Tomorrow our Jewish brethrens will begin the great celebration of Passover, the celebration of the beginning of the exodus from Egypt led by Moses to the promised land. God sent 10 plagues on pharaoh and his people in order to help him rid Egypt of the Isrealites. The 10th plague was the death of the first born, this plague was the foundation for the eucharist.
The Lord tells Moses “They shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb.” (Exodus 12:7) The blood which the Lord is referring to is that of the lamb, the paschal sacrifice asked to be prepared. “But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you…”(Exodus 12:13). The celebration of this great day when the Isrealites would be thrown out of Egypt is now the Jewish celebration of Passover. Where God passed over their ancestors who obeyed his wishes.
It was at the passover celebration that Jesus had his last meal on earth. The night we now refer to as the “Last Supper” or “Maundy Thursday” is the beginning of the passion in the Catholic tradition. This is where Jesus spoke his famous words recorded in Matthew’s Gospel “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”(Matthew 26:26-27)
Those two lines from Matthew’s Gospel became the foundation of the liturgy of the eucharist at Mass said after the consecration prayer. Jesus took a Jewish tradition and instituted the center of our faith, his real presence in the meal we all share together at Mass.
Just like the Israelites sacrificed a lamb, we to at Mass celebrate the sacrifice of Jesus, our paschal lamb. During this epidemic, let us mark our doorpost with the blood of our lamb that it may pass over us and help us celebrate and recall the story and moments that gave us our Eucharist.