between the passover lamb and Jesus being the ‘lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world’? What is the significance of Christ’s blood?
- In a typical Jewish celebration of the Passover meal the Father would take some unleavened bread and remind the family of having to leave Egypt in great haste. Imagine the surprise of the disciples when Jesus speaks not of the Exodus or unleavened bread but states his own body will bring about a new Exodus / Passover. Jesus is replacing the Jewish Passover with new sacramental words and signs. Can you see the link between unleavened bread and the gift of Jesus’ body?
- To understand the Eucharist we need first to understand the Passover (which the Eucharist fulfills and replaces). In the Jewish Passover there were four cups of wine. The second cup was the most important. It remembered the blood of the lambs sprinkled on the doorposts. Jesus in the words of institution at the last supper did not make reference to the blood of the lamb, but instead states he is beginning a new and everlasting covenant with his own blood. Can you see how Jesus is fulfilling and replacing the Jewish Passover?
- St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is one of the earliest passages of scripture in the New Testament. Paul states very clearly that what was handed on to him about the celebration of the Eucharist was connected with Jesus’ own words and command at the last supper. If the Eucharist is ‘proclaiming’ the death of the Lord what does this mean for you? For the world?
- St John does not have the last supper scene like the other gospels. Instead John teaches christian disciples that to celebrate the Eucharist is by implication to participate in the life of Jesus who emptied himself, washed, served. Foot washing was considered such a lowly task that even Jewish slaves were not expected or asked to perform it! John teaches us not to disconnect the Eucharist with service to repair and heal the world. How does Jesus’ last example and the ‘tools of the trade’ of a basin and towel challenge you today? What is self emptying work washing the dirty parts of humanity look like in our society today?
- What is one action that you will do to ‘livetheword’ this week?