THIS DAY SHALL BE A MEMORIAL FEAST FOR YOU

Homily for Friday, July 19: Exod. 11:1—12:14.

          “This day shall be a memorial feast for you …” These words from our first reading conclude the instructions for the observance of Passover. “Memorial” is being used here in a special sense. The word is usually understood psychologically. A memorial commonly brings a past event, or a deceased person, to our memories. The celebration of Passover does more. Its celebration makes the past event in which God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt spiritually but truly present.

          Why is it important for us to understand this? Because that is what happens in the Eucharist. You have probably heard the Mass called the “Holy Sacrifice.” The sacrifice referred to is Jesus’ offering of himself to the Father, begun at the Last Supper, and consummated on Calvary. That happened, the Letter to the Hebrew tells us several times over, “once for all” – some two thousand years ago. It is not repeated in the Mass. Rather, it is made spiritually present – just as, for observant Jews day, the celebration of Passover makes God’s rescue of his people from bondage (an event even more distant in time than the Last Supper and Calvary) spiritually present.

          Whenever, therefore, we gather to obey Jesus’ command at the Last Supper to “do this” with the bread and the wine, we are there! We are there in the Upper Room with Jesus’ apostles. We are there with the Beloved Disciple and Mary, along with his other female followers – more faithful than the men – beneath the cross. We are there with but one difference: we cannot see the Lord with our physical eyes; but we do perceive him with the eyes of faith.

          Do we realize that when we come to Mass – and truly worship?