Christian liturgy is rooted in
Jewish worship, which has at its centre Jahveh, the God
who decided to make history with his people, establishing a covenant of love
with them. This event was anticipated with a powerfull action, setting the
ancients jews free from the slavery of Egypt. This people received from God the
guidance to celebrate the especial moment of their freedom by eating a
one-year-old lamb. Afterwords they received the Comandaments on Sinai desert, signal
the Covenant stablished by God with them. They became People of God. From that
moment onwards the Jewish people has celebrated their freedom every year by
eating exactly what their forefathers had eaten on that famous night of the
liberation. This is called the Passover meal.
Using the same Ceremonial, Jesus established
a new one – the Eucharistic Meal, announcing to his disciples the full
liberation
that was coming and that he longed ardently to share with his friends. In this supper in an atmosphere of familiarity and great expectancy,
Jesus gave himself as food, anticipating in ritual way what was about
to happen with him on the cross. Through
symbolic gestures, he expressed the meaning of his free surrender, that it should
also be part on the lives of his followers. Therefore,
he washed the feet of his disciples, giving
testimony of humility and self-emptiness (kenosis), uniting
forever the celebration of his Body and Blood with the fraternal service.
Those who will continue in the world the work of the Master must assume the
same attitude of service with new mentality and new relationships.
Jesus is the Master server, who loves
until the last consequences. Knowing
that love requires presence, he perpetuates his presence
in the world through the Eucharist. The Eucharist is an
expression of free surrender of Christ and gesture of love that becomes
service. In this context it makes sense the ministerial of priesthood, sign of
Christ Shepherd who continues guiding his Flock. Through the common priesthood of the faithful, we
become one body with Christ and thus responsible for
its up building in love. The Eucharist
only makes sense if it is an expression of brotherly love and only those who
love are able to serve. Only those who love truly are able to go up to the last
consequences. Only the love produces communion
and “only the things made with love
have them consistence (stability)”.
This is the mystery of our faith: a deep and rich truth
in which we can penetrate with love and humility and come to know God as he truly
is. This reality is the Pascal Mystery, which comprises the passion, death and
resurrection of the Son of God. Jesus instituted the Eucharist on Holy
Thursday, giving his own body and blood to eat and drink during this Last
Supper. On Good Friday again he gave us his body and blood, but this time by
dying on the cross – a true sacrifice in two different ways. These two days,
Holy Thursday and Good Friday are closely interconnected. On Easter Sunday his
victory over death is completed and the new life became accessible for all.
So, Eucharist is celebration of the passion, death and
resurrection of Jesus. His presence is alive, dynamic, effective, capable of
producing results. Jesus in the Eucharist works, bringing change to our lives.
Like this, celebrating the Eucharist we are really transformed into what
we celebrate, accepting the reality of the Paschal
Mystery as “Passover of Christ in Easter of us, Easter of us in the Passover of Christ”.
So, after each Eucharistic celebration we
have the challenge to return to daily activities as witnesses of Christ who gave
his life for love for all people to have a full life.
Oh Jesus, we thank you for the richness of the sacrament
of Eucharist. Thanks for the experience of fraternity which we live in each
Holy mass we celebrate. We believe that your presence is real and effective in
our midst and we want to renew the commitment to maintain a healthy and strong
friendship with you and to serve others with generosity. May your example of
humility and emptiness make us to descover the greatness of the fraternal
service. Amem.
Fr. Ndega
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