THE PASSOVER

 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 15^th Friday in Ordinary Time is, “The Passover.”

Today’s first reading from the Book of Exodus talks about the Feast of the Passover. [Cf. Exodus  11: 10 to 12:14]

The thought of my homily is twofold:

First: if we don’t understand the Jewish Passover, we will not grasp the fullness of our Mass - and Jesus’ Passover.

Secondly: the Feast of the Jewish Passover is multi-layered and rather complicated and complex - therefore it makes understanding the feast of the Jewish Passover - as well as the Mass difficult.

MANY LAYERED

Let me begin with the idea of many layered.

 Last night I was at a small dinner party that honored Sister Elise from our St. Mary’s High School. She’s leaving at the end of this month.  It will mark the end of the School Sisters of Notre Dame being here at St. Mary’s since August 23, 1867. 

For dessert we had brownies. I picked up that  Sister Elise loves  this dessert. It had a big scoop of home made vanilla ice cream on top of the brownie - and then on top of that chocolate syrup. Being a diabetic I only had a cup of tea. Bummer.

Notice: this brownie Sundae had 3 layers.

Well, the feast of the Passover is multi-layered. It might be the running together of two or three feasts. It certainly celebrates for starters the escape and the saving of the Hebrews out of Egypt.

Well, to prepare for this homily I read different articles in Biblical Dictionaries and Biblical Commentaries on the title: Passover.

As I did that I could see how multi-layered the feast is. Scholars say in time it might have combined with agricultural feasts - that of new corn and new sheep or goats for example.  

As to the brownies covered with ice cream and then chocolate syrup, I don’t know the history of that dessert. I also don’t know if Sister Elise asked for it - if there is a story behind it - or if it is a favorite of the lady named Mary who served it. Where did she learn how to make it and what have you? I would rather have sat there and enjoyed all its layers. As a diabetic I was being refused communion with the “Yum Yum” sounds of delight around the table. I had to pass over the sugary delight.

Life can get complicated, eh?

THE MASS

So too our Mass. It too has a 2000 year history. It too celebrates many, many things.

It’s the feast of the Unleavened Bread.

We can hear in the Mass the words of the death of the First Born Son.

We can see in the Mass Jesus’ blood being sprinkled on the doorposts of our lives - so that evil and problems will fly over our homes.

The Mass connects us with Holy Thursday - and the Passover Supper that night.

It connects us with night - notice the mention of night in today’s first reading.  The Passover takes place in the darkest night.

It connects us with Jesus’ blood on Good Friday afternoon - being shed on the cross - and it becomes dark outside - as dark as night.

It connects us with the rush of life. We shoot into Mass - and shoot out again. I think we should be happy with folks here - and not complain about those who have to run. Today’s first reading has the message - eat with sandals on - and ready to run

Today’s gospel brings in the message to eat when we are hungry - and we can add the message, “May we always be hungry for the bread of life when we come into this holy temple.” [Cf. Matthew 12:1-8]

We can connect the Passover with the message at each Mass: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed  are those  called to the Supper of the Lamb.”

CONCLUSION

There is much more. This is multi-layered so we need more than one Mass to catch some of this. Amen.

O---O---O---O---O

Painting on Bottom: Bound Lamb or Agnus Dei, 1608 by Francisco de Zurbaran